Update: Snow Event Feedback
The UWSA provided Dr. Ian Orchard, Vice President Academic & Provost, with the following data based on the feedback collected from our membership. The UWSA Board of Directors recommended to the Provost that the current guidelines be re-evaluated and established as a University Policy. The development of such a Policy would allow for every stakeholder group on campus to have input and discussions on the issues noted below.
Respondents: 189 employees responded to the request for feedback. The commentators covered a wide range of employee responsibilities – from clerical staff to Directors of major campus units.
Because the feedback was in email format each message was read and then coded for the essence of what was being stated. The messages were broken out into the following themes:
1)Support for the University of Waterloo decision:
- 13% of respondents thought uW had made the correct decision. Most supportive comments noted that the winter storm had essentially ended, what we were dealing with Monday morning was the clean-up.
- 57% of respondents voiced disapproval of the decision to stay open. Most expressed concern that the decision showed disregard for personal safety, and conflicted with the local police authority statements to avoid “non-essential” travel.
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30% expressed ambivalence about the decision. Generally these individuals recognized that the University faced a complex decision, and qualified that by expressing concern about timing, messaging and general preparedness of the campus for employees and students to get to campus.
2)Timing:
- 39% of the respondents felt the University did not follow its own guidelines about getting information out before 6:00AM. Most comments about timeliness indicated the University showed disregard for individuals needing enough notice so they can plan their lives. Since WLU and Conestoga had closed, it was felt that the University of Waterloo needed to make an unambiguous statement stating "We are open."
3)Communication:
- 26% of respondents criticized the University’s communication process. In this age of Social Media the message is happening NOW. The message should be prepped and ready to go by 6:00 AM. Twitter voices saying "waiting for official word" simply showed uW is disorganized. Another repeated comment was about the difficulty in finding a clear statement on the uwaterloo.ca web site.
4)Out of step with other public employers (School Board; Other Post-Secondary institutions)
- 13% felt the University should close when the School Board closes due to inclement weather. A number of individuals commented on the optics of WLU closing – and uW doing the exact opposite.
5)Confusion about Employee Policies and Lack of Clarity:
- 36% felt campus managers had an inconsistent response to handling employee absences. There is no recommended HR “best practice” for handling “emergency” days. When the official University statement is an employee should decide if it is safe to travel but their manager will decide if the employee made the correct decision, then the University is clearly saying “be here or don’t get paid”. A number of respondents noted the following gaps in HR processes:
- Consistency: The same process should apply to all employees. Can I work from home? If I don't come in do I need to provide proof my road is impassible? Can I use an emergency day if my child has no school/child care?
- Lack of Clarity about Critical Roles: who actually needs to show up to work? Is my role critical? Can I be late? Who is my backup?
- Arbitrary Decisions: a number of respondents felt the decision to force employees to “burn a vacation” day was simply bad for employee morale and showed the University is “not an enlightened employer.”
6)Clarity needed for “Work from Home” rules
- 15% expressed frustration at the way “Work from Home” rules are applied. Some managers allow “Work from Home’; and others expressly forbid it. When a weather event occurs and individuals are forced to weigh their “personal safety” against a perceived threat of disciplinary action – is this even reasonable to suggest employees have a choice?
- Is ‘Work from Home” an accepted uW practice for inclusion in the Extreme Weather guidelines? Who is responsible for a service? What functions are required to be staffed to provide a minimal level of service?
7)Child Care Issues
- 18% of respondents expressed concerns about child care when schools and day cares are closed. Most felt it was unfair (see previous item on Employee Policies) that some parents were granted an Emergency Day, while others had to use a Vacation day. There should be more consistency on how this is applied.
8)Safety Concerns:
- 90% of the respondents expressed safety concerns about the decision to stay open and a general lack of preparedness for people to get to work. Parking lots, paths, stairs, ramps were not cleared by the time most of the respondents arrived on campus. A significant number of the respondents also commented walkways were still not clear when they left work. What is the priority on clearing paths? Can this be accessed via the web so safe paths can be planned? What is the priority on clearing accessibility infrastructure (ramps; accessible doors)?
- 40% indicated their parking lot was not adequately cleared.
- 46% indicated paths and walkways were not cleared (heavy snow cover).
- 18% indicated ramps and handicapped parking was obstructed
- A number of respondents also noted concerns about snow covered stairs, snow-blocked fire-doors, and obstructed access to fire hydrants and other safety infrastructure.
9)Delayed Opening instead of Closure
- 10% of respondents asked about a “delayed opening” to allow for snow clearing.
Some respondents indicated they could not travel on their neighbourhood streets because the snow was too deep. A delayed opening of the University campus would have allowed employees to clear their own driveways while waiting for municipal snow removal to progress and give Plant Operations more time to clear parking lots and primary paths before traffic arrived.
