TITLE: Inclement Weather Procedures

NUMBER: HUM120

EFFECTIVE: 17 FEB 2022

REVIEWED: 17 FEB 2022

PURPOSE:

To provide guidance to Institute staff regarding inclement weather.

PROCEDURE:

1. General Information
   1. In the event of severe inclement weather conditions (snow, flooding, tornados, etc.), employees should use their best judgment on whether to report, or travel to and from their office or scheduled work location.
   2. With Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) implemented institute-wide, we will no longer have unscheduled administrative closings due to inclement weather in most circumstances.
   3. During inclement weather, it may become necessary for IPS employees to work remotely due to poor road and/or atmospheric conditions. When potential for inclement weather exists, employees should be proactive in ensuring they have the equipment and materials to work from home if it becomes necessary. IPS employees will be asked to decide what is in the best interest of their safety as conditions could vary across the state.
   4. In the event an employee needs to work remotely due to unsafe conditions, the employee must consult with their supervisor. Supervisors are encouraged to allow employees to work remotely when unsafe conditions are present. Supervisors must approve any remote work requests outside of the employee’s normal alternative work arrangement (AWA) schedule. In the instance a request is not approved, the employee should request annual leave.
   5. If an employee is unable or unprepared to complete scheduled work remotely due to inclement weather or issues beyond his/her control (i.e. power outage, equipment failure, etc.), the employee should request annual leave. Employees should notify their supervisor if they do not expect to report to work nor report on time.
2. Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) In instances of inclement weather, if an employee is scheduled to work from home on a particular day, the employee must continue to work from home on that day. However, if an employee is unable to work due to issues beyond his/her control (i.e. power outage, equipment failure, etc.), the employee must report the situation to his or her supervisor immediately or as soon as practicable to determine a solution. For employees not enrolled in AWA who experience inclement weather, if they are not able to make it into the office, they should take annual leave unless their supervisor gives them permission to work from home.
3. Other Work Assignments In the event an employee is in a location other than his or her office or scheduled work location (e.g. a multi-day training requiring overnight stays), and inclement weather results in the closure of an affected location (e.g. county government offices) preventing an employee from attending a program or utilizing an affected space, the Executive Director and IPS Vice President may approve unscheduled administrative closing hours to cover the impacted time.