ISSUE 25 • DECEMBER 2012

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Policy Spotlight - Attendance Incentive Program

To help avoid errors or possible overpayments in processing annual attendance incentive program payment requests for January 2013, we recommend that timekeepers take the following steps:

  1. Audit the employee's leave records for the 2012 calendar year. Record the completion of the audit as an audit note.
  2. Review the submitted Attendance Incentive Program Payment Request form and enter the balance adjustment in the employee's OWLS record before submitting the form to the Payroll Office. If OWLS does not accept an entry, this is a strong indication that the sick leave payment information on the form is in error and needs to be corrected.
  3. After OWLS accepts the sick leave balance adjustment, keep a copy of the form for your department and route as follows:
    1. Campus departments: Send a copy to HR and submit the original to the Payroll Office, Box 359555
    2. Medical Centers departments: Send the original to the appropriate Medical Centers HR Operations office (UWMC HR, Box 356054; HMC HR, Box 359715)

Forms must be received in the Payroll Office or Medical Centers HR Operations no later than 5pm on January 31. Forms are processed in the order they are received and payment is reflected as early as January 25 and no later than February 25. Payment of cashed out sick leave is reflected in Employee Self-Service (ESS) and on the employee's check advice.

Suspended Operations and Inclement Weather

Cold weather means it's time to review the University's suspended operations and inclement weather policies and how these affect the OWLS records of employees.

What's the difference between the inclement weather and suspended operations policies?

The inclement weather policy applies when the University remains fully operational, but local weather or road conditions prevent an employee from working as scheduled. The policy allows employees who miss work due to inclement weather to use eligible paid time off.

The suspended operations policy is in effect when the University, a campus, or a more localized unit suspends non-essential operations.

How do employees account for time missed?

For absences due to inclement weather, employees must use appropriate leave (annual leave, holiday credit, compensatory time, or discretionary leave) to account for the absence. If paid leave is not available, the time is charged to leave without pay. With supervisor approval, employees also have the option of temporarily flexing a work schedule or teleworking during inclement weather instead of using leave. The inclement weather policy does not allow for hours missed from work to be made up.

When the University suspends non-essential operations, employees in positions that are not designated as essential do not report to work and may need to account for hours missed. How time is accounted for depends on the employee's employment program and whether the employee's supervisor has approved telework as an option during suspended operations.

We ask that employees and timekeepers review the suspended operations pay and leave practices webpage, including the links on the right of the page, to determine which employee types must make up hours or take leave when operations are suspended.

What do I do in OWLS for time missed due to inclement weather or suspended operations?

In the case of inclement weather when regular University operations are not suspended, the leave used for the absence is accounted for like any other day off.

For instances of suspended operation, please review the OWLS Making Calendar Entries pages for information on how to make calendar entries relating to operational suspension, including detailed examples for entering makeup time worked into OWLS.

Entering Notes

The dictionary defines the word "note" as "to record or preserve in writing" and "to make special mention of, or remark on." In OWLS, we encourage the use of the "Notes" feature in the calendar. Notes help track special or unusual entries, any changes that have been made to a record after an initial release, and are a great resource to anyone who will be auditing the records at a later date.

Tips for Effective Notes

  • Notes should be short, clear, and to the point.
  • To avoid lengthy messages, refer to an email or letter rather than pasting the entire text.
  • It is best to type the notes directly; however you may copy and paste text from an email message.
  • Since notes cannot be erased, use discretion.

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Human Resources Administration, Box 354554, Seattle, WA 98105
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