University Procedure #510
Section 1. Purpose Statement
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance to university employees, supervisors, and managers regarding a flextime schedule. Consistent with University Policy 06, this procedure establishes the steps to be followed when requesting, approving, or denying a flextime schedule.
Section 2. Scope
This procedure shall not supersede other federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, other university policies and procedures, or bargaining unit agreements and plans.
Section 3. Authority
This university procedure is established in accordance with the applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreements between the State of Minnesota and AFSCME Council 6, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), and Middle Management Association (MMA); the applicable provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU) and Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty (MSUAASF); the Commissioner’s Plan; the MnSCU Excluded Administrator’s Plan; and MnSCU Board policies.
Section 4. Effective Date
This university procedure becomes effective immediately upon the signature of the President and remains in effect until modified or expressly revoked.
Section 5. Responsibility
The responsibility for implementation of this procedure is assigned to the Director of Human Resources.
Section 6. Notification and Publication
The university shall inform employees of the established flextime scheduling policy and procedure. The policy and procedure shall be provided to employees at New Employee Orientation, available on the university portal, and be distributed by employees’ immediate supervisors.
Section 7. Objective
To benefit the university and the employees by providing opportunities for:
- expanded hours of service to the public;
- uninterrupted work time;
- increased ability to accommodate individual employees' peak performance times during the day;
- greater employee job satisfaction due to increased control over work schedule increased ability to provide a better "fit" between employees' work and personal schedules.
Section 8. Definitions
- Flextime Scheduling: A plan of alternative work schedules available to employees upon request and supervisory approval. A flextime schedule is a recurring and predictable schedule.
- Work Unit: A group of employees all of whom are immediately supervised by the same supervisor.
- Normal Work Day: Consists of no more than 10 hours of work within a 24 hour period, excluding an unpaid meal period.
- Work Week: Shall consist of Wednesday through Tuesday (this is known the State of Minnesota’s payroll week).
- Public Office Hours: The hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each work day
when all of the university's offices will be open and staffed to provide services to students, other work units, and the public. Exceptions will be made to the public office hours on an as needed basis by the appropriate division Vice President.
- Standard Work Hours: A schedule of five 8-hour days (excluding an unpaid lunch) during a work week.
Section 9. Considerations
Under flextime scheduling, employees have the opportunity to request an adjustment to their
work schedules so long as it does not result in the payment of overtime and is consistent with the
requirements of law, collective bargaining agreements/plans, and university policies and procedures.
Management retains the authority and responsibility for approving, modifying, denying or
terminating individual flextime schedules when, in management's judgment, they adversely
affect service to students and the public, or the operation of the university, its divisions, offices, activities or work units.
In light of the varying nature of work performed by each work unit, not all employees will be able to participate as freely as others in the flextime scheduling options. Further, the nature of the work and service expectations in some units may dictate a further restriction of flexibility.
Section 10. Schedules
By way of example, full-time employees may request one of the following schedules:
- Ten 8-hour days each biweekly pay period
- Eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day each biweekly pay period
- Eight 10-hour days, two days off each biweekly pay period
- Eight 9-hour and two 4-hour days each biweekly pay period.
Break periods may not be accumulated or used in the computation of flextime scheduling.
Section 11. Implementation
Upon implementation of flextime, work schedules of all employees will be posted, if required by
collective bargaining agreement, and maintained by the Office of Human Resources and the immediate supervisor. An employee who is currently working on an approved schedule may continue that schedule unless management of the university changes that schedule in accord with the provisions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement or plan. Any employee who wishes to change his/her current schedule should initiate the following steps:
Step 1: The employee shall submit a written request for a specific schedule to his/her immediate supervisor at least 14 calendar days prior to the date the new schedule would go into effect, if approved.
Step 2: The immediate supervisor shall review the request taking into consideration at least the following factors:
(a) Benefits to the requesting employee and university;
(b) Adverse effects which might result from the requested schedule;
(c) Requests for flextime schedules from other employees of the work unit;
(d) Duties and responsibilities of the employee's position and whether they can be effectively and efficiently performed during the requested schedule;
(e) Level of staffing and supervision necessary at various times of the work day and week to ensure that the work unit's activities are accomplished effectively and efficiently;
(f) Level and quality of service provided to the work unit's customers;
(g) Schedules of other employees within the activity area, office, division or
University with whom the requesting employee or the work unit must coordinate activities;
(h) Additional cost or liabilities to the University which would result from the
requested schedule; and/or
- Any other considerations as appropriate to the work unit.
Step 3: If there are conflicting requests from employees and the needs of the work unit require that not all requests may be approved, the supervisor will approve (if all other factors indicate approval) the request submitted by the employee with the most state seniority. Should conflicts still exist, they will be resolved by lot. No request may be unreasonably denied.
Step 4: The immediate supervisor will provide the employee and the Office of Human Resources with written notice and explanation of the decision.
Section 12. Work Schedule Changes
Management-initiated changes to employee schedules will be made in accord with applicable
collective bargaining agreements or plans.
Employee-initiated requests for a schedule change will be in accord with this procedure.
An employee-initiated schedule change request will not be approved if the new schedule adversely affects the schedule of another employee in the same work unit.
Upon assignment of an employee to attend training sessions or meetings, or temporary
assignment to duties requiring hours other than the employee's current schedule, an employee's
schedule may be temporarily altered for the duration of the training, meeting or temporary
assignment without regard to this procedure.
Section 13. Appeals
An employee may appeal the decision of an immediate supervisor to deny, modify, or revoke a
flextime schedule to the next highest level supervisor. The decision of the next level supervisor must be writing and is final and binding and may not be subject to the grievance process under the applicable collective bargaining agreement unless the basis for the appeal is an alleged violation of a specific provision of the collective bargaining agreement.
Section 14. Review
This procedure is subject to review on an annual basis, or as needed.
Section 15. Approval
Issued on this 14th day of June, 2011
Sue K. Hammersmith, Ph.D., President