Suspended Operations

Information for employees during suspended operations, including for inclement weather.

Classified Employees

Represented classified staff will follow Article 17 of the classified employees’ Collective Bargaining Agreement as it relates to suspended operations and inclement weather.

Represented classified employees required to work during the first day of suspended operations will have no loss in pay, will be compensated additional penalty pay at ½ times their regular rate of pay, and will accumulate paid “suspended operations leave” on an hour for hour basis. After the first day of closure, classified employees required to work will receive 1 ½ times their regular rate for work performed during the remaining period of closure for all time worked. In addition, if required to work more than forty (40) hours for the workweek, overtime-eligible employees will also be compensated at a rate of 1 ½ times their hourly rate.

Represented classified employees who are scheduled and not required to work during suspended operations or campus closure are directed to remain off campus for safety reasons. Represented classified employees who are not required to work during suspended operations will have no loss in pay for the first full day and any partial day of closure. For the remainder of suspended operations, employees may use:

  • accrued compensatory time (where applicable);
  • accrued suspended operations leave (where applicable);
  • accrued vacation leave;
  • personal holiday;
  • personal leave;
  • leave without pay;
  • up to three (3) days of accrued sick leave in any calendar year, once all vacation leave, personal holiday, or compensatory time is exhausted or none is available; or
  • an employee may request a schedule change as an opportunity to make up work time lost within the workweek (work period for law enforcement positions).

Any classified employee scheduled or assigned to work at a site other than the location(s) designated as being in suspended operations will receive their regular rate of pay for time worked (e.g., scheduled or assigned to work at telework/remote worksite, when the Tacoma campus is closed but the Olympia campus remains open or vice versa; employee is attending an off-site training or conference).

Non-represented, classified staff comply with WAC 357-31. Employees not required to work during suspended operations will follow the pay provisions provided under this WAC.

Uniformed Personnel

Represented uniformed personnel will follow Article 17 of the uniformed personnel Collective Bargaining Agreement as it relates to suspended operations and inclement weather.

Represented uniformed personnel required to work during the first day of suspended operations will have no loss in pay, will be compensated additional penalty pay at ½ times their regular rate of pay, and will accumulate paid “suspended operations leave” on an hour for hour basis. After the first day of closure, uniformed personnel required to work will receive 1 ½ times their regular rate for work performed during the remaining period of closure for all time worked. In addition, if required to work over 160 hours in a 28-day work period, uniformed personnel will be compensated at a rate of 1 ½ times their hourly rate of pay.

Represented uniformed personnel who are scheduled and not required to work during suspended operations or campus closure are directed to remain off campus for safety reasons. Represented uniformed personnel who are not required to work will have no loss in pay for the first full day and any partial day of closure. For the remainder of the campus closure, employees may use:

  • accrued compensatory time (where applicable);
  • accrued suspended operations leave (where applicable);
  • accrued vacation leave;
  • personal holiday;
  • personal leave;
  • leave without pay;
  • up to three (3) days of accrued sick leave in any calendar year, once all vacation leave, personal holiday, or compensatory time is exhausted or none is available; or
  • an employee may request a schedule change as an opportunity to make up work time lost within the workweek (work period for law enforcement positions).

Any uniformed personnel scheduled or assigned to work at a site other than the location(s) designated as being in suspended operations will receive their regular rate of pay for time worked (e.g., scheduled or assigned to work at telework/remote worksite, employee is attending an off-site training or conference).

Non-represented, uniformed personnel comply with WAC 357-31. Employees not required to work during suspended operations will follow the pay provisions provided under this WAC.

Temporary/Hourly Employees

Non-represented individuals (an employee in a temporary appointment who has worked less than 350 hours during a consecutive 12-month period from original date of hire) who are not required to work during suspended operations will not be compensated and are prohibited from using available Paid Sick Leave during the period of suspended operations or campus closure.

Non-represented individuals who work during suspended operations will be compensated at their regular hourly rate for work performed up to forty (40) hours per workweek. Work in excess of forty (40) hours per workweek during suspended operations will be compensated at a rate of 1 ½ times their regular rate of pay.

Represented individuals (an employee in temporary appointment who has worked more than 350 hours during a consecutive 12-month period from original date of hire) will follow Article 5.7 of the applicable classified employees or uniformed personnel Collective Bargaining Agreement as it relates to suspended operations and inclement weather:

  1. When prior notice has not been given, represented individuals released until further notice after reporting to work will be compensated for hours worked on the first day of suspended operations.
  2. Represented individuals who are not required to work during suspended operations may request and may be granted a schedule change within the workweek.
  3. Represented individuals who are required to work will receive their regular hourly rate for work performed and will receive penalty pay of ½ of their regular hourly pay during the first day of suspended operations. After the first day, represented individuals required to work will receive 1 ½ times their regular hourly pay for work performed during the remaining period of suspended operations. Overtime worked during suspended operations will be compensated at a rate of 1 ½ times their regular rate of pay.
  4. Temporary employees are prohibited from using available Paid Sick Leave during suspended operations or campus closure.

Student Support Services Staff Union (S4U) Employees

In accordance with Article 19.3 of the S4U Collective Bargaining Agreement, overtime-eligible employees scheduled but not required to work during suspended operations will have no loss in pay for the first full day and any partial day of suspended operations. The following options are available to overtime-eligible employees who are not required to work for the balance of suspended operations:

  • Vacation leave;
  • Personal holiday;
  • Personal leave;
  • Sick leave, up to a maximum of three (3) days in any calendar year, once all vacation leave or personal holiday is exhausted or none is available;
  • Leave without pay; or
  • Employee-requested schedule changes as an opportunity to make up work time lost (as a result of suspended operations) within the same work week.

In accordance with Article 19.2, overtime-exempt employees scheduled but not required to work during suspended operations will have no loss in pay. If an overtime-exempt employee is required to work during suspended operations, the College will provide an alternate day off that must be taken within six (6) months.

In the event the College remains open and fully functional but an overtime-exempt employee is unable to report to work due to inclement weather, and misses more than two (2) hours of work, the overtime-exempt employee will be allowed to use leave in the following order:

  1. Any accrued vacation leave, personal leave or personal holiday.
  2. Accrued sick leave, up to a maximum of three (3) days in any calendar year, once all vacation leave, personal leave, or personal holiday is exhausted.
  3. Leave without pay.

For overtime-exempt employees, absences due to inclement weather less than two (2) hours in duration will not require the use of leave. When leave is required, it will be used in the order listed above, and each type of leave will be exhausted before the next is used. However, overtime-exempt employees will be allowed to use leave without pay instead of vacation or sick leave, at the employee’s request.

Student Staff

Generally, student employees are not expected to work during suspended operations or campus closure. However, if a student employee does work, they will be compensated at their regular hourly rate of pay for actual time worked during suspended operations or campus  closure. Student employees are prohibited from using available Paid Sick Leave during suspended operations or campus closure.

Non-Represented Exempt Staff

Non-presented  exempt staff  who are exempt from overtime pay provisions are covered by the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and therefore, if the college suspends operations or closes due to inclement weather for less than a full work week, the College must pay a non-represented exempt, overtime-exempt employee the full salary for any week in which the employee performs any work, without regard to the number of days or hours worked, because deductions may not be made for time when work is not available.

Faculty

Faculty will be paid according to the provisions of the United Faculty of Evergreen Collective Bargaining Agreement.