UTSW 2021 Inclement Weather Policy

Update: Feb. 22, 2021

From HR News

If you are an employee, you will need to develop the request and send to your supervisor.

To the UT Southwestern community:

I know many of you are still dealing with the aftermath of power outages and broken pipes due to last week’s winter weather. To better support you, we are offering emergency leave (EMP-258) for those who were unable to work – retroactive to Monday, February 15, 2021.

To apply, please submit to your supervisor a written request that includes:

  • The circumstances you experienced;
  • The number of days of emergency leave you are requesting; and
  • Confirmation that you intend to return to work after use of the emergency leave.

Supervisors: Please review all requests from your employees and submit the request and your recommendation to HR.

Employees: You will be informed of approvals through your supervisor or Leave Administration. If you have any questions, please contact leaveadministration@utsouthwestern.edu.

Payroll: Please coordinate with timekeepers and supervisors to ensure employee time and accruals are updated accordingly.

Thank you for your continued commitment and service to UT Southwestern. I wish everyone a safe and swift recovery.

Janelle Browne

Vice President, Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Update: Feb. 17, 2021

Tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 18, will be another inclement weather day at UT Southwestern. We know many of our employees, patients, and families are still without power and/or water, and we have included a list of resources below to help. Here at UTSW, we are also doing our part to conserve energy by adjusting lighting, thermostats, and other campus equipment except in clinical and Animal Resource Center spaces. These are extraordinary circumstances, and the generosity of our UT Southwestern family has been in full force helping others navigate these extreme conditions.

All UTSW practices (outpatient clinics, regional medical centers, and COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites), central administration, academic offices, and research labs will remain closed Thursday. William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Zale Lipshy Pavilion will remain open.

  • Clinic teams should notify patients and staff of clinic closures and cancellation of in-person clinic visits.
  • MyChart messages are being sent to all patients with in-person appointments and vaccinations scheduled for tomorrow.
  • Virtual care clinics and telehealth appointments may continue at the discretion of departmental leadership, depending on provider and patient capabilities.

COVID-19 vaccination sites

Many of those awaiting second-dose vaccinations have been unable to visit us this week due to the winter weather. We are prioritizing second-dose delivery and making appointments available at West Campus Building 3 (WCB3) from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. MyChart messages are going out with specific details and additional appointments will be added to all our sites over the coming days.

Our RedBird Mall and Market Hall locations will remain closed on Thursday and appointments are being rescheduled.

Building safety and repairs

  • UTSW’s Facilities team is responding to multiple water leaks and floods across our campus caused by bursting fire sprinkler lines and water lines.
  • Employees are asked to be patient as crews focus on cleanup and removal of water, repairing broken lines, and drying out affected spaces as top priorities.
  • More extensive repairs and additional recovery measures for damaged spaces will proceed as soon as conditions improve.

Available resources

We want to make you aware of resources and services that can help provide support for you and your family.

  • Power and water status: Real-time electrical outage information is available on Oncor’s website. Please check with your local water provider for any water shortages or boil water notices in effect.
  • Warming centers: If you or someone you know is without power or heat, warming centers have opened in cities throughout Texas. In Dallas, the city has opened an emergency warming center at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin St. Please remember to wear masks, keep a safe distance, and maintain NPIs if gathering with others outside your household.
  • UTSW’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Provides confidential, emotional support counseling for faculty, staff, and their household members working through difficult situations. EAP offers up to four free sessions per concern. EAP has an extensive list of community resources available, including Emergency Resources and Disaster Support. Contact EAP at 214-648-5330; toll-free at 800-386-9156; or email eap@utsouthwestern.edu.
  • 2-1-1 Texas: A free, anonymous social service resource hotline available 24 hours a day for Texas residents. Dial 2-1-1, or 877-541-7905, to find information about food, housing, crisis counseling, and/or mental health treatment resources in your local community.
  • SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: This national hotline provides immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress caused by disaster. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to speak with a trained crisis counselor.
  • Backup Care: UT Southwestern offers backup child, adult, and senior care to all full-time (40 hours a week) and part-time (30-39 hours a week) benefits-eligible employees through Bright Horizons. The program provides low-cost care options whenever you experience a temporary breakdown in your normal care plans and need to be at work. Log in to the Bright Horizons website, click “Sign Up”, then use employer username “UTSWcare” and password “UTSW123#” (you will have the option to change your username and password after your initial log in). You can also register by phone at 1-877-BH-CARES (1-877-242-2737). Benefits consultants are available 24/7.
  • Winter Weather Safety: Helpful resources for staying safe during winter storms are available from the American Red Cross, National Weather Service, FEMA, and gov.

We are providing these links to external resources in case they are useful, however we cannot confirm the availability of exact resources in your area.

Working requirements for inclement weather days

Please be aware of the following attendance expectations, in accordance with UT Southwestern’s inclement weather policy (EMP-267):

  • Employees holding essential positions – including all hospital personnel – are expected to report to work during inclement weather and other emergencies. We encourage employees to plan ahead for extra travel time based on road conditions.
  • Employees who are not required to report to campus to provide essential services and who have the ability to fully work from home should continue to do so.
  • Managers and supervisors should work with their employees to confirm their availability to productively work from home on Wednesday and throughout the week.

Employees are encouraged to work directly with their manager or supervisor to make arrangements based on their availability to work. Employees working on campus who require any on-site accommodation and/or approval of hotel reimbursement should work directly with their manager or supervisor using guidelines in our frequently asked questions.

Absences by employees in essential positions and remote workers will be covered by personal leave accruals such as vacation or accrued holiday hours. Employees who are unable to make up hours or are without applicable accruals will have to use unpaid leave for the missed time.

Please contact EmployeeRelations@UTSouthwestern.edu for further assistance.

Parking and shuttle service

  • Crews are de-icing priority areas on campus following additional snow and sleet accumulations overnight.
  • Campus shuttles remain in service but passengers may experience delays. Shuttles are not operating on the Clements University Hospital Connector due to icy conditions.
  • The top levels of parking garages remain closed. Call UTSW Police and Parking Services at 214-648-8311 if you need automotive help while on campus.

We will continue to monitor the weather for the remainder of the week and will provide additional updates as necessary.

Update: Feb. 16, 2021

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 17, will be another inclement weather day at UT Southwestern. We know many of our employees, patients, and families are without power and we hope you are able to stay warm and safe during these extreme conditions. We are grateful for the hard work and commitment of our entire UT Southwestern community, both on campus and off, in dealing with these extraordinary circumstances.

All UTSW practices (outpatient clinics, regional medical centers, COVID-19 vaccination and drive-thru testing sites), central administration, academic offices, and research labs will be closed Wednesday. William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Zale Lipshy Pavilion will remain open.

  • Clinic teams should notify patients and staff of clinic closures and cancellation of in-person clinic visits.
  • MyChart messages will be sent to all patients with in-person appointments and vaccinations scheduled for tomorrow.
  • Virtual care clinics and telehealth appointments may continue at the discretion of departmental leadership, depending on provider and patient capabilities.

Working requirements for inclement weather days

Please be aware of the following attendance expectations, in accordance with UT Southwestern’s inclement weather policy (EMP-267):

  • Employees holding essential positions – including all hospital personnel – are expected to report to work during inclement weather and other emergencies. We encourage employees to plan ahead for extra travel time based on road conditions.
  • Employees who are not required to report to campus to provide essential services and who have the ability to fully work from home should continue to do so.
  • Managers and supervisors should work with their employees to confirm their availability to productively work from home on Wednesday and throughout the week.

We appreciate the continued support and extraordinary efforts of all our employees to ensure the delivery of critical services for our patients, community, and each other during this event. For those in need of additional support, please reach out to Employee Relations and we encourage all managers to provide reasonable accommodations to their staff wherever possible.

Employees are encouraged to work directly with their manager or supervisor to make arrangements based on their situation. Absences by employees in essential positions and remote workers will be covered by personal leave accruals such as vacation or accrued holiday hours. Employees who are unable to make up hours or are without applicable accruals will have to use unpaid leave for the missed time.

Answers to frequently asked questions are available online. Please contact EmployeeRelations@UTSouthwestern.edu for further assistance.

Shuttles, parking, and campus safety

  • Crews are continuing to de-ice priority areas across campus.
  • Campus shuttles will remain in service but passengers may experience delays. Shuttles are not operating on the Clements University Hospital Connector due to icy conditions.
  • The top levels of parking garages remain closed. Call UTSW Police and Parking Services at 214-648-8311 if you need automotive help while on campus.
  • Building thermostats have been adjusted lower, except in clinical and ARC spaces, to reduce power consumption.

We will continue to monitor the weather for the remainder of the week and will provide additional updates as necessary.

 

Update: Feb. 15, 2021

Due to extreme cold and dangerous weather conditions, tomorrow, Feb. 16, will be an inclement weather day at UT Southwestern. The health and safety of our employees and patients remain our top priorities.

All UTSW clinics, central administration, academic offices, and research labs will be closed Tuesday. William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Zale Lipshy Pavilion will remain open.

Per EMP-267, employees holding essential positions – including all hospital personnel – are expected to report to work during inclement weather and other emergencies. Answers to frequently asked questions are available online.

Our COVID-19 vaccination sites at Market Hall and RedBird Mall will be closed Tuesday. Patients with vaccination appointments scheduled tomorrow will be invited to receive their vaccination at our West Campus Building 3 location or reschedule to a later date.

Clinic teams should notify patients and staff of clinic closures and cancellation of in-person clinic visits. MyChart messages will also be sent to all patients with in-person appointments and vaccinations scheduled for tomorrow. Virtual care clinics and telehealth appointments may continue at the discretion of departmental leadership, depending on provider and patient capabilities.

Crews are continuing to de-ice priority areas across campus. Campus shuttles will remain in service but passengers may experience some delays. Shuttles are not operating on the Clements University Hospital Connector due to icy conditions. The top levels of parking garages also remain closed. If you experience automotive trouble while on UT Southwestern property, UTSW Police and Parking Services will be available to help. Call 214-648-8311 for assistance.

UT Southwestern is closely monitoring weather forecasts for Wednesday, as well as throughout the week, and will provide additional updates to employees as necessary.

Stay safe and warm.

Requirements for employees working remotely

As a follow-up to the campus message declaring Tuesday, Feb. 16, an inclement weather day for UT Southwestern, we wanted to clarify the working requirements for those who have been authorized and are able to work remotely. In accordance with EMP-267, employees who are not required to report to campus to provide essential services and who have the ability to fully work from home should continue to do so. Remote worker absences on inclement weather days will be charged to their available, applicable leave accruals. Sick leave may not be used to cover such absences, except in accordance with EMP-253.

Managers and supervisors should work with their employees to confirm their availability to productively work from home on Tuesday and throughout the week.

Employees who do not have electronic access due to power outages will be required to use personal leave accruals such as vacation or accrued holiday hours, or identify any change of schedule that would allow the employee to make up the hours in this pay period. Employees who are unable to make up hours or are without applicable accruals will have to use unpaid leave for the missed time.

If you are a remote employee, we encourage you to work directly with your manager to make arrangements. If necessary, please EmployeeRelations@UTSouthwestern.edu Employee Relations for further assistance.

Original: Feb. 12, 2021

We are anticipating an extended winter weather event that is likely to impact travel and infrastructure over the next several days. A mixture of ice, sleet, and snow accumulations on roadways, along with frigid temperatures, will call for increased vigilance from employees traveling to and from UT Southwestern. Please stay informed of local road closures, changing weather conditions, and advisories in the coming days.

As an institution responsible for the delivery of medical care as well as teaching and research, UT Southwestern is obligated to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide ongoing patient care in its hospitals and clinics; and for business in all other areas during regular work hours.

Inclement weather policy

Per EMP-267, employees holding essential positions – including all Hospital personnel – are expected to report to work during inclement weather and other emergencies. Those in essential positions are urged to make contingency plans to care for family members or pets in case of disruptions to their normal schedules. Accommodations will be made available for essential workers as circumstances warrant. Please see the Inclement Weather FAQs.

All employees should use their best judgment when determining whether to travel to work, and should inform their supervisors of their situation as soon as practical to ensure shift coverage. Employees who do not report to work are expected to use applicable accruals.

Campus roadways and transportation

Our ice brigade crews are de-icing affected areas across campus and will continue to monitor the situation and provide services around the clock.

Campus shuttles will remain in service but passengers may experience some delays. The shuttles will not operate on the Clements University Hospital Connector if ice is detected. Pedestrians are advised not to use the Connector at this time.

Due to icy conditions, the top level of parking garages remains closed. If you experience automobile trouble while on UT Southwestern property, UTSW Police and Parking Services will be available to help. Call 214-648-8311 for assistance.