Applicability All OSU Employees
Section 0700 Leaves and Absences
Policy Number 714
Revised
Human Resources Manual
Policies, Guidelines and Reference Material
- Inclement Weather Response Training
- Interruptions of University Operations Related to Hazardous Conditions, Inclement Weather or Events Causing Work Curtailment (OSU)
- Time Reporting for Inclement Weather Closures (OSU)
If it becomes necessary for the university to close OSU campuses and facilities or curtail on-site operations due to inclement weather or hazardous conditions, information regarding changes in university operations will be communicated using the following methods:
Notice of a Corvallis campus closure will be posted on the university’s OSU Home Page, with a headline linking to the Campus Alert website. Emails will also be sent to all Corvallis campus-based employees and students.
Information related to weather alerts, closures and campus emergencies on the Corvallis campus is also available by calling the OSU Department of Public Safety message line. A recorded message will report the operating status of the Corvallis campus and information related to the emergency or closure situation. You may access this information 24/7 by dialing 541-737-8000.
Notice of an OSU-Cascades campus closure or curtailment will be noted in an alert bar on the OSU-Cascades Home Page. Emails will also be sent to OSU-Cascades based employees and students.
OSU-Cascades’ phone line will include recorded information updating closure or curtailment details. That number is 541-322-3100.
Notice of a Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) closure or curtailment of operations will be noted on the HMSC website by 6:30 a.m. and emails will be sent to all HMSC employees and students.
Notice of closures or curtailment of operations will be sent to employees by email.
When possible, information will be posted online via the FlashAlert Newswire. Local news and radio stations may elect to announce closures.
| Location | Radio Stations |
|---|---|
| Corvallis | KBVR - 88.7 FM KFLY - 101.5 FM KLOO - 1340 AM/106.3 FM |
| Albany | KRKT - 990 AM/99.9 |
| Eugene | KPNW - 1120 AM KUGN - 590 AM KEZI TV Channel 9 KLCC - 89.7 FM KMTR TV Channel 16 KVAL TV Channel 13 |
| Lebanon | KGAL - 1580 AM |
| Salem | KBZY - 1490 AM KYKN - 1430 AM |
| Portland | KEX - 1190 AM KOPB - 91.5 KXL - 750 AM/101.1 FM KATU TV Channel 2 KGW TV Channel 8 KOIN TV Channel 6 |
| Bend | COTV - Channel 11 KOHD TV - Channel 9 KTVZ - Channel 12 KOPB/KOAB - 91.3 KBND-AM/FM 1110/100.1 KBNW-AM 1340/104.5 |
| Newport | KNTP – 1310 AM BOSS FM – 100.7 |
Unless otherwise communicated, employees are to assume that their university location is open and that they are to report to work, whether on-site or in their supervisor approved, designated remote work location. The university encourages that employees use discretion in choosing how and when to safely travel to work as localized road conditions may be variable.
If an OSU campus is closed or its operations curtailed, supervisors will confirm with affected employees, who are currently assigned to on-site work, if the employee is able to perform their work duties remotely. Employees who are already working remotely may continue to do so as usual.
Unless otherwise specified by their supervisor, employees whose position description designate them as performing "essential" work are required to work on-site, at their regularly scheduled time during a closure or curtailment of operations. Employees may also temporarily be designated as "essential" by their supervisor due to an urgent or critical need.
As a reminder, only the university president or their designee may close the university. Departments may not cease operations and send employees home due to inclement weather or hazardous conditions unless the president has closed the university. Off-campus facilities are authorized to make closure/curtailment decisions for the operation, based on local conditions and must notify university leadership, the Vice President of Finance and Administration, and Payroll of the status change.
For additional resources, including a quick reference response guide, see the HR Inclement Weather page and for questions regarding time reporting for inclement weather closures, refer to this page or of the university’s time reporting matrix for closures and inclement weather. Any other questions should be directed to Employee and Labor Relations at [email protected].
Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use
Guidance for each employment type depending on closure type and work status is provided below.
For guidance specific to employment type and essential work status, follow the chart below until a linked employment type is available. This will lead to guidance for time reporting for specific circumstances. Note: Employees may spend a portion of one shift working as “essential” and a portion of the same shift as “non-essential.” Employees must follow through the grid twice in these cases to access both sets of instructions, once for their essential time and once for their non-essential time. For general guidance for time reporting during inclement weather, visit https://mytime.oregonstate.edu/enter-time-inclement-weather or follow the linked resources below.
If you are unsure of your employment type or exempt or non-exempt status, your EmpCenter timesheet lists your employee type in the white line near the top of the page.
“Unclassified” in this context includes academic faculty and professional faculty, “Classified” means employees in positions represented by SEIU.
Employees on an approved leave (protected leave, vacation, or other paid leave) or on a reduced work schedule should contact their supervisor or the Office of University Human Resources for assistance.
Classified Essential (Exempt and Non-Exempt) Time-Worked
Working from home or off site is not permitted unless remote work has been established prior to an inclement weather event. Remote work cannot be required exclusively for inclement weather events or campus closures.
During campus closures, makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. Sick leave may be used only for pre-approved medical appointments/absences scheduled prior to closure. This matrix applies to regular, irregular, and flexible work schedules.
| Type of Hours | Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use | Accounting for Time in Emp Center |
|---|---|---|
| Hours worked as "essential" | An employee designated “Essential” and required to report to work during a closure will be paid at 1.5 times their regular pay rate (penalty pay) during the hours/days of closure while the employee is scheduled to work. Closure leave may be combined if the employee has it available. |
If you are designated as an “Essential” employee and are required to report to work during a University closure you need to note the time worked during the closure as Essential Time in EmpCenter to ensure you are paid properly. Please note you will need to record essential time in addition to entering your work hours as normal (clocking, work in/out, regular hours) on your timesheet If you are non-exempt (can receive overtime pay) and have reached overtime status, use the code “Essential Time-During OT” when you complete your timesheet. https://mytime.oregonstate.edu/add-essential-time You may additionally use Closure Leave in addition to Essential Pay if you have it available. Supervisor guidance for approving or changing employee Essential Time |
Classified Non-Essential Exempt
Working from home or off site is not permitted unless remote work has been established prior to an inclement weather event. Remote work cannot be required exclusively for inclement weather events or campus closures.
During campus closures, makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. Sick leave may be used only for pre-approved medical appointments/absences scheduled prior to closure.
This matrix applies to regular, irregular, and flexible work schedules.
| Closure Type | Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use | Accounting for Time in Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
|
Full Work Shift or Work Day Closure |
Employees are required to use leave for hours of missed work if closure occurs before the employee reports to work and begins their shift. The employee can choose to use accrued closure leave, vacation leave, exchange time, personal leave, compensatory time, or leave without pay (LWOP). If all other leave sources are exhausted, the employee must use LWOP. If the employee’s leave balance is insufficient to cover the absence, salary may not be docked for absences of less than one work week. Salary will be docked for absence of a full work week. |
It is appropriate to use closure leave in this circumstance. See the Closure Leave FAQ or the appropriate FAQ for instructions on entering leave time on your timesheet if closure leave is not available: Classified Salaried Exempt |
|
Partial closure during starting hours of work shift (Delayed opening for 8-5 employees) |
Employees are required to use accrued closure leave, vacation leave, exchange time, or personal leave, compensatory time, or, if these leave sources are exhausted, may elect to use leave without pay (LWOP) for all hours of missed work. If the employee’s leave balance is insufficient to cover the absence due to closure, the employee’s salary will not be docked. Makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. |
Closure leave for hours not worked during a closure is appropriate in this example. See the Closure Leave FAQ or, if closure leave is not available, see the appropriate FAQ for entering time on your timesheet: |
|
Closure After Beginning Work Shift or Work Day |
If a closure occurs after the employee reports to work, the employee is paid for the remainder of their shift; use of leave or leave without pay (LWOP) is not required. If the employee leaves work prior to a closure, the employee is required to use accrued leave for the time between when he/she left work and the time the closure went into effect. Closure time could be used in this circumstance. | You will be paid for your full shift; use of leave is not required. Enter your scheduled hours as usual. If you left prior to the closure, enter accrued leave for the time between your departure from work and the closure going into effect You may use closure leave in this circumstance. See the Closure Leave FAQ |
|
University Not Closed |
All regular operations time and leave policies apply. |
Classified Non-Essential Non-Exempt
Working from home or off site is not permitted unless remote work has been established prior to an inclement weather event. Remote work cannot be required exclusively for inclement weather events or campus closures.
During campus closures, makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. Sick leave may be used only for pre-approved medical appointments/absences scheduled prior to closure.
This matrix applies to regular, irregular, and flexible work schedules.
| Type of Closure | Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use | Accounting for Time in Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
|
Full Work Shift or Work Day Closure |
Employees are required to use leave for hours of missed work if closure occurs before the employee reports to work and begins their shift. The employee can choose to use accrued closure leave, vacation leave, exchange time, personal leave, compensatory time, or leave without pay (LWOP). If all other leave sources are exhausted, the employee must use LWOP |
It is appropriate to use closure leave in this circumstance. See the Closure Leave FAQ or the appropriate FAQ for instructions on entering leave time on your timesheet if closure leave is not available: Classified Salaried Exempt, Classified Hourly |
|
Partial closure during starting hours of work shift (Delayed opening for 8-5 employees) |
Employees are required to use accrued closure leave, vacation leave, compensatory time, personal leave, or, if these leave sources are exhausted, leave without pay (LWOP) for all hours of missed work due to delayed opening that occurred before the employee reported to work and began their work shift. |
Closure leave for hours not worked during a closure is appropriate in this example. See the Closure Leave FAQ or, if closure leave is not available, see the appropriate FAQ for entering time on your timesheet: |
|
Closure After Beginning Work Shift or Work Day |
If a closure occurs after the employee reports to work, the employee is paid for the remainder of their shift; use of leave or leave without pay (LWOP) is not required. If the employee leaves work prior to a closure, the employee is required to use accrued leave for the time between when he/she left work and the time the closure went into effect. Closure time could be used in this circumstance. | To properly record your hours, clock out as usual before you leave. Next, go to your timesheet and select work in/out from the pay code drop down. Enter the remainder of your scheduled work hours then enter a comment such as “snow day” or “weather closure”. To see an example visit https://mytime.oregonstate.edu/enter-time-inclement-weather and scroll to “If the University is CLOSED after you start your shift.” If you left prior to the closure, enter accrued leave for the time between your departure from work and the closure going into effect You may use closure leave in this circumstance. See the Closure Leave FAQ |
|
University Not Closed |
All regular operations time and leave policies apply. |
Unclassified Essential
Working from home or off site is not permitted unless remote work has been established prior to an inclement weather event. Remote work cannot be required exclusively for inclement weather events or campus closures.
Makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. Sick leave may be used only for pre-approved medical appointments/absences scheduled prior to closure.
This matrix applies to regular, irregular, and flexible work schedules.
| Type of Hours | Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use | Accounting for Time in Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
|
Time worked as Essential |
An employee designated “Essential” and required to report to work during a closure will be paid at their regular pay rate during the hours/days of closure. |
Unclassified Non-Essential Exempt
Working from home or off site is not permitted unless remote work has been established prior to an inclement weather event. Remote work cannot be required exclusively for inclement weather events or campus closures.
Makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. Sick leave may be used only for pre-approved medical appointments/absences scheduled prior to closure.
This matrix applies to regular, irregular, and flexible work schedules.
| Type of Closure | Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use | Accounting for Time in Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
|
Full Work Shift or Work Day Closure |
Employees are on a professional work week and are not required to use accrued vacation leave to cover the absence of a full day or more. Absence of a full work week: Salary will be docked if the leave balance is insufficient to cover the absence of a full work week. An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or leave without pay (LWOP) during the hours/day of closure. |
If it is determined that use of leave is necessary, record time as vacation leave as usual. For instructions visit https://mytime.oregonstate.edu/how-do-i-enter-my-time-unclassified-exem…; |
|
Delayed Opening |
Employees are not required to use vacation leave for hours of missed work due to a delayed opening. An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or LWOP during the hours/day of closure. |
If you need to record leave time, see the appropriate FAQ time entry: Unclassified Exempt
|
|
Closure After Beginning Work Shift or Work Day |
If a closure occurs after the employee reports to work, the employee is paid for the remainder of the scheduled work day; use of leave is not required. An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or LWOP during the hours/day of closure. |
For unclassified employees, you will be paid for your full shift. You do not need to enter any time on your timesheet. Note: if you leave during your regular shift before the university closes, you must use leave for the time between when you left and when the university officially closed. For example, if the university closed at noon, but you left at 10am, you must use 2 hours of leave from 10am-12pm. |
|
University Not Closed |
All regular operations time and leave policies apply. |
Unclassified Non-Essential Non-Exempt
Working from home or off site is not permitted unless remote work has been established prior to an inclement weather event. Remote work cannot be required exclusively for inclement weather events or campus closures.
An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or LWOP during the hours/day of closure.
Makeup time or use of sick leave is not permitted. Sick leave may be used only for pre-approved medical appointments/absences scheduled prior to closure.
This matrix applies to regular, irregular, and flexible work schedules.
| Type of Closure | Reporting Time Worked and Leave Use | Accounting for Time in Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
|
Full Work Shift or Work Day Closure |
Employees are required to use accrued vacation leave or compensatory time for all hours of missed work. * (* Subject to the President’s, or their designee’s, review due to unforeseen or unique circumstances.) If the employee’s leave balance is insufficient to cover absence, the employee will be placed on leave without pay for hours not covered by accrued leave. An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or leave without pay (LWOP) during the hours/day of closure. |
You must use accrued leave for the full day if the closure occurs before you report to work. Visit the appropriate FAQ for instructions on entering time on your timesheet: Unclassified Non-exempt, Unclassified Hourly |
|
Partial closure during starting hours of work shift (Delayed opening for 8-5 employees) |
Employees are required to use accrued vacation leave or compensatory time for all hours of missed work. If the employee’s leave balance is insufficient to cover the absence, the employee will record leave without pay (LWOP) for hours not covered by accrued leave. An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or LWOP during the hours/day of closure. |
To record leave time, see the appropriate FAQ to record your time: Unclassified Non-exempt, Unclassified Hourly
|
|
Closure After Beginning Work Shift or Work Day |
If a closure occurs after the employee reports to work, the employee is paid for the remainder of the scheduled work day; use of leave is not required. If the employee leaves work prior to a closure, the employee is required to use accrued leave for the time between when he/she left work and the time the closure went into effect. An employee authorized to work at home or off-site is not required to use leave, compensatory time, or LWOP during the hours/day of closure. | For unclassified employees, you will be paid for your full shift. You do not need to enter any time on your timesheet. Note: if you leave during your regular shift before the university closes, you must use leave for the time between when you left and when the university officially closed. For example, if the university closed at noon, but you left at 10am, you must use 2 hours of leave from 10am-12pm. |
|
University Not Closed |
All regular operations time and leave policies apply |
Student Employees
Most student employees will not report to work during campus closures. If a student employee is needed during a closure, their supervisor will notify them that they will need to report to work. Students are compensated at their regular rate for the hours they work and cannot use paid sick time to cover campus closures.
Public Safety Association Represented Employees
All regular operations, leave, and compensation policies apply in the event of any university closure.