Opinion: UNC should not take leave time from its workers

For most students, the snow day last Friday meant no classes, sledding and hot chocolate — ultimately, a carefree day with the occasional study session. This idyllic existence was far from the reality of many of the UNC system’s employees.

Under a new UNC system inclement weather policy that went into effect Jan. 1, non-mandatory workers can be made to use their leave time even as they are barred from working.

UNC should use leeway available under the new policy to ensure its workers aren’t forced to give up their leave time.

Under the new policy, there are three inclement weather conditions: Condition 1, under which supervisors are advised to allow for leeway for late workers dealing with harsh driving conditions on their commutes; Condition 2, under which non-mandatory employees are barred from working and forced to use leave time; and Condition 3, which has no meaningful difference for workers from Condition 2 other than that it doesn’t require non-mandatory employees to use their leave time.

In a document explaining the new policy, it is noted that “Condition 3 would be an extremely rare occurrence given typical winter weather.”

Under the old policy, non-mandatory workers would generally report to work under Condition 2, and under no circumstances were they forced to use leave time.

There may have been a legitimate reason for changing the policy, but forcing workers to give up their leave time isn’t it.

As working adults know, snow days don’t usually offer much of a vacation. Instead, they involve long hours shoveling sidewalks, hoping power doesn’t go out and praying for safe travel for friends and relatives.

By all appearances, this new policy is legal under North Carolina law, but that’s no excuse for cheating workers out of their hard-earned leave time.

Allowing non-mandatory workers to choose whether to use their leave time or not under Condition 2 was more reasonable.

Ultimately, this new policy makes it seem like the UNC system was actively looking for a way to steal leave time from workers. Whatever “productivity” the UNC system saves under this new policy seems insignificant compared to the annoyance it causes its employees — employees who should be highly valued, not nickel-and-dimed.

Fortunately, individual campuses make decisions about which condition to employ. This means UNC could theoretically always employ Condition 3, instead of Condition 2, in inclement weather situations. There would be little actual difference in how campus operates — mandatory employees are made to come to work under all conditions unless otherwise notified.

The only real difference is that it would send a signal to UNC’s workers that this campus stands by them in the face of the UNC System’s obtuse new policy. UNC should do this if it intends to fulfill its pledge “to interpret and administer those policies as compassionately as those policies permit.”