Policy on attendance during severe weather

The University has approved the following policy on employees' attendance at work during severe weather.

Where possible, when severe weather which may impact upon an employee's ability to attend work is forecast, staff are encouraged to discuss and agree with their line manager alternative work arrangements to ensure they can continue to effectively deliver their work commitments.

University is open but staff are unable to attend because of severe weather

If a member of staff is unable to attend work because of severe weather but the University remains open:

you should notify your line manager at the earliest opportunity to advise that you will not be attending work.
If you are scheduled to deliver a lecture or teaching event then you should follow the normal procedures for notifying your Faculty of their absence so that students can be notified.
You should work at home if you are able to do so, working you normal contractual hours. (Staff who work flexible working hours should record the hours they have actually worked, within the normal 07:30 to 19:00 parameters.)
If for any reason you are not able to work at home, you should notify your line manager. On your return to work, you should agree with your line manager whether to (a) take a day's annual leave; or (b) use up any flexitime credit you have accrued or make up the lost time in the remainder of the flextime period or (c) make up the lost time on other days to be agreed with your manager; or (d) if you have any 'time-in-lieu' hours accrued, elect to take the lost time as TOIL.

University is open but staff are given permission to leave early because of the severe weather

If the management of the University give staff permission to leave early but the University remains open and an employee chooses to leave early because of the weather conditions:

you should record the hours you have actually worked. For example, if someone left at 3pm on Monday, they should record their finishing time as 3pm.
On your return to work, you should agree with your line manager whether to (a) use up any flexitime credit you have accrued or make up the lost time in the remainder of the flextime period or (b) make up the lost time on other days to be agreed with your manager; or (c) if you have any 'time-in-lieu' hours accrued, elect to take the lost time as TOIL

University is open, staff are working at home, but there is a power cut/internet/IT systems connection issue

If an employee is not able to work from home due to a power cut or internet/IT system connection issue and they have no other work that can be completed at home, then they should travel to campus and work there.
If for any reason you are not able to work at home and you are unable to travel to campus ie for travel reasons, you should notify your line manager that you are unable to work. On your return to work, you should agree with your line manager whether to (a) take a day's annual leave; or (b) use up any flexitime credit you have accrued or make up the lost time in the remainder of the flexitime period or (c) make up the lost time on other days to be agreed with your manager; or (d) if you have any 'time-in-lieu' hours accrued, elect to take the lost time as TOIL; or (e) take emergency leave, if eligible.

University is closed because of the severe weather

Where the management of the University issues a message that the University will close early because of severe weather and advising staff that they should leave early, employees will be credited with the hours they would have worked up to their normal end time that day.

Where the management of the University issues a message that the University will close for a full day:

The University will contact any students affected.
Employees should work at home if they are able to do so, working their normal contractual hours. (Staff who work flexible working hours should record the hours they have actually worked, within the normal 07:30 to 19:00 parameters.)
If you are not able to work at home for a work-related reason, e.g. your job cannot be done at home, your should notify your line manager. You will not be required to make up lost time or take annual leave.
Staff who are unable to work at home for a reason which is not work-related, or due to a power cut/internet/IT systems connection issue, should notify their line manager. On your return to work, you should agree with your line manager whether to (a) take a day's annual leave; or (b) use up any flexitime credit you have accrued or make up the lost time in the remainder of the flexitime period or (c) make up the lost time on other days to be agreed with your manager; or (d) if you have any 'time-in-lieu' hours accrued, elect to take the lost time as TOIL; or (e) take emergency leave, if eligible.
Staff who are on annual leave or sick leave on days when the University is closed because of severe will be treated as being on annual leave/sick leave.
Some staff may be required by the management of the University to continue working normally to maintain essential services where it is safe and practical to do so.

Other circumstances

Where an employee has arrived later than their normal start time because of the weather conditions, the University will credit them with their additional travel to work time, ie there will be no requirement to make up this time. Staff who work flexible working hours should record their normal start time (ie the University will credit them with their additional travel to work time.) For example, if someone normally starts work at 9am but didn't actually arrive until 10:15am on Tuesday, they should record their start time as 9am.