USA Operations Centers Compressed Workweek May 2017

State/Area Exceptions

As this policy is reviewed, please note the following State/area for which exceptions exist:

California

Specific details on each exception may be found within the General Information section of this text.

Overview

A Compressed Workweek is a scheduling alternative that allows you to work the equivalent of a five-day workweek in less than five days or the equivalent of a two-week period in less than ten days. The most common schedules are the 4 x 10 and the 9/80 (See sample schedules described in this chapter).

Any full-time employee, exempt or non-exempt, may request a compressed workweek schedule. Each request is subject to management approval.  With management approval, employees with supervisory roles may work a compressed workweek, but specific arrangements must be made for the supervision of employees on the supervisor's day off.

Management may also start a compressed workweek arrangement for a specific job or an entire unit if they think that arrangement is the best way for that job to get done.

In many cases, a compressed workweek is an effective means to support the Company's business strategy of expanding customer service while also providing the employee with a more contemporary work schedule.

General Information

Advantages of compressed workweek

Work hours may be expanded to meet customer needs

Employee retention saves dollars in recruiting and training

Job candidates may be attracted to Joyner

Commitment to the Company may increase when employees participate in flexible work arrangements

Happier employees are more productive

Attendance generally improves since the employee has an opportunity to schedule personal appointments on the "new" day off

Work quality improves for some employees

Personal appointments may be scheduled during the "new" day off rather than squeezed into the lunch hour or after work

Employees may be more engaged when allowed to work a schedule that best suits their individual work style and personal circumstances.

The more flexible schedule may allow employees to pursue personal interests (i.e., community involvement, academic pursuits, etc.)

Requesting a Compressed Workweek Schedule A compressed workweek schedule must be approved by your manager. A sample form is included in the forms section of this policy that you may use to submit a proposal to your manager or you may use a HR Form Request for Compressed Workweek.

Note: California only – see “State Exceptions” below

Keep in mind:

Not everyone has the stamina to work longer hours and maintain productivity. A trial period will help you and your manager evaluate the success of the new arrangement.

Be flexible. If Fridays are a busy day in your department, propose a different day as your scheduled day off or suggest that you rotate the day off.

If you are an exempt employee, realize that you may from time to time be asked to work on your scheduled day off.

The supervisor will discuss with you how holidays will be handled.

Once approved, Workforce Management will update your schedule in the Time Management Tool.

The total hours scheduled to be worked each pay period under the compressed workweek must equal the total hours normally worked for a pay period under a standard (non-compressed) workweek. In most zones, the standard workweek is five days at 8 hours per day for a total of 40 hours each week. Employees who work a compressed work schedule cannot work on their scheduled day off in order to "bank" time-off for future use.

When a non-exempt employee works more than 40 hours per week, the employee is entitled to overtime.

Design Options There are several variations of the compressed workweek. Some of the most common designs are described below. However, employees and management are not limited to only the options described in this chapter. A different compressed workweek schedule should be considered if it better meets the needs of the department.

Four-by-Ten (4 x 10) This schedule refers to a four-day work week. Under a 4 x 10 schedule, the employee may have a three-day weekend (Saturday/Sunday/Monday or Friday/Saturday/Sunday) each week:

Example A:

Example B:

Variations of the 4 x 10

Rotation of day off: One way to vary the 4 x 10 schedule is to rotate the employee's day off. A number of rotation methods may be used, and each rotation method has a different effect on the schedule.

Example C: Rotate the employee's day off, using Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

After the fourth week, the rotation schedule repeats itself, beginning again with week one. Under this method, the employee always has Saturday and Sunday off, and every four weeks, the employee has a four-day weekend.

Example D: Rotate the employee's day off, using Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

After the fifth week, the rotation schedule repeats itself, beginning again with week one. Under this method, the employee always has Saturday and Sunday off, and every fifth week, the employee has a four-day weekend.

Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday assigned day off Another variation of the 4 x 10 is to permanently assign Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday as the employee's day off each week. This gives the employee a two-day weekend each week; with a day off midweek. This option may work well within a unit where Mondays and Fridays are particularly busy days.

Combination 4 x 10 and regular five-day schedule For some employees, the 4 x 10 schedule may be too exhausting on a continuous basis. One solution is to alternate a 4 x 10 arrangement with a "regular" five-day schedule. The result is identical to the 9/80 arrangement (the employee has a three-day weekend every other week) but without the overtime concern.

Example E:

Note: If management determines an employee should revert to a traditional schedule during holidays, employees who work a 4 x 10 need only revert to the traditional schedule for the one week in which the holiday falls and may continue to work the 4 x 10 schedule to remaining week of that pay period.

If the employee does not revert to a traditional schedule and their day off falls on the holiday, the holiday must be reassigned to another day in that pay period.

State Exceptions

California

Due to California daily overtime requirements, non-exempt employees are not eligible to work a compressed workweek schedule.

Employee Actions

Complete request for compressed workweek form detailing the specific schedule desired. A sample form is at the end of this policy under “Resource Tools.”

Submit the form to management

Managerial Actions

What to do when an employee requests a compressed workweek

Evaluate whether the employee can maintain or improve customer service under the compressed workweek arrangement.

Discuss design options with the employee to determine the most appropriate schedule. If the employee is a non-exempt employee, consider a compressed workweek schedule that does not result in overtime. If such a schedule is not a viable option, weigh the cost of the overtime against the advantages of converting the employee to a compressed workweek.

Advise the exempt employee that it may occasionally be necessary for the employee to work on a scheduled day off.

Establish with the employee a time frame for monitoring the success of the new schedule. A trial is strongly recommended.

Verify that the scheduling arrangement meets State Wage/Hour Laws.

Once approved, update the employees schedule template in Time Management Tool for non-exempt employees only. See the Assigning Schedule Templates job aid for additional information.

Human Resources Role

Not Applicable

Resource Tools

Sample Request for Compressed Workweek

Name: _______________________________ Date of Request: _______________________ Job Title: _____________________________ Department: ___________________________ Location: _____________________________ Type of Scheduled Request: 4 x 10 ____ Other ____ Requested Implementation Date: ________________________

Proposed Work Schedule:

Describe how the proposed schedule will sustain or enhance your ability to do your job. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ (Employee Signature)

To be completed by the manager: I support do not support (circle one) this request for the following reasons: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________ (Manager's signature) ____________________________________ (Date)

Request for compressed workweek schedule is _______approved _______denied ___________________________________ (Signature) ___________________________________ (Date)

Manager's checklist of items to discuss with the employee whose request for a compressed workweek schedule is approved:

Holidays will be handled in the following manner: _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

The new schedule will begin on _______________________________ for a trial period of _________ days.

Employees are not allowed to work on their scheduled day off in order to "bank" time-off for future use.

Exempt employees may occasionally be required to work on his or her scheduled day off.