One of the many advantages of working at the VCU is the quality of our work life. While numerous factors contribute to a positive working environment, a major benefit is flexibility in work schedules that allows staff to balance their work and family life. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) generally categorizes staff in one of two groups, either “exempt” or “non-exempt." These employee categories are described as:
Exempt employees are
Non-exempt employees are
A flexible work arrangement is not an accommodation. It is important to note that flexible work arrangements as outlined in this guide are not substitutions for, or part of, the accommodation for employees with disabilities. In cases where an employee requests a flexible work arrangement for medical reasons or to accommodate a disability, the university has a duty to accommodate (to the point of undue hardship). There is a separate process in place to arrange for accommodation related to illness or disability. Please contact VCU Human Resources Employee Relations Office, who will assist in assessing the request and exploring possible ways to accommodate it. These examples for compressed schedule, flextime schedule, job sharing, reduced schedule, staggered scheduling, and telework are for non-exempt employees. Although strict recordkeeping of hours work are not required for exempt employees, similar schedules can be adopted.
FLSA guidance: Full-time, non-exempt employees are required to work forty hours per week. This schedule must be fixed and the day off should not vary week to week or month to month.*Although it is permissible, with the manager's approval, for a nonexempt staff employee to alter when the 40 hours are worked during the workweek, such employee cannot "bank" overtime hours worked in one workweek for use as time off in a future work week.
Full-time employee works ten hour days for four days (10 X 4) with one hour lunch
7:00 AM 6:00 PM
7:30 AM 6:30 PM
8:00 AM 7:00 PM
8:30 AM 7:30 PM
Full-time employee works nine hour days for four days plus one four hour day ( 9 X 4 + 4) with one hour lunch
7:00 AM to 5:00 PM plus a 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM shift one day per week
7:30 AM to 5:30 PM plus a 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM shift one day per week
8:00 AM to 6:00 PM plus an 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM shift one day per week
8:30 AM to 6:30 PM plus an 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM shift one day per week
Part-time employee works six hours per day, five days per week (.75% FTE)
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Part-time employee works two eight hours days and one four-hour day per week (.50% FTE)
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
A flextime alternative work schedule allows employees to adjust their arrival and departure times subject to manager approval and the operational needs of the school and/or department. FLSA guidance: This option involves establishing a flexible work schedule around a “core” work period. During this “core” period, staff are required to be at work to meet customer service and internal department needs. The employee works a standard number of hours each day. Non-exempt employees are required to be at work during their defined “scheduled hours” during the day and they must work a standard eight hour day.
Department core hours: 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Options for full-time (40 hours per week) employee with a 1 hour lunch break.
Department core hours: 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Options for full-time (40 hours per week) employee with a 1 hour lunch break.
Job sharing involves two or more employees working a portion of a 1.0 full time equivalent positions. The employees combine their efforts to cover the workload for the full-time position. This schedule has fixed days and hours per week, but totals fewer than forty hours per week. In addition to split time, other Job Share variations include split skills and split responsibilities. Suggested considerations:
FLSA guidance: An employee may work in two (2) regular part-time, non-exempt jobs or two (2) regular, part-time exempt jobs, but may not be regularly scheduled to work more than forty (40) hours in a workweek. If an employee works overtime hours, the department in which the employee works the overtime hours (hours worked beyond the scheduled hours for the department) would be liable for the overtime payment.
Evenly split days: Overlap of 30 minutes per day (for transition and communication)
Unevenly split alternating days: One worker works Tuesday/Thursday and the other worker works Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Per the employer’s direction, they share some tasks of the job and split the others in a way that ensures that the work gets done. Methods of communication outside of the work site must be established (to enable smooth transitions).
Arrangements allow an employee to voluntarily work less than the standard workweek hours. This alternative work arrangement must be entirely voluntary and at the employee’s request. Compensation should be offered on an appropriate adjusted basis and benefits are prorated. If management initiates the reduction in work hours, this is not voluntary and is considered a Workforce Reduction and the reduction must be processed according to the applicable University policy.
FLSA guidance: Exempt employees may become non-exempt if their resulting salary falls below the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) salary threshold.
Sample 1: Reduced days per week
Sample 2: Reduced hours per work day
Allows employees to work a full work week during unconventional hours (not the traditional 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday - Friday work week) that best suit the employee’s schedule.
FLSA guidance: Management should ensure that non-exempt employees take mandatory breaks as required by policy.
Monday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Allows for a portion or all of the job to be performed off-site, on a regular basis. As in any flexible work arrangement, individuals working under a telework arrangement are still expected to manage their workload. There may be requirements that an employee has to be at the office at specified times or on specified days, for communication and integration of work. At other times, if the type of work permits, the employee is able to work from a pre-approved location, typically a home office, communicating with his or her immediate manager or other staff by telephone, skype, text, chat, or by email. The alternative work arrangement generally requires electronic equipment and technological support. Telework arrangements involve special issues, such as worker's compensation considerations and purchase and/or management of electronic equipment and technological systems away from the workplace.
FLSA guidance: The recordkeeping and timekeeping requirements apply equally to non-exempt telecommuters as they do to non-exempt traditional employees. The manager should ensure the employee can access the university tracking system remotely. The employee remains responsible for accurately recording their hours worked. The manager should adopt practices which ensure the time worked is being recorded and monitored properly.
Monday:
Hours of work: 7.25 hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Work location: Office
Tuesday:
Hours of work: 7.25 hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Work location: Home
Wednesday:
Hours of work: 7.25 hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Work location: Office
Thursday:
Hours of work: 7.25 hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Work location: Home
Friday:
Hours of work: 7.25 hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Work location: Office
Virginia Commonwealth University
VCU Human Resources
Lindsey House | 600 West Franklin Street | Box 842511
Richmond, VA 23284-2511
Email: askhr@vcu.edu
Phone: (804) 828-0177