Modified Summer Hours Proposal November 12, 2018 Charge: Per Dr. Matson’s memo on August 2, 2018, “assess the impact and effectiveness of summer hours.” Outcomes were to present survey findings and present a proposal to modify, continue or suspend summer hours by January 11, 2019. Staff Council wanted to deliver the proposal before the holiday break. FINDINGS: Survey disseminated to all staff via email with one week to complete the short survey. Results were gathered August 7, 2018 (see appendix). Roughly 137 employees completed the survey. 77% participated in the modified summer hours initiative 88% found the modified summer hours personally beneficial 68% said the modified summer hours did not interfere with their department’s ability to conduct University business 75% said the modified summer hours did not limit the ability to serve students, faculty, staff or alumni. 87% wanted the modified hours to return next year, with 32% wanting a different structure. Constructive feedback form was available. Among the comments were: o I feel it is unfair that these Summer hours were not consistent across the ENTIRE campus. If the university is going to have Summer hours it should apply to ALL divisions/departments! o The modified hours allowed the time to be available for others after 5pm. Modified hours on Friday provided opportunity to wrap up tasks for the following week and prepare for the following week. o I would like modified summer hours to begin at 7:30 am and end at 5:00 pm Mondays thru Thursdays. o I assume we have a log for the number of students that come into the Welcome center: I suggest you look at the actual number of students that check in and compare to a normal day and see what adjustments can or can not be made with that information. Inform staff of numbers so we are aware of impact.
Transcript
Modified Summer Hours Proposal
November 12, 2018
Charge: Per Dr. Matson’s memo on August 2, 2018, “assess the impact and effectiveness of
summer hours.” Outcomes were to present survey findings and present a proposal to modify,
continue or suspend summer hours by January 11, 2019. Staff Council wanted to deliver the
proposal before the holiday break.
FINDINGS:
Survey disseminated to all staff via email with one week to complete the short survey. Results
were gathered August 7, 2018 (see appendix). Roughly 137 employees completed the survey.
77% participated in the modified summer hours initiative
88% found the modified summer hours personally beneficial
68% said the modified summer hours did not interfere with their department’s ability to
conduct University business
75% said the modified summer hours did not limit the ability to serve students, faculty,
staff or alumni.
87% wanted the modified hours to return next year, with 32% wanting a different
structure.
Constructive feedback form was available. Among the comments were:
o I feel it is unfair that these Summer hours were not consistent across the ENTIRE
campus. If the university is going to have Summer hours it should apply to ALL
divisions/departments!
o The modified hours allowed the time to be available for others after 5pm. Modified
hours on Friday provided opportunity to wrap up tasks for the following week and
prepare for the following week.
o I would like modified summer hours to begin at 7:30 am and end at 5:00 pm
Mondays thru Thursdays.
o I assume we have a log for the number of students that come into the Welcome
center: I suggest you look at the actual number of students that check in and
compare to a normal day and see what adjustments can or can not be made with
that information. Inform staff of numbers so we are aware of impact.
o Key people were missing while I was at work. I feel insulted, penalized, and
marginalized - I work just as hard as those who do not serve students, maybe even
harder, and I can't participate. What the hell is that? What savings was even
made? That's why the Alamo Colleges do it. Total shut-down.
o At first, I didn't think I would want the modified schedule, but it was nice to have
more free time.
o I feel the summer hours were beneficial to the department and myself. It seemed as
though we were more productive and thoughtful of others time.
o Would like a modified schedule with Friday's off. It would be easier to rotate
schedules with multiple employees on a whole day Friday.
o I am a student worker for ITS Helpdesk and did not get Summer hours. I can
however see these hours benefiting the Helpdesk more as we are short workers to
man the front desk and phones.
o Our Department/Office only did the Summer Hours for 5 weeks and it was great
everyone seemed much happier and was happy to come back to work on Monday.
However now we are back to our normal hours and plan on staying that way.
o A question missing from this survey is..Did the modified summer hours interfere
with accomplishing business with other departmental offices?..and my answer is
absolutely yes. Several offices were completely closed on Friday afternoons and
this hindered my ability to complete necessary tasks/work.
o I could definitely see a positive difference in the office morale because of the
summer schedule. Thank you.
o If we advertise in advance, we should be able to close the University at noon on
Fridays so all departments can participate, and not leave a staff member behind to
monitor the office. We could also look to being open till 7pm Mon - Thursday with
a noon closing on Fridays.
We did receive appointment usage reports and attendance reports from the University
Library and Welcome Center (see appendix). Although there was considerable use on
Fridays, it was the lowest of the week and dropped towards the end of the day.
We also consulted with Alamo Colleges to determine their modified summer schedule
methods. See appendix.
The conclusions from these findings by Staff Council were:
o Staff wanted the modified summer hours to return, even if slightly altered
o Staff want it to be consistent across all departments as this hurt morale
o Communication rollout needs to be early and effective
PROPOSAL:
Staff Council recommends the following language and schedule for the modified summer
hours:
“For eleven consecutive Fridays beginning May 24 and concluding on August 2, all
University departments except for essential services as identified by University
administration will have a modified schedule of Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 5:30
p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. until noon. All departments will be considered closed at noon
during these Fridays unless otherwise noted at the following web page:
www.tamusa.edu/summer-hours”
As stated, all University departments will be considered closed at noon on Fridays. This
will eliminate the negative feelings regarding which departments are open and which are
not.
Only essential services deemed by University administration will be open (UPD, ITS,
University Library).
If employees need to stay later on Fridays to make up hours or complete assignments, they
can do so with supervisor approval and would operate in a similar manner as if staying
late or coming in early during regular schedules. However, the department will still be
considered “closed.”
Employees can also choose to work from home during Fridays after noon provided they
have supervisor approval and documentation with Human Resources.
We recommend these modified summer hours to be in place for Summer 2019 and
Summer 2020 to create a sense of consistency.
We recommend a communication rollout begin in January 2019 with the following
methods:
o Announcement at November 16 Thanksgiving event to be on the lookout for
Modified Summer Hours communication
o Announcement at All Staff Meeting on January 8 (flyers can be disseminated)
o Announcement at Spring Convocation on January 10 (flyers can be disseminated)
o Email to University Community on Wednesday, January 9.
o Initial announcement in the Growler and Points of Pride the week of January 9.
o Web page launched on January 9, www.tamusa.edu/summer-hours. Page will have
hours, which essential services will be open and other pertinent information. Also
Default ReportEvaluation of University Summer Hours 2018August 7, 2018 10:11 AM MDT
Q1 - As of June 1, 2018, what division do you work for?
Student Affairs
Business Affairs
EnrollmentManagement
Academic Affairs andStudent Success
UniversityAdvancement
Office of thePresident
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
# Field Minimum Maximum Mean Std Deviation Variance Count
1 As of June 1, 2018, what division do you work for? 1.00 6.00 2.66 1.37 1.86 128
Showing Rows: 1 - 7 Of 7
# Field Choice Count
1 Student Affairs 25.78% 33
2 Business Affairs 26.56% 34
3 Enrollment Management 12.50% 16
4 Academic Affairs and Student Success 28.13% 36
5 University Advancement 4.69% 6
6 Office of the President 2.34% 3
128
Q2 - Did you participate in the modified summer hours?
Yes
No
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
# Field Minimum Maximum Mean Std Deviation Variance Count
1 Did you participate in the modified summer hours? 1.00 2.00 1.23 0.42 0.18 137
Showing Rows: 1 - 3 Of 3
# Field Choice Count
1 Yes 77.37% 106
2 No 22.63% 31
137
Q3 - If you participated in the modified summer hours, did you personally find the modified
schedule beneficial to you?
Yes
No
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
# Field Minimum Maximum MeanStd
DeviationVariance Count
1If you participated in the modified summer hours, did youpersonally find the modified schedule beneficial to you?
1.00 2.00 1.13 0.33 0.11 112
Showing Rows: 1 - 3 Of 3
# FieldChoiceCount
1 Yes 87.50% 98
2 No 12.50% 14
112
Q4 - Did the modified summer hours interfere with your department's ability to conduct
University business?
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
# Field Minimum Maximum MeanStd
DeviationVariance Count
1Did the modified summer hours interfere with your department's
ability to conduct University business?1.00 5.00 4.12 1.27 1.63 130
Showing Rows: 1 - 6 Of 6
# Field Choice Count
1 Strongly agree 5.38% 7
2 Somewhat agree 8.46% 11
3 Neither agree nor disagree 18.46% 24
4 Somewhat disagree 4.62% 6
5 Strongly disagree 63.08% 82
130
Q5 - Did the modified summer hours limit your ability to serve students, faculty, staff or
alumni?
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
# Field Minimum Maximum MeanStd
DeviationVariance Count
1Did the modified summer hours limit your ability to serve
students, faculty, staff or alumni?1.00 5.00 4.28 1.12 1.27 130
Showing Rows: 1 - 6 Of 6
# FieldChoiceCount
1 Strongly agree 3.08% 4
2 Somewhat agree 6.15% 8
3 Neither agree nor disagree 16.15% 21
4 Somewhat disagree 8.46% 11
5 Strongly disagree 66.15% 86
130
Q6 - Do you want modified summer hours again next year? As a reminder, the modified
summer hours this year were Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch
and Friday, 8 a.m. - noon.
Yes, I want the samemodified hours next
year
Yes, I want modifiedsummer hours next
year but with adifferent structure
No, I do not wantmodified summer
hours next year
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
# Field Minimum Maximum MeanStd
DeviationVariance Count
1
Do you want modified summer hours again next year? As areminder, the modified summer hours this year were Monday-
Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch and Friday, 8a.m. - noon.
1.00 3.00 1.59 0.71 0.51 134
Showing Rows: 1 - 4 Of 4
# Field Choice Count
1 Yes, I want the same modified hours next year 54.48% 73
2 Yes, I want modified summer hours next year but with a different structure 32.09% 43
3 No, I do not want modified summer hours next year 13.43% 18
134
Q7 - Please provide any other constructive feedback about your experience with the
modified summer hours program.
Please provide any other constructive feedback about your experience with t...
I would like modified summer hours to begin at 7:30 am and end at 5:00 pm Mondays thru Thursdays.
The modified hours allowed the time to be available for others after 5pm. Modified hours on Friday provided opportunity to wrap up tasks for thefollowing week and prepare for the following week.
I feel it is unfair that these Summer hours were not consistent across the ENTIRE campus. If the university is going to have Summer hours it shouldapply to ALL divisions/departments!
I found the Friday afternoons helpful in scheduling personal appointments to avoid interfering with the regular business hours.
I think it would be beneficial to have the modified summer hours, Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5pm and Friday 8am-12pm.
Program should be applied across the board. With adequate advance notice, leadership should let students-vendors-etc who we serve thatcampus/staff will not be available Friday afternoons. We all serve students, we all should benefit from this program equally. How does ACCD executetheir schedule?
I assume we have a log for the number of students that come into the Welcome center: I suggest you look at the actual number of students that checkin and compare to a normal day and see what adjustments can or can not be made with that information. Inform staff of numbers so we are aware ofimpact.
Key people were missing while I was at work. I feel insulted, penalized, and marginalized - I work just as hard as those who do not serve students,maybe even harder, and I can't participate. What the hell is that? What savings was even made? That's why the Alamo Colleges do it. Total shut-down.
At first, I didn't think I would want the modified schedule, but it was nice to have more free time.
I feel the summer hours were beneficial to the department and myself. It seemed as though we were more productive and thoughtful of others time.
If I am working, modified hours do not work for us since those depts. that we work work are not here so we are at a stand still. Doesn't work unlesseveryone has modified work hours. Isn't fair either.
Would like a modified schedule with Friday's off. It would be easier to rotate schedules with multiple employees on a whole day Friday.
I am a student worker for ITS Helpdesk and did not get Summer hours. I can however see these hours benefiting the Helpdesk more as we are shortworkers to man the front desk and phones.
Our Department/Office only did the Summer Hours for 5 weeks and it was great everyone seemed much happier and was happy to come back to workon Monday. However now we are back to our normal hours and plan on staying that way.
My office was unable to participate in the modified schedule.
Somewhat agree and disagree because it would be beneficial to have our summer plans made in the beginning of the spring semester since ourstudent workers and office have summer schedules created months in advance. We had to change them last minute after the summer schedule hadbeen released.
A question missing from this survey is..Did the modified summer hours interfere with accomplishing business with other departmental offices?..andmy answer is absolutely yes. Several offices were completely closed on Friday afternoons and this hindered my ability to complete necessarytasks/work.
The modified flex hours was great and allowed me to address personal activities with the early release on Fridays.
I absolutely enjoyed the summer hours. Friday definitely made it worth it :) Thank you!
The modified hours were nice, but I still dont think it was worth it to be here so late just for four hours off on friday. I would much rather work aschedule that allowed me a 3 day weekend.
I would like to see the modified summer hours again next year as well as it being instituted across campus. The decision should be decided earlyenough for us to have a marketing campaign to announce the summer hours.
I feel like the University should close on Friday's like Alamo Colleges. Also, the people that typically come in late, before the modified schedule wheninto affect, did the same thing during the summer hours which made it feel like they were at work less during this period of time.
Many of the offices that we work with were closed. We were open for customer service but many of the things we do involve other departmentinvolvement which many times we not open. Many documents were put on hold for next business day (Monday) because of that. Unfair, everyoneshould participate.
I do think that the Summer Modified Hours added value and uplifted moral on campus. Yes it was the first time that it has been implemented and theremay have been hiccups along the way but a great first step to a continuum of a next year's summer hour schedule success.
I could definitely see a positive difference in the office morale because of the summer schedule. Thank you.
I would have rather had the 7:30am-5pm schedule rather than staying until 5:30pm, but either way it was nice to have the half day on Friday's!
The modified summer hours gave me the ability to complete projects and run some much needed errands on Fridays.
Modified summer schedule was unfair to those who were required to be here. We need a system that is fair for all employees.
Would have participated if I could have come in earlier rather than staying later.
For the most part, the modified schedule worked fine. It was nice starting the weekend on Friday afternoon. We did have to make an in-house scheduleto cover M-Th to 6pm and Fridays until 5pm.
If there was a possibility for Summer Hours to reflect Alamo Colleges to have Fridays off that would be a great option also.
Not every department can leave work at 5:30pm which caused every departments schedule to be different to provide adequate coverage. Schedulingneeds better organization; same across the board. Also, it'd be nice to follow Alamo Colleges summer schedule... (4) 10 hr days and Friday off.
The Office of Admissions provided two option summer hour schedules: 1) Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch and Friday, 8a.m.-noon; and 2) Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. with a 1-hour lunch and Friday, 8 a.m.-noon. I chose and preferred option 2 so I could keep my 1-hour lunch.
I did not participate in the summer hours program. But, from what I saw, it was abused. People wandered in at 8:30 am and took 60 minute lunches(most did stay until 5:30), but still left at noon on Friday. Must be nice.
If this is effective on campus, ALL departments should be able to participate in these hours.
To do this, everyone needs to be on board & that includes class schedules. Can't be implemented at the last minute & people need to be heldaccountable as I've heard chatter that people across the university didn't really change their schedules but still left at noon on Friday.
Prefer the 7:30-5:00 work schedule. The week feels longer when staying until 5:30.
For next year, knowing about the summer hours months in advance would eliminate the negative impact on students, faculty, and staff, and ourinterference within our department. We plan orientations and trainings months in advance so knowing the schedule months in advance would behighly benificial.
I'd like to have my hour lunch with workday starting at 7:30am to 5:30pm
Our office did not use the prescribed modified summer hours -- employees were free to determine their own work schedules, which allowed us toserve students and for each staff member to pick a schedule that worked best for them -- I recommend all offices use this approach next year.
Modified hours work best if you can actually leave at noon on Fridays. Otherwise it is frustrating to adhere to extended hours, but not reap the rewards.
Our department did not have the same hours as the modified hours as stated above. We still had to have offices open all day Friday because we servestudents directly, but we had a skeleton crew, which sometimes was not good when there were lots of walk-ins.
It worked out nicely. I hope to participate next year.
Most departments were not able to participate which was very discouraging to staff. If other schools and universities make accommodations to serveall staff and faculty it seems as though TAMU-SA needs to take a page on how to get this done and not make certain departments privileged.
Start as soon as commencement ends and end a week before school begins.
It was nice to be able to go home and spend time with family and watch movies at city base along with university partnership and discounts turned outto be a perfect match. I do want to participate in this next summer.
Many offices could not partake in this due to direct service to students and short notice. It would be easier if there was one rule for the entire campusand my staff would be better with 7:30am-5pm
I think it would make more sense to offer extended hours Mon-Thurs and completely close on Fridays. There weren't really students on campus onFridays, so being here felt unnecessary. We'd probably save money on energy costs if we could close an extra day too.
It was inconvenient to have half open/half closed and I doubt there was any financial savings as electricity was still used for the entire campus. Eithergo all in to 4-day work week for everyone or don't do it at all. UT and Alamo College students adapted just fine.
This really helped. Thanks!
The modified summer schedule worked great, professionally and personally.
The program was inconsistent within the university. Front line staff had a harder time benefiting from the program because we were required to keepnormal business hours. I suggest 10 hr days / Friday off. This was the recommendation most staff wanted but the university chose a differentschedule.
If we advertise in advance, we should be able to close the University at noon on Fridays so all departments can participate, and not leave a staffmember behind to monitor the office. We could also look to being open till 7pm Mon - Thursday with a noon closing on Fridays.
Would like to see the same schedule across the university with all offices closed on Friday from 12-5 on.
End of Report
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Not all universities offer this type of flexibility in the summer, and it's a great selling point for job satisfaction at A&M San Antonio, to be able to fit inappointments without using sick leave, or to have the flexibility for weekend travel or time with kids that are home in the summer. Thanks!
I believe that we should take a look at the data to see how many students are being served past 5PM. This would help us take a closer look to see if thehours should be modified further to justify being open past 5PM if there isn't enough student traffic.
This was a real gift to me as an employee! I think I am more rested going into the fall, and we did not see our service to students decline. Thanks forimplementing!
Having Friday afternoon off was a great benefit to me and my family. Also liked having something different for this time of year.
The modified hours allowed me to take care of personal business on a Friday afternoon during typical business hours, that I otherwise would have hadto take a vacation day to accomplish. It was very helpful to me!
It allowed me to schedule doctors and other appointments on Friday without having to take off.
Each department should come up with their own modified hours that allow staff to participate in the summer hours without limiting services tostudents, staff, and faculty.
It worked out great for me
Summer 2018 Welcome Center Visitors & Tours
May 2018 A&M-SA Library Statistics
Month Visitors ReferencePhone/ Email
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What is the summer 4-Day Work Week? It is a Board-approved cost-savings initiative that modifies the summer work week to four (4) days to conserve utility and personnel overtime costs. The organization will operate on a 4-day workweek beginning the week of May 28, 2018 and ending the week of July 23, 2018, with the last Friday closure being July 27, 2018.
When does it begin and end? The modified work schedule will begin the week of May 28, 2018 and end the week of July 23, 2018 There are a total of nine (9) Friday closures:
June 1, 2018 June 8, 2018 June 15, 2018 June 22 2018 June 29, 2018 July 6, 2018 July 13, 2018 July 20, 2018 July 27, 2018
Does this apply to everyone? The work schedule applies to almost all employees. There are certain programs, work units or departments which may continue to work on a five day schedule based upon commitments already in place. Supervisors are charged with informing employees if they remain on a five day work week.
How will the 4-day work week schedule affect my work hours? The organization will operate on a 4-day workweek beginning the week of May 28, 2018 and ending on the week of July 23, 2018, with the last Friday closure being July 27, 2018. To meet this schedule, employees will be assigned 10-hour shifts each work day. Department supervision is responsible for assignment of specific work hours, while ensuring that the business operations are met. Supervisors are strongly encouraged to exercise reasonable and flexible discretion when preparing and assigning schedules for their employees.
What are the Alamo Colleges’ hours of operation during the 4-day work week? Although work hours for employees may range from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to fulfill 10-hour work day requirements, normal service hours will remain in place (including departments and programs that provide extended service hours).
How will summer scheduling affect my lunch and break periods? Summer scheduling will have minimal affect on lunch and break periods. Lunch breaks can be taken in 30 or 60 minute periods. The employee should gain approval from the supervisor if a certain lunch break is requested.
Updated 04/2018 Page 2 of 3
What are the dress/attire expectations during the summer 4-day work week? As in past years, non-uniformed personnel may wear casual attire, provided the clothing conveys a professional appearance that is appropriate for a business environment. As needed, departments may require staff to modify their attire to business or business casual.
How will vacation/sick/personal leave be requested and deducted during the 4 day work week? All leave will be requested and deducted according to the number of hours requested absent from work. For example: If you are working 10-hour days, and you take two vacation leave days, 20 hours (not 16 hours) of vacation leave will be deducted from your leave balance.
What about bereavement leave, and absences due to civic duty? Absences due to bereavement and civic leave will also be paid according to the number of hours absent from work. Thus, missing an entire day will result in 10 hours of bereavement or civic leave being used.
If I have personal issues that will prevent me from working 10 hour days for a reasonable period of time, what should I do? Speak with your supervisor to discuss options; perhaps a temporary change in schedule can be arranged. As long as you work the 40 hours per week, your daily schedule may be adjusted to balance your personal needs with business requirements.
Can I request vacation leave or personal leave to complete the 10 hour day during the 4 day work week timeframe? Supervisors are highly encouraged to be flexible with employee’s specific needs and circumstances. It is acceptable for supervisors and employees to work flexible schedules through a combination of work hours and vacation/personal leave as long as the needs of the organization are met and the supervisor approves.
What if I need a flexible schedule but do not have enough paid leave to cover this special circumstance? Although this should not affect the majority of employees, unpaid leave options will need to be considered as per the Alamo Colleges D.5.3.1 (Procedure) Holidays, Leaves and Absences.
Can I work on Friday to make up any hours or days missed during the week? This will not be an option during the 4-day work week due to building closures on affected Fridays.
Can I use sick leave to make up time not worked during the week? Sick leave can be used, but only for legitimate health-related reasons per Alamo Colleges’ policy and procedure. Otherwise, you must use either vacation or personal leave days.
How will this schedule affect temporary/non-benefitted employees? The only effect the modified summer work schedule will have is that the work must be accomplished from Monday through Thursday. Some shifting of work schedules may be necessary.
How will the July 4th holiday be handled during this schedule? For this week only, in observance of Independence Day, we will be off Wednesday, July 4, 2018. This holiday will be paid as a full 10-hour day. Operating hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of that week will be the summer 4-day workweek schedule.
What if my immediate supervisor and I cannot agree on a workable schedule? Employees must use their supervisory chain of command up to the president or vice-chancellor as needed to resolve scheduling arrangements.
Who can I contact for more information or assistance? Your college’s HR Partner is available to assist you. Please feel free to contact them using the information provided online by clicking here.
