University of Washington Human Resources

Flexwork policy and process

University policy permits staff employees to have a flexwork arrangement when the employee’s manager (or other designated official) evaluates the flexwork request and approves it.

When evaluating the request, the manager must determine that the employee can effectively perform the job duties of the position while flexworking. The manager must also determine that the flexwork arrangement conforms with applicable regulations, policies, and collective bargaining agreements.

Requests to flexwork as a disability accommodation are handled through a separate process.

What is flexwork?

A flexwork arrangement is a work plan that differs from the standard workweek. A standard workweek consists of five consecutive eight-hour workdays and consistent start and end times for each workday.

Typically, an employee will request a flexwork arrangement, although sometimes it may be a condition of employment.

Managers must carefully evaluate the feasibility of a proposed flexwork arrangement before approving it. The arrangement is intended to benefit the employee without unduly burdening unit operations.

To help ensure that the employee continues working effectively under a flexwork arrangement, managers should develop a telework plan. With a good plan in place, flexwork can benefit the employee, the team, and the University in general. Flexwork often improves job satisfaction by increasing job flexibility. It also helps recruit and retain employees.

Types of flexwork arrangements

There are two general types of flexwork arrangements:

• Alternative work arrangements
• Flexible work arrangements

An alternative work arrangement is defined as a regular, recurring work schedule that falls within the standard workweek and is anything other than five consecutive eight-hour work days — for example, working four consecutive ten-hour workdays during the week.

In a flexible work arrangement, the employee works a consistent number of hours each day. However, the employee’s start and end time vary, within a specified range, around a fixed set of core hours.

For example, for an employee working eight-hour days (plus a lunch hour), the employee is always at work during the core hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The employee’s start and end times, however, vary from day to day. On Monday, the employee might work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while on Tuesday the employee works from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

While there can be combinations of flexible and alternative work arrangements, particularly complex or unusual schedules can pose challenges that the manager should consider before approving the arrangement, especially for overtime eligible employees. Timekeeping and time off tracking can be more complex, as can arranging coverage during absences.

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Manager flexwork evaluation process

Managers make the final decision about an employee’s flexwork request after evaluating its feasibility and should work with the employee to evaluate the proposal. Additionally, assess how the flexwork arrangement affects your role as a manager and the rest of your unit. Identify any potential issues and ways to address those issues.

Determine employee readiness for flexwork

Employee work styles and job duties vary. Some employees or positions may be better suited for a flexwork arrangement than others. When evaluating a flexwork request, managers should consider how well the employee has demonstrated the skills and work habits that lead to a successful flexwork arrangement including the employee’s:

• Overtime eligibility
• Current productivity and past history of success
• Punctuality and ability to adhere to a work schedule and report absences from work
• Ability to accomplish job duties that could be affected by daily or weekly task-specific deadlines
• Remaining probationary or trial period that needs to be completed

Determine team and unit readiness for flexwork

After determining that an employee is likely to succeed in a flexwork arrangement, assess how well the rest of the department or unit will function when an employee begins the flexwork arrangement, including:

• Anticipated benefits to the team
• Anticipated changes to team dynamics
• Backup personnel necessary when the flexwork employee is out
• Effects on team goals and commitments

Ultimately, you need to determine the work configuration that functions best for your team. Each team is different. Some teams are successful with frequent flexwork among team members. Other teams must limit the amount of flexwork. If unsure about what will work best, start with limited flexwork options for a team then make changes after gaining experience.

Consider whether a flexwork arrangement will affect:

• Costs, customer service, safety, and security
• Time and leave record keeping, especially holiday-related leave accounting
• Equipment and technology needs

Respond to the flexwork request

If you approve the flexwork request, your next step is to document the flexwork agreement.

If you’re unsure that the proposed flexwork arrangement can be successful, consider allowing the employee to flexwork on a pilot basis. Designate an initial review period after which you will make a final decision on the arrangement.

If you cannot approve the flexwork request, explain your decision based on both the proposal’s impact on department operations and, if relevant, the employee’s work record in your department.

Document the flexwork agreement

After approving a flexwork request, document the flexwork agreement. The purpose of the flexwork agreement is to ensure that both the manager and the employee have a clear, common understanding of the flexwork arrangement. At a minimum, the agreement should define:

• The work schedule that specifies flexwork days and times
• The duration of the flexwork arrangement
• How the flexwork arrangement may be terminated
• When the employee is required to be in the office

The agreement should state that the arrangement is subject to revision based on departmental work requirements. It should also state that continuation of the flexwork arrangement is contingent upon it working effectively for both the employee and the department.

Once you finalize the agreement, give a copy to the employee and place a copy in the employee’s department file.

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Flexwork examples

The examples below illustrate possible flexwork arrangements for contract covered staff and professional staff employees. The details of each example differ depending on whether the employee is overtime eligible or overtime exempt.

Overtime eligible employees

Alternative work arrangements have different characteristics than flexible work plans.

Alternative work arrangement characteristics:

• A specified total number of hours that the employee is scheduled to work each week based on the position’s percent time
• A regularly repeating weekly work schedule that is anything other than five uniform and consecutive eight hour days in a seven day period (for full time employees)
• A specified work period for each day that the employee is scheduled to work

Flexible work arrangement characteristics:

• A specified total number of hours that the employee is scheduled to work each week based on the position’s percent time
• A specified total number of work hours each work day
• A daily “core work period” during which the employee is expected to be at work
• A variable daily start time that begins within a set period of time
• A variable daily end time that depends on that day’s start time

Example 1: Alternative work plan – overtime eligible employees

Example 2: Alternative work plan – overtime eligible employees

Example 3: Flexible work plan – overtime eligible employees

Example 4: Flexible work plan – overtime eligible employees

Overtime exempt employees

Alternative work arrangements have different characteristics than flexible work plans.

Alternative work arrangement characteristics:

• A minimum average weekly work hour expectation based on the position’s percent time
• A regularly repeating work plan that consists of anything other than five consecutive approximately equal work days
• The employee’s alternative work plan may have to be adjusted as necessary to meet the position’s work requirements

Flexible work arrangement characteristics:

• A minimum weekly work hour expectation based on the position’s percent time
• A daily “core work period” during which the employee is expected to be at work
• A variable daily start time that begins within a set period of time
• A variable daily end time that takes the day’s start time into consideration, however employees are expected to work whatever time is necessary to accomplish work goals
• The employee’s flexible work plan may have to be adjusted as necessary to meet the position’s work requirements

Example 5: Alternative work plan – overtime exempt employees

Example 6: Alternative work plan – overtime exempt employees

Example 7: Flexible work plan – overtime exempt employees

Example 8: Flexible work plan – overtime exempt employees

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Holiday time off record keeping

For a full-time employee, a holiday is worth eight hours. For part-time employees, the holiday hour value is prorated based on the employee’s percent of full time.

If a holiday falls on a day the employee is scheduled to work fewer hours than the value of the holiday, the employee receives holiday credit for the difference. This results in holiday credit hours that the employee can arrange to take off at a later date.

If a holiday falls on a day that the employee is scheduled to work more hours than the value of the holiday, the employee will “owe” the University the difference in time between the hour value of the holiday and the hours the employee was scheduled to work. The following table provides examples of these holiday time keeping considerations.

All contract covered, classified, and professional staff

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