University Closure Q & A - January 2019

With an unprecedented 5-day closure at GVSU the week of January 28 proved to be one like no other in our history! As a supervisor, you may be getting questions from your team regarding the closure and what it means to your staff members. We compiled the following list of Questions and Answers to assist you.

For specific information on the GVSU cancellation/closure policy, visit the policy site

In general, essential staff are required to report to work during a closure and are paid their regular pay for the time worked. Those deemed non-essential are not required to report to work. However, non-essential staff can be required to work if the operations of the University (i.e. running payroll) are dependent on their work.

Q: Was there any disruption to payroll or the February 5 hourly pay date?
A: No. Payroll, HR, Finance and other staff members worked during the closure to ensure all payroll processing was completed and the hourly payroll was posted for February 5.

Q: If non-essential staff needed to come to work during the closure, do they receive both closure time pay and pay for any hours worked?  When does overtime pay apply?
A: No, any staff member who worked during the closure receives their regular pay for hours worked.  If a staff member did not work a full day, regular pay will be supplemented with closure pay to ensure a full day of pay.  Overtime is only granted for those that worked overtime.

Q: If I was on a planned vacation during the closure, do I still have to use my vacation hours? 
A: Yes, if an hourly or salaried staff member had planned vacation days for any or all of the closure dates, you will continue to use your vacation time for those dates.

Q: If I am on salary continuation/short term/long term disability, will I have a week added to my leave?
A: No. The time the University is closed has no impact on your leave eligibility or length.

Q: If I am currently working on a performance improvement plan and it is time bound, will I have one less week to complete my plan?
A: No, the week closure will not count towards the total time of your plan. 

Q: Were there any disruptions to job postings, hiring approvals or other employment processed due to the closure? 
A: No, all processing continued to move forward during the closure. The HR and Inclusion and Equity teams continued to manage the employment processes so that none were impacted.

If you have other questions, please reach out to Human Resources.



Page last modified February 5, 2019