Four-day work week to return for summer
As announced by President John Peters in response to the continuing condition of the state budget and higher education funding, NIU again will implement a four-day work week for the DeKalb campus during the summer of 2004.
The four-day work week schedule will begin Monday, June 7, and extend through Friday, Aug. 6. The regular five-day schedule will resume as of Monday, Aug. 9.
The operational savings generated from last year’s summer work schedule were sufficient to assist in the funding of significant priorities. However, collapsing the normal five-day schedule of university operations into a four-day summer work week results in substantially longer and more concentrated daily operations.
“We appreciate the dedication of the campus community and staff in adapting to and accepting the inherent hardships of the summer work schedule,” said Steve Cunningham, associate vice president for enterprise planning and human resources. “The president has made this decision following extensive consultation with the leadership of the employee councils, and is confident that the campus is prepared to again proceed with the four-day schedule.”
During the Monday through Thursday work week, university offices will be open from 7:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. each day. All university offices will be closed on Friday with limited exceptions related to essential service functions and other events/functions that might be scheduled at the university during the summer time frame.
The general lunch period is from noon until 12:40 p.m. Individual lunch breaks may vary depending on employee schedules. Supervisors may approve alternative lunch periods depending upon employee and operational needs. Hourly employees may not forego a lunch period for purposes of late arrival or early departure.
As indicated above, this summer work week schedule is being implemented with the general concurrence of staff councils and the university community.
As a result, consistent with commitments made to employee councils and the shared response provided by all members of the university community, university supervisors are asked to allow as much flexibility as possible with respect to employee schedules. However, individual supervisors also will be responsible for ensuring that university offices remain open during the required hours of operation and that the business needs of the university are met. The divisional vice presidents will monitor implementation of summer work schedule options within their respective areas of administration.
The four-day summer schedule applies to the DeKalb campus and will include non-negotiated civil service exempt and non-exempt personnel, supportive professional staff, and 12-month administrative faculty who normally work the regular five-day week.
Negotiated employees will be subject to provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements. The four-day schedule and overtime provisions pertain to the standard 37.5-hour work week. Related provisions shall be prorated for employees whose normal work schedules exceed the standard 37.5-hour work week. It is understood that certain operations cannot precisely conform to this schedule and designated employees therein will continue on regular or specifically amended schedules. Seven-day, 24-hour operations, such as Public Safety, will remain on current schedules.
To provide employees with additional flexibility during the extended four-day working schedule, and subject to operational needs and supervisory approval, employees may adjust the starting and ending times of their daily schedules within a 7 a.m. through 6 p.m. schedule. Supervisors are encouraged to provide employees with as much additional flexibility as possible for this purpose. If an employee cannot adapt to the four-day schedule, the employee (with concurrence of the supervisor) may work something less than the 9.4-hour scheduled work day and utilize accumulated vacation time for the remainder of the day or take the time without pay.
Hourly employees are eligible for overtime pay or compensating time off if the employee works more than 9.4 hours in any one day or more than 37.5 hours in one work week. Overtime schedules are subject to supervisory approval.
Sick leave and vacation days will be earned and used on the basis of 9.4 hours per day. Exempt civil service and supportive professional staff employees will claim 1.25 days while hourly employees will claim 9.4 hours for each sick day used.
With an awareness that employees will lose 30 minutes of rest period time while working a full schedule during four days instead of five days per week, supervisors may adjust employees’ rest periods on a daily basis to allow for the additional 30 minutes. The rest period must be preceded and followed by a substantial work period. Rest periods may not be taken as late arrivals, early departures or extended lunch periods.
Monday, July 5, is a scheduled holiday. During this week the four-day schedule will continue to be recognized with Tuesday, July 6, through Thursday, July 8, remaining as the 9.4-hour summer work day schedule.
To facilitate implementation of the four-day summer schedule, applicable provisions of university policies pertaining to scheduled hours and overtime are amended as outlined above during the four-day summer work schedule time frame.
Subject to the availability of funding and pursuant to policies established in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, colleges may authorize summer teaching appointments contingent upon the attainment of sufficient enrollment limitations for each course.
Consequently, the majority of offering letters and summer appointments can be issued when the respective course(s) has been filled.
Summer appointments for currently employed temporary and regular Faculty/SPS will be processed by means of the “Additional Pay Authorization” form. Summer appointments for other new regular or temporary faculty employees must be processed by using the Personnel Action Form and assignment to an authorized position.
Temporary employee offering letters concerning summer teaching appointments should also be provided outlining the specific assignments. Any such correspondence issued in advance of the deadline for course cancellation should contain the following statement:
“Should your course(s) fail to enroll the minimum number of students as determined by the college, the course(s) may be canceled. In the event of a course cancellation this contract may be voided or (in the case of multiple course assignments) reduced proportionally by the number of courses canceled. The decision to cancel a course beginning in (May) (June) (July or August) shall be made no later than (April 28, 2004) (May 26, 2004) (June 28, 2004).”
All paperwork for summer teaching appointments for faculty/instructors funded in whole or part by the Office of the Provost should be forwarded through the Office of the Provost for signature to the appropriate Human Resource Officers in Contracts, Records and Reports for verification and processing. Be sure to allow sufficient time for the Office of the Provost approval to meet HRS timelines.
The course cancellation deadlines specified above will provide sufficient time for cancellation of paperwork for faculty members who have agreed to teach courses during the months of May through August which fail to fill. The majority of paperwork related to teaching appointments for the regular eight-week summer session appointments beginning June 16 should be forwarded to the appropriate personnel officer by June 8.
Processing deadlines in Human Resource Services pertaining to summer session appointments are as follows:
- May 7 – deadline for summer session appointments beginning during the month of May (Intersession).
- June 8 – deadline for summer session appointments beginning June 16.
- June 23 – deadline for summer session appointments beginning July 1.
- July 8 – deadline for summer session appointments beginning July 16.
Referencing the payroll deadlines specified above, the cancellation date for the regular summer eight-week session is June 15. Prompt notification to Contracts, Records and Reports will avoid the issuance of overpayments in cases where any course cancellations occur following the paperwork processing deadline dates.
The payment distribution and payroll schedules for the 2004 summer session will be as follows:
Summer Session Appointments – June 16 through Aug. 15
June: 1/2 month(s) salary/stipend (payable June 30)
July: full month(s) salary/stipend (payable semi-monthly July 15 and July 31)
August: 1/2 month(s) salary/stipend (payable Aug. 15)
First half of Summer Session Appointments – June 16 through July 15
June: 1/2 month(s) salary/stipend (payable June 30)
July: 1/2 month(s) salary/stipend (payable July 15)
Second half of Summer Session Appointments – July 16 through Aug. 15
July: 1/2 month(s) salary/stipend (payable July 31)
August: 1/2 month(s) salary/stipend (payable Aug. 15)
Direct any questions regarding the paperwork processing deadlines or payroll schedules specified above to the Contracts, Records and Reports Department. Direct any questions concerning summer session appointment authorizations to the Office of the Provost at 753-0495.
5-3-04
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