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Procedures announced for snow closings
When winter weather conditions become so severe that the university cannot operate effectively, an announcement to that effect will be made over local radio stations, including WBFO-FM 88.7, the university's National Public Radio affiliate, which may broadcast more detailed information.
Announcements also will made via UB's mass calling line 645-NEWS (645-6397). The initial announcement for a day will be made by 6 a.m. and will be repeated frequently. Telephone chains and electronic media—email and Web sites—also will be used to provide updated information.
In the event of a closing during a normal business day or early evening, notification will be made by telephone, local broadcast media, Web sites, email, residence hall on-campus cable television and postings at housing, food service and student activity areas.
These same systems will be used in the event of a weekend closing.
Before this decision can be made, the university must determine local road conditions, the ability of its bus service to provide transportation within and among the campuses and its ability to keep the campus roadways and parking lots open.
Once the closing announcement is made, however, only essential service employees are expected to work. Heating Plant, Chilled Water Plant, University Facilities, Public Safety, Residence Halls, Animal Care, Food Service, Health Service and other employees who are essential to maintaining the university's vital services, to providing food for dormitory residents, and to clearing the parking lots and roadways should make every effort to get to the university. In order to ensure that everyone who should come in knows who they are, it is advisable that these employees be notified again—or initially—at this time each year so that there is no misunderstanding if and when such an announcement is made. All other employees are expected to stay away from the campus for the duration of the announcement period.
Those employees who work on these days should, of course, be marked present. All others must charge the time to personal leave credits, vacation or compensatory time. Anyone who does not have sufficient accruals may borrow from future accruals. Only the governor can officially declare that UB is closed and only he can authorize employees to remain away from work without the use of leave credits. In all other cases, a UB employee must charge this time not worked to vacation, personal leave or compensatory time.
Notwithstanding the above, no person who is able to and does get to work will be deprived of the opportunity to work. Furthermore, if it is determined during the course of a workday that the university cannot operate effectively, no employee should be required to leave at that moment; employees should be permitted to leave then or any time thereafter. Only the time that they are absent should be charged to leave credits.
We cannot guarantee that those employees who get to the campus or those who stay after a snow announcement is made will be able to work at their normal work places. Adequate supervision may be unavailable or it may be that the building in which the individual normally works is not open. Provision should be made for alternate campus work locations and alternate work for those who do get to the campus but who cannot go to their regular work places or cannot perform their regular work assignments.