FAS Inclement Weather Guidelines

Throughout the year, each FAS division and unit will ensure all staff understand their status for weather related events, as essential or non-essential, including whether they are expected to report to work on campus or work from home, even if the FAS/University decides to alter working business hours or suspend normal operations for the day.

Any changes to schedules will be communicated in the following ways. Essential personnel should additionally receive communication from their local units. No messages will be sent if there is no change to regular working hours.

The Harvard homepage

• The FAS homepage (www.fas.harvard.edu) will post an alert and direct users to an emergency page outlining the University’s response.
• The University’s 24-hour news line, (617) 496-NEWS, will be updated with any University response to severe weather.

FAS-wide email message

• Decisions related to the suspension of normal operations, including delayed starts, early releases or suspension of normal operations, will be communicated via email from emergency@fas.harvard.edu.

MessageMe Alert

• A MessageMe text message alert will be sent to FAS employees when decisions have been made regarding delayed starts, early releases or the suspension of normal operations. Please be sure to review and update your MessageMe profile.
• Essential employees should always follow their specific local policies and the guidance provided by their local leadership.

Absent a suspension of normal operations, all staff are expected to make every effort commensurate with their personal safety to be at work.

Non-essential Staff

Non-essential staff who determine that their particular location or circumstances make it unsafe for them to travel may choose to stay home and will be expected to work from home or cover the absence with vacation or personal time. 

If there is a suspension of normal operations, a resulting absence will be considered excused paid time off and will not be charged to a staff member’s vacation or personal time.

• Non-exempt staff who were scheduled to work that day should enter their time as if they worked their regular schedule by entering the REG pay code in PeopleSoft.
• Non-exempt staff who were not scheduled to work that day do not need to make any other adjustments in PeopleSoft, nor will they earn additional floating hours.
• Non-exempt staff who were not scheduled to work that day but were called in will enter their time with the REG pay code in PeopleSoft.
• If a staff member had a planned vacation or was otherwise not scheduled to work, that time would not be adjusted.

Essential Staff

For employees who have been designated as essential, the normal work expectations apply: every effort should be made to come to work, absent a previously approved absence or illness. In consideration of the safety of our employees, essential personnel, who find themselves in a specific circumstance that would make travel unsafe, must contact their supervisor as soon as possible for approval to be absent and to follow-up with the supervisor whenever a change in circumstances makes it safe to do so. 

Local units should establish protocols to ensure that essential employees understand how to proceed if they are unable to come to work, especially in the case of the suspension of normal operations. Essential employees are to refer to their local department policies regarding emergency response.

If there is an official suspension of normal operations, local management should ensure any temporary or contract workers are notified and have them work from home as appropriate. It is expected that managers will bring the necessary information home with them prior to a severe storm in order to contact these non-employee constituents when there is an official weather-related suspension of normal operations.

• Q. What should I do if the weather is inclement on a day that my staff member is normally scheduled to work on campus?
  A. Managers should provide flexibility around hybrid work during inclement weather to the extent that it is feasible for the department. This includes allowing staff members to switch their day on campus for another day or to come to campus fewer days that week.
   
• Q. How should my employees report time in the event of inclement weather if they can’t come to campus?
  A. If a staff member can work from home during inclement weather, they submit hours as they would normally in PeopleSoft. Individuals can use paid time off when they are unable to come to campus or to work remotely.
   
• Q. What resources does Harvard have for remote or hybrid staff?
  A. HUIT has many resources available to help staff work remotely and in a hybrid model, including information on Zoom, VPNS, and the Harvard phone system. Your employee should review the information from HUIT and submit a ticket if they have any questions about working remotely.
   
• Q. Does Harvard need to close in the event of a state of emergency?
  A. A declared state of emergency generally asks people to stay off the roads and for organizations to close in-person operations, but a state of emergency does not affect Harvard’s working relationship with staff. Staff who perform essential work may still be asked to come to campus, and other staff should plan on working remotely, if possible.

• Q. How will I know if the University is closed or has modified its hours?
  A. The Office of the Executive Vice President will send an email to all Harvard community members with information on University closures or modifications; an alert will be sent through MessageMe; and the Harvard Emergency Page will have updated information. The FAS will also communicate directly with its community, and staff are encouraged to check in with their local unit leaders for additional information.
   
• Q. Can I change my weekly hybrid schedule if the weather is inclement where I live but fine in Cambridge?
  A. Please be in touch with your manager or department administrator in advance of inclement weather if possible to discuss changing your weekly schedule. Staff should still work from home during inclement weather if they can.
   
• Q. What if school is cancelled in my town and my children are home? What if the school moves to remote learning for that day?
  A. Please inform your manager or department administrator as soon as possible of your circumstances. When possible during weather emergencies, staff can work remotely while caring for children who are home. If you are unable to work remotely, you may use paid time off.
   
• Q. What should I do if I cannot work from home due to lack of power and internet access because of inclement weather?
  A. Staff should communicate with their managers or department administrators that they are unable to work from home and cannot come to campus. Individuals can use paid time off when they are unable to work.