Suspended Operations Procedures
As related to snow or other weather-related emergencies and utility outages
The College's procedures for closure due to adverse weather conditions, utility (heat, electricity, water, etc.) outages or natural disasters are:
- Notification of the College's closure will be by written communication when advance notice permits; personal or telephone communication by your immediate supervisor; and/or announcements on KOMO, KING, KIRO, KMPS, KIXI, KLSY, KSTW, and KJR. A web announcement is posted at http://www.schoolreport.org . Radio announcements of class closures will not necessarily indicate that all College operations are closed. If all operations are suspended (the college is closed) notification to employees will be by one or more of the following methods:
A. Personal or telephone communication by
your supervisor if the emergency occurs during normal working
hours.
B. Telephone communication to each employee's last
known telephone number if the emergency occurs outside working
hours. This will be by "Telephone Tree", a system of
relayed messages in which the senior people call their immediate
subordinates, who in turn call the people they supervise, and so
on until each individual has been notified. Be
sure to have available at home the current telephone number of
everyone who reports directly to you.
C. An
employee may also call (206) 878-3710 for an announcement on the
college’s telephone system regarding canceled classes or college
closure. This message will be posted as soon as possible
after the decision is made, usually early in the morning if snow
or closure occurs at night. Announcements about changes in
evening operation will be posted by mid-afternoon.
D.
Employees can sign up
HCC Alerts for
emergency alerts sent via cell phone text message.
- Affected employees will have the following options for the duration of the closure:
A. Employees scheduled and not required
to work during the disruption will have no loss in pay for the
first day.
B. Non-emergency employees may be reassigned to
similar positions at a location within a reasonable driving
distance from the non-operational location during any disruption
of service.
C. The following options will be made available
to the affected employees who have been released and are not
required to work for the balance of the closure:
i. Vacation
ii.
Personal holiday
iii. Accrued compensatory time (where
applicable)
iv. Leave without pay; or
v.
Makeup lost time during the workweek
- All other employees:
A. Vacation leave, personal holiday; or
B. previously earned compensatory time or Leave without pay
- Temporary Employees - When prior notice has not been given, individuals released until further notice after reporting to work will be compensated for hours worked on the first day of the closure
- Faculty members may be asked to provide additional time to assist students in making up the class time missed. Additional information on handling the lost time will be provided by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
- Whenever weather or power/mechanical related circumstances require the College to close early, the College President will announce the decision through normal administrative channels. Employees will be credited for completing their regularly assigned shifts and those employees not on the job will be on leave for the entire shift.
- When the College is not closed, but a classified/exempt/administrative employee is unable to make it to work, they may use vacation leave, previously earned compensatory time, personal holiday, and/or leave without pay.