The University Digs Out

University staff who missed work last week because of the severe weather will be able to use accrued sick leave as well as vacation time to cover the absences, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III and Provost Peter Lange announced this week.

Duke Hospital and the rest of the Duke Health System will allow all categories of staff to use paid time off (PTO) for any scheduled shifts they were unable to work. All bi-weekly hospital employees who did work during the severe weather will be given a 10 percent premium on hours worked.

The Private Diagnostic Clinics will allow employees who missed work because of the weather to use vacation and sick days to make up for the lost time. Bi-weekly employees who did work will also receive a 10 percent pay premium.

Trask and Lange said in a memo to deans and department heads that they are making a one-time exception to the university's severe weather policy to allow use of sick time to make up lost days because of the severity and length of the 20-inch snow and subsequent efforts to clear streets. Premium pay will be paid according to the severe weather policy for those bi-weekly employees who worked.

"When this policy was written, we did not envision a closing that would go on, unabated, for several days," the memo said. The severe weather policy was in effect for four days last week for most university employees, and classes were canceled for three and a half days.

The policy for the hospital and health system was announced in a "blueline" memo from health system leaders.

"As we have seen, there is severe weather and then there is this week's severe weather," they said in the memo dated Jan. 28. "We are extremely grateful to all the staff who have been here caring for inpatients and outpatients, directly and indirectly. We also applaud the volunteers who have assisted us by transporting staff to work; they have been essential to the care of our patients during this time."

Under the exception for the campus, bi-weekly employees of the university, including the medical school and school of nursing, who were not required or were unable to come to work between Jan. 25 and Jan. 28, may use accrued sick time in addition to vacation time as normally allowed.

Trask and Lange also said best efforts will be made to give bi-weekly employees who wish not to use vacation or sick time the opportunity to make up the time within the next three months, with supervisor approval, consistent with the severe weather policy.

Trask and Lange said the exception could apply to members of collective bargaining units with concurrence from their unions. Local 77 has declined to participate.

"Monthly paid staff members who did not report to work during this period should record time missed as vacation or sick leave taken," the Trask-Lange memo said.

The memo said premium pay should be recorded as outlined in the severe weather policy.