January 16, 2004

Come rain, snow, sleet or hail:
MGH is there

If the recent drop in frigid temperatures and the December snowstorm, which dumped more than 30 inches of snow in several places in the region, are an indicator to what lies ahead, then New England is in store for yet another long, cold and snowy season. With the arrival of winter, New Englanders and MGHers alike are preparing for rough weather. As part of the MGH's preparation for weather emergencies, employees are encouraged to review the hospital's Severe Weather Conditions Policy. The policy, in its entirety, can be found in the 2003 Manager's Human Resources Policy and Procedures Manual.

The policy stipulates that employees who come to work during storms will be paid for hours worked; employees who do not come to work because of the weather will be charged earned time. If employees are dismissed by a supervisor once they have arrived at work, they will be paid for the remainder of their shift. Staffing during a weather event is left to the discretion of supervisors in individual departments. If a supervisor decides to close a particular unit, he or she must first get approval from the appropriate vice president.

The MGH is a 24-hour/365-day-a-year operation that must provide services to patients and the community even during the worst storms. For procedure updates during bad weather, employees are encouraged to call the MGH Weather Emergency Line at (617) 724-6100. For more information about the MGH's weather policy, employees should speak to their supervisors.