Flexible Work Approach

 

Guiding principles for flexible work and workplace location

Following a pilot year that allowed many university employees to work remotely one day per week, the SLC offers the following guiding principles:

• We are a student-centered institution, focused on the personal attention, development and growth of our students. We must continue to organize our work to meet our goals and to address the needs of our students. As such, when students are on-campus, a majority of faculty and staff should also be on-campus.
• All Xavier campus offices will retain their regular hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. throughout the work week. Given our student focus, however, divisions and departments are expected to set service hours to best accommodate student needs.
• Divisional leaders and supervisors, including our Deans, are best-positioned to make work decisions for their organizations. Given the diversity of work and variety of roles within Xavier’s organization, this divisional and departmental approach will lead to situations where similar positions across campus have different workplace expectations. This is to be expected in an institution with such distinctive roles, and will be managed by leaders with an eye toward flexibility when feasible. Serving our students and meeting the university goals will drive decisions.

The Office of Human Resources partnered with divisional leaders to assign each full-time staff position on Xavier’s campus with one of three designations that will be reviewed each year and included on position descriptions for future searches:

1. Positions that are fully based on campus. These positions may have the opportunity for alternate schedules or compressed work weeks.
2. Positions that have the ability to be hybrid – working on campus and remote.
3. Positions that have the ability to work entirely remote.

Faculty responsibilities will be specified by the Dean through the Department Chair, per the Faculty Handbook (Section III.B).

We understand this approach may not always be possible for all, and therefore, divisional leaders and supervisors reserve the right to require, deny, alter or cease flexible arrangements based on the unit’s business needs, the individual’s work performance or other factors. Divisional leaders and supervisors should still work through needs that might be individual based while also evaluating entire teams. The approval any flexible work arrangements is not a right of an employee and it also does not change the terms and conditions of employment with Xavier.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can an employee combine a hybrid, compressed, and/or alternative options?
Yes, with the approval of their supervisor, as long as the employee is present on campus at least three days a week.

2. The workplace approach options include hybrid, compressed, or alternative schedules, what are those definitions?

1. Hybrid: Employees adjust their work week of working in the office and working remotely no more than two days per week.
2. Compressed: Employees can adjust the traditional five-day workweek of 37.5 hour or 40 into longer hour days. An example is an employee that works four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days.
3. Alternative: Employees who select start and stop times that differ from the institutional office hours. An example is an employee that works 10:00am – 7:00pm to meet personal needs or supporting the needs of our student organizations.

3. If my position is labeled ‘on campus’ does this mean I will not have any flexibility during the year when students are not on campus?
A position that is student facing may still be able to work a flexible schedule depending on your division’s needs. Because the majority of the year the position will be on campus, the positions will be classified as on campus and noted with flexibility when students are not on campus.

4. How do hourly employees report their time?
Employees will maintain current time reporting procedures. For full-time employees, any leave reported must complete the 37.5 or 40 hour week summer schedule.

5. How will shortened weeks due to University Holidays (e.g., Labor Day) affect flexible schedules?
During holiday weeks, or weeks of planned vacation, employees should still plan to work in the office at least 3 days. Example: An employee usually works remotely on Mondays and Wednesday’s if there is a holiday on Monday, the employee can still work remotely on Wednesday but does not take another remote day that week. If the employee is planning a vacation and usually works remotely on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the employee plans to take Thursday and Friday off, then the employee should work in the office Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday that week and turn in vacation time for Thursday and Friday.

6. Are there limits to the time of day that count toward alternative schedules?
The University’s core office hours are 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Individual managers have the flexibility to adjust for earlier start time or later end times based on the department needs.

7. If I am an hourly employee and work a special event, (e.g., Commencement, Manresa) how do I account for my time?
Hourly employees who volunteer for a University event such as Commencement will account for those hours as hours worked on their timesheet. In conjunction with their supervisor’s approval and as the department needs allow, the worker should adjust their scheduled hours that week in order to include the time worked.

8. Are flexible work arrangement forms required for this flexible schedule?
No, these schedules should be managed by the supervisor.

9. How does an employee record their hours if they are working a compressed work week and are absent due to illness or vacation?
For Employees that work a 37.5 or 40 hours traditional work week, required to work 3 days a week onsite and choosing a compressed schedule, please see the following Timesheet and Leave Recording requirements:

• If you are a 37.5 hours per week employee and work a compressed schedule of 4 days, timesheet/leave recording will be 9.5 work hours for 3 days and 9.0 work hours for the fourth day.
• If you are a 40 hours per week employee and work a compressed schedule of 4 days, timesheet/leave recording will be 10 work hours per day.

The same would be true for taking vacation time or FMLA time.

10. Are hourly employees still required to take a one- hour lunch if working a compressed schedule?
Hourly employees are required to take at least a 30 minute lunch break. A lunch break cannot be taken at the beginning or end of a day.

Flexible scheduling options can be made available to all employees in “good” standing, not on a performance improvement plan or who received less than a three on the most recent performance review.