Policy
In an effort to provide greater work schedule flexibility for Administrative, Professional, and Support Staff, the College will grant regular non-faculty employees the opportunity to have an alternate work schedule during the summer months. The specific dates on which the program is in effect will be determined by the president. Department heads have the flexibility to begin and end the program for their unit at any time during this period dependent upon such factors as workload, etc. Department heads will be responsible for scheduling work hours and providing the appropriate documentation for timekeeping and leave reporting pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Tennessee Board of Regents policies and guidelines, and Volunteer State Community College policies.
Definition
Summer work schedule allows employees to work hours that are not within the standard 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. range, while maintaining a high level of service to students, faculty, staff, and the public. It also allows employees to work the minimum of 37.5 hours per week in a four-day schedule.
All full-time employees of the College shall work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week. The official workday is 7.5 hours and a one-hour lunch break. The core hours of College operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some departments require irregular schedules or work hours to effectively perform required responsibilities.
Summer work schedule will result in a change in the daily regular working hours from the normal 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Supervisors must ensure that services are maintained during peak work hours.
Guidelines
The following guidelines will be used to administer the program:
Alternate work schedules will be available for a period during the summer months as designated by the president.
While the college will maintain its five days per week normal operating schedule and summer hours, individual employees will be afforded the following 37.5 hours per-week-work schedule options:
- A regular 37.5-hour work week, five days per week at 7.5 hours per day.
- A 37.5-hour work week in four days with three 9.5-hour days and one 9.0-hour day
- A 37.5-hour work week in five days with four 8.5-hour days and one 3.5-hour day is worked.
- Should an exempt employee work either of the summer work schedules and work the fifth day or the last half of the fifth day during the week the employee may bank the hours worked on the fifth day. The banking of hours and the use of them must be approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor. Any banked hours must be used by the employee during the summer by a date designated by the president.
- Should a non-exempt employee work more than 37.5 hours per week compensatory time off will accrue under our normal comp-time policy.
- During weeks with a holiday all employees will work four 7.5-hour days and will be off on the holiday. Summer work schedules will not be in effect during those weeks.
- Employees working the alternate four-day work schedule as described in number two above will be granted 20-minute breaks instead of the normal 15 minutes.
In order to schedule coverage for functions/offices it may not be possible for every employee to work a summer work schedule every week.
Your office is expected to be open for business as you would normally be during the summer months. Under the alternate summer work schedule the office may be closed for regular business before or after normal operating hours. For example, if the business office is normally from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and there are employees on an alternate summer work schedule working until 6:30 p.m. they would only be required to be open to serve customers during the 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. period. After 4:30 p.m. they could close the office and use the time to perform other regular tasks.
Employees may not skip the lunch hour and leave one hour early.
Excluding overtime hours, employees are required to either work or account for, by leave or other means 37.5 hours per week. For non-exempt employees, overtime hours will be approved and compensated in accordance with the regular overtime and compensatory time policy.
An employee working a summer work schedule above 7.5 hours in a normal workday and is absent from work will be charged the number of hours scheduled to work that day. For leave purposes, for example, if an employee is scheduled to work 9.5 hours on a specific day and is out sick; they would charged 9.5 hours of sick leave. Please note, an employee’s accrual rate for annual and sick leave hours per month will not be adjusted based on their alternate work schedule.
Employees desiring to work a summer work schedule must submit a request for a work schedule change form to their department head. All offices must be covered from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Department heads must ensure coverage and have the right to reserve 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedules for specific positions and work areas. Although it is the college’s intent that all employees who wish to participate in the program may do so, employee participation in this program is not guaranteed and is subject to the needs of the department and the College. Supervisors have the responsibility to approve or disapprove (with justification) summer work schedules.
Employees eligible for summer work schedules who do not submit a Request for Work Schedule Change Form for approval will work their regular assigned work schedule.
Department Heads may end the summer work schedule if problems develop with the employee or if operational needs require a change.
When the alternate work schedule ends or changes, proper notification to the Human Resources Office will be given from the department head indicating when the adjustment period was completed. A new form will be required to establish a different schedule other than 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A copy of the completed request for work schedule change form will be provided to the employee, copy to the department's files, and original filed in the Payroll Services Office.
Personnel actions or disagreements resulting from this program are not subject to the Complaint or Grievance Procedure.
Application Procedure
To apply for an alternate work schedule, an employee must complete the request for work scheduled change form (found below) and submit it to his/her immediate department head for approval.
Approval Procedure
To approve an employee's request for a summer work schedule, a supervisor must sign the employee's alternate work schedule form and obtain approval/signature from the appropriate vice president.
A copy of the form must be given to the employee, a copy maintained by the department head, and the original filed with the Payroll Services Office.
Department heads will be responsible for scheduling work hours and providing the appropriate documentation for timekeeping and leave reporting pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Tennessee Board of Regents policies and guidelines, and College policies and procedures.
Summer work schedule must be approved in advance by the department head and the vice president with documentation on file in the Payroll Services office.
Disapproving or Revoking Procedure
The immediate department head or vice president may limit the privilege of the summer work schedule based on the operational needs of the department.
Summer work schedule is a privilege, and if abused can be ended at the discretion of the department head.
The department head must provide adequate justification for disapproving or revoking a request. The supervisor is required to give the employee a copy of the application, informing him/her of the disapproved/revoked schedule, and then file the original with the Office of Payroll Services.
Resource
Summer Work Schedule Request Form
TBR Sources: 5:01:00:00: TBR Meetings: June 25, 1976; March 4, 1977; June 26, 1981; September 18, 1981; September 30, 1983; September 16, 1988; March 17, 1989; September 21, 1990; December 7, 1990; March 19, 1993; September 20, 1996; December 6, 1996; June 20, 1997; June 29, 2001; March 15, 2002; December 5, 2003; September 24, 2004; March 30, 2007; September 26, 2008; June 19, 2009 to take effect July 1, 2009; June 24, 2010; Revised September 20, 2013. P-020: August 24, 1981 TBR presidents meeting; September 18, 1981 TBR meeting. Revised presidents meetings: July 1, 1984; November 14, 1984; August 16, 1988; November 6, 2002; August 17, 2004 Note: This guideline became effective on January 1, 1982.
VSCC Source: June 7, 2004, President’s Cabinet; December 31, 2008, President; President’s Cabinet; April 18, 2011, President’s Cabinet; June 5, 2017, President’s Cabinet.
