Dear Mr. Santos,

       Thank you for your follow-up e-mail about our Transportation Emergency (TE) policy. I am sorry to be tardy with this reply, as well as for any confusion that may have resulted from my initial response. I would also like to apologize for the length of time between the Unauthorized Absence (UA) event and your counseling session. As you mentioned, with either a TEU or a UA, you are not paid for the time you miss from work. You would simply have avoided being charged with an unexcused absence. Under our current TE policy, the decision whether or not to declare a transportation emergency resides with the highest-ranking person at each individual location. We know that there are extenuating circumstances, such as weather, when our people cannot make it into work. We also know that local management is more aware of local conditions than would someone here at HDQ. Therefore, local management is better equipped to declare a TE, if one is needed. The intent of this policy is to protect the employee's attendance record in the event a transportation emergency is declared. Having said that, I am aware that there are some inconsistencies in the application and interpretation of this policy, and we are currently working with local management around the system to address this issue. Thanks again for taking the time to write.

 Gerard Arpey