Inclement Weather And Emergency Closures

PURPOSE:

To establish University procedures to effect shutdowns due to severe or inclement weather conditions or other emergency situations.

AUTHORITY:

Board of Trustees Series 57; Board of Trustees Series 35, Section 13.2; West Virginia State Code 12-3-13, 18B-7-11; Fair Labor Standards Act

ELIGIBILITY:

Full-time regular classified employees, and faculty or faculty equivalent/academic professional (FE/AP) employees with 12 month contracts are covered under this policy. Covered employees are eligible to receive regular pay for work time lost due to closure for inclement weather.

INELIGIBILITY:

Part-time regular and temporary classified employees are not eligible for compensation for time lost during an inclement weather closure. Casual, student, and non-classified employees are not eligible under this policy.

Work-study students are not classified employees, and therefore are not eligible under this policy. For further information regarding work-study concerns, please contact the Financial Aid office at 293-2809.

CLOSURE OF AN INSTITUTION OR GEOGRAPHIC SHUTDOWN

The president, working with public safety officials throughout the state, has the authority to close the entire institution, to declare geographic emergencies, and close branch campuses due to inclement weather or other emergency situations. Such a declaration will be transmitted to the Chancellor of the Board of Trustees.

The president, working with public safety officials, will determine when to re-open an institution, portion, or branch that had been closed. Closure(s) start/end time will be determined by the President/designee.

A state of Emergency as declared by the Governor does not automatically apply to West Virginia University and its branch facilities. Employees should monitor local media for announcements of closure due to inclement weather conditions.

COMPENSATION FOR TIME NOT WORKED DURING AN INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSURE:

Work time lost will be considered regular work time for pay purposes and will not require time charged to accrued substitute time off (STO), compensatory time off (CTO), or annual leave, nor will there be a requirement that the time be made up.

COMPENSATION FOR TIME WORKED:

During an inclement weather closure, an employee may be required to work by the president/designee. A non-exempt employee will be compensated for work performed during an inclement weather closure through STO, or pay at the rate of one and one-half for actual hours worked, in addition to regular pay. Exempt employees required to work during an inclement weather closure will be compensated with STO on an hour-for-hour worked basis, in addition to regular pay.

In order for STO to be used in lieu of pay, there must be a mutual written agreement between the employee and the supervisor. Otherwise the employee must be compensated in pay. If STO is granted for work performed during an inclement weather closure the accrued time must be used within six (6) months from the date it is earned.

OVERTIME COMPENSATION

Inclement weather compensation is separate from overtime compensation. Both must be applied separately and appropriately.

To be eligible for overtime compensation a non-exempt employee must actually work in excess of forty (40) hours during the work week. Non-exempt employees must be compensated for this time at one and one-half times their regular hourly rate. This compensation may be in the form of pay or CTO.

Exempt employees with actual hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours within the work week are not entitled to compensation for these hours.

OTHER ABSENCE

Absence from work due to weather conditions or other personal emergency, during time not designated by the president/designee as an inclement weather closure, must be charged against an employee's accrued leave, other than sick leave. Sick leave may not be charged for absences due to such situations.

At the supervisor's discretion, time lost from work may be made up, within the same work week.

ADDITIONAL LEAVE AND SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS:

When an inclement weather closure occurs during an employee's scheduled annual leave, the time will not be charged to annual leave.

When an inclement weather closure occurs during an employee's scheduled medical leave, the time will not be charged to sick leave.

Employees not typically scheduled to work during the designated inclement weather closure period are not entitled to any compensation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Questions regarding compensation for work performed during an inclement weather closure should be directed to the Classification & Compensation Unit in the Division of Human Resources at 293-5700 x6. Other questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Employee Relations Unit in the Division of Human Resources at 293-5700 x5.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 1, 1999

WVU POLICY REFERENCE: http://www.wvu.edu/~adminfin/policies/hr_policies/WVU-HR-19.html