Compressed Summer Schedule & FAQ's

 2019 Compressed Summer Work Schedule 

Time Period:

Monday, June 3rd through Friday, August 30th

Purpose:             

Allow employee(s) and supervisor to establish individual schedules that meet the business needs of each area, while still offering employees the flexibility of a compressed schedule during the summer.

Management Considerations:

  • The Chancellor, each Vice Chancellor, the General Counsel, the Chief Audit Executive, and the Chief Information Officer (senior leaders) are responsible for determining whether a compressed summer work schedule will be offered to employees within their respective areas.
  • Regardless whether a compressed summer work schedule is offered, senior leaders and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that offices are open for business during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm) and may not allow departmental staff to participate in the compressed schedule based on departmental needs.
  • Given the practical need for discussions to occur among and between various System Office areas to accomplish assigned tasks, the three compressed summer work schedules outlined below have been developed to ensure that all staff are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week.  This provides options for employees while also facilitating the conduct of System Office business. 
  • Supervisors are responsible for documenting the compressed summer work schedules agreed to with employees (email between employee and supervisor is acceptable).
  • Supervisors must send a departmental list of who is taking the summer schedule and the option chosen for each employee, to Kimberly in Human Resources at kcantrell@tbr.edu, prior to the start of the schedule.
  • Supervisors have the flexibility to suspend the compressed summer schedule during those weeks when it doesn’t meet the department’s business needs, such as around Board material deadlines, Board meetings, fiscal year end, week of July 4th, etc.
  • A supervisor may suspend or eliminate the compressed schedule opportunity for a particular employee or the entire department if a problem arises related to the alternate schedule. 

Employee Responsibilities:​

  • Use out of office messages for absences, including updating Outlook calendars with scheduled days off. 
  • Ensure deadlines are met and workload is covered, regardless of schedule. 
  • Review related questions and answers on the HR website, including leave usage while on a compressed schedule.

Schedule Options:

Employees and supervisors may choose from one of the following schedules.  Each schedule presumes a 60 minute lunch each day.  An employee must choose one of the schedules below and abide by it.  Unless specifically approved by their supervisor, an employee may not alternate between Schedule 1 and 2 in such a manner as to achieve a four day weekend.  

1. Fixed 4 day schedule - Employee chooses to be off on Friday.  

  • Monday – Wednesday   7:00 am – 5:30 pm, Thursday -7:00 am - 5:00 pm

2. Fixed 4 day schedule - Employee chooses to be off on Monday.

  • Tuesday - Thursday      7:00 am – 5:30 pm, Friday - 7:00 am - 5:00 pm  

3. Fixed 4 ½ day schedule – Employee works 4 full days and a half day on Friday.

  • Monday – Thursday      7:30 am – 5:00 pm or 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, Friday- 8:00 am – 11:30 am

4. Regular Schedule – if an area does not permit compressed summer work schedules or individual employees elect to not participate, then the employee continues to work their normal schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions                                                                                                                                                       

Q1.      What are the effective dates of the compressed schedule?

A1.       Subject to supervisor approval, the opportunity for a compressed schedule is offered June 3rd – August 30th, 2019, with employees and supervisors establishing individual schedules that work with the functional and operating needs of each area.

Q2.      Can I take a different day off, instead of a Monday or Friday?

A2.       For consistency and to allow for the practical needs for discussion to occur among and between various System Office areas to accomplish assigned tasks, the three compressed summer work schedules outlined below have been developed; in addition an employee may continue to work the regular five (5) day schedule.

Schedule Options:

Employees and supervisors may choose from one of the following schedules.  Each schedule presumes a 60 minute lunch each day.

1. Fixed 4 day schedule - Employee chooses to be off on Friday.  

  • Monday – Wednesday         7:00 am – 5:30 pm, Thursday - 7:00  am - 5:00 pm

2. Fixed 4 day schedule - Employee chooses to be off on Monday.

  • Tuesday - Thursday             7:00 am – 5:30 pm, Friday -  7:00 am - 5:00 pm 

3. Fixed 4 ½ day schedule – Employee works 4 full days and a half day on Friday.

  • Monday – Thursday            7:30 am – 5:00 pm or 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, Friday - 8:00 am – 11:30 am

4. Regular Schedule – if an area does not permit compressed summer work schedules or individual employees elect to not participate, then the employee continues to work their normal schedule.

Q3.      Do I have to go to a compressed schedule, even if my supervisor offers it?

A3.       No, an employee may choose to continue to work 5 days per week, 7.5 hours per day.

Q4.      My supervisor and I have agreed upon a schedule, do we need to send it to someone?

A4.       Your supervisor may request you document the agreed upon schedule in writing (i.e. email) and send it to him/her or to someone in the department who is coordinating the schedules for the department.  A departmental list of who is taking the compressed summer schedule and which option they have chosen must be sent to Kimberly in Human Resources at kcantrell@tbr.edu prior to the start of the schedule.

Q5.      If I am on the compressed schedule and request an annual leave day, how many hours of annual leave do I record? 

A5.       If you are an exempt employee and the day you are requesting annual leave you are scheduled to work 9.5 hours that is the amount of leave you will need to record.

If you are a non-exempt (hourly) employee and the day you are requesting annual leave you are scheduled to work 9.5 hours, you will record that amount of annual leave, unless you have worked extra hours on another day that same work week.  If you have worked extra time that same work week, the amount of annual leave taken is reduced by the amount of extra time worked.

Example: Employee works 10 hours on Monday, 9.5 hours on Tuesday, and 9.5 hours on Wednesday and has Thursday off as annual leave.  The employee records 8.5 hours of annual leave for Thursday. NOTE:  Thursday would have normally been a 9 hour day for this employee. 

Q6.      Do I have to do the compressed schedule all summer, or can it change based on personal or departmental needs?

A6.       Like any variances in an employee’s schedule, the compressed work schedule is established and agreed upon with the employee’s supervisor. Any variations to the agreed upon schedule require supervisor approval.  It is not necessary to participate in the compressed schedule for the entire summer, or at all.  Additionally, based on functional and operating needs of the department, the supervisor may not be able to approve the compressed schedule for the entire summer.  

Q7.      If I am working a compressed schedule during a holiday week, how many hours of holiday do I receive?

A7.       You will receive holiday hours equivalent to the number of hours normally scheduled to work that day, if it were not a holiday.

Example:  Employee is on the Monday - Thursday compressed schedule the week of July 4 – July 8.  Independence Day is celebrated Monday, July 4 as a holiday.  The employee would normally work 9.5 hours on this day, therefore the employee receives 9.5 hours of holiday leave.   Alternatively, the supervisor or employee may request the employee work a normal schedule for that week.

Q8.      Will my leave accrual change if I go on the compressed schedule?

A8.       No, there is no change in your leave accrual for working a compressed summer schedule.

Q9.      Can my supervisor suspend the compressed schedule, after having approved it?

A9.       Supervisors have the flexibility to suspend the compressed summer schedule during those weeks when it doesn’t meet the department’s business needs, such as around Board material deadlines, Board meetings, fiscal year end, July 4th, etc.

Q10.    Are there additional employee responsibilities or parameters if I participate in a compressed schedule?

A10.     In addition to your normal job responsibilities you also need to:    

  • Agree to a schedule with your supervisor;
  • Use out of office messages for absences;
  • Record your days off on your Outlook Calendar;
  • Ensure deadlines are met and workload is covered, regardless of your schedule;
  • Review related questions and answers on the HR website, including leave usage while on a compressed schedule.