Date last revised: December 10, 2014. Document #5.52
1. GENERAL
1.1 The Alternative Work Schedule program allows selected employees to begin and
end their workdays or workweeks at a time that may be different from the schedules of other employees. The purposes for implementing an alternative work schedule program are as follows:
- To assist in improving the impacts of Library employees on local and regional traffic congestion by reducing the number of total single occupant vehicle trips, or by moving the daily commute to a time when the roads are typically less congested.
- To improve employee morale, reduce tardiness and turnover of employees by allowing flexible or compressed work schedules that provide a better balance between workplace and personal commitments.
This program provides a means for employees to work alternative work schedules that result in no adverse impact to the work of the branch or department and which do not incur additional expenses for the Library. All fulltime employees are eligible to apply for an alternative work schedule under the program.
1.2 This document is divided into the following sections:
Section 1 – General
Section 2 – Types of alternative work schedules
Section 3 – Requesting an alternative work schedule
Section 4 – Criteria for approving and managing an alternative work schedule
Section 5 – Treatment of pay periods with holidays, vacations, or administrative closings
Section 6 – Altering or revoking previously approved schedules
2. TYPES OF ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES
2.1 Flextime – A 40-hour workweek is completed, but there is flexibility in establishing daily start and quit times and unpaid lunch breaks. Days of the workweek may have varying start and quit times, but the pattern should recur predictably over each workweek.
2.1.1 Examples of flextime schedules include:
- 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (normal work schedule 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
- 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (½ hour lunch break, normal work schedule 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
- 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. normal work schedule)
- 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (1/2 hour lunch break, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. normal work schedule)
Actual flextime schedules may be any combination of beginning and ending work times that meet branch/departmental and employee needs and that total a 40 hour schedule each week.
2.2 Compressed Work Schedules – An employee completes a 40-hour workweek in less than five full workdays, or works the 80 hours normally worked in a two week pay period over fewer than ten days.
2.2.1 FLSA non-exempt employees may request any of the following compressed work schedules:
- 4/9/4 Schedule – Four nine-hour days and one four-hour day in each work week.
- 4/10 Schedule – Four ten-hour days in each work week
- 9/80 Schedule – Eight nine-hour days and one eight-hour day in the first week of a pay period, then four nine-hour days and one day off work in the second week of a pay period.
- Any other schedule that includes no more than 40 hours in each administrative workweek.
2.2.2 FLSA non-exempt employees who work a 9/80 schedule must have administrative workweeks constructed so that 40 hours fall in each administrative workweek. For example, the administrative workweek is designated as noon Friday until noon Friday. The employee works four 9-hour days the first week of the pay period and an eight-hour day on Friday with a one-hour lunch break beginning at noon. The second week of the pay period the employee works four 9-hour days and takes Friday off work, resulting in no more than 40 hours worked in each administrative workweek.
2.2.3 FLSA non-exempt employees working an approved alternative work schedule will not be paid overtime for hours over eight in a day that are a part of their approved alternative work schedule. Overtime will be paid for additional time worked that exceeds eight hours in a day, 40 in a workweek, or that is performed on Sunday or another regular day of rest.
2.2.3 FLSA exempt employees may request any combination of scheduled work hours that will total 80 in a pay period. Overtime is not paid to exempt employees.
3. REQUESTING AN ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULE
3.1 Eligible employees may request an alternative work schedule by submitting a request to their branch or department manager. The receiving manager may wish to meet with the employee to discuss, and possibly revise, the request before proceeding further.
3.1.1 If the request has no operational impact, meets all of the criteria outlined in Section 4 below, and is acceptable to the branch or department manager, the manager may approve the request and forward it to the Human Resources Manager for approval, with a copy to his/her supervisor. If the request is denied the manager will so notify the employee.
3.1.2 If the request results in an operational impact the branch or department manager should consider both employee and operational needs to determine if the request is in the best interests of the Library. The manager may either deny the request or may forward it, together with a written analysis of the operational impact, to his/her supervisor who will review the request and either approve or deny it. If the request is approved it will be forwarded to the Human Resources Manager for approval. If the request is denied the supervisor will return it to the originating manager, who will so notify the employee.
3.1.3 The Human Resources Manager will review the request and if it meets all legal requirements, will approve it. If the requesting employee holds a represented position, the Human Resources Manager will forward the request to a Local 270 staff representative for approval.
3.1.4 Once all approvals have been obtained the Human Resources Manager will so notify the branch or department manager, who will notify the employee and implement the revised schedule at the earliest date feasible.
3.2 An alternative work schedule may be approved for a limited period of time or may remain in effect until the branch or department manager, the manager’s supervisor, or the Library Director determines that a different work schedule is required to meet operational needs.
3.3 The Library retains the sole right to determine scheduling needs. If an employee has a concern about the outcome of their alternative work schedule request, the employee may request a meeting with the manager who denied the request and the Human Resources Manager to resolve the conflict. The outcome of this problem solving meeting will be final and the issue cannot be grieved through the union’s grievance process.
4. CRITERIA FOR APPROVING AND MANAGING AN ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULE
4.1 When approving an alternative work schedule the manager will insure that the schedule:
- Will not interfere with the normal operations and functions of the branch or department.
- Will not interfere with service provided to the general public or to other Library or City departments.
- Allows for adequate staffing during core service hours for the branch or department. Adequate staffing considerations may include issues such as team members who need to work together due to the nature of the services provided, or ensuring that the right staffing mix is available to meet the workload.
- Will not create the need to use substitute workers, add extra hours for other employees, or result in any other added expense for the Library. Further, it will not require other employees to fill in on a regular basis to do tasks that are the responsibility of the employee working an alternative work schedule.
- Will provide adequate supervision and support of workers, and the necessary means of communication between employees and supervisors.
4.2 Employees who work an alternative work schedule should be accountable for:
- Completing assigned work
- Using work time effectively
- Assuring the same or improved level of customer service
- Maintaining dependable attendance
- Communicating work problems and needs to supervisors
4.3 If two or more employees request alternative work schedules and it is not possible to approve all requests, the manager may choose to approve one or more requests for a limited period of time, allowing other employees to request alternative schedules on a rotating basis.
5. TREATMENT OF PAY PERIODS WITH HOLIDAYS, VACATIONS, OR ADMINISTRATIVE CLOSINGS
5.1 Employees who are on alternative work schedules will account for holidays on their timecards in the following manner:
5.1.1 If a holiday occurs on an employee’s scheduled work day, the employee will take the day off and mark their timecards reporting the number of hours taken off.
5.1.2 If the scheduled work day is longer than 8 hours, the employee will mark their timecard reporting 8 hours of holiday time, and the remaining number of hours in their scheduled work day as vacation, floating holiday, or compensatory time off. FLSA exempt employees will have the option of working the necessary hours during that same pay period to account for the time in excess of 8 hours for that work day. Non-exempt employees may be allowed to work the necessary hours during the same week in which the holiday falls.
5.1.3 If the scheduled work day is shorter than 8 hours, the employee will mark his/her timecard reporting the number of hours in their scheduled work day as holiday time off. The remainder of the holiday time will be taken on another day during that same pay period so that the total holiday time taken equals 8 hours. If the holiday falls on a scheduled day off work the employee will take another day off during that same pay period and account for the time as outlined above.
5.1.4 Alternatively, with their supervisor’s approval the employee may revert to a regular 8-hour per day work schedule during the pay period including the holiday to avoid the issue of a longer or shorter workday falling on the holiday.
5.2 Employees who take vacation while on alternative work schedules will mark their timecards reporting vacation or floating holiday hours equal to the number of hours that would have been worked on their alternative work schedule days. As with all other vacation requests, employees who are on alternative work schedules must follow Library guidelines for requesting time off.
5.3 If there is an administrative closure due to inclement weather, unsafe working conditions or other executive decisions to close Library operations, employees working alternative schedules will be compensated for the hours they would have worked on any days for which employees are paid under Library policy regarding such closures.
5.4 For FLSA exempt employees the alternative work schedule will constitute that employee’s core work hours. All other Library policies, such as those addressing compensation for overtime, scheduling and using leave, etc. will apply equally to exempt employees working an alternative schedule.
6. ALTERING OR REVOKING PREVIOUSLY APPROVED SCHEDULES
6.1 Employees who are working an alternative schedule may request permanent or temporary alterations to their schedule. The manager may approve or deny these requests, but should check with Human Resources to ensure compliance if the employee is non-exempt under the FLSA.
6.2 Management reserves the right to temporarily modify a previously approved schedule to require an employee’s presence during specific hours for a certain period, a particular meeting, travel, training, conferences, and other essential work-related activities. Represented employees will be given at least ten working days’ notice of the special need; non-represented employees will be given advance notice when practicable.
6.3 Management reserves the right to revoke a previously approved alternative work schedule and return the employee to a standard work schedule should business needs change, or should the arrangement fail to meet management’s expectations under the above criteria for approving requests. Represented employees will be notified at least ten working days in advance
