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.
-
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.