Suspended Operations and Inclement Weather

With winter comes the potential for adverse weather conditions. Below is information about the University’s Suspended Operations and Inclement Weather Policies and Standards. Further information can be found on the University’s Inclement Weather page.

Suspended Operations

Applies when the University is CLOSED. If the University is CLOSED, only ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL report to work. 

COVID-19 Note:  Employees designated as critical on-site personnel for the purposes of current COVID-19 operations are not automatically designated as essential personnel for the purposes of suspended operations (the majority of the university’s essential personnel are in Facilities Management and University Police). Ask your supervisor if you are unsure of your position’s designation.

New in 2020

• Employees not designated as essential, including classified and professional staff, are expected to work remotely during suspended operations of less than 15 days. If you do not regularly work remotely, work with your supervisor to plan remote work options in advance. This can include professional development.

Additional guidance for overtime-eligible employees:

• If you are unavailable to work remotely, you may use leave, or leave without pay, in accordance with the Reporting Time During Suspended Operations interim standard and collective bargaining agreements (for classified staff).

Suspended Operations policies & standards:

• Suspending University Operations: POL-U5400.04
• Reporting Time During Suspended Operations, University Standard: STN-U5400.04A
• Reporting Make-Up Hours for Suspended Operations, Procedure: PRO-U5400.04A

Inclement Weather

Applies when the University is OPEN, but weather conditions impact your ability to safely report on site.

New: academic operations during inclement weather

Previously, weather could move the University from normal operations to a situation that would fit either the inclement weather policy for taking leave, or the suspended operations policy. In the former situation, classes would be held as scheduled but faculty could decide to cancel class if they could not get in. In the latter classes would be cancelled.

With COVID and our current operational level, only a small subset of in-person classes are affected by weather events. Those academic operations with an onsite presence need to prepare for the possibility that winter weather conditions will disrupt in-person classes or research operations. Faculty teaching face-to-face have the option to either cancel their classes or continue to hold classes but move them to remote modality.  Classes already in remote modality are recommended to continue when campus operations are suspended due to snow and/or ice.

Additional guidance for overtime-eligible employees:

• Overtime eligible employees who regularly report onsite when the university is open but are unable to report to work at their regularly scheduled shift time due to adverse weather conditions, may use leave accordingly:
  • Classified staff should refer to their CBA and inclement weather time reporting standard
  • Overtime-eligible Professional staff should refer to the inclement weather policy and time reporting standard
• If you regularly report onsite but cannot safely travel to work due to weather conditions, work with your supervisor to determine if there are any remote work opportunities available. We encourage you to discuss this with your supervisor in advance!
• What should I do if the power goes out while I am working remotely?
  • Plans should take into consideration several options depending on the duration of the outage.  Please see the Remote Work website.

Inclement weather policies & standards

• Taking and Reporting Leave During Inclement Weather: POL-U5400.03
• Reporting Time During Inclement Weather University Standard: STN-U5400.03A