Inclement weather can impact our team members’ ability to safely report to work and support our residents, and therefore Centerspace has developed this policy to address various situations related to inclement weather and their effect on the team member’s schedule and pay.
Office Closures
The manager of each work location should work in conjunction with their Regional Leader or Department Head to determine whether to close the office for safety reasons in the event of inclement weather. In the case of winter weather, which is the most common reason for inclement weather in our markets, office closures would typically align with State Department of Transportation (DOT) road closures and/or No Travel Advisories, and/or when the local public schools have closed due to the unsafe weather and driving conditions. These closures are typically a result of a Blizzard Warning or Winter Storm Warning from the National Weather Service and reported by local news stations.
In the event of an office closure, team members would be paid for time missed according to their schedule at the time of office closure.
Team members who live further away from the office may be under different DOT advisories or live within a different school district. These team members may not be able to make it to work due to unsafe travel conditions and their absence would be considered excused from work; however, it would not be paid time off if the office is still open. Non-exempt team members will be expected to use PTO or other available paid leave, go unpaid, or work with their manager to make up the time within the same pay week.
Team members who can work remotely (especially exempt and support team members) should plan ahead when inclement weather is forecasted to ensure they are able to work remotely.
Team members who live on-site should work with their manager to determine if they are able to report to work and effectively support the residents and property while the office is closed. Team members who live on-site and report to work will be paid their regular rate for hours worked.
Team members on paid leave during an emergency closing will not get their paid leave back in exchange for inclement weather closure pay. Because the team member would not have been at work during the office closure, they are required to use their pre-approved paid leave.
School Late Starts
As a result of inclement weather, schools may start late or dismiss early. If the late start or early dismissal is due to blizzard conditions, road closures, or no travel advisories, the office may also follow the same schedule. However, this is not paid time for non-exempt team members. The adjusted schedule is allowed for safety reasons, but non-exempt team members will be expected to use PTO or other available paid leave, go unpaid, or work with their manager to make up the time within the same pay week.
If a school starts late due to other reasons (snow removal in parking lots, wind chill advisories, etc.), that does not constitute a late start at Centerspace. Team members directly affected by the school’s late start can report to work late, but the time is unpaid, and non-exempt team members will be expected to use PTO or other available paid leave, go unpaid, or work with their manager to make up the time within the same pay week. Team members without children affected by the school’s late start should report to work at their normally scheduled time.
Policy Owned By: Talent & Culture
Also found in the Centerspace Policy Manual.