Alternative Work Schedules

Scope

This policy applies to all staff and part time positions.

Back to top

Policy Statement

1. Employees may request alternative work schedules, and the university encourages units to accommodate the childcare, family care, and other personal needs of staff employees to the extent possible and consistent with the requirements of the unit.
2. The university’s workweek begins and ends at 12:00 midnight on Saturday.
3. Units should not regularly schedule staff employees to work more than six days of the week.
4. The decision to establish an alternative work schedule is the sole discretion of the university. It is not required that alternative work schedules be uniformly available to all unit positions. Not every function is conducive to such alternative scheduling because of the requirements of the unit. This should not deter supervisors from approving alternative work schedules for positions where such scheduling can be accommodated.
5. Alternative work schedules do not alter the responsibility and authority of unit heads to establish and change work schedules. An alternative work schedule may be discontinued, temporarily suspended, or modified if work needs change, service is impaired, performance issues arise, or problems with attendance occur. Supervisors should make efforts to honor an agreed-upon alternative work schedule.
6. An alternative work schedule is a special arrangement and a privilege and is not subject to the grievance procedure.
   1. Non-Exempt CWA covered staff may take problem-solving concerns through the Fair Treatment in the Workplace policy.
7. Types of alternative work schedules include but are not limited to the following:
   1. For all Exempt staff and Non-Exempt (excluding service) staff:
      1. A flexible schedule (often called "flextime") means permitting eligible employees to alter their start and end times daily, provided they work the established core hours. In such cases, the unit establishes core hours when the employee must be present unless they are on an approved leave.
      2. A variable schedule is a fixed work schedule that deviates from the standard work schedule and is mutually agreeable between the employee and supervisor. This may include an agreement to alter the lunch break from the regular one-hour lunch break. Unlike the flexible schedule (described above), this does not allow the employee to change the agreed-upon daily start and end work time.
      3. A compressed or extended work schedule permits eligible employees to complete the standard work requirement of forty (40) hours per week in fewer or more than five (5) workdays. The work schedule is standardized by mutual agreement between the employee and the supervisor.
   2. For Non-Exempt AFSCME Police and Non-Exempt AFSCME Service covered employees:
      1. Flextime refers to a change in a work schedule for a single event or series of events that may span several months but is not a permanent work schedule change.

Back to top

Procedures

Requesting an alternative work schedule

1. Any staff employee may request an alternative work schedule unless the employee's position is excluded either by the unit due to operating needs or by university policy.
2. When an employee desires a change in working hours, they will submit the request in writing to their supervisor.
   1. For all Exempt staff and Non-Exempt (excluding service) staff employees, units may establish plans and notify employees of the options and procedures for working alternative work schedules.
   2. Non-Exempt AFSCME Police and Non-Exempt AFSCME Service covered employees can request a change in work schedule to their unit head or designee at least 24-hours in advance of the event or beginning of the series of events for which the request is made.
3. The supervisor will make a reasonable effort to accommodate the request.
   1. For Non-Exempt CWA covered employees, requests based on needs related to childcare, family care, or carpooling will be given primary consideration. Otherwise, the supervisor's assessment of the employee's ability to work independently and length of service will be the deciding factor.
4. To ensure unit needs are being met, supervisors should review the alternative work schedule periodically (at least annually) or as circumstances that led to the approval of an alternative work schedule change. Alternative work schedules should include a specific time frame to support the review process, such as a semester.
5. After working the alternative work schedule for a reasonable period, the employee will have an opportunity to request a change in their schedule at least annually. This includes requesting to return to their standard work schedule.

Criteria for approving alternative work schedules

1. When considering requests for changes in work schedules for staff employees, supervisors must comply with Federal and State wage and labor laws, as well as the following conditions:
   1. No alternative work schedule will be implemented, resulting in an employee working less than the position's FTE.
   2. Other than Police Service staff, an employee should not be required to work more than six consecutive hours without a minimum of a 30 minute lunch period free from work. By mutual agreement between the employee and supervisor, an employee can work more than six consecutive hours without an unpaid meal break of 30 minutes or more, either as an occasional adjustment to the work schedule or regularly as an alternative or flexible work schedule. In these situations, every effort should be made to provide the employee with the 15 minute rest periods provided in the Work Schedules policies exempt staff,      non-exempt employees.
      1. For Non-Exempt AFSCME Police staff, see Work Schedules policy for information on meal breaks.
   3. Alternative work schedules must not interfere with the efficient operation of the university or adversely affect the services provided to students, other units, or the public.
   4. The quantity, quality, and timeliness of the employee’s work must be maintained.
   5. Adequate supervision and employee accountability must be maintained.
   6. Alternative work schedules must not cause or contribute to the need for additional staff or overtime work.
   7. Rest periods are a normal part of the work schedule. Time allowed for rest periods is not cumulative, and therefore is not a basis for an alternative work schedule.
2. The presence of alternative work schedules does not alter the responsibility and authority of unit heads to establish and change work schedules as described in the Work Schedules policies exempt staff,  non-exempt employees and the Overtime policy.
3. The unit must review the alternative work schedule with the campus Human Resources Office before it is implemented and on an ongoing basis to ensure it is a full-time, bona-fide schedule maintained over some time and that overtime is appropriately compensated.

Recordkeeping

Absence With Benefits (AWB) will be applied in any week the scheduled hours are less than 40 hours to ensure that the employee receives complete time-off accruals for each pay period.  Time off accruals are not earned on hours worked over 40 in a week.  AWB will not be applied to cover any unpaid absences during the scheduled work hours unless qualified under another university policy.

Back to top

Definitions

1. Compressed or extended work schedule is a supervisory-approved practice that enables eligible employees to complete their standard work requirement of forty (40) hours per week in fewer or more than five (5) full workdays. The work schedule is arranged by mutual agreement between the employee and the supervisor.
2. Flexible schedule (often called "flextime") is any supervisory-approved practice permitting eligible employees to alter their standard hours daily. In such cases, units establish core hours when the employee must be present unless they are on an approved leave. In other words, employees approved for a flexible schedule may change their start and end times on a daily basis provided they work the established core hours.
3. Variable schedule is a fixed work schedule that deviates from the standard work schedule and is mutually agreeable to the employee and the supervisor. This may include an agreement to alter the lunch break from the regular one-hour lunch. Unlike the flexible schedule (described above), this does not include the employee option to change the agreed-upon daily start and end work time.

Back to top

Sanctions

Managers, supervisors, and employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Back to top

History

June 2022
Updated "temporary" employee nomenclature to "part-time".

October 2021
IU HR completed a full and substantive review to assess the ongoing need and effectiveness.

February 2021
Updated the staff employee group terms due to Job Framework Redesign Project.

Replaces all of the following policies:

Replaces parts of the following policies:

Back to top