Chapter 16

Leaves of Absence and Leave Benefits

16.04

INCLEMENT WEATHER GUIDELINES FOR FACULTY, LIMITED APPOINTEES AND ACADEMIC STAFF


The Chancellor is responsible for determining if, for the safety and welfare of students and staff, classes will be postponed or some services suspended due to inclement weather. Some University services and functions must remain in operation regardless of weather conditions, e.g., University Hospital and Clinics, University Housing, University Police, power plant operations, etc.

University Communications staff will work with the Chancellor in providing appropriate announcements to the media and posting them on the University's website at http://www.wisc.edu. Deans and Directors should receive authorization from the Office of the Chancellor before directing employees not to report for work or sending employees home.

Unless directed otherwise, employees are expected to report to work as scheduled. Each employee is expected to use discretion in determining if travel is safe. An employee who reasonably determines that travel would not be safe will not be subject to discipline for not reporting to work. Supervisors are expected to honor the reasonable requests of employees to arrive late or to leave early because of inclement weather. Employees are expected to make a reasonable effort to notify their supervisors if they cannot report to work or will report late.

Professional and unclassified employees who are absent from work because of inclement weather normally must use available annual leave (vacation), available holidays, leave without pay, or, when appropriate, accrued compensatory time to cover the absence, or must arrange with the supervisor to make up the time. Nonprofessional employees must account for each hour of scheduled duty.

Professional employees may account for their time in a manner consistent with their professional responsibilities, as approved by their supervisors. If classes are postponed, faculty should make every effort to reschedule them at a later date.