Kansas State University

Inclement Weather General Policy and Procedure

Chapter 3035

Revised January 31, 2003,  June 18, 2015, and December 7, 2016

Table of Contents

.010 Purpose

.020 Procedures for Issuing a Declaration of Inclement Weather

.030 KSU Procedures for Issuing a Declaration of Inclement Weather

.040 General Policy

.045 No Declaration of Inclement Weather Issued

.050 Questions

.010 Purpose

As a condition of employment, all employees of Kansas State University, including all campuses, area extension offices, experiment stations, centers and fields, and instructors of off-campus courses, are expected to work at their assigned times and schedules regardless of weather conditions. It is recognized that severe weather conditions may prevent employees from reporting to work, cause late arrival, or require earlier departure than scheduled.

.020 Procedures for Issuing a Declaration of Inclement Weather

A Declaration of Inclement Weather may be made in the following manner:

1. The Governor may issue a Declaration of Inclement Weather for the entire State; or, as is more likely to be the case, for one or more geographic areas of the State. The Declaration will specify the area or areas covered, and the beginning and ending times of the Declaration.
   
   If a Declaration of Inclement Weather is issued by the Governor, the Governor's Office will communicate the Declaration to employees via the local news media.
   
   
2. The President of Kansas State University as the agency head may issue a Declaration of Inclement Weather for the agency when the agency is located outside Shawnee County and the Governor has not issued a Declaration for that location.
   
   The head of a state agency may issue a Declaration of Inclement Weather for an area or areas outside Shawnee County when the agency has operations in that area or those areas and the Governor has not issued a Declaration for that area or those areas.

.030 Kansas State University Procedures for Issuing a Declaration of Inclement Weather

1. In preparation for recommendation to the President, the Vice President for Administration and Finance shall make an assessment of weather conditions, including snow removal from streets, sidewalks and parking lots, hazards to employees traveling to and from the campus, and ability to provide energy. These observations shall be reported and a recommendation made to the President of the University. In the absence of the President, the Provost and Executive Vice President will be contacted for the decision.
   
   
2. The President of the university shall advise the Vice President for Administration and Finance and the Vice President for Communications and Marketing of the decision. The Vice President for Communications and Marketing shall be responsible for disseminating information to campus offices on weather emergencies in addition to notifying media outlets of weather decisions. The Vice President for Communications and Marketing is also responsible for utilizing campus information services so that students, faculty and staff are informed of weather decisions in a timely manner. Employees and students are encouraged to listen to the local radio stations listed below for weather decisions and to check the university home page.

• WIBW 94.5 FM or 580 AM
• KMKF 101.5 FM
• KABI 1560 AM
• KQLA 103.5 FM
• KSAJ 98.5 FM
• KMAN 1350 AM or 93.3 FM
• KSAL 1150 AM
• KZBZ 104.9 FM
• KJCK 1420 AM or 97.5 FM
• KYEZ 94 FM
• KBLS 102.5 FM
• KACZ 96.3 FM

1. The President of the university delegates authority to the unit heads of area extension offices, experiment stations, centers, fields, K-State Salina, K-State Olathe, and the director of Global Campus for off-campus courses to declare an inclement weather emergency for those individual units. Unit heads are to notify the President and Provost and Executive Vice President of their decisions.

.040 General Policy

1. In the event of a Declaration of Inclement Weather, K-State will close for non-essential state employees during the period of Inclement Weather and if school is in session, classes will be canceled during that time period. Benefits eligible non-essential employees who are scheduled to work shall be placed on Inclement Weather Leave, using the appropriate Inclement Weather leave earnings code for Time & Leave reporting: IWE for FLSA exempt employees and IWN for FLSA nonexempt employees. 
   
   Each University unit is responsible for designating essential personnel, including such designation in their position description and communicating that designation to such personnel annually, prior to any Declaration of Inclement Weather.  Additionally, employees can view whether their position is designated as essential through the HRIS self-service "View Work Information" title.
   
   
2. Employees on authorized leave, holidays, or off days are not affected by these emergency procedures and will continue in that status.
   
   
3. Employees who have a remote work arrangement in place generally are not eligible for inclement weather leave.  See PPM 4045 Remote Work Policy for more information.
   
   
4. Those employees who work during a Declaration of Inclement Weather will receive compensation at the same rate of pay that the employee would have received had there not been a Declaration of Inclement Weather.
   
   
5. Essential employees that work shall also receive inclement weather compensatory time (IWC) for the hours the employee works.

.045 No Declaration of Inclement Weather Issued

If an employee is unable to work due to weather conditions and a Declaration of Inclement Weather has not been issued, they should follow their own department policy for reporting their absence. Employees not reporting to work, reporting to work late, or leaving early due to weather when a Declaration of Inclement Weather has not been declared will be expected to use vacation leave, accrued compensatory time, accrued holiday compensatory time, their discretionary holiday, or leave without pay. At the discretion of the department, employees may make up missed work time within the workweek. This policy does not affect the requirement that exempt employees must report leave in half- or full-day increments.

.050 Questions

Questions regarding inclement weather should be referred to the Division of Human Resources at (785) 532-6277, the Vice President for Administration and Finance at (785) 532-6242 or the Division of Communications and Marketing at (785) 532-2535.