Human Resources

Inclement weather

Last updated: December 19, 2025

This page applies when UW worksites are open, but weather conditions impact an employee’s ability to safely report to work.

Overview

Inclement weather can cause transportation problems or hazardous conditions that can vary widely in our region. Severe weather may result in closures to school or child care facilities, even as the UW remains open for regular business.

If you are unable to work due to inclement weather, notify your manager according to your department’s established procedures and enter your time off request into Workday (medical centers staff enter time off into UW Medicine Timekeeping). Managers can approve requests for employees to temporarily work from home, if doing so allows completion of work assignments.

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Time off use and compensation

If weather conditions prevent an employee from working as scheduled, time off taken due to inclement weather is charged to vacation time off, personal holiday, accrued compensatory time off, or unpaid time off according to the position’s collective bargaining agreement or employment program.

Employment category Time off options
Overtime-eligible contract covered staff and professional staff Partial and full day absences due to inclement weather are charged to:

  • Accrued compensatory time off,
  • Holiday credit time off,
  • Discretionary time off (professional staff, SAG-AFTRA, SEIU 925 Libraries only)
  • Vacation time off,
  • Personal holiday (full day absence only), or
  • Unpaid time off.
Overtime-eligible classified non-union staff Partial and full day absences due to inclement weather are charged to the following time offs in order:

  1. Accrued compensatory time off
  2. Vacation time off,
  3. Up to three days of sick time off per year
  4. Holiday credit time off
  5. Personal holiday (full day absence only), or
  6. Unpaid time off.
Overtime-exempt (excepted) contract classified staff Full-day absences due to inclement weather are charged to:

  • Accrued compensatory time off,
  • Holiday credit time off,
  • Vacation time off, or
  • Personal holiday (full day absence only), or
  • Unpaid time off.

Partial day absences due to inclement weather are charged to:

  • Accrued compensatory time off,
  • Holiday credit time off, or
  • Vacation time off.

If an overtime-exempt employee does not have paid time off available, the employee may not be placed on unpaid time off for partial day absences.
Overtime-exempt (excepted) classified non-union staff Full-day absences due to inclement weather are charged to the following time offs in order:

  1. Accrued compensatory time off,
  2. Vacation time off,
  3. Up to three days of sick time off per year,
  4. Holiday credit time off, or
  5. Personal holiday (full day absence only), or
  6. Unpaid time off.

Partial day absences due to inclement weather are charged to the following time offs in order:

  1. Accrued compensatory time off,
  2. Vacation time off,
  3. Up to three days of sick time off per year, or
  4. Holiday credit time off.

If an overtime-exempt employee does not have paid time off available, the employee may not be placed on unpaid time off for partial day absences.
Overtime-exempt contract covered staff and professional staff Overtime-exempt contract covered staff and professional staff are responsible for ensuring that all work obligations are met. Full day absences due to inclement weather may be charged to time off, or the individual’s work schedule may be flexed with the supervisor’s concurrence. At the supervisor’s discretion, time off does not have to be charged for approved partial day absences.

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