Title: Flexible Work Schedule Policy
Approved by:
Date Approved:
Effective Date: 07/29/2019
Responsible Official: Vice President of Human Resources
Responsible University Office: HR Employee Relations
Revision History: 01/01/2002; 01/01/2008; 06/03/2019
Related Legislation and University policies: Alternative Work Arrangement Policy; Flexible Work Schedules Procedure; Alternative Work Arrangement Request Form,Work Week and Pay Systems; Overtime Policy; Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Absences and Leave Policy; Additional Medical Leaves of Absences Policy
Review Period: 5 years
Date of Last Review:
Relates to: executive staff, senior staff, and staff
Exclusions: None
Policy Statement
Employee can choose between (1) Flextime and (2) Reduced Schedule (part time) as part of the Alternative Work Arrangement Policy. These are separate from the Hybrid Remote Work Program.
Flextime
A flextime alternative work schedule allows staff employees to adjust their arrival and departure times by choosing their daily starting and ending hours within certain limits. Examples of flextime hours include variable arrivals e.g., 7:00 a.m. through 9:00 a.m. or according to the department/management center operational needs. The management center, school, and/or department is responsible for establishing hours of operations; flextime might not be feasible for all employees based on operational needs.
Employees are required to be at work during their defined “scheduled hours” during the day and they must work a standard day (i.e. seven and a half (7.5) or eight (8) hour day for full-time non-exempt employees or eight (8) hour day for full-time exempt employees).
Flextime schedules must be fixed for the term of the agreement – usually a minimum of three (3) months. Additionally, a flextime schedule cannot vary day to day or week to week.
Compressed Work Week
A compressed work week allows full-time employees to work longer days for part of the week or pay period, in exchange for shorter days, or a day off each week or pay period. Compressed workweeks are most appropriate in situations in which employees do not have to keep pace with incoming work on a daily basis or where there are several employees that perform the same job. The following are examples of compressed workweek schedule options available to employees and their supervisors/managers. However, supervisors/managers can establish other compressed work week schedules in consultation with Employee Relations:
- Exempt Four-day Workweek. Exempt employees would be required to work four 10-hour days and would take off one (1) work day per week.
- Non-Exempt Four-day Workweek (37.5 Hours). Non-exempt staff employees would work three (3) 10-hours and one (1) 7.5 hour day and take off one (1) work day per week. This schedule must be fixed for the term of the agreement - usually a minimum of three months - and the day off cannot vary week to week or month to month.
- Non-Exempt Four-day Workweek - (40 Hours). Non-exempt employees would be required to work four 10-hour days and would take off one (1) work day per week. This schedule must be fixed for the term of the agreement - usually a minimum of three months - and the day off cannot vary week to week or month to month.
- Exempt 9/80. The exempt staff employee would be required to work eight (8) days for nine (9) hours and one (1) day for eight (8) hours with one (1) day off within a two week period. This schedule would allow the exempt staff employee to fluctuate which day they would be off within a two (2) week period.
- Non-Exempt 9/80 (75 Hours). Non-exempt staff employees would be required to work eight and a half (8.5) hours for eight (8) days and seven and a half (7.5) hours for one (1) day and one (1) day off (usually a Monday or a Friday) within a two (2) week period. Non-exempt employees would be required to take the same day off for the length of this alternative work arrangement option to be in compliance with the definition of a workweek under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) guidelines.
- Non-Exempt 9/80 (80Hours). The non-exempt staff employee would be required to work eight (8) days for nine (9) hours and one (1) day for eight (8) hours with one (1) day off within a two week period. Non-exempt employees would be required to take the same day off for the length of this alternative work arrangement option to be in compliance with the definition of a workweek under the FLSA (Fair labor Standards Act) guidelines.
Breaks as outlined in the Work Week and Pay Systems policy must be included in the scheduling of hours for the compressed work week option. Additionally, it is assumed that all exempt employees that request an alternative work arrangement option will work a minimum of forty (40) hours per week and will willingly include as a part of their regular work week additional work time to meet outside of normal work schedules, to handle short-term projects, and to satisfy weekly work requirements.
Reduced Schedule (Part-Time)
A non-exempt employee may request a reduced (part-time) schedule temporarily (i.e. three months or less). This allows an employee to work fewer hours than the university’s standard workweek for full-time employees. An employee’s salary and benefits will be prorated in accordance with university policies and the terms of each relevant benefit plan. Employees on a reduced schedule must work a minimum of 18.75 or 20 hours/week (depending on whether they are regularly a 37.5 or 40 hour/week employee).
Exempt employees may work a part-time schedule only if they meet the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) minimum weekly salary threshold at their reduced hours. Their salary may not be pro-rated under the salary threshold based upon their part-time work. If an exempt employee's salary is below the university's minimum weekly salary threshold, they will be converted to a part-time employee.
A supervisor may not request or require the employee to work a reduced schedule as an alternative work arrangement. A supervisor’s request for a full-time employee to reduce their hours to part-time is considered a reorganization request and requires the completion of a Reorganization Request Form.
Employees who want to move to a part-time schedule on a permanent basis should refer to the Employment Planning and Responsibility policy.