There are times when severe weather in Central Alabama and beyond requires UAB and UAB Medicine to make decisions for different UAB entities, students, employees, and patients across a complex academic, research, and health care organization. 

At these times, the University of Alabama at Birmingham may be officially closed. However, UAB provides many essential services, including patient care, which cannot be suspended. Therefore, the University's policy regarding inclement weather must reflect the different nature of our work and the diversity of the various departments. While essential services will be continued, sometimes it may be considered prudent by the administration to suspend less sensitive elements of the operation.

Announcements will be made concerning academic and employment requirements during closings due to bad weather so students and employees are more clearly and quickly informed of whether or not they need to report for class or work during a weather event.

Each student and employee is assigned to a group:  Green, Yellow, or Red, and these assignments are intended to address and clarify the distinction between essential and non-essential services.  Members of the UAB community can check their group assignments via the WEATHER GROUP tile in the UAB app, or visit the "Check My Group" feature at uab.edu/emergency/weather.

GREEN GROUP or Non-Essential Services

• GREEN group entities/ functions always close when operations are canceled for weather.  Academic classes are an example of these; when UAB closes, classes are canceled for faculty and students.  Employees with duties considered "non-essential" during a weather closing are also part of this group and will not report.

• YELLOW group entities/ functions may or may not close depending on the nature of the weather event and decisions by management/supervisors.  This group includes entities like the Hill Student Center and UAB clinics, which may stay open or close when academic functions at the University are canceled.  Employees in this group will be required to understand their unit-specific plans in addition to the global UAB plan.

• Red group entities/ functions never close and must continue to operate regardless of the weather.  UAB Hospital and the UAB Police Department are examples of these.

1. Overtime rates will be paid to non-exempt employees for time worked in excess of 40 hours in one work week if applicable.
2. Employees who are required by their supervisors to remain on the premises after completing their assigned shift and are on-call and immediately available will be paid under the "Standby" policy.  (Policy 206.A)
3. Employees who call in sick during emergency weather conditions will be eligible to use sick time pay only if proper documentation is provided to the supervisor immediately upon their return to work.

• Example:  A faculty member in a health-related school like the School of Nursing who also works at UAB Hospital will be assigned to two groups:  Green for their faculty appointment in Nursing and Red for the hospital appointment because UAB Hospital never closes.  The faculty member will not teach class but will report to the hospital to care for patients.