Alternative Work Schedule

UW-Green Bay recognizes the value and benefit of alternative work schedules or “flex-scheduling” by full-time and/or part-time employees when such schedules are consistent with the efficient and effective departmental operation.

The use of alternative work schedules is a cooperative arrangement between the employer and employee and is based on the needs of the university and the employee’s past and present levels of performance. It is not a basic right of all employees. All efforts to accommodate such requests must take into consideration the operational needs of the department. 

Employee Eligibility

Any employee may request an alternative work schedule unless the employee's position is excluded either by the operating unit due to operating needs or by university policy.

The policy does not apply to faculty, instructional academic staff, graduate assistants or university staff temporary employees.

Alternative Work Schedule Options

Alternative work schedules are those hours that vary or deviate from the standard work hours of the institution. Alternative work schedules may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Flexible time is defined as a work schedule structure requiring that all employees be in work status during a specific number of core hours or days, with scheduling flexibility allowed for beginning and ending times surrounding those core hours or days. For example, a department may require an employee to be present between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. in order to meet the needs of the department or unit. These are the core hours. The employee may then vary their work schedule daily if they work the required number of hours per week. Flexible time is not intended to be used in lieu of an employee utilizing vacation, personal and/or sick leave.
• Variable Hours means fixed schedules, which deviate from the 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. workday. The employee and the supervisor agree upon a fixed starting and ending time. The employee may also request to alter the lunch break from the standard 45 minutes. Unlike an employee on a flex-time schedule, the employee on a variable schedule does not have the flexibility to change the agreed upon daily begin and end time.
• Non-Standard Work Week means a schedule which allows an employee to complete the basic work requirement of 40 hours per week in other than five eight-hour days. A work week of four nine-hour days and one four-hour day is an example.

Guidelines

Alternative work schedules should not adversely affect service to the university and its customers. Flexible scheduling should not be permitted if it causes a significant negative impact on service delivery, departmental staff, other university units or state agencies. The following guidelines are applicable:

1. The decision to establish an alternative work schedule is at the sole discretion of the university. It is not required that alternative work schedules be uniformly available to all positions in a department or operating unit. Not every position is conducive to such alternative scheduling because of the requirements of operating units. This should not deter supervisors from approving alternative work schedules for positions where such scheduling can be accommodated.
2. Administrative offices must remain open for the statutorily-required hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and reasonable staffing must continue to be provided during those hours in accordance with the Office Hours and Institutional Closures Policy.
3. The standard work week for full-time employees on alternative work schedules is 40 hours per week. Proper supervision must be maintained.
4. Meal periods are unpaid and are generally 45 minutes in length. Non-exempt employees must take at least a 30-minute unpaid lunch. Supervisors retain the right to schedule meal periods to fulfill operational needs.
5. For certain staff, rest periods are a normal part of the work schedule and cannot be accumulated or otherwise included in computing lunch periods or starting/ending times.
6. Flexible scheduling may not create a need for additional staff, nor should it cause other employees to generate overtime. The quantity, quality and timeliness of employee work must be enhanced or maintained.
7. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that all hours are correctly tabulated and reported. Absences resulting from vacation, sick leave, personal holidays or, in some cases, compensatory time, will require charging the number of hours the employee normally was scheduled to work on the day(s) of absence to the appropriate leave accounts. For example, when an employee scheduled to work 10 hours per day for four days a week is absent, 10 hours will be charged to leave.
8. Employees on a non-standard work week schedule cannot make-up absences by working on a usual day off. Absences are charged as vacation, sick leave, personal holiday or, in some cases, compensatory time.
9. If a holiday falls on a scheduled work day, an employee scheduled to work more than eight hours that day must charge vacation, personal holiday or, in some cases, compensatory time, to account for the holiday time over eight hours. If a holiday occurs on an employee’s scheduled day off, the employee is given credit for eight hours that may be used as a holiday at a later date. 
10. No alternative work schedule will be implemented that results in an employee working less than or more than the position's budgeted FTE.
11. If a nonstandard work week is a requirement of the position, this policy is not applicable.

Request & Approval

Alternate work schedules require written agreements. Although agreements may include various elements depending on the particular circumstances, agreements must always include the following items:

• Names and title(s) of covered employee(s);
• Hours of work under the alternative schedule, specifying core hours if the flex-time alternative is followed; and
• Implementation plans for a trial period of a set duration followed by an evaluation period. 

Dean/Division Heads are responsible for assessing the need and feasibility of implementing alternative work schedules within their organizational areas. The Human Resources Office is available for assistance and is responsible for reviewing all proposed schedules prior to implementation to ensure that any special statutory or regulatory requirements and provisions are met. Final implementation of alternative work schedules are the responsibility of the appropriate supervisory staff in the affected area. The approval process is as follows

1. Employee completes an Alternative Work Schedule Request, and submits through the electronic chain of approval.
2. The form will be reviewed and approved (if applicable) by the Dean/Division Leader and Area Leader.
3. Human Resources will do a final review for statutory or regulatory requirements and time reporting provisions, make any notes and approve (or send back for revision).
4. If approved, all parties will receive a confirmation email with a pdf version of the request attached.
5. If a request is denied at any point along the approval process, the reason for denial should be noted on the electronic form in the comments section.

Annual Evalution, Renewal of Agreement & Termination of Agreement

Alternative work schedules should be evaluated at least yearly or more frequently if the agreement requires. The performance evaluation process should include discussion of any alternative work schedule. Regardless of the planned duration of the schedule, an agreement may be discontinued or modified at any time if the supervisor of the unit finds it inconsistent with the needs of the operational area . (For example, if service to the institution or the general public deteriorates, a change would be required.) After evaluation, if deemed acceptable to continue, the employee must complete an Alternative Work Schedule Renewal Request and submit it through the proper channels for review and approval. If the alternative work schedule is not renewed, the agreement will be deemed expired for purposes of the official work record.