Policy updated on inclement weather pay, leave

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN INCLEMENT WEATHER PAY/LEAVE POLICY AND PAYROLL PROCEDURES FOR NON-EXEMPT AND EXEMPT EMPLOYEES

Dec. 14, 2010

Introduction

This policy advises UNL departments how to process pay and leave during a weather closedown for all office/service and managerial/professional employees. While not every work situation is identical, this policy will ensure that UNL employees will receive equitable treatment for pay and leave purposes during an inclement weather closedown. The intent of this policy is that UNL employees do not lose pay because UNL was closed due to inclement weather. Eligible employees should expect to receive what they "normally" would have received had the inclement weather closing not been called.

Definitions

Regularly Scheduled Work Hours - For purposes of this policy, regularly scheduled work hours is normally scheduled work time during the time of the closedown. It does not include overtime, call-back hours, unscheduled work time, or any time above and beyond what the employee expected to work that day, prior to the notice that the campus would be closed due to bad weather.

Eligible Employees - Eligible employees are regular and benefit-eligible-temporary office/service and managerial/professional employees who are working at the time that an inclement weather closedown is declared, or are scheduled to work a shift that begins at or before midnight for the remainder of that day. Normally work resumes with the start of the first shift after the closedown.

Essential Employees - Selected positions have been identified as essential during weather closings (e.g. police officers, dining service staff, and snow removal personnel). Such personnel are made aware of this designation at the time of hiring or reassignment to a position that is considered essential during a weather closing. Unless a position has been specifically identified as essential during a weather closing, the employee should assume their services are not required.

Inclement Weather Pay Procedures

NON-EXEMPT EMPLOYEES

Regular full-time and part-time non-exempt hourly paid office/service and managerial/professional, as well as leave-benefit-eligible temporary employees, will receive leave/pay for their regularly scheduled work hours during the closedown period. Regularly scheduled work hours include part-time and approved, non-traditional scheduled hours. For example, employees who were scheduled to work 10 hours in a day to complete a 40 hour week will be paid 10 hours of Bad Weather Pay (BADW) for the amount of hours they were scheduled and were not allowed to work. Please use earnings type "BADW" to designate those hours of leave on the employee's time sheet and the departmental time report. Employees not scheduled to work will not receive leave/pay for this day. An employee not scheduled to work on a weather closedown day, but is called in to work, will receive BADW in addition to pay for hours worked. Eligible essential employees who worked during the closedown time will be paid for the actual number of hours worked. Additionally, these employees will receive either BADW pay for their normally scheduled hours on the inclement weather day OR time off (BADW leave) at a later date for their regularly scheduled hours on that day. This option choice is at the department head's discretion. Therefore, the department has two options for employees who worked during the closedown time. Option #1 (the pay option) - Employee is receiving pay for the hours worked and the BADW leave. In this option the department should report all regular hours and all BADW hours on the time report. Option # 2 (the time off option) - Employee is receiving pay for time worked and then time off at a later date in lieu of pay. In this option the department should report all regular hours worked and report the BADW hours for the scheduled hours of the shift that were not worked. Departments should report the remaining BADW hours when the employee uses them. The BADW leave balance should be maintained by the department. BADW hours must be taken before vacation leave is used. BADW is not earned leave and as such will not be paid out at time of separation. BADW not taken by July 1 of each year will expire.

SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL

Shift differential will be paid on eligible BADW leave to non-exempt employees who were scheduled and did not work during the closedown and who normally receive shift differential for regular hours worked. For employees who worked during the closedown during a shift that receives a differential and are receiving pay for the BADW leave (Option 1), the hours worked will be paid with the shift differential and the BADW leave hours will be paid at the base rate without differential.

EXEMPT EMPLOYEES

Monthly paid, benefit eligible managerial/professional employees will be paid for regular scheduled hours during the closedown. Exempt personnel who were required (told by a supervisor) to work during the closedown will receive time off (hour for hour) at a later date for the period of time they worked. Such time off should be taken before vacation leave is used.

EMPLOYEES ON PAID LEAVE STATUS

Eligible non-exempt employees, who were scheduled for any leave during the closedown, will receive BADW leave for their regularly scheduled hours during the closedown period, without any vacation, sick or other leave being deducted. Exempt employees who were scheduled for any leave during the closedown will receive regular pay for their regularly scheduled hours during the closedown period, without any vacation, sick or other leave being deducted. Employees on a non-pay leave status will not receive any leave or pay under this policy.

NON-LEAVE BENEFIT TEMPORARY/ON-CALL EMPLOYEES

Temporary and on-call employees who do not receive leave benefits do not receive BADW leave; however, any of those employees who worked during the closedown must be paid for the hours worked. If you have any questions, please call Human Resources at 472-3101.

EXAMPLES

Please use the following examples to help clarify how this policy is to be applied.

1. A non-exempt employee is scheduled to work 8 hours on Wednesday and an inclement weather closedown is called. The employee is non-essential and did not report to work. The employee would receive 8 hours of BADW.

2. A non-exempt employee normally works 8 hours per day, five days per week. However because of projects, the employee is scheduled to work five 9 hour days to get the projects completed. An inclement weather closure occurs on one of the scheduled 9 hour days. The employee would receive 9 hours of BADW.

3. A non-exempt employee works four 10 hour days. If inclement weather closing occurred on one of the days the employee was schedule to work, the employee would receive 10 hours of BADW. If the closure occurred on the employee's day off, no leave would be given to the employee.

4. A non-exempt essential employee works 8 hours on their normal shift. They work an extra shift to cover for another employee during an inclement weather closure. The essential employee would receive 16 hours of pay and 8 hours of BADW. If the number of hours worked in the workweek exceeded 40 the employee would be paid time and one-half for all hours worked over 40 and if shift differential applies, the employee would receive the appropriate shift differential. Shift differential does not apply to BADW pay.

5. A non-exempt employee is scheduled to work from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm with a lunch hour scheduled from 12:00 to 1:00. At 11:00 am, notice is received that the campus is to be closed at 3:00 that day. This employee requests permission to leave work at noon. This employee will report 4 1/2 hours worked, 2 hours of vacation leave and 1 1/2 hours of bad weather pay.

6. A non-exempt non-essential employee normally works a night shift (8 hours) and a weather closedown is called. The employee does not report to work as required by the policy. The employee will receive 8 hours of BADW PLUS the normal shift differential on those 8 hours.

7. A non-exempt essential employee normally works a night shift (8 hours) and a weather closedown is called. The employee reports to work as is required by the policy and works the normal shift (during the closedown). The employee would receive 8 hours pay plus shift differential for working and 8 hours of BADW or 8 hours off at a later time, without the differential.

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/2y0