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The President or the President’s designee(s) may declare a temporary suspension of any or all University operations due to an emergency situation that adversely affects University operations, public health, or the well-being and safety of students, faculty, or staff employees.
Situations which might require suspending operations include, but are not limited to: severe weather; natural disaster; communicable disease; fire or related hazard; an immediate threat to the safety of the campus community; infrastructure, mechanical or equipment failure.
Employees that a unit identifies as performing an essential service are required to report to work during any period of declared suspended operations, unless the employees are notified otherwise. Employees in positions that are not designated as essential do not report to work and are covered by the leave and compensation policies that apply during periods of suspended operations.
University officers including but not limited to the chancellors, vice presidents, vice provosts, vice chancellors, deans, and medical center chief executive officers (or their designees) are expected to:
The University has rarely had to suspend operations. Severe weather (generally snow) has been the principal reason for suspended operations. Localized operational suspensions have been caused by fire, ventilation or plumbing problems.
The University has been fortunate that major events like volcanic eruption, earthquake, and disease have not caused the kind of disruption here that have occurred elsewhere. The geologic activity in the Pacific Northwest and the rapid spread of communicable diseases in our modern world make it likely that the University will experience more severely disruptive events in the future.
If the University suspends operations, it may be possible for some employees to accomplish their work via telework (telecommuting). Telework may be a feasible option both for employees in essential positions and for regular employees who would not normally work during a suspension of operations. Employees may telework during suspended operations so long as they have the advance approval of their supervisor or manager. For more information about telework, see the telework web pages for managers and the telework web pages for employees.
The need for the University or a unit to suspend non-essential operations can arrive suddenly, with little or no advance warning. Units must therefore incorporate the possibility that University operations may be suspended with little advance notice as part of their overall business continuity planning.
Review the Suspended Operations Preparation Checklist to help ensure that your unit has completed the necessary tasks to be ready in the event the UW suspends operations.
Contact your unit's Human Resources Consultant if you have questions about suspended operations or the leave and compensation practices that apply to staff during suspended operations.
Suspended Operations
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