University Closure Policy

This policy covers interruptions of University operations due to Inclement Weather and Hazardous Conditions, or other declared emergency situations causing work curtailment, and the appropriate use of paid and unpaid leave in these various situations.

• Please be aware that there are specific provisions for closures for the Prevention or Containment of Disease.
• The use of leave is governed by statute, federal and state wage and hour law, PSU policies, and Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Types of paid leave that may be used vary by closure situation and depend on the policies and contract language that apply to various groups of employees. Please note that not all leave types apply to all employee categories.

• For Inclement Weather and Hazardous condition closures, sick leave may only be used for pre-approved medical appointments and other preauthorized conditions or absences scheduled prior to the closure.
• For all closures, vacation, personal time, exchange time, comp time accruals and leave without pay are made available for use. When possible, remote work arrangements are also encouraged, with supervisory approval given the closure situation and employee’s type of work.

For questions about this chart and/or to discuss specific situations on a case-by-case basis, please contact Human Resources at askhrc@pdx.edu, or by phone at 503-725-4926.

Latest Revision: 12/29/2022

Inclement Weather Procedures | University or Unit Closure for the Prevention or Containment of Disease

Section 1: CLOSURES DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER AND HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS

Inclement Weather Procedures

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Per the PSU-SEIU Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), effective February 1, 2022, all employees in classified SEIU-represented positions have specific leave to be used in the event of a university announced closure. The leave is to be used similar to holiday pay. When PSU has a closure, employees in SEIU-represented positions should use “leave taken weather” LTW in place of the regular hours they were scheduled to work. Employees in essential services positions who are scheduled and required to work on campus will enter all hours worked as overtime. Additionally, Employees in essential services positions have the option to use leave taken weather (LTW) hours which will result in them being paid double time and a half (2.5x) for all hours worked during the weather event.

FAQs for the SEIU Contracted Leave Bank:

• What if I work more or less than an 8-hour shift? 
  • Please enter the hours that were in your scheduled shift.
• Why does my coworker have more hours left than I do? 
  • The bank is based on use and each employee’s start date.
    • Example 1: Existing employee & new hire: If PSU has 4-days of inclement weather closures (LTW) in fiscal year 2022, an existing employee who worked 8-hour shifts for each of those closure days (32-hours of LTW) would go into fiscal year 2023 with 16-hours remaining in their bank. In contrast, a new employee in an SEIU-represented position who starts in July 2022 would have an inclement weather bank of 24-hours (2-hours * 12-months remaining in the contract from their date of hire).
    • Example 2: Employees with different shift lengths: If PSU has 4-days of inclement weather closures (LTW) in fiscal year 2022, an employee who works 10-hour shifts would have used 40-hours of their inclement weather bank and would have 8-hours remaining for the rest of the CBA. In contrast, an employee who works 8-hours per shift would have used 32-hours and would have 16-hours left in their inclement weather bank.
    • Example 3: Employee with shifts not covered by closure events: An employee who works mostly on the weekends but no closure events impacted the weekend schedule. In this case, the employee who is scheduled on weekend shifts will have more available bank hours than an employee who was scheduled to work during the work week closures.
• What if there is a weather event on the weekend?
  • The key to look for is “scheduled hours”. Because the university operates 7-days a week, a closure should be announced, even on a weekend. If you are scheduled to work on that day, you can use the leave taken weather (LTW).
• What if I am scheduled or assigned to work remotely?
  • If you were already scheduled to work remotely, you should work as scheduled, and you will be paid at straight time.
  • Employees in SEIU-represented positions who have the resources required to perform the work (i.e., computers, network availability, etc.) and are assigned in writing for remote work by their immediate supervisor to work during the closure or delayed start, must work their scheduled shift at straight time pay or receive approval for the use of eligible accrued leave.
• What if I’ve scheduled sick or vacation time during a weather event.
  • Use the hours you were scheduled for as indicated in the chart below. If you were scheduled for leave hours, use your leave. If you were scheduled for regular hours, use leave taken weather (LTW).

INCLEMENT WEATHER: FULL-DAY CLOSURE FOLLOWING A TIMELY CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT

The University makes every effort to announce closures and delays by approximately 6:30am. Notifications of closure or delay are announced via the PSU Alert system, including automatic emails to all "@pdx.edu" email addresses, as well as several opt-in modes (phone calls, text messages, emails to an alternate address, posts to the University's Facebook and Twitter profiles, notices on the PSU Homepage, messages on the PSU switchboard (503-725-3000), and shared with broadcast media)

**Inclement Weather Procedures do not apply during "Scheduled Closures" (for example, Winter Break Closures that have occurred in the past).

INCLEMENT WEATHER: FULL-DAY CLOSURE ANNOUNCED AFTER THE START OF A SCHEDULED SHIFT

**Inclement Weather Procedures do not apply during "Scheduled Closures" (for example, Winter Break Closures that have occurred in the past).

DELAYED OPENING

The University makes every effort to announce closures and delays by approximately 6:30am. Notifications of closure or delay are announced via the PSU Alert system, including automatic emails to all "@pdx.edu" email addresses, as well as several opt-in modes (phone calls, text messages, emails to an alternate address, posts to the University's Facebook and Twitter profiles, notices on the PSU Homepage, messages on the PSU switchboard (503-725-3000), and shared with broadcast media)

**Inclement Weather Procedures do not apply during "Scheduled Closures" (for example, Winter Break Closures that have occurred in the past).

Section 2: CLOSURES FOR PREVENTION OR CONTAINMENT OF DISEASE

TABLE 1: UNIVERSITY OR UNIT CLOSURE FOR THE PREVENTION OR CONTAINMENT OF DISEASE

TABLE 2: ABSENCE FROM WORK INVOLVING ILLNESS OF SELF OR FAMILY MEMBER FOR THE PREVENTION OR CONTAINMENT OF DISEASE AS GUIDED BY LOCAL HEALTH AGENCIES

TABLE 3: ABSENCE FROM WORK TO CARE FOR A FAMILY MEMBER WHOSE DAYCARE OR SCHOOL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR THE PREVENTION OR CONTAINMENT OF DISEASE