For closings that occur during a scheduled work day, employees should record the number of hours worked until the time of closing. For the remainder of the employee’s scheduled work day, the employee should record the hours as "Emergency Leave" with a note stating the reason for the closure, such as inclement weather.

For example, if your normally scheduled work day was 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the official closing was at noon, you would record 4 hours of time worked on your timesheet and 4 hours of "Emergency Leave” (assuming you would normally take a one hour lunch).

The electronic timesheet only has an option for Emergency Leave which says, "Emergency Leave – incl. funeral." Is this what I use to record my time?

Yes. All Emergency Leave is recorded using the "Emergency Leave – incl. funeral" designation on the electronic timesheet.

In my unit, I am considered "essential" and must report to work regardless of the closure. Are the employees who don't have to report to work getting a greater leave benefit than me?

"Essential personnel" who are required to work during the period of closure should record both the number of hours worked and the number of hours of "Emergency Leave” for their regularly scheduled work day with a note stating the reason for the closure, such as "inclement weather." Essential personnel will receive state compensatory time for time worked during the closure. As a result, you will receive the same leave benefit as those who didn't have to report to work during the closure.

For example, if your normally scheduled work day is from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break, and the period of closure includes your entire work day, you would record the number of hours you worked as work time and 12 hours of "Emergency Leave" to account for your regularly scheduled work day. If you only worked 8 hours of a 12 hour shift, you would record 8 hours of work time and 12 hours of "Emergency Leave" because your normally scheduled work day is a 12-hour work day.

The university opened at 10 a.m. as a result of inclement weather. How should I record my time for that day?

You should record the number of hours worked as work time. Then you should record the number of hours not worked due to the closure as "Emergency Leave."

For example, if your normally scheduled work day is from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break, and the university opens at 10 a.m., you should record the number of hours you worked as work time and three hours of "Emergency Leave" to account for the balance of your regularly scheduled work day. If you did not arrive at work until after the scheduled opening of the university, for example 11 a.m., you should record three hours of "Emergency Leave" and one hour of other paid leave, such as vacation or floating holiday, to complete the time you missed after the official opening of the university. If your normally scheduled work day is from noon to 9 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break, and the university opens at 10 a.m., you would not record any Emergency Leave because you are not normally scheduled to work during the closure time.

I was on vacation or sick leave when the university was closed. Do I need to use my accrued sick leave during the time of the closure?

No. Employees who are on paid leave are considered to be substituting paid leave for a normally scheduled work day. As such, employees should record "Emergency Leave" with a note stating the reason for the closure, such as inclement weather.

I was on leave without pay (LWOP) when the university was closed. Do I get the Emergency Leave for that day the university was closed?

No. Employees who are on unpaid leave are not considered to be substituting paid leave for normally scheduled work day. As such, employees should remain on LWOP.

I am a non-benefit eligible employee. I didn't work because the university was closed. Will I get paid for the time I would have worked were it not for the closure?

No. Non-benefit eligible employees are not eligible for emergency or holiday leave.

How do I know if I am "essential personnel" and need to report to work despite the university closing?

You will be notified by your supervisor if you are "essential personnel." If you are in doubt, please consult your supervisor.

I work at the Marine Science Institute, McDonald Observatory, or another remote location and The University of Texas at Austin was closed for inclement weather; however, my facility was open. How do I record my time?

If your location, remote from Austin, was open, you should simply record the number of hours worked that day. You do not record any hours of "Emergency Leave" as your location was open.

I work at the Marine Science Institute, McDonald Observatory, or another remote location and The University of Texas at Austin was closed for inclement weather and my facility was also closed. How do I record my time?

If your location, remote from Austin, was also closed, you should record your normally scheduled number of work hours as "Emergency Leave."

More Emergency Information

See the university's Emergency Preparedness Web site for additional information on emergency closures.

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