With the weather turning colder and snow in the forecast in the days ahead, employees should know the best ways to get information on any weather-related changes to normal operations of the university.
The latest information will always be available in two places:
- The Johns Hopkins emergency hotline at 410-516-7781 or, from outside the Baltimore area, 800-548-9004.
- The Johns Hopkins emergency notices webpage at https://www.jhu.edu/alert/.
Information on a closure or delayed opening is posted on the webpage and phone line as soon as a decision is made. After an overnight snowfall, that's usually around 6 a.m. Top-of page banners linking to the alert page are posted on both JHU.edu and on the Hub.
Additionally, the university makes critical safety-related announcements by text message via the Johns Hopkins Emergency Alerts system. Detailed instructions about how to sign up for text alerts are available online.
An important reminder: Johns Hopkins remains on a normal schedule when possible, both because minimizing interruption to teaching and research is a priority, and because so many university employees and students are involved in patient care. Students and employees should be sure to build extra time into their travel schedules on days when conditions are less than perfect.
A summary of the university's weather emergency policy for staff is below; the full policy is available online.
Summary of weather emergency policy for university staff
When conditions require curtailment of the operating schedule of the university or a particular campus or unit, the change will be announced on the university weather hotline and website.
Staff may be designated as required-attendance employees. Expectations for School of Medicine required-attendance employees who work in clinical areas may be aligned explicitly with Johns Hopkins Hospital inclement weather policies and guidelines.
Details are below. Note: The university no longer uses a liberal leave plan.
Required-attendance employees
There are two types of required attendance employees.
An onsite required-attendance employee must stay at work or report to work. This employee is one who is vital to the operation of a work group and whose presence and critical services are required regardless of the emergency. Required-attendance employees who do not stay at or report to work may be considered absent without approval pending discussion with their supervisor.
An offsite required-attendance employee is one who may best be utilized during an emergency by working from an alternate offsite location, either the employee's home or elsewhere.
Each unit or department defines its staffing requirements. Supervisors should annually and in writing designate required-attendance employees of either type. If your status is unclear, discuss it with your supervisor.
A third category is the non-required-attendance employee asked to work. At the discretion of a unit or department, employees not previously designated for required attendance may be called to work on a case-by-case basis. They may be required to report to work, work from home, or report to a designated alternate work site during the emergency. When possible, employees should be given advance notice that they might be called into service.
Closure plan
When conditions warrant, the university may choose to close the entire university, a campus, or a building. Required-attendance employees in the affected area must remain at work or report for work at the regularly scheduled time, either onsite or offsite as previously designated. Non-required-attendance employees do not work unless asked to do so.
Delayed arrival plan
When the delayed arrival plan is invoked for the entire university, a campus, or a building, all required-attendance employees in the affected area are to report to work at the regularly scheduled start time, either onsite or offsite as previously designated. Other staff members are expected to report to work by the delayed arrival time. Employees reporting by that time will not lose pay or have time charged to leave.
More information
The university's full weather closings policy is detailed in the Personnel Policy Manual.
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