Weather Emergency Guidelines

Telework Eligible Employees

1. ​This category includes employees in positions deemed “telework eligible” by DBM and MSDE.

2. This category does not include emergency essential employees or telework eligible employees who:

   • opted out of telework,
   • did not sign the telework policy, or
   • have suspended/denied telework privileges.

   If employees are in these categories, please refer to Telework Ineligible/Emergency Essential Employees.

​Part A. Emergency Closure

• Be prepared and take laptops and other necessary resources home when inclement weather is in the forecast.

• Employees should remain at home and telework if DBM authorizes telework in the Weather Emergency Closure notification. Employees should work their regularly scheduled hours unless leave is approved.

• On timesheet:

• If employee teleworks, enter regular hours and worktag “Remote Work Location: Telework”.​
  

• If employee uses leave, enter appropriate leave code.
  

• Employees on sick leave or previously scheduled leave will maintain their planned leave.

• On timesheet, enter appropriate leave code.

• Employees who do not have the resources needed to telework (laptop, files, etc.) will be required to use leave. Eligible leave includes annual, personal, and compensatory leave.

• MSDE does not permit the use of personal computers/devices to access State systems and platforms, including email. Only Workday (timesheets) may be accessed via personal devices.

• On timesheet, enter appropriate leave code.

• Emergency closures do not automatically grant an extra day of telework.

• If the emergency closure falls on an “in-office” day, and DBM has authorized telework for all employees, then employees scheduled to be in-office will telework or take leave.

• If the emergency closure falls on a scheduled telework day, it will still count as one of the two approved telework days.

Part B. Liberal Leave

Be prepared and take laptops and other necessary resources home when inclement weather is in the forecast.

Employees scheduled to telework:

• Remain at home and telework

• If time-off is needed during the liberal leave window, leave can be used. Eligible leave includes annual, personal, compensatory, and unpaid leave.

• ​On timesheet, enter time appropriately as leave or regular hours and worktag “Remote Work Location: Telework”.

Employees scheduled to be on-site:

• Report to work as scheduled, request to swap telework days, or take leave. Eligible leave includes annual, personal, compensatory, and unpaid leave.
  

• Liberal leave does not create an extra day of telework. If liberal leave falls on an in-office day: report to work as scheduled, request to swap telework day if employee has not already worked both scheduled telework days, or take leave.
  

• Employees may request telework during liberal leave hours even if they have already worked both of their telework days for the week.

• Supervisors may approve employees to telework during liberal leave hours if necessary to maintain Agency operations.
  

• Employees who do not have the resources needed to telework (laptop, files, etc.) will need to report to the office or take leave. Eligible leave includes annual, personal, compensatory, and unpaid leave.

• MSDE does not permit the usu​​al of personal computers/devices to access State systems and platforms, including email. Only Workday (timesheets) may be accessed via personal devices.

• Employees on sick leave or previously scheduled leave will maintain their planned leave.

• On timesheet, enter the time appropriately as leave or regular hours.

Employees with extenuating circumstances or situations not covered by the provided guidance should contact their supervisor for further instructions. Please remember to take laptops and other necessary resources home when inclement weather is in the forecast.

Email humanresources.msde@maryland.gov with any questions or comments.

Telework Ineligible Employees or Emergency Essential Employees

1. This category includes employees in positions deemed “not eligible to telework eligible” or “emergency essential” by DBM and MSDE.

2. This category also includes telework eligible employees that opted out of telework; or have suspended/denied telework privileges.

3. This category does not include telework eligible employees that are unable to work due to illness, prescheduled leave, not having the necessary tools to work (laptop, files, etc.), or other reasons. If employees are in this category, please refer to ​Telework Eligible Employees.​

Part A. Emergency Closure

Emerg​ency Essential employees or any other employees who are required to report on site:

• Should report to work as scheduled

• On timesheet:

  • Change Time Type. Under Time Entry Codes, select “State Emergency Release Worked” and enter hours worked and appropriate Worktags. This Time Type will provide comp time or overtime depending on the applicable overtime rules for each employee.
    

  • Add an additional row. In this row, under Time Type, select Time Off code “State Emergency Release (TO)” and enter your regularly schedule hours (4 or 8) under Quantity.

Employees who are telework ineligible or non-emergency essential, and are not required to report on site:

• Should remain at home

• On timesheet:

• Change Time Type. Under Time Type, select Time Off code “State Emergency Release (TO)” and enter your regularly schedule hours (4 or 8) under Quantity.

Part B. Liberal Leave

Emergency Essential e​mployees

• Should report to work as scheduled unless already scheduled to be on leave.

• On timesheet, enter time accurately as leave or regular hours.

Non-Emergency Essential employees or Telework Ineligible employees

• Should report to work as scheduled or request leave from Supervisor. Eligible leave includes annual, personal, compensatory, and unpaid leave.

• On timesheet, enter time accurately as leave or regular hours.

Employees with extenuating circumstances or situations not covered by the provided guidance should contact their supervisor for further instructions. Please remember to t​ake laptops and other necessary resources home when inclement weather is in the forecast.

Email humanresources.msde@maryland.gov with any questions or comments.