UAMS ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDE

NUMBER: 3.1.02
DATE: 12/03/02
REVISION: 12/20/2011

SECTION: ADMINISTRATION
AREA: GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
SUBJECT: INCLEMENT WEATHER PERSONNEL POLICY

PURPOSE

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recognizes that transportation problems may result from inclement weather or other emergency circumstances. The purpose of this policy is to inform all employees within UAMS of the procedures to follow whenever inclement weather is officially declared.

The purpose is also to insure that all essential areas are covered and that risks to employees are minimized.

SCOPE

All employees, students and volunteers.

POLICY

By virtue of its commitment to patient care, academics, and research, certain areas of UAMS must remain operational regardless of weather conditions. When conditions dictate, normal work schedules may be revised to allow for late arrivals or early departures. Decisions will be made according to procedures set out in this policy or on an individual case basis for situations not covered in the policy. UAMS has a presence in the vast majority of the counties in the state of Arkansas and weather conditions might not be the same in all locations simultaneously. This policy should therefore be activated only in geographical areas that are experiencing transportation problems due to inclement weather or other emergency circumstances.

Vice Chancellors, Deans, Directors, or their designee will identify in advance which of their areas or sub-areas are essential or non-essential. UAMS will always remain operational in those areas designated essential.

When Inclement Weather is activated two primary questions must be answered:

  1. Will their work area be open, and if so,
  2. Are all employees required to report to work?

PROCEDURE

  1. In severe weather or hazardous road conditions, the hospital administrator on duty will decide in collaboration with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources if UAMS should be operating under its Inclement Weather policy, and will declare “All Areas Open” or “Non Essential Areas Closed.” Each organizational unit whose geographical location is away from the UAMS main campus and the Little Rock area should develop its own protocol regarding activation of the inclement weather policy.

  2. The decision to operate under the Inclement Weather policy will be conveyed to the Office of Vice Chancellor for Communications. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Communications conveys the decision to the greater UAMS community and the media by

    1. Notifying the Chancellor
    2. Notifying the Chancellor’s Cabinet and Associate Deans via automated phone/email
    3. Notifying the media
    4. Notifying the general campus community through global email
    5. Posting on the UAMS website

  3. All employees should know, from their first day of employment, if their position and area are designated essential or non-essential. Essential areas are those that DO have to continue functioning when the Inclement Weather policy is activated

I. INCLEMENT WEATHER ACTIVATED-ALL AREAS OPEN

  1. When recording time for an authorized later arrival or early departure, Department Directors or their designated assistants should record the employee's regularly scheduled hours as hours worked.

  2. Employees requesting the use of accrued Holiday, Annual Leave or Compensatory Time during inclement weather conditions must obtain approval from their Department Director. Department Directors may approve such requests only after all staffing requirements have been met for the department.

  3. Departments adequately staffed, as determined by the Department Director, shall not charge employees for late arrival or early departure (normally two hours). Departments will charge leave for time beyond the normal two hours allowed to employees who arrive late or leave early.

  4. Employees absent during inclement weather conditions without approval from their Department Director will be charged for leave of absence without pay, and a disciplinary notice may be issued. 1

  5. Employees of the University Hospital must also comply with Inclement Weather Policy HR 2.03 of the University Hospital Policy and Procedures Manual.

II. INCLEMENT WEATHER ACTIVATED-NON ESSENTIAL AREAS CLOSED
(This will normally be declared when the potential for continued bad weather is very high.)

Essential areas are those that DO have to continue functioning when the Inclement Weather policy is activated. All employees should know, from their first day of employment, if their position and area are designated essential or non-essential. Essential employees must make every effort to report to work. When transportation is difficult, employees should start early to allow for possible travel delays. Employees from previous shifts will be held over until relieved by the next shift personnel. Employees in essential service areas that depart before a replacement has arrived will be subject to disciplinary action. It is the employee’s responsibility to understand the inclement weather practice as it applies to his or her work area.

The following guidelines should be used in recording time for essential employees:

  1. Overtime rates will be paid to hourly employees for time worked in excess of forty hours in a week if applicable.

  2. Essential employees who are scheduled to work but do not report to work will not receive compensation.

  3. Employees will not be charged for late arrival or early departure if they fall within the two-hour window. Employees who arrive or depart outside of the two hour allowance will be charged leave for the entire time. For example, if an employee is normally scheduled to report to work at 8:00, but arrives at 10:30, he/she will be charge 2.5 hours leave. Using the example further, this same employee would be charged 2.5 hours leave if they left at 1:30 during a work schedule that normally ended at 4:00.

  4. Employees of the UAMS Medical Center (University Hospital and associated clinics) must also comply with the Inclement Weather policy HR 2.03 of the UAMS Medical Center Policy and procedures Manual.

The following guidelines should be used for non-essential employees:

  1. Time-off will be charged as considered vacation time. If a non-essential employee does not have accrued vacation time, then time-off will be charged as leave without pay. Supervisors are responsible for notifying their employees of any changes in status that may impact their work.

  2. Non-essential employees who are on the job when Inclement Weather is activated may leave up to 2 hours early after receiving permission from their Supervisor and will receive time-worked pay for the reminder of the shift.

NOTE: In certain cases, a department may have positions supported by technology that would allow an employee to perform short-duration work at home during inclement weather. Work-at-home solutions must be made according to the work designed for the position and not the individual.

REFERENCE

1 UAMS Policy 4.4.01, Basic Code of Conduct
  UAMS Policy 4.4.02, Employee Disciplinary Notice
  UAMS Policy 4.6.08, Leave of Absence Without Pay