Inclement Weather Staff Updates

Updated 2.10.2021

Make Sure You and Your Family are Prepared in Case of Severe Weather: VMC Depends on Employees being at Work to Respond to the Healthcare Needs of our Community

Staff Availability

You may recall, in preparation for inclement weather/disaster response, staff recently completed the Inclement Weather Policy Module in Percipio regarding availability, transportation capabilities and personal preparedness during severe weather. If you anticipate that you may have conflicts or be unavailable for work during the severe weather expected, please discuss this with your manager immediately. If you haven’t yet completed the module, please do as soon as possible.

Notice to Managers: You can run your department’s Inclement Weather response report by going to the Percipio log-in page and clicking on the REPORTS button. This special report allows you to run compliance by department as well as having the ability to review employee responses to each of the questions.

Family Preparedness Plan Checklist

Please make sure you have completed the following steps to insure you and your family's safety, as well as your availability to report to work.

• All family members know or have a list with emergency contact information
• Someone who lives outside of the area is identified as a central point of contact
• Vehicle is well maintained with at least ½ tank of gas (gas stations can't pump without power)
• Adequate cash on hand (ATMs won't work without power)
• Dependent care arrangements are reliable in an emergency – for children, elders & pets
• Emergency kits - comfort care supplies in car & office, and 3-5 days of supplies at home
• Special needs addressed (medications, oxygen dependent, mobility limited, etc.)

All employees are expected to make their best effort to be at work on time, which will involve actively monitoring weather conditions, arranging for reliable transportation and leaving home much earlier than normal to allow sufficient time to travel safely to work. Some things to consider:

• Ride with someone else or take the bus.
• In extenuating circumstances you may need to consider Uber, Lyft or taxi. Please contact your unit/clinic manager to inquire about reimbursement approval. If approved employees must submit their itemized (including base ride and tip) receipts to their manager.  
• Making preparations to stay overnight at the hospital or nearby with family or friends may be helpful in some circumstances, but be aware that onsite boarding options may be limited and/or uncomfortable. 

If a county or municipality announces that you should "avoid unnecessary travel" or a similar statement, staff will still be expected to report to work as usual (travel to and from work is considered necessary travel). To help keep yourself updated on potential hazards, road and flood alerts to help you find alternate routes to work, you can subscribe to King County's ALERT Regional Public Info & Notification system here.