The Division of Research at Binghamton University recognizes the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between work and home life. In order to meet the challenges faced working toward that balance, and to respond to the input received from staff, the division has implemented a flexible work scheduling option. This flextime option is available to employees, provided that such schedules are mutually beneficial and continue to satisfy the needs and objectives of the office of the employee and the Division of Research.
Divisional senior management considers employee retention, morale and well-being paramount objectives for a vibrant, collaborative and collegial work place. We hope implementation of this program will help us achieve these objectives.
Definition
The Division of Research core hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During that time, offices are to be staffed and fully operational in order to properly and promptly serve their customers. During the summer and winter sessions, divisional offices may take advantage of the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours if operations allow. Flextime is a work schedule that allows employees to work hours that are not within the standard 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. range, while maintaining a high level of service and continuing to work the equivalent of their regular work day/week.
Eligibility
Full-time Research Foundation and state employees are eligible to request review for flextime in order to meet their home life needs. Because services within the division vary, not every employee will be able to work flextime schedules. Therefore, supervisors will have to carefully examine flextime schedules that their employees request to ensure coverage during University core hours. Some departments must adhere to the terms and conditions of external sponsors or strict regulatory guidelines that do not support flexible work scheduling. Nothing in this policy shall supersede those obligations.
Guidelines
1. A flextime work schedule will be a consistent, approved daily schedule for an individual
employee with established starting, ending, and lunch times that remain the same week
after week.
2. Lunches cannot be eliminated from the daily flextime work schedule, but can be
reduced to a half hour.
3. Regardless of the flextime schedule, full-time employees are required to work five
days a week and the equivalent of their regular work day/week. FLSA exempt employees
may at times be required to work in addition to this.
4. Approval of a flextime arrangement is on a case-by-case basis and will be approved
or denied based on staffing needs, the employee’s job duties, and the employee’s work
record.
5. Due to the special research requirements involving live vertebrates, Laboratory
Animal Resources will continue to offer flextime on an individual basis per supervisor’s
approval.
6. Flextime schedules must be approved in writing and incorporated into the individual’s
performance program.
7. The granting of flextime will not result in a change in the core hours of operation,
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each unit will be responsible for ensuring that all services of
the department are available to internal and external customers during core hours
and that the efficiency and effectiveness of the operation will not be interrupted.
8. Approved flextime schedules will be implemented on a trial basis to provide an
opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the arrangement. The trial period will
continue for up to six months after initial approval. At six-month intervals thereafter,
continuation of the flextime schedule will require a review and approval by the employee's
supervisor.
9. As a best practice, employees should post, or otherwise make known, their flextime
work schedule (with indicated time of lunch period) for operational and customer service
reasons.
