HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 480-11 y
RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of Rochester that the City adopt a
personnel policy regarding Flexible Work Arrangements. A copy of the policy is attached.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, THIS 17.,14 DA 2011.
RESIDENT OF SAID COMMON COUNCIL
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
APPROVED THIS 18t�) DAY OF , 2011.
• MAYOR OF SAID CITY
(Seal of the City of
Rochester,Minnesota)
Resl Mdopt.Pars PoNcyllexWork
•
CITY OF ROCHESTER ,
ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY
• FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS
Purpose
The increasing workplace demands along with diverse workforce demographics provide the op-
portunity to promote a healthy work-life balance while improving the City's ability to meet its
mission and business needs. Flexible work arrangements may assist a department in recruit-
ment efforts and promote employee retention and engagement. Participation in a flexible work
arrangement is provided in an effort to afford employees the opportunity to better balance com-
peting demands on their time both personally and professionally.
Policy Statement
Department heads and supervisors may approve and implement flexible work arrangements in-
stead of a traditional fixed work schedules (e.g., 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week).
Flexible work schedules are agreed upon work hours that differ from the standard practice.
They are options enabling employees to continue to meet the business needs of the City of
Rochester while allowing the opportunity to complete work in a flexible manner.
Management retains the right to approve or deny a flexible work arrangement request, or re-
scind any existing flexible work arrangement held by an employee. The establishment or dis-
continuance of a flexible work arrangement is not subject to any grievance procedure. Such ar-
rangements are to be considered a privilege of employment and not a guaranteed right of em-
ployment. Department Heads and Supervisors are encouraged to periodically review the effec-
tiveness of any approved flexible arrangements.
This policy will provide the parameters for flexible work arrangements and is not intended to su-
persede any applicable provisions of collective bargaining agreements that address specific
work hours/schedules.
Definitions
Below are the categories of flexible work arrangements covered by this policy:
Flextime: Modification in the start and end times of the work day, often with required set core
hours for full-time employees such as 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM with an established pattern of work
hours. Department heads may adjust these standard core hours dependent on the needs of the
department and customers served.
Compressed workweek: compression of full-time job responsibilities into fewer than five days
per week (i.e. working four ten-hour days, working four nine-hour days and one four-hour day or
exempt staff may be eligible for a 9/80 schedule which involves working nine nine-hour days
with a set day off every other week.)
• Job sharing: Two employees on reduced schedules and workload share overlapping responsi-
bilities of a full-time position, with a corresponding reduction in pay and an adjustment (or elimi-
nation) of benefits for each.
CITY OF ROCHESTER ,
ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY
Occasional flexibility: Flexibility that is not regularly scheduled but is used occasionally (i.e. time
• off taken in small increments with the ability to make it up in the same pay period, shifting start
and end times because of an appointment or event, working from home for a few hours).
Phased retirement: The City may choose to offer a Phased Retirement option to eligible mem-
bers of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) Coordinated plan. These em-
ployees may receive their pension without separating from employment providing they meet the
Phased Retirement work program requirements established by PERA. For more information on
this program, visit this website www.mnpera.org.
If desired, departments may implement flexible work arrangements only for certain periods or
seasons of the year. Generally, there are two reasons for seasonal flexible schedules:
• The department's mission and functions are seasonal in nature; or
• The department determines that, though flexible work arrangements for the entire year
would not be feasible, it would be possible from the perspective of the department's mis-
sion, and of substantial benefit to its employees, to implement such a schedule for a certain
period(s) of the year.
Procedure
Requirements and Eligibility: All full-time employees, with acceptable work attendance, job per-
formance and who are in a non-probationary status, are eligible to request one of the flexible
• work arrangements noted above. There may be instances, however, in which certain flexible
schedules may not be appropriate for employees.
Exempt employees: standard work hours are generally 40 hours per week with the expectation
of working additional hours as may be required to fulfill job responsibilities and/or performance
outcomes. Working a flexible work schedule does not change these expectations.
Application: Employees interested in requesting flexible work arrangements must submit written
documentation to their supervisor, along with a completed Flexible Work Arrangement Request
form, describing in detail how they would perform the work required of the position for the dura-
tion of the proposal. The employee proposal must include: the reason for the request; describe
how their current job responsibilities will be met under the proposed arrangement; and potential
challenges/effects of proposed arrangement (impact on team, customers and job outcomes).
A meeting will be held between the supervisor and the employee to discuss the criteria of the
proposal and determine if the flexible work arrangement is feasible within the confines of the
department's business requirements. Employees granted a flexible schedule must agree to be
flexible and willing to make any necessary changes to ensure the success of this schedule.
Prior to approving a flexible work arrangement, a supervisor shall review applicable labor
agreements, Civil Service Commission rules and other applicable guidelines, practices and poli-
cies to ensure program eligibility. The following considerations should also be evaluated:
• 1. Employee: Length of employment and level of job performance (ability to perform with lim-
ited supervision, the ability to deliver desired outcomes, ability to maintain key relationships
and promote open communication).
' CITY OF ROCHESTER
ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY
2. Job Function: Whether the job responsibilities can be effectively performed with the pro-
posed work schedule adjustments.
3. Work Environment: Ensure ongoing normal business operations and functions of the de-
partment; service provided to the general public or other departmental staff will not be im-
paired. Review the staffing schedule and identify previously approved flexible schedules
currently used by other employees.
4. The proposed schedule will not create the need for additional overtime, increase operating
expenses, the need for additional staffing resources, or any other operational challenges.
Further, it will not require other employees to fill in or do tasks that are the responsibility of
the employee requesting a flexible work arrangement.
If a situation occurs where two employees in the same department request work flexibilities that
would conflict with each other, the supervisor may approve a flexible work arrangement for the
employees on a fair, rotating basis.
If the proposal is approved by the supervisor, it will then be forwarded to Human Resource Di-
rector for personnel file documentation.
Flexible work arrangements do not alter the basic terms and conditions of employment.
When a paid holiday occurs, full-time employees working an approved flexible work schedule or
compressed work week shall receive no more than the amount of holiday pay that they would
• have received under the normal work schedule:
• If a holiday occurs on an employee's scheduled work day, the employee will take the day off
and mark their time cards reporting the number of hours taken off.
• If the scheduled work day is longer than 8 hours, the employees shall mark their timecards
reporting 8 hours of holiday time and the remaining number of hours in their scheduled work
day as leave time off (i.e. vacation or banked compensatory time) or the employee may work
the excess time above 8 hours for that workday sometime within the same pay period as that
of the holiday.
• If the scheduled work day is shorter than 8 hours, the employee will mark their timecards re-
porting 8 as holiday time off. The workweek will be adjusted so the total hours of work, holi-
day and other leave does not exceed 40 hours or the normal scheduled workweek.
• If the holiday occurs on an employee's scheduled day off, the employee will accrue 8 hours
of holiday time to be used within that same time period.
Non-exempt employees shall receive pre-approval from their supervisor before working any
overtime hours.
• Created 10/11
' CITY OF ROCHESTER ,
ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY
Flexible Work Arrangement Request
• Employee Name: Supervisor Name:
Job Title: Non-exempt: Exempt:
Department: Date Submitted:
Flextime—with core hours, but variable starting and stopping times
Compressed Workweek Schedule
Job Sharing
Other:
Current Schedule,
...
Pro"osed Flexible rWork'Schedule,,.n
Start&Stop times Start&Stop times
Days (including unpaid meal break) Days (including unpaid meal break)
1n week 2^d week
Monday Monday
Tuesday Tuesday
Wednesday Wednesday
Thursday Thursday
Friday Fri ay
Saturday Saturday
Sunday Sunda
Total Hours.
:TotaLHours .. � � '
Please indicate if you are taking a 30 minute or 1 hour meal break by checking the following:
30 Minute Meal 1 Hour Meal —MayVaryDaily
I have read and understand the Flexible Work Arrangement policy and agree to the terms/conditions contained in the policy. I
understand it is my responsibility to make this a success and that my supervisor has the right to discontinue this arrangement
at any time.
Emplo ee Si nature Date
I have reviewed the requested Flexible Work Arrangement proposal with the employee and have determined it is:
_Approved _Denied
If the proposal is denied, identify the business reasons that support the denial and return the proposal to the employee:
Employee Signature Date
Note to Su ervisor. Submit approved forms to the Human Resource Department
•