SECTION: HUMAN RESOURCES INDEX: C-24
SUBJECT: PROCEDURES FOR ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULE
(PAWS)
POLICY
The University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) believes its employees are the most
important resource of the institution. Procedures for Alternative Work Schedule
(PAWS) allow full-time staff the flexibility to adjust work schedules and meet
individual needs in their personal lives. Alternative Work Schedules shall be implemented in a manner
that ensures that students, the
general public, and other university departments are served effectively. Directors, managers, and supervisors are encouraged to be flexible and
reasonable in accommodating alternative work schedule requests.
PROCEDURES
OVERVIEW
The Alternative Work Schedule program is a two-way street. Flexible working
hours demand a mutual sense of responsibility and trust between the employee and
the university. Employees should
be: 1) responsible for adhering to their work schedules; 2) flexible when these
hours require adjustments; and 3) considerate of their co-workers when they need
to cover each other's duties.
Everyone should recognize that not all jobs can be adapted to alternative
work times. As operational needs change, UHV may need to change work schedules accordingly.
Goals of the PAWS program are to reduce absenteeism; reduce turnover; provide
a new staff recruitment strategy; increase productivity; improve customer
service; increase cross-training; increase flexibility; and encourage teamwork
and cooperation.
The benefits for employees include: more control over their personal time;
higher morale; increased job knowledge; increased control over work life;
increased flexibility; and increased job satisfaction.
The PAWS program includes the University Flex-time and Compressed Work Week
options. A Compressed Work Week reduces the number of days employees are
required to be at the worksite and can reduce the number of trips
made by the employee to and from work.
The Flex-time program does not reduce the number of days the employee is
required to work, but as the name implies, allows for flexibility in arrival and
departure times from the standard 8:00-5:00 schedule.
These procedures may not anticipate every situation that may arise under an
alternative work schedule. It is the responsibility of each director, manager,
and supervisor to make fair, consistent, and objective decisions when faced with
circumstances that are not specifically addressed in these policies and
procedures.
DEFINITIONS
Flex-time - a generic term for work schedules that permit flexibility
in arrival and departure times within limits set by management. Flex-time
requires that five 8-hour days (40 hours) be worked in a single work week.
Core period - the time period established by the University during
which all divisions must be represented. The core period for the
University is 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Compressed Work Week - allows for work schedules to produce a full
40 hours of work in fewer than five work days. Several options are available.
PAWS COORDINATOR
The Director, Human Resources/Affirmative Action is responsible for monitoring the program and serving as the PAWS resource person and will serve as the mediator of complaints/disputes regarding the program. An employee who has a dispute should first attempt to resolve it through the chain of command. If this fails, the employee may contact the Director, Human Resources/Affirmative Action, who will work with the supervisor or department head and employee by attempting to facilitate a resolution to the complaint.
SUPERVISOR’S ROLE
Once the Alternative Work Schedule program is established, supervisors
will be responsible for monitoring the quality and timely completion of work
within their areas of responsibility to ensure department
and university objectives are accomplished.
To ensure essential services are provided within a department's work hours, supervisors
may restrict an employee's choice of arrival and departure times. However,
supervisors should be prepared to show that the employee's
participation in the program would impede efficient operation of the department.
Supervisors should strive to
accommodate employee participation in a PAWS alternative arrangement. No
employee should be automatically excluded except for disciplinary reasons.
WORK SCHEDULES/HOURS
Directors, managers, supervisors, and employees will be responsible for
establishing division Flex-time and Compressed Work Week schedules. It is
advisable to seek employee input in the development of their department's Alternative
Work Schedule program. Before actual implementation, proposed work programs must
be approved by the Cabinet-level supervisor. Departments must ensure that the
work schedules established meet the needs of the students, the public, and other
university departments. The institution must be open
between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., as provided in Article 5165a,
Vernon's Civil Statutes, as amended.
PARTICIPATION/EXCLUSIONS
All participation is voluntary. Employees who wish to
participate must complete attachment
a, Employee Alternative Request Form. Employees who wish to work a regular 8-hour day may continue to do so. No action on their part is needed.
LEAVE POLICIES
Leave policies will be
administered in accordance with current UHV
policy.
LUNCH BREAKS
Employees who choose to participate in a Flex-time, Compressed Work Week or
Alternative Work Schedule have an option of taking 30 or 60 minute lunch breaks.
TARDINESS OR OTHER UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
If an employee is participating in Flex-time and arrives later than the
normally scheduled arrival time, that employee should make up this time outside
of the regularly scheduled lunch period or use some type of leave to record the
absence. This policy is not meant to condone tardiness. Employees are
accountable for the amount of time they are late.
Employees will not be restricted to an 8-hour day. The department may permit
occasional adjustments to work schedules within the work week as long as 40
hours are worked within that week. Adjusted hours may not be carried
over into another work week. This practice ensures that the adjusted hours
do not fall into the category of overtime or compensatory time
earned.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Each employee, upon entering an Alternative Work Schedule program, will
acknowledge in writing that they understand the responsibilities involved.
STANDARDS AND ETHICS
For the PAWS program to be successful, certain principles must be understood
by both management and employees. By choosing to implement a PAWS program, UHV
is placing a high level of trust in its employees. Flexible working hours demand
a mutual sense of responsibility and trust between the employee and the
institution. This mutual trust and responsibility can be jeopardized if
employees abuse work or leave hours. Taking advantage of the system jeopardizes
the privilege for all employees. This behavior is not conducive to
trust, cooperation, and communication and will not be tolerated.
Abuse of any PAWS program privilege may result in restricting an employee's
starting and stopping times, discontinuing the PAWS schedule entirely for a
particular employee, and/or appropriate disciplinary action.
SUSPENSION OF PAWS OPTIONS
An employee's participation in the PAWS option can be suspended at
any time due to operational needs. If possible, employees will be alerted in advance if this
becomes necessary. Certain conditions may require a return to a five-day work
week on a departmental or University-wide level. These could include:
departmental training, travel, cyclical work scheduling such as registration,
holidays and institutional emergencies. Cabinet-level supervisors will determine
if a return to a five-day work week is temporarily necessary within their
respective departments.
DEPARTMENTAL CONTACT
Each department should select a person to serve as a point of contact to the
PAWS program. The department contact should be responsible for:
WORK ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM OPTIONS
I. FLEX-TIME (Flexible Hours)
Employees who use Flex-time will be required to work a set schedule.
If an employee commits to a Flex-time schedule and decides to return to
an 8:00 to 5:00 schedule, the employee cannot request Flex-time scheduling again
for three months, unless extenuating circumstances exist and the change is
approved by the Cabinet-level supervisor.
A Flex-time Arrival/Departure Schedule revolves around the core period during
which all divisions are required to be present. Employees should adhere to a set
schedule throughout the workweek. In unusual circumstances, they may request
permission to modify their work hours within a specific week with management's
approval.
Example of a Flex-time Work Schedule - Exempt and
Non-exempt employees
Total Work Hours: Five 8-hour days/40 hours per workweek
Work Days: Monday through Friday
Arrival Time: 7:00/10:00 a.m. (Flexible start time)
Departure Time: 3:30/7:00 p.m. (Flexible end time)
Lunch: Choice of 30 or 60-minute lunch
Core Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday .
II. COMPRESSED WORK WEEK
As with Flex-time, employees who participate in the Compressed Work Week program
will be required to work a set schedule. In unusual circumstances, they may
request permission to modify their work hours within a specific week with
management's approval.
If an employee commits to a Compressed Work Week schedule and decides to
return to a five-day schedule, the employee cannot request compressed scheduling
again for three months, unless extenuating circumstances exist and the change is
approved by the Cabinet-level supervisor.
Compressed Work Week Holiday Adjustment
Holidays
Employees who participate in a PAWS program are required to work a 40-hour week.
If a holiday falls on a day an employee is not scheduled to work, and the
employee does not work, then that employee must take eight consecutive hours off
within the same workweek (Wednesday through Tuesday). This provision is solely
for holidays which fall on Monday through Friday.
Employees will not be allowed to earn compensatory time for holidays on which
they do not work. However, if an employee is required to work on a holiday, that
employee can receive a maximum of eight compensatory hours.
Adherence to the holiday calculation formula listed below for employees on a
Compressed Work Week schedule is required in order to ensure all employees
complete a 40-hour workweek.
There may be instances when, because of a holiday schedule, the Flex-time
formula causes the employee to earn more than 40 hours in a work week. This
employee must adjust the work schedule for that week to ensure that he/she does
not work more than the required 40
hours. Employees have the option of using annual, overtime, or compensatory
leave time in conjunction with this earned credit to equal an entire day off.
Leave Policies
When an employee takes vacation or sick leave for an entire workday, the
employee will have either eight, nine, or ten hours debited from the appropriate
leave balance, depending upon the day of the Compressed Work Week schedule they
are on.
Example of Compressed Work Week (Attachment A) (4/10/40) -
Exempt or Non-exempt employees
Total Work Hours: Four 10-hour days/40 hours per workweek
Work Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Day Off: Wednesday
Arrival Time: 7:00/9:00 a.m. (Flexible start time)
Departure Time: 5:30/8:00 p.m. (Flexible end time, depending on lunch length)
Lunch: Choice of 30 or 60 minute lunch (a lunch break is required)
Core Hours: 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday
Holiday Policies
When an employee works on a holiday that the University is required to be open
(skeleton crew day), the employee can receive eight hours of compensatory time.
However, in order to meet the required number of work hours for the week, the
employee may need to work a regular schedule on the holiday.
4/10/40 Holiday Example #1
An employee works a Compressed Work Week schedule of Monday through Thursday,
ten hours a day. A state holiday (skeleton crew day) falls on Monday and the
employee works the regular ten hours. The employee will receive eight hours
compensatory time for working this day. The other two hours will go toward the
required forty hours per workweek. Therefore, the employee will have earned
eight hours compensatory time and completed thirty-two hours of work time.
4/10/40 Holiday Example #2
An employee works a Compressed Work Week schedule of Monday through Thursday,
ten hours a day. A state holiday (skeleton crew day) falls on Thursday and the
employee decides to observe the holiday. Eight holiday hours will be received,
and because the employee will have only worked thirty hours this week, the
employee will be required to use two hours of leave time to complete the
required forty hours.
4/10/40 Holiday Example #3
An employee works a Compressed Work Week schedule of Tuesday through Friday, ten
hours a day. A state holiday (skeleton crew day) falls on Monday and the
employee observes the holiday. The employee receives eight holiday hours.
Therefore, the employee is only required to work 32 hours on Tuesday through
Friday to complete the required 40 hours. The employee can choose to work
ten-hour days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and work two hours on Friday
or the employee could choose to take two hours of annual leave on Tuesday (to be
off all day), and work ten-hour days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The day
the employee chooses to take the holiday must be within the same week as the
holiday and be approved by the immediate supervisor.
4/10/40 Holiday Example #4
An employee works Tuesday through Friday. Friday is a national holiday and UHV is closed. This employee works on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
for a total of thirty hours. Therefore, for Friday, the employee receives eight
holiday hours and should have two hours debited from either annual, overtime, or
compensatory leave to complete the required 40 hours.
(This employee has the option of adjusting the work schedule in advance in
lieu of having a leave balance debited.)
Example of Compressed Work Week (Attachment A) (9/8/80) -
Exempt employee only
Total Work Hours: Eight 9-hour days plus one 8-hour day/80 hours worked over
a consecutive two-week period/one 8-hour day off every two-week period
Work Days: 1st week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday,
Friday--9-hour days
2nd week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday--9-hour days
Thursday--8-hour day
Day Off: Friday of second week
Arrival Time: 7:00 a.m. (9-hour days)
Departure Time: 4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. (depending on lunch length)
Arrival Time: 7:00 a.m. (8-hour days)
Departure Time 3:30 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. (depending on lunch length)
Lunch: Choice of 30 or 60-minute lunch (a lunch is required)
Core Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday
9/8/90 Holiday Example #1
SITUATION
Week One: Monday through Friday, 9-hour days = (45 hours total)
Week Two: Monday through Wednesday, 9-hour days; Thursday,
eight hours (35 hours total).
A national holiday falls on Friday, the employee's day off.
Employee will receive eight hours credit for the holiday. Therefore, an
employee on this schedule is only required to work seventy-two hours during the
two-week period to complete the required eighty hours. The employee may choose
to work, with the supervisor's approval, five 9-hour days during Week One and
work three 9-hour days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) during Week Two.
Therefore, the employee can be off on Thursday and Friday of Week Two.
SOLUTION:
Week One: Monday through Friday - work 9-hour days
Week Two: Monday through Wednesday - work 9-hour days
Thursday-off; Friday - National holiday
Example of Alternate Compressed Work (Attachment A) - Exempt employee
only
Total Work Hours Four 9-hour days, five 8-hour days plus one 4-hour day over
a consecutive two-week period/one 4-hour day off every two-week period
Work Days 1st week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday--9 hour days; Friday--8 hour day
2nd week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday--8
hour days; Friday--4 hour day
Day Off: Friday of second week - 4 hours
Arrival Time: 8:00 a.m. (9-hour days)
Departure Time: 5:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. (depending on lunch length)
Arrival Time: 8:00 a.m. (8 hour days)
Departure Time: 4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. (depending on lunch length)
Lunch: Choice of 30 or 60-minute lunch
Core Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday
PROCEDURES
All requests for participation in PAWS will be made through the use of the
approval process designed in this policy. Forms are available at http://www.uhv.edu/fin/forms/awsform.pdf. Eligible
employees must complete an "Employee Alternatives Work Request Form"
to request Flex-time and/or Compressed Work Week scheduling. Employees should
remember that all departments must be open during the core hours of 10:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Key public service areas must continue to
offer services from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Exceptions
to this must be approved by a Cabinet-level supervisor. Because all employees
cannot be off on Fridays or Mondays, other days during the week will be offered.
After the request form is completed, the employee will sign and forward the
request to the immediate supervisor who will recommend approval or disapproval
and send it to the Cabinet-level supervisor. The Cabinet-level supervisor will then approve or disapprove
the request and forward the original request to the Director, Human
Resources/Affirmative Action for review. Upon review, Director, Human
Resources/Affirmative Action will place the original in the employee's personnel
file, and forward one copy to the department contact and one to the employee.
If
disapproved, the form will be returned to the employee by the Cabinet-level
supervisor.
REFERENCE
UH System Administrative Memorandum 02.A.20
Approved by:
Signed
8/26/03
Dr. Karen S. Haynes
Date
President
Originating department:
Human Resources
Next
review date: August 2005