Procedures for Attendance That May Be Affected by Severe Weather Conditions and Other Emergencies

This policy applies to: All regular full-time and part-time staff members. (Individuals represented by collective bargaining agreements receive benefits in accordance with those agreements.)

I. Curtailed Services Due to Severe Weather and Other Facilities Related Emergencies

It is the policy of the University to remain operating and to continue regular services and schedules regardless of adverse weather conditions and other emergencies, transportation or utility problems, and similar interruptions (inclusive of ambulatory practices). Essential functions include, but are not limited to, maintaining Hospital operations, supporting residential students, operating designated research facilities and providing necessary support services for those essential functions to ensure the safety of students, patients, faculty and staff. Depending on the requirements of their departments, University employees will be placed in one of two work categories for days in which services are curtailed due to severe weather conditions or other emergencies. Departments will inform their employees of their work category. It is the responsibility of each department to specify to each employee their designated category based on the requirements of the department prior to the severe weather conditions and other emergencies. University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) employees, whether at Elmwood Avenue or any off-site location, are considered essential staff and are required to report even when services are curtailed unless notified otherwise by their supervisor. Other University employees will be assigned an appropriate category based on their roles and responsibilities by their supervisor.

A. Curtailment Decisions

Each Division, School, Academic Department or Administrative unit that proposes to curtail, cancel or close their operation must request and receive approval from their senior leader (Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Provost, President or Senior Vice President for Health Affairs) prior to implementation.

B. Categories of Employment

1. Essential: Employees in this category, unless otherwise directed, are expected to make every reasonable and safe effort to report for scheduled work in a timely manner. If an hourly paid Essential employee  (including those in Professional, Leadership or Clinical Career streams (in level C5 or above) paid hourly) is unable to safely travel to the University, the employee may, upon department head permission, be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each calendar year.  These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.
2. Non-essential: Non-essential employees are not expected to report to work while severe weather conditions or other emergencies have compelled the University to curtail services. Non-essential employees may upon department head permission be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each calendar year. These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.

C. Procedures for Hourly Paid Staff (Including PAS Employees Paid Hourly) Where Curtailment of Services Has Occurred

1. Procedures: In cases where severe weather or other emergency conditions (including but not limited to municipal decisions to close roads or issue a “no unnecessary travel warning”) compel the University to curtail services, the following procedures apply:
   
   1. Essential employees, unless otherwise directed, are expected to make every reasonable and safe effort to report for scheduled work in a timely manner. If an hourly paid Essential employee (including those in Professional, Leadership or Clinical Career streams (in level C5 or above) paid hourly) is unable to safely travel to their University work location, and they are not able to perform their work remotely for the period of curtailment, then, the employee may, upon department head approval, be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each calendar These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.
   2. Non-essential employees are not expected to report to work while severe weather conditions or other emergencies have compelled the University to curtail services. Non- essential employees may be required to work remotely (if possible) by their supervisor. Where working remotely is not possible, and upon department head approval, these employees be granted no more than two days off with full base pay in each calendar year. These days will not count against the employee’s vacation or paid time off allotment.
   3. Early Departure: When severe weather or another emergency causes the University to announce the curtailment of services after a non-essential employee has already reported to work, the employee will be paid for a minimum of four (4) hours and will also be compensated for any lost work time for that day as noted above in section b.

   4. Remote Workers:

      • Employees working remotely are unimpacted by weather-related travel emergencies or University facility closures and as such would be expected to work their normal schedule. 

      • Employees working a hybrid work schedule (working partially on-site and partially from home) should, where possible and with their supervisor’s approval, plan to work from home when the University announces curtailment of services.  

      • If a remote worker is unable to work due to conditions related to their individual remote work location (power outage, flood, other localized issue in their region/location) the employee should arrange with their supervisor to work on-site (if possible) or use personal accrued time (if available) unless covered by section II.A.1.d. of this Policy.

D. Procedures for Salaried Paid Essential and Non-essential Staff Where Curtailment of Services Has Occurred

Salaried paid staff members are regularly expected to complete their daily and weekly tasks. A salaried paid staff member’s pay will not be affected by early departure, tardiness or failure to report due to severe weather conditions and/or other emergencies, but such employees are expected to make whatever adjustments are required in their schedule to ensure that they meet the responsibilities of their job. Salaried employees who choose to take a half or full day off due to weather conditions when University services have not been curtailed will be required to take vacation time as appropriate. Salaried paid employees who are also considered essential are expected to make every reasonable effort to report safely for work to assist in providing essential services, unless otherwise directed.

E. General Guidelines and Procedures

1. Each department must identify and notify designated essential and non-essential In addition, each department must identify employees’ eligibility to work remotely pursuant to the University’s Remote Work Policy. When an employee is hired, transferred, promoted or otherwise has a change in work status, it is important that the employee be advised of their status as it relates to this policy. In addition, each fall, department heads should review the weather emergency plan and other departmental emergency policies with their employees and ensure that each employee knows and understands their status and how this Policy applies to them. This Policy also should be reviewed if severe weather conditions and other emergencies appear imminent. Depending on the circumstances at the time of the actual severe weather conditions or other emergencies, supervisors may reclassify employees between Essential and Non-essential categories as needed.
   
   
2. All staff members are expected to notify their immediate supervisors or to follow established departmental communication procedures if they are unable to report to work at their scheduled time.
3. While several different media will be utilized by the University to broadly and promptly communicate emergency conditions and associated work schedules, each employee retains the responsibility for obtaining the necessary information regarding their work schedule.
4. All essential employees are expected to remain at their work place during periods of curtailed services until given permission to leave and/or relieved by replacement staff. This is especially important for essential employees assisting in departments or units involving patient care, public safety, dining, housing, facilities services, etc.
5. When an employee is scheduled for a day off (vacation, PTO, or sick leave) on a day that curtailment of services is declared, the absence should be reported as planned (vacation, PTO or sick leave).

Please note: If the University does not curtail services and the staff member does not report to work, reports to work late, or leaves work early the employee may request to use paid time off (PTO, if applicable, or vacation) or time without pay with supervisor approval.

F. Procedures

To record excused time off with pay for hourly paid staff (including those in Professional, Leadership or Clinical Career streams (in level C5 or above) paid hourly) when services are curtailed, supervisors should report the amount of time to be excused using the myURHR pay code of UR Excused Hours. Questions should be referred to the Offices of Human Resources at the Medical Center or River Campus.

II. Absences for Other Emergencies Not Resulting in Curtailment of Services

Department heads may grant to regular full- and part- time, hourly paid staff members  (including those in Professional, Leadership or Clinical Career streams (in level C5 or above) paid hourly) not more than two days off with full base pay in each calendar year to meet emergency situations that cannot be planned for or avoided and require an employee’s personal attention and absence from work. Salaried employees are not eligible for this time and should use vacation time or make the necessary adjustments in their schedule to ensure that they meet the responsibilities of their job. Time as Reported (TAR) and temporary staff requiring leave for such emergency situations may be granted time off without pay.

A. Guidelines

1. Examples of when absences for emergency reasons may be granted:
   1. To be available the day a member of the immediate family has to have emergency surgery (not scheduled in advance).
   2. To be available on the day of death of a member of an employee’s immediate family (See Policy #327 for definition of “immediate family”) when the employee has primary responsibility for arrangements.
   3. To provide travel time to attend the funeral of a member of the immediate family being held in another state. (To be used only if the three days provided in Policy 327, Death in Immediate Family, does not provide sufficient travel time.)
   4. To be available in the event of a major disaster involving an employee’s personal property wherein the employee’s immediate personal attention is required.
   5. To be available in the event of sudden catastrophic illness or an accident involving injury to a member of an employee’s immediate family wherein the employee’s presence and prompt personal attention are required.

2. Examples when emergency time should not be granted and use of accrued vacation or PTO/sick time, if applicable, is appropriate, or in some instances, excused absences without pay may be used:

   1. Consulting an attorney regarding personal business.
   2. Awaiting the arrival of a home delivery or repairperson.
   3. Providing time for staff who wish to leave early, who are late or absent because of snowstorms or other severe conditions when the University has not curtailed services.
   4. To attend to a sick child, dependent relative, or other persons, except as may be described above.

B. Procedures

To record excused time off with pay for emergency reasons for hourly paid staff, supervisors should report the amount of time to be excused using the myURHR pay code of UR excused hours. Questions should be referred to the Offices of Human Resources at the Medical Center or River Campus.

See also:

• #173 Flexible Scheduling
• #327 Death in the Immediate Family
• Environmental Health & Safety: Emergency Management
• #152 Attendance Control
• #413 Time Management and Attendance Records
• #175 Remote Work Policy