Inclement Weather Policy

The normal working hours for employees in State Government Offices are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., prevailing local time, Mondays through Fridays. Employees who work in 24-hour facilities such as parks, hospitals, prisons or residential facilities and employees who work in law enforcement, disaster and emergency services and on highway crews are the standard exception to the normal working hours policy. Appointing Authorities are authorized to approve flexible schedules when necessary to promote efficiency or provide reasonable accommodation.

In accordance with 101 KAR 2:102, it is the policy of State Government that state offices will remain open and that the working hours of state employees will not be altered due to adverse weather conditions. When weather conditions prevent an employee from reporting to work at the normal time, or when an employee decides not to report for work or to leave work early due to weather conditions, the following apply:

1. If operational needs allow, supervisors are required to make every reasonable effort to arrange schedules to allow employees to make up time not worked. Employees are not allowed to make up the work if it would result in the employee working over 40 hours in a workweek. The employee has four (4) months from the occurrence of the absence to make up the time lost. If it is not made up within 4 months, annual or compensatory leave shall be used to cover the absence. If, at that time, the employee has no annual or compensatory leave available, then the employee shall have his/her time charged to leave without pay. If the employee transfers or is no longer employed by state government before the leave is made up, the leave shall be charged to annual or compensatory time or deducted from the employee's final paycheck; or
2. Employees may use accumulated annual or compensatory leave time for the late arrival, early departure or missed work day; or
3. If annual and compensatory leave have been exhausted, the employee may take leave without pay for the late arrival, early departure or missed workday.

Any employee who is on leave that was arranged prior to the inclement weather shall use the leave as originally requested.

In the extraordinary circumstance that the Governor, in consultation with the State Police, determines that state government offices should be closed in a particular county or in designated counties due to a weather-related emergency, employees, other than those who work in 24 hour facilities or who are emergency employees, shall be excused from work without loss of pay or leave time. Employees who are required to work on an emergency basis or in 24 hour facilities in counties where state offices have otherwise been closed shall be granted compensatory time, on an hour for hour basis from the time they report for work until the time they are excused from work. Employees who work hours in excess of forty in a work week and who are not exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act will continue to receive overtime pay at the rate of time and a half for those hours. Notice of the closing of state offices in the particular county or counties will be given to the local media for broadcast to the general public.