Carnegie Mellon University

Flexible Working Hours for Carnegie Mellon University Staff 

POLICY TITLE: Policy on Flexible Working Hours for Carnegie Mellon University Staff (Flex Time)
DATE OF ISSUANCE: This policy was originally issued to campus on May 15, 1986 as Organizational Announcement #306-A, Policy on Flexible Working Hours for CMU Staff.
ACCOUNTABLE DEPARTMENT/UNIT: Office of the Vice President for Operations. Questions on policy content should be directed to the associate vice president for Human Resources, 412-268-3785.
ABSTRACT: Describes alternative working schedules for university employees.
RELATED INFORMATION: Human Resources Representatives

Statement

The policy on flexible work schedules is intended to respond to the needs of full-time staff members for whom the 8:30-to-5:00 schedule is not ideal. Some of the reasons that an individual may wish to work an alternative schedule include:

  1. participating in car pooling arrangements,
  2. arranging for child care,
  3. avoiding traffic congestion problems,
  4. coordinating schedules with a working spouse,
  5. coordinating work schedule with a limited bus schedule,
  6. seeking faster access to Carnegie Mellon central computing facilities in non-peak hours.

Policy

Within the guidelines described in this announcement, it is university policy to provide all Carnegie Mellon full-time staff members the opportunity to request the hours of work that consistently suit their individual needs. However, it is recognized that it will not be possible to accommodate all such requests for alternative schedules.

The university is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and it is expected that all offices will be open during regular university hours.

Guidelines

  1. Under flexible working hours, daily hours totaling 7.5 per day, 5 days per week, may be selected during the time 7:30 a.m. through 6:30 p.m.
  2. Some departments may be unable to offer flexible hours for some positions and/or during certain times of the year.
  3. A fixed schedule should be selected for a period of time at least three months in duration.
  4. Lunch time must be scheduled for a minimum of 1/2 hour.
  5. A request for an alternative schedule (i.e., other than 8:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. with one hour lunch) must be discussed and confirmed in writing with an individual's supervisor and/or the faculty member(s) and others who are directly affected by the individual's work.
  6. The individual selecting an alternative schedule must see that at least one other person is available to handle issues that arise during his or her absence.
  7. Hours actually worked must be recorded on each non-exempt employee's Attendance/Exception Hours Report Form.
  8. Staff members in their first six months in a new job may expect to be asked to work the standard 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule to assure appropriate training and interaction with others in the department.
  9. Flexible working hours are not available to bargaining unit employees unless it is so stated in the governing labor agreement.

Examples of alternative schedules are given on the attached diagram [PDF].

Questions About Flexible Working Hours

If you have questions or comments about the implementation of flexible working hours, you can contact your Human Resources representative.