Interim Policy: Summer Flexible Work Schedule

As our campus continues to re-imagine the workplace, one of the most important areas to address is flexibility for staff at UNO.

Under a new pilot program, full-time staff will have the opportunity to move to a flexible 40-hour work week schedule, pending individual approvals, effective during the Summer 2022 academic term (May 16 – Aug. 14). Based on feedback received from both the Staff Advisory Council and during the various staff listening sessions, the pilot program has been expanded the to include a variety of flexible options. Such different options include a four-day, 10-hour week or even a four-day, nine-hour days with one four-hour day.

Employees are encouraged to work with their supervisors to be creative on this alternative work scheduling based on an employee’s needs and the needs of respective units. Additionally, Human Resources is available to assist employees and supervisors who have questions or need any assistance on how to implement a flexible work schedule.

Any individuals wishing to participate in the program must discuss it with their unit supervisor prior to completing the Alternative Work Arrangement (AWA) Agreement form. Completed Alternative Work Arrangement Agreement forms are due to Human Resources by Friday, April 1, 2022.

Because the summer months are a very different period of the calendar year and based on the feedback our campus staff have given regarding schedule flexibility, Human Resources, in consultation with the Chancellor's Office, want to continue to explore ways to identify opportunities for flexibility of handling day-to-day responsibilities and enhance overall work-life balance.

This will be a three (3) month pilot. Following this summer term, the campus will solicit feedback from both employees and supervisors, assess outcomes and consider revisions and renewal in future years.

A copy of the interim policy can be found online. Please reach out to unohr@unomaha.edu if you have any questions including working hours, lunch breaks, etc.

Considerations

For any individual or office that would like to make use of this policy, please keep the following in mind:

• All unit supervisors are required to maintain full office hours for their unit (Mon - Friday, 8 A.M. - 5 P.M) and therefore must ensure a staff member approved off work on a given day is not responsible for closing an office or a critical function within an office without a continuity plan for their role.
  
  
• Individuals who have a day during the week in which they will not be working as part of an approved AWA are required to provide specific instructions, in consultation with their direct supervisor, as to who will cover critical job functions on such “off” days during normal business hours. On these days, an automatic email reply notifications or some other means of communicating who will be taking on these duties should be made accordingly.
  
  
• No additional compensation will be made available to others in an office team covering for an “off duty” team member.
  
  
• If an individual wants to change the day they are "off" they are not required to resubmit an AWA Agreement. Instead, they should seek and get approval through their direct supervisor and unit director.
  
  
• Vacation accruals are unaffected by the 4-10’s policy. Staff who are sick or ill during a pre-scheduled “off” day are not able to ‘bank’ an “off” day for another day of the week.