University of Washington Human Resources

Annual Reminder: Suspended Operations Policy

This is the University’s annual reminder to help ensure that your unit is prepared for the possibility of severe weather or other events that could disrupt transportation locally or require the University to temporarily suspend nonessential operations. When a decision to suspend operations has been made, information will be shared through the UW Alert System and on the University of Washington’s home page.    

Decisions to suspend non-essential operations on the Seattle, Bothell, or Tacoma campuses are made independently based on the prevailing conditions in their respective locations. If operations are suspended mid-day (between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), your department’s designated emergency contact (usually a dean or vice president) is responsible for disseminating the information. 

Nonessential staff 

When UW temporarily suspends nonessential operations due to severe weather or for other reasons, nonessential staff who can telework are encouraged to continue to do so during the operational suspension. Those who cannot telework or are unable to continue teleworking due to power outages or other impacts should follow the UW Suspended Operations Policy and record time in Workday when operations are suspended.  

Essential staff 

Under the UW Suspended Operations Policy, only staff performing essential functions and who are not in positions that lend themselves to telework are required to report to work on-site during suspended operations. Managers can review which employees in their Sup Org hold “essential positions” and prioritize who to contact in case of suspended operations by running the R0023 Emergency Contacts by Organization report in Workday (to find the report, type R0023 into the search box in Workday).  

Inclement weather 

When the University does not suspend operations, but employees experience transportation problems or hazardous conditions due to inclement weather, employees should follow the Inclement weather policy when accounting for absences .     

If you have questions about HR practices during suspended operations and inclement weather, please contact your unit’s Human Resources Consultant.