Adverse Weather
& Emergency Closing Guidelines
Section XVI, Policy #81, UNCA Leave Policy
Adverse weather may create difficulty for employees
to report to work or make it advisable for employees to leave the workstation
early. Employees who anticipate problems with transportation are encouraged to
exercise personal judgment concerning road safety in their areas. Employees may
use vacation, bonus or compensatory leave or make up the time missed when
encountering hazardous road conditions.
Emergency closing conditions are conditions that
necessitate the closing of the University or the curtailment of operations.
Conditions that may be hazardous to life or safety and may warrant closing the
University include: catastrophic life threatening weather (snow, ice, hurricane,
tornado, earthquake, flood or other natural disaster), fire equipment failure,
disruption of power and/or water, contamination by hazardous agents, terrorist
acts or forced evacuations from the agency or work site.
The Office of the President has delegated to the
chancellors of individual campuses the authority to make closing decisions. The
Chancellor or designee will determine to what extent operations will be
suspended or temporarily curtailed. All closings shall be reported to the State
Personnel Director and to the Office of the President within five days after the
occurrence.
Authority and Decision-Making for Emergency Status
Notification to Personnel
Accounting for Time Not Worked Due to
Adverse Weather
Accounting for Time Due to
Emergency Closings
Employees Deemed as Critical
Personnel
Communication Plan
Authority and Decision-Making for Emergency Status
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When classes are in session:
The decision to delay, cancel, or hold classes is made by the Provost,
on the recommendation of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations
following the evaluation of campus and local area road conditions and
forecasts. When possible, the decision should be made by 5:30 a.m. to enable
notification in time for all to plan for the day appropriately.
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If
classes are not in session: The decision to delay the arrival or release
staff will be made by the Chancellor (or designee) on the recommendation of
the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations following the evaluation
of campus and local area road conditions and forecasts. When possible, the
decision should be made by 5:30 a.m. to enable notification in time for all
to plan for the day appropriately.
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The decision to close the
campus will be made by the Chancellor, in consultation with the
Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations, and will only be
implemented in the most extreme conditions.
Notification to
Personnel
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Employees may choose to access the UNC Asheville Website at:
http://www.unca.edu to receive the latest information regarding the
University Adverse Weather and Emergency Bulletins.
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Employees may call the designated Adverse Weather and Emergency Line at:
(828) 259-3050.
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Employees may also access this information from local news media (WLOS-TV
13)
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It
should be noted that these announcements do not apply to Critical Personnel.
Adverse weather and emergency closing messages to
employees will be defined and announced in the below format:
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Late
Start : A two-hour window for staff to report to work in the morning
during an official "Late Start," or during hazardous winter road conditions
that are not severe enough to warrant canceling classes or closing the
campus. Staff members may use earned compensatory, bonus, and vacation leave
to pay for the lost hours, or may make up the time within the same month.
This two-hour window may not be an option for certain staff members
designated for emergency operations.
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Classes Cancelled (No Day Classes and/or No Evening Classes): When
classes are cancelled, students and faculty are not expected to report to
campus. As the university continues to operate, staff members who have not
been designated for emergency operations should use their own judgment as to
the relative safety of their coming to or staying on campus during this
time. Those who are unable to come to campus or stay for the day are asked
to notify their supervisor of their decision, and change their outgoing
voice mail greeting for the time they plan to be away. Staff members may use
earned compensatory, bonus, and vacation leave to pay for the lost hours, or
may make up time within the next 12 months.
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Emergency Closing: The Chancellor may close the University when extreme
conditions warrant. Under these conditions, all employees who are not
designated for emergency operations will be released from work until the
University is re-opened. Employees will not be charged leave time for any
Emergency Closing. The Office of the President and Office of State Personnel
must be notified within three days of an official Emergency Closing.
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Accounting for Time Not Worked Due to Adverse
Weather:
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Supervisors must make every reasonable effort to arrange schedules whereby
employees are given an opportunity to make up time not worked, or to use
vacation, bonus, and/or compensatory leave, or take leave without pay when
needed to cover the adverse weather period. Since hours worked in excess of
forty during a work week would constitute overtime for employees subject to
the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, it will be necessary
for make-up time for employees subject to overtime to be limited to the work
week in which the time is lost or in a week when the employee has not worked
a full schedule due to such absences as holidays, vacation, sick leave or
civil leave.
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Employees who volunteer to make up adverse weather time on a scheduled
holiday will not receive holiday premium pay or equal time off with pay.
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If
appropriate, supervisors may allow employees to telework or reassign the
employee to alternate worksites within the same commuting area.
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Time
must be made up within twelve months from the occurrence of the absence. If
the time is not made up within the twelve-month period, vacation leave must
be charged or leave without pay taken.
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Supervisors are required to keep written records of the makeup schedule
that they approve and monitor.
- Employees
who are on prearranged vacation leave or sick leave will charge leave to the
appropriate leave account with no provision for make-up time
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Accounting for Time Due to Emergency Closings:
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Employees who are not required to work at an alternate site or as an
emergency employee shall not be required to charge leave or make up the
time.
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Critical Personnel required to work during the emergency should be granted
paid time off on an hour for hour basis for all hours worked. This time
must be used within 12 months of its being awarded or it is forfeited.
Supervisors should make arrangements for employees to take this time off.
It should be used after compensatory time off, but must be used before
vacation or sick leave.
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If
additional personnel, not in mandatory/essential operations, are needed for
situations such as cleanup and recovery during the time the University
remains closed, the Chancellor may elect to compensate them in the same
manner as employees deemed Critical Personnel.
Please refer to the
Emergency Closing Time Accountability Form
for All SPA and EPA Non-Faculty.
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Employees Deemed as
Critical Personnel
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Employees should consult the University of North Carolina at Asheville
Emergency Operations Plan located in the offices of VC’s, Facilities
Management and Planning, Human Resources, Public Information and Public
Safety.
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This
Plan outlines and assigns responsibilities for addressing emergencies
affecting the safety and well being of people and/or facilities at UNC
Asheville.
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Critical Personnel who fail to report to work at the designated time may be
subject to disciplinary action and/or required to charge missed hours to
leave or leave without pay as determined by management.
Communication Plan
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Provost to communicate the decision to cancel day and/or evening classes
to the Chancellor, Senior Staff, and Public Information. If it is after
8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, and classes are in session, the
Provost's office will communicate the decision to faculty via email.
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Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations communicates the
decision to Facilities Management, Campus Police, Student Affairs (Dean
of Students), Athletics Director, and the Human Resources Director.
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Public
Information Director (or designees) communicates the decision to Public
Information staff and area media. Public Information (or their
designees) will update the UNC Asheville website home page and Snowline,
and will email students and staff regarding the decision. If it is
before 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or the
weekend, Public Information (or their designees) will also email
faculty.
§
The home page in UNC Asheville's website will continue to use the
"Snowflake" symbol and the terms, "Adverse Weather, Check Here for More Info."
Human Resources will maintain a linkable page that explains a Flex Start and
Critical vs. Non-Critical Personnel. This link is available as a link from the
"Snowflake's" interior text.
§
Area television stations use computer-based systems for announcing
closings and delays. The wording of an institution's status is submitted in late
fall. The following language is recommended:
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The
area Vice Chancellors (or designees) will notify, in writing,
those positions that are designated Critical Personnel during a weather
emergency or a closure. Additional employees may be required to come to
work (or work from home) to perform critical tasks, depending on the
timing of the closure (e.g. payroll).
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Managers should discuss plans for performing critical tasks during
closings with their departments, including available options for
telecommuting, accessing university telephone lines, changing outgoing
voice mail greetings, etc.
·
Additional Responsibilities
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Public Information: To maintain a procedure manual, update annually
or more often if needed, containing the media call list and media
procedures, and all media and email passwords. Assure timely updates to
the website, Snowline, and by email as appropriate.
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Human Resources: To orient staff concerning Staff Flex Start;
consult with Vice Chancellors in identifying Critical Personnel status;
to develop and maintain linkable web pages explaining Staff Flex Start,
and Critical vs. Non-Critical positions; to develop and maintain a
webpage with a PDF-format Emergency Closing Form for staff members with
instructions on form completion.
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Information Technology Services:
To keep
the "Snowflake" link operational; to assist Human Resources with the
development of linkable web pages; to assist, if needed, with emailing
students, faculty and staff; and to designate staff who will provide
emergency technical support during non-working hours.
For more information related to leave, please see the Leave
Policy.
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