The University of Texas at Dallas

Human Resources Management

Office of Business Affairs

Summer 2009 Flexible Work Schedule Program

The University of Texas at Dallas will institute a program during the summer of 2009 designed to allow eligible staff to work 80 hours over 9, rather than 10, days every two weeks. This program will last 8 weeks during the summer, beginning Friday, June 12 and ending on Friday, August 7.  The program will not be appropriate for all staff.  Supervisors, department heads and Vice Presidents will determine whether participation in the pilot is appropriate for specific units, offices and individuals. 

Definitions:

Regular Schedule: The normal University work schedule of a nine hour day, with an hour off for lunch, resulting in 8 hours worked. The most common regular schedule involves working from 8:00 AM to 12 noon and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. 

FLSA Work Week:  The normal FLSA work week at UT Dallas for non-exempt employees begins at 12:01 AM Thursday and ends at 12:00 Midnight the following Wednesday.

Nine/eighty (9/80) Schedule: This pilot schedule allows eligible employees to work 80 hours in nine days. On the tenth day, the second Friday of the special schedule, participating employees have a day off.  Other days may be used as the scheduled day off with the advance approval of Human Resources Management.

Special Program FLSA Work Week: Non-exempt employees participating in the program will work a special FLSA Work Week, beginning at 12:01 PM Friday and ending at 12:00 Noon the following Friday for the duration of the pilot program.  If a non-exempt employee is approved to work a schedule involving a day off other than Friday, their Special FLSA Work Week will begin and end on their scheduled day off.

Transition Work Week: Non-exempt employees will work a transition work week at the beginning and at the end of the program in order to convert to and from the program.

How does a 9/80 Schedule Work?

If you are approved to participate in the program, you will be assigned to either the orange work team or the green work team.  The teams alternate working a schedule involving eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day over a two-week period. The orange team starts first, with the team members working 9 hours Monday through Thursday, with an hour off for lunch.  On the first Friday the orange team will work 8 hours with an hour off for lunch.  On the second Friday, the orange team is off, because they have worked 80 hours in the prior 9 days.  The green team starts the alternate schedule one week after the orange team.

Important points to remember:

• Initial team assignment will be at the supervisor's discretion.
• Employees are encouraged to arrange routine personal business during their Friday off when possible.
• Since managers and supervisors must schedule staff to meet the operational needs of the work unit, some employees will not be able to participate in the pilot.
• Paid time off is recorded in hours, so if you participate and you are out all day on a work day, you will record 9 hours of sick or annual leave on your time sheet.
• Unless exceptional circumstances demand otherwise, departmental and University meetings should be scheduled during the business days of Monday through Thursday for the duration of the pilot program.

Daily Start and End Times.  For participating employees, supervisors may approve any daily start and end times that begin before 8:00 AM and end after 5:00 PM with an hour for lunch that allow the employees to work 9 hours Monday through Thursday and 8 hours on Friday.

Sample Schedule for 9/80 Work Week

Points for Supervisors to Consider:

The role of a supervisor or manager is critical in creating a successful flexible work environment. While the operational needs of the work unit must be considered first and foremost, a flexible work schedule gives supervisors an opportunity to consider an employee’s personal situation, creating an environment conducive to enhanced productivity, job satisfaction, and the retention of quality employees.   

In reviewing requests for flexible work schedules supervisors must consider the following:

• A flexible schedule may not be appropriate for new employees who are in their initial performance probationary period or for any employee whose last performance appraisal was less than satisfactory.
• Will a flexible schedule allow you to satisfy your unit’s operational and customer needs?
• Can you schedule important departmental and unit meetings early in the week so all staff can be present?
• Does the work in your unit flow in a manner that allows some staff to be out every Friday?
• Will your need to provide coverage for functions handled by the employee in his/her absence cause an undue burden on other employees in the unit?
• Can you be reasonably consistent in determining which staff can participate in the pilot program?
• Consider the impact on employees whose positions are not appropriate for flexible work schedules.
• Can you effectively monitor the work of employees that occurs outside your schedule?

Remember, the unique needs of each operating unit will dictate how much flexibility can be provided depending on the nature of the work and individual work assignments. Employees should understand that they may not be eligible to work a flexible schedule due to the business needs of the work unit.  A flexible schedule is not an entitlement. The approval of a flexible work schedule is at the discretion of the supervisor, department head and Vice President.

Advantages of a Flexible Schedule:

Flexible schedules work best when meeting both department/work unit operational needs in providing efficient and effective services and the needs of the full-time and overtime eligible employee in balancing work and personal life. Some benefits of a flexible work schedule may include:

• Enhanced recruitment and retention
• Reduced absences and tardiness
• Improved morale, commitment and productivity resulting from support for personal work style preferences
• Reduced stress through the ability to better balance work and personal responsibilities
• Improved coverage and extended departmental work hours
• Improved scheduling for peak workloads
• Increased cross training due to some shared job duties and coverage adjustments
• Potential for more office space options
• Potential for improved transportation and parking options
• Uninterrupted time for creative, repetitive, or highly detailed work
• Expanded use of equipment due to shifts in peak use