Ithaca College

Ithaca College officials closely monitor the weather forecast and consult with local law enforcement agencies and other local employers throughout the winter season.  Any announcement of a change in the college’s operating status will be made via the Emergency Notification System (ENS), posted on the college’s website and on the Emergency Hotline (274-1495), and distributed to local media outlets.

As Ithaca College continues to progress in terms of flexibility and working environments, we would like to share our updated Inclement Weather policy: 

• Employees will be expected to work their normal hours unless the College is officially closed. However, there are times when the College is not officially closed, but when conditions make it appropriate for a supervisor to be flexible in allowing employees to depart from their normal schedules. In these situations, employees are expected to have regular communication with their supervisor regarding their circumstances.  Employees who miss time because of late arrival, early departure, or absence due to inclement weather or other special conditions may choose to make up the time, use personal or vacation time, or have a reduced paycheck if there are no accruals to use. Work from home arrangements are also encouraged, with supervisory approval, if the employee can appropriately perform work responsibilities at home. Supervisors should have consistent practices in place for authorizing staff to work from home.  

If supervisors or employees have questions regarding flexible work arrangements for these particular situations, please contact the Office of Human Resources. 

In the event of an emergency closing, such as this past Monday, it is anticipated that some employees in the Offices of Facilities, Dining, Residential Life, Public Safety and Emergency Management, and the Center for Counseling Health and Wellness will be “essential.” The directors of those areas will establish appropriate procedures for designating “essential” employees and communicating with those employees. No other employees will be considered “essential” without consultation with the respective vice president and the Office of Human Resources.

In the event of a College closing, “essential” personnel are expected to report to work or remain at work for their regularly scheduled hours, and possibly beyond, or until the emergency is over.  Please refer to the Intercom post from December 3, 2019, which refers to payments to essential employees when an emergency closing is in effect.