UW-Madison inclement weather guidelines for employees

The chancellor is responsible for determining if classes will be canceled or postponed or some university services suspended due to inclement weather. The chancellor’s decisions will be based on the safety and welfare of students, faculty and staff.

Colleges, schools and other campus units will not close on their own. For locations outside of Madison, deans and directors must receive authorization from the Office of the Chancellor before directing employees not to report to work or sending employees home.

Some university services and functions must continue to operate regardless of weather conditions (e.g. University Housing, UW–Madison Police Department, power plant operations). University Communications staff will work with the chancellor to provide weather-related announcements to the campus and the media.

Employees are expected to report to work unless directed otherwise. Each employee is advised to use discretion and caution regarding their health and safety.

An employee who reasonably determines that it is not safe to travel will not be subject to discipline for being absent. Supervisors are expected to honor reasonable requests of employees to arrive late or to leave early because of inclement weather. Employees are expected to notify their supervisors if they cannot report to work or will report late.

Employees who are directed not to report or are sent home have the following options:

• Classified non-exempt (hourly and subject to overtime requirements): Must use available annual leave (vacation, personal holiday), accrued compensatory time, or leave without pay to cover each hour absent. Non-exempt employees must account for each hour of employment. If an employee’s supervisor determines that the work unit can benefit from services provided by the employee at other than regularly scheduled times, the employee will be allowed to make up as much of the time as is necessary during the remainder of the workweek. With supervisor approval, an employee may also work at home or an alternate location during the inclement weather.
• Classified exempt (salaried and not subject to overtime requirements): Must use available annual leave (vacation, personal holiday), leave without pay, or when appropriate, compensatory time to cover the absence. An employee and the employee’s supervisor may agree that the employee account for the absence in another manner consistent with the exempt nature of the employee’s position.
• Unclassified (salaried and not subject to overtime requirements): Must use available annual leave (vacation, personal holiday), leave without pay, or when appropriate, compensatory time to cover the absence. An employee and the employee’s supervisor may agree that the employee account for the absence in another manner consistent with the exempt nature of the employee’s position.

The Office of State Employment Relations in 2011 changed the past practice that classified employees be paid if directed not to report or sent home.

Questions should be directed to employees’ designated human resources representatives.