Suspended operations
Table of Contents
Positions designated as essential
Positions not designated as essential
Last updated: December 12, 2025
Overview
The President or delegated authority may suspend University operations due to an emergency that adversely affects University operations, public health, or the well-being and safety of employees and students. Events which might require suspending operations include, but are not limited to:
- Severe weather or natural disaster.
- Spread of a communicable disease.
- Fire or related hazard.
- Immediate threat to the safety of the campus community.
- Damage to or failure of UW infrastructure, equipment or mechanical systems.
When a decision to suspend operations has been made, information will be shared through the UW Alert System and on the University of Washington Home Page. You can also call the UW Information Lines at 206-UWS-INFO (206-897-4636) or toll-free 1-866-897-4636.
Positions designated as essential
When UW suspends operations, it does not suspend essential services. Employees identified by their unit as performing an essential service are required to work during any period of declared suspended operation and pay and time off practices for them are the same as during regular periods of work. This includes medical centers employees as well as campus positions such as those in the UW Police Department, Facilities Services and Housing & Food Services.
Positions not designated as essential
Employees in positions that are not designated as essential are not required to work when operations are suspended. These employees are covered by the pay and time off policies that apply during periods of suspended operations (see below).
Telework during suspended operations
Telework may be a feasible option for employees in essential and nonessential positions during suspended operations. Employees may telework during suspended operations as long as they have the advance written approval of their manager.
Prepare your department
The need for the University or a unit to suspend operations can arrive suddenly, with little or no advance warning. Units must therefore incorporate a response plan for suspended operations as part of their business continuity planning.
University officers (or their designees), including but not limited to the chancellors, vice presidents, vice provosts, vice chancellors, deans, and medical center chief executive officers are expected to annually:
- Identify those functions and/or positions in their unit(s) that perform essential services.
- Inform all of the employees in their units in writing of their status and responsibilities in the event the University suspends operations.
- Periodically remind employees of their status and responsibilities.
Positions that are designated as essential typically meet one or more of the following (or similar) criteria on a regular and ongoing basis, or during clearly defined times during the week, month, or year (like the payroll cycle):
The position is necessary to support or maintain:
- Human health, welfare and/or safety.
- Information technology services or security.
- Building or property security, safety, and integrity.
- Research animals, specimens, or equipment.
- Critical infrastructure (power, water, heat, roads, etc.).
- Critical business, contractual, or legal obligations including employee payroll.
Identify essential positions
Identify the positions in your unit that perform essential functions and make a record of them. Some units, like the medical centers, have determined that all positions are essential. In such cases it is not necessary to identify position incumbents individually.
Notify employees
Ensure that employees in positions that are not designated as essential understand their status so that they do not report to work during a suspension of operations. Provide written notice to employees holding a position that performs an essential function at the time of hire and/or at the time of a change in status.
Notify employees who only periodically perform an essential function of the periods during the month or year during which they must report to work if the University suspends operations.
Ensure that employees in positions that are not designated as essential understand their status so that they do not report to work during a suspension of operations.
The following notification templates are available to ensure that employees understand their status during a suspension of operations.
Essential designation notification template (MS Word)
Non-essential designation notification template (MS Word)
Remind employees of their status in the event the University suspends operations to ensure that they know what they are expected to do on an annual basis.
Employees in positions not designated essential are not required to work during suspended operations, but must account for their missed work hours. Unless a collective bargaining agreement, MOU or employment program states otherwise, the following table describes the pay and time off practices for nonessential employees during suspended operations.
| Time off and Pay Practices During Suspended Operations for Employees in Positions Not Designated as Essential | |
|---|---|
| Employment Category | Time off options |
| Overtime-eligible Professional staff and Contract Covered Staff |
|
| Overtime-exempt Contract Covered Staff |
|
| Overtime-eligible Classified Non-union staff |
(Sick time off may be an option if suspended operations is due to inclement weather. Review the Inclement weather policy for more information.) |
| Overtime-exempt Classified Non-union Staff | Overtime-exempt employees not required to work during a suspension of operations of less than eight calendar days are not required to use time off to cover time missed, but are expected to otherwise work whatever time is necessary to ensure that work requirements and expectations are met.
(Sick time off may be an option if suspended operations is due to inclement weather. Review the Inclement weather policy for more information.) |
| Overtime-exempt Professional Staff | Overtime-exempt professional staff remain responsible for meeting all work obligations regardless of time missed during suspended operations. This may require working additional time outside of normal business hours when operations resume. Because of these expectations, overtime-exempt professional staff are not required to charge time off balances during suspended operations of less than one full FLSA workweek. Beyond one FLSA workweek, time missed is charged to vacation time off, other eligible paid time off, or is unpaid (whole day absences only). |
| Overtime-exempt academic personnel and faculty | Overtime-exempt academic personnel remain responsible for meeting all work obligations regardless of time missed during suspended operations. |
| Overtime-eligible academic personnel | Overtime-eligible academic personnel should check their collective bargaining agreement to review how to account for missed work hours if unable to telework. |
| Student hourly employees | Student hourly employees are not paid when they do not work. |
Making up missed work time
When included as a provision in a collective bargaining agreement or employment program, for suspended operations of less than one FLSA workweek, overtime-eligible staff in positions that are not designated as essential have the option of being paid for the day and making up time missed within 90 days (60 days for SEIU 925) of the date that suspended operations end. If an employee does not make up the time within the allowable period or charge it to appropriate time off balances, the employee is obligated to repay the University, as an overpayment, any hours not made up. Please refer to Suspended Operations: What To Do in Workday webpage for more information.
Makeup time and overtime
Make-up time worked by eligible employees in positions that are not full-time is credited as straight time. Make-up time worked by full-time employees in overtime-eligible positions is subject to the overtime compensation requirements of the individual’s employment program. The total value of the make-up time worked should not exceed the value of the total amount of time the employee missed during the period of suspended operations.
Sick time off use for suspended operations due to a health-related reason
If a local or institutional operational suspension is declared as a result of an order made by order of a public official for any health-related reason, any employee who is not required or allowed to work as a result of declared operational suspension for a health-related reason may use accrued sick time off to cover the period of time away from work due to the health-related operational suspension. If accrued sick time off is not available, the time off use and compensation provisions above apply.
Reporting to work prior to the issuance of a notice of suspended operations
Unless a collective bargaining agreement, employment program or civil service rule states otherwise, non-essential employees who begin work or report to work prior to the issuance of a notice of operational suspension will receive a minimum of four hours pay.
Emergency childcare
Employees in essential positions who have childcare responsibilities and who cannot come to work during suspended operations may be eligible to take emergency childcare leave in accordance with the provisions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement or employment program.
Essential Services
Can employees who perform essential services be absent from work during suspended operations because of a childcare emergency, and if so, how are they compensated?
Yes. Employees who perform essential services but who experience a childcare emergency are entitled to be absent and use time off according to the provisions of their employment program.
Making up time
Why do overtime eligible staff in positions designated non-essential have to use paid time off or otherwise make up the time missed when they have been told to stay home during suspended operations?
A suspension of operations does not create an extra paid “holiday” for employees who do not work. This is why employees who do not work must use paid time off or make up time missed.
Can an employee in an essential position, but who can’t work during suspended operations, make up the time missed?
No. Employees in positions designated as essential are expected to report to work during suspended operations. If an employee cannot work, the normal absence request process applies, e.g. the employee must call in to report being absent from work, provide a reason for the absence, and use whatever form of time off is available and appropriate based on the circumstances.
Why do overtime exempt professional and classified non-union staff not have to make up time missed during suspended operations?
Overtime exempt professional and classified non-union staff are held accountable for getting work done regardless of the amount of time it takes to do it. If suspended operations interrupts work, then these employees need to work as necessary to catch up on work that may have been missed. They do not receive pay for additional time that is worked to meet commitments.
For employees who are allowed to use vacation, compensatory time, unpaid time off, or make up work hours, who decides which option is selected, the employee or the manager?
The employee chooses whether to use time off or to make up time missed during suspended operations.
When an employee chooses to make up time missed during suspended operations, who determines when the employee will make up the missed work time?
The employee can propose a plan for making up the missed work time, but the plan must be consistent with the needs of the unit, must meet employee safety standards, and be approved by the manager. If the proposed make up plan is not consistent with unit needs, the employee and manager should work together to identify a work make up plan that best meets unit and employee needs.
Are classified staff and overtime eligible professional staff who choose to make up time missed during suspended operations charged unpaid time off until the time is made up?
No. Allowing employees to make up time missed during suspended operations is an option that prevents the employee from having to take unpaid time off because the employee either does not have, or chooses not to use vacation, personal holiday (full day absence only) or compensatory time to use to cover missed work time.
Overtime
Why do full-time, overtime eligible staff get credited with overtime when they work extra hours to make up time missed during suspended operations while employees who are required to be at work do not?
UW labor contracts and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act determine when overtime eligible employees must get paid overtime when working extra hours. The University must meet these requirements regardless of the reason the extra hours were worked.
Working During Suspended Operations
If the University suspends operations and an employee who does not perform an essential service comes into the office and works, does the employee get paid?
The University is required to pay an employee for the work performed, but the employee should be advised that they should not come to work unless they are in a position that performs an essential service.
How does the Suspended Operations policy affect staff who are scheduled to telework?
Staff who normally telework should discuss their work situation with their manager to determine if the suspension affects their work. If they are can accomplish work during periods of suspended operations, they should be encouraged to do so.
Scheduled Time Off
Can an overtime exempt professional staff or classified non-union staff employee who was scheduled to be on paid time off during the period of suspended operations withdraw the time off request and receive regular pay for the days away from work?
No. A suspension of non-essential operations does not create a “holiday” for overtime exempt professional staff, as the expectation for work to get done remains unchanged. When an employee is on paid time off work expectations are normally adjusted consistent with the amount of time the employee will be off work.
Related policies
- UW APS 40.2 – Designation of Classified and Professional Staff Employees Who Perform Essential Services
- UW APS 45.2 – Leave Use and Compensation for Classified and Professional Staff During Suspended Operations and During Inclement Weather