Alternative Work Schedules

Some positions permit alternative work schedules. However, not all requests for alternative work schedules will be granted. Requests for alternative scheduling will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

A staff member may request a change to regularly scheduled hours. Examples of this kind of change might include compressed working hours (40-45 hours in four days per week) or a reduction in FTE. If the period for which the change is requested exceeds two weeks, the staff member must submit an Alternative Work Schedule Request Form and the approval process must include the supervisor, the divisional vice president and the director of human resources. These changes may be long-term in nature but must be reviewed every six months. The college reserves the right, with adequate notice, to rescind the arrangement and require the staff member to return to regularly scheduled hours or previous FTE.

A staff member may request a change to regularly scheduled hours for a short period of time—two weeks or less. A temporary adjustment to the work schedule requires supervisor approval only.

Compensatory Time

A non-exempt staff member has the option for compensatory time within a single pay period. In the event that a staff member works more than forty hours in the first week of a pay period, he or she has the option to be paid at time-and-a-half for the additional hours during the two-week pay period OR he or she may elect compensatory time within the same two-week pay period at a time rate of 1.5 hours for each overtime hour.

All compensatory time or overtime must be approved in writing in advance by the supervisor in consultation with the divisional vice president. A non-exempt staff member choosing to take compensatory time must first have the time off approved by his or her supervisor so it does not interfere with the overall work and efficiency of a particular office.

Discretionary Time

An exempt staff member may not utilize compensatory time, as he or she is considered professional under the Fair Labor Standards Act. An exempt staff member may be eligible for discretionary time off. Discretionary time off is an approved absence that is a mechanism for a supervisor to grant an exempt staff member additional time off in response to extra long hours above and beyond what a professional would be expected to maintain over a period of weeks or months. At Calvin College , exempt staff members are normally expected to work between forty and forty-five hours per week. However, it is expected that an exempt staff member will work as many hours as it takes to fulfill his or her job requirements.

An exempt staff member, under federal regulations, is expected to conduct his or her professional time without keeping hours. There may be times within the work year given a sustained heavy schedule or unusual hours, an exempt staff member may be granted discretionary time off. This discretionary time off may be granted as time off that is immediately available, or it may be awarded as additional vacation. In all cases, discretionary time off must be approved in writing by the supervisor, vice president, and the director of human resources and must be recorded as time away from work.