The procedures described herein are governed by the Flexible Work Arrangement Policy; any perceived interpretive conflict between that policy and these procedures is to be resolved in favor of the policy.
FlexTime allows supervisors and employees to adjust the employee's on-site schedule to meet the needs of the department and the employee. Although not its primary purpose, Flextime is a Flexible Work Arrangement option for positions that may not easily support Work From Home.
Employees provide the same level of effort as they would under a usual schedule. FlexTime provides options in adjusting the start and end of the work day, and/or meal times, typically with a designated core period during which all staff members are present or working. It may also allow the meal break itself to be taken at the end/beginning of the day so that the employee may leave at an earlier time. An example of FlexTime is an employee choosing to start work at 6:00 AM to be able to leave earlier, while another member of the same team may choose a 10:00 AM start time and work until later in the day. Supervisors are required to prioritize mission and tasks over accommodating FlexTime requests. They are accountable to manage multiple FlexTime arrangements among their teams while supporting expected service levels.
Program Design & Eligibility
The Catholic University of America FlexTime program is a pre-approved, scheduled arrangement that allows eligible employees to adjust the scheduled hours when they are working for the University, regardless of location, under the guidelines described below.
Employees requesting FlexTime arrangements may be full- or part-time status who have been employed with the University for a minimum of six months of continuous, regular employment in good standing. Regardless of whether the FlexTime request originates from an employee or a supervisor, both of them in partnership with the Office of Human Resources (OHR), will evaluate the suitability of such an arrangement.
The nature of an employee's work must be conducive to the arrangement, without causing disruption to the department's overall performance or quality/timeliness of service delivery. Employees whose work cannot be completed during other-than-standard business hours are not viable candidates for the FlexTime program. It is required that the employee and supervisor meet to establish and document clear expectations associated with this arrangement, in advance of seeking approval.
To seek approval for a FlexTime arrangement, an explicit FlexTime Agreement must be generated and approved by both the employee and the employee’s supervisor. It is then submitted to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for approval and, if endorsed by HR, recommendation to the employee’s respective VP or Provost.
The following guidelines are presented to assist in developing employee FlexTime arrangements that are equitable, clearly understood, and to the mutual benefit of the University and employee. Employees and supervisors are expected to follow these principles in managing FlexTime arrangements.
I. Definition and Purpose
Flextime is an arrangement that allows an employee to alter the start and end times of their work day around the University's default business schedule of 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. FlexTime includes:
- customized start and end times that apply consistently for each work day;
e.g., early arrival and departure or late arrival and departure with one-hour lunch Monday through Friday - customized start and end times that vary daily with the same number of hours worked each day; e.g., early arrival and departure on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and late arrival and departure on Tuesday and Thursday with one-hour lunch
- customized start and end times with varied hours by day, but consistency in the total number of hours worked weekly
- extended lunch period offset by additional time at the start and/or end of the work day
- compressed lunch period (not less than legally-mandated 30 minutes after six hours of work) offset by reduced time at the start and/or end of the day
FlexTime does not change the total number of hours worked in a given week.
Usually, core hours are required when all employees must be present at the worksite. The core period may vary depending upon the operational needs of the department (e.g., Tech Services uses 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM as the core interval when everyone is available regardless of work location). Employees who are unable to work during their scheduled window should make use of sick, annual or unpaid leave as appropriate, and report such accurately and timely.
Successful FlexTime arrangements serve the needs of employees and their departments. The focus is on job performance and meeting business requirements, including extended hours of operation and/or customer service availability.
The split work schedule is a variation on FlexTime under which the work day is split into two distinct segments. Typically, a split work schedule involves an employee starting work earlier than normal, having a break of at least two hours during the middle of the day, and ending their day later than normal.
As with all FWA, non-exempt employees must continue to record all actual hours worked, follow applicable policies regarding meal/break periods, and be paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours in a work week. Supervisors are accountable to ensure that any overtime is 1) required to fulfill business needs (and not to accommodate FlexTime provision) and 2) is planned for and can be accommodated in the department budget. FlexTime arrangements should always reflect on the needs of the area's activities and may be altered to reflect the seasonal or unexpected needs throughout the year.
II. Request and Approval
Typically, an employee initiates a request for FlexTime by submitting a formal proposal.
An area's VP or Provost is required to approve FlexTime arrangements; such arrangements, and any subsequent adjustments to them, must be reported to OHR for its record. A FlexTime arrangement shall be initiated on a defined period of time, and may be discontinued at any time at the request of the employee. Supervisors may suspend the privilege without cause or notice. The employee and supervisor must complete the Flexible Work Schedule Form which may be implemented, upon approval of OHR, by the area VP or Provost. Agreements shall be time-specific with a term limit or an end date for review and reconsideration of not more than every 12 months in conjunction with the employee's performance evaluation. Modifications or renewals shall be appropriately documented and maintained in the employee's personnel file, with copies for the employee and supervisor.
III. Implementation Considerations
Operational needs, staffing patterns, space considerations, and health and safety issues may preclude or modify a FlexTime arrangement.
The employee must be willing and able to adjust work hours as determined by the supervisor to satisfy operational needs. The supervisor is the sole determiner of how operational needs shall be satisfied. There may be times when an employee will be required to work or travel for business outside scheduled work hours.
If more employees request FlexTime arrangements than a department can reasonably manage, the supervisor shall respond to requests that are consistent with these guidelines in ways that are fair to all employees and in the best interest of the University. Among the measures that might be adopted are remote work, staggering work hours, and rotating periods of flextime among employees.
Nature of Work
FlexTime should not negatively affect the workload or the productivity of coworkers by shifting burdens or creating delays and additional steps in workflow. Supervisors should ensure that all employees in their span of control understand how and why workplace flexibility functions.
Eligibility of Employee
FlexTime is not appropriate for all positions, all settings, and/or all employees. Employees may be eligible for FlexTime arrangements after a minimum of six months of employment and documented satisfactory performance.
IV. Responsibilities
The employee and supervisor shall complete a Flexible Work Schedule Form. Changes in work schedule shall not be made without prior discussion and a written revision to the agreement.
The employee shall work the hours agreed upon and obtain approval from the supervisor in advance of working any overtime.
The supervisor and employee shall maintain open communication about the FlexTime arrangement. The supervisor shall ensure that the employee's hours of work do not fall below the normal workweek hours, and discuss with the employee any concerns as they arise.
V. Exceptions
Exceptions to the eligibility or schedule constraints may be requested from the supervisor by submitting a FlexTime arrangement with details of the exception request via the area's VP or Provost to the OHR for consideration. Requests for exceptions must be recommended to OHR by the supervisor and will be evaluated for recommendation to the area VP or Provost.
VI. Ad-hoc Schedule Modifications
Ad hoc, temporary modifications may be approved where an employee is allowed to work an alternative schedule for unusual circumstances such as inclement weather, special projects, business travel or extraordinary personal needs. Such arrangements are not part of the FlexTime program. They should be infrequent exceptions, where unfair use patterns or abuse remain subject to the university's standard performance management procedures.
For questions and guidance regarding these procedures, contact your supervisor or the Office of Human Resources at 202-319-5050 or CUA-HumanResources@cua.edu.
Updated: January 27, 2022