MEMORANDUM

The purpose of this memo is to update and clarify our policy on leave when extreme weather conditions arise.  Although it is important to meet our operational requirements, your health and safety is of utmost importance. 

Reporting for Work During and Following a Storm

When a storm occurs, all employees are expected to make a reasonable effort to reach their place of employment.  Generally, the criteria used to establish that an employee should be able to reach their place of employment is that public transportation is operating.

If a storm prevents an employee from using his/her automobile, as he or she normally would, the employee is expected to make a genuine effort to obtain an alternate means of transportation.  This would normally be public transit.

In the case of employees who live in outlying areas where public transportation is non-existent or so infrequent as to be unreliable for regular use, the reasonableness of their efforts to come to work will be the determining factor when granting leave.  The fact that the primary cause of absence is the weather must be established in all cases.

Delays in reaching the office are sometimes inevitable; however, each employee should use good judgement, based on his/her own circumstances, as to whether and when an attempt should be made to reach the office under adverse conditions.  It is expected that employees unable to report for work at their normal starting time would continue to monitor conditions throughout their scheduled working hours in order to assess the feasibility of being able to report at a later time during those hours.  Further, employees should keep management  apprised of attempts they are making to assess conditions and report to work.

All staff is reminded of the requirement to notify their supervisor at the earliest opportunity of any absence not previously approved.  Normally, this should occur prior to or at the beginning of the scheduled work hours on the day of the absence.

It is recommended that supervisors identify arrangements with their employees for communicating office closures.

Office Closing During Storm Conditions

If management decides that conditions are such that for the safety of employees, it is deemed necessary to close the office, the decision to close the office will be communicated to all staff as early as possible.  Authorized time off will be granted from the time the building is closed to the end of the normal working day for each Canada Border Services Agency employee.

Employees, who due to personal circumstances, wish to leave before the official closure, may request leave subject to the terms of their collective agreement. 

In all cases, the decision to officially close the office will take into consideration any or all of the following factors:  availability of public transportation, road conditions as reported by the Ministry of Transportation, police reports, Environment Canada’s reports on the storm and its prognosis, other government agencies’ actions, and television/radio reports. 

Other Leave With or Without Pay

Occasionally, individual employees are unable to report to work due to extreme weather conditions.  In these circumstances, they may request leave under their collective agreement.  Given that an employee has the responsibility to make every reasonable attempt to get to work, the decision to grant or deny these requests will be made on an individual basis taking into consideration place of residence, effort made by the employee to report to duty and absence of other employees.  This is in addition to those factors which management takes into consideration in deciding on early closure.  Initially, absences will be acknowledged; approval of leave will be made only after all leave applications have been submitted.

Normally, granting of Leave With or Without Pay due to extreme weather conditions is completed after all applications are received and individual circumstances have been reviewed by a supervisor, to ensure consistency in decision-making.

Your cooperation is requested in making these guidelines workable.  If you have any questions regarding this memo, please see your supervisor who will contact Human Resources, if required.