Flexible Working Hours

Introduction

1. The Flexible Working Hours Policy allows employees of a particular category, within certain prescribed limitations, to choose the starting and finishing times most convenient to themselves, subject at all times to the needs of the department.

Eligibility

2. This policy applies to all Executive Assistants and Senior Executive Assistants in the University.

Definitions

3. Flexible Working Hours Starting and finishing times are left to the choice of the individual employee subject to certain prescribed fixed hours known as ‘Core Times’ when all employees must be present unless on approved leave

4. Core Time The period of mandatory attendance at work for all staff except those on approved leave – a core of “fixed” working hours

5. Fixed Working Hours Fixed starting and finishing times with fixed lunch intervals

6. Contracted Hours The number of hours of attendance at work in order to fulfil the daily or weekly contract of employment.

7. Bandwidth The period of time between the earliest permitted starting time of work and the latest permitted finishing time

8. Flexible Time Time within the Bandwidth other than Core Time

9. Recorded Hours The number of hours an employee is in attendance and for which an approved record, either manual or mechanical, has been kept.

10. Credits These occur when an employee’s recorded hours exceed contracted hours at a given point in time.

11. Debits These occur whenever an employee’s recorded hours are less than contracted hours at a given point in time

12. Settlement Period The period during which recorded hours are accounted for in a system of flexible working hours. It is desirable that at the end of this period the employee’s recorded hours should be approximately equal to the contracted hours for the same period (subject to any carry-over debits or credits allowed)

13. Carry Over Balance The number of debit or credit hours which an employee is allowed to carry forward from one settlement period to the next.

Guidelines

14. The present standard contracted working week for Clerical/Secretarial and Administrative staff is as follows:-

For staff employed before 7th January 2014:

• Monday: 9.00am – 5.10pm Tuesday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm Lunch break - 1 hour (daily)
• Daily - 7 hours 2 minutes (7.034 for meter users)
• Weekly - 35 hours 10 minutes (35.17 for meter users)
• The total of contracted hours in a 4-week Settlement Period will be 140 hours 40 minutes (140.68 for meter users)

For new staff employed or existing staff appointed to a new role at a different grade after 7th January 2014:

• Monday – Thursday: 9.00am – 5.30pm Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm Lunch break - 1 hour (daily)
• Daily - 7 hours 24 minutes (7.4 for meter users)
• Weekly - 37 hours
• The total of contracted hours in a 4-week Settlement Period will be 148 hours.

15. Core Time is from 10 – 12.30 and 14.30 – 16.30 hours. Attendance between these times is mandatory.

16. Bandwidth will be 8.30 – 18.30 hours.

17. Therefore, Flexible Time will be between 8.30 and 10.00 and between 16.30 and 18.30 hours. Attendance outside these hours will not be recorded by the meter.

18. Flexible lunch time will be 12.30 to 14.30 hours with a minimum lunch break of half an hour.

19. An employee may accumulate up to a maximum of 10 hours 33 minutes (10.55 for meter users) credit (= 1.5 days) in a settlement period which can be carried forward to the next period.

20. Credits in excess of this amount cannot be carried forward and recurring debits will be discouraged

21. The demands of the service must be the paramount consideration, for which the scheme must be revised at any time if its efficiency is impaired.

22. Staff are reminded that absence during Core Time must be regarded as exceptional and can only be allowed with special permission of the Department Head.

23. The actual staffing of the offices concerned will be arranged by office supervisors in consultation with other staff involved.

Procedures

24. The hours worked by an employee will be noted by the Supervisor and transferred by each staff member to a Record of Flexible Working Hours. This sheet will show adjustments due to leave, sick or other absences leaving a balance (credit or debit) to be carried forward to the next period.

25. Annual leave, sick leave or other authorised absences will be credited at the contracted daily hours, viz. 7 hours 2 minutes per day. (7.034 for meter users) or 7 hours 24 minutes (7.4 for meter users) for any one week. Flexleave taken must not be credited on the summary sheet as this would amount to double counting.

26. Completed summary sheets should be submitted to the office administrator at the end of the period.

27. Two days or 4 half days may be taken in a settlement period, if credits justify it. Flex leave should be requested in the usual way, by submitting a leave form which should be signed by the Head of Department or his nominee. Unlike other leave, Flex leave should not be credited on the summary sheets.

28. Record of Flexible Working Hours and Flexleave applications should be kept at department level.

 Flexible Working Hours 2019

Manual Record of Flexible Working Hours