SECTION 5
27. HOURS OF WORK

MANUAL SCHEME OF FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS

i. This document consists of 3 sections, i.e.:-

SECTION A - the basic principles as agreed by the University.
SECTION B - the recording instructions.
SECTION C - management control.

ii. All staff are advised to read carefully Sections A and B. The management control section is included for information purposes.

SECTION A - BASIC PRINCIPLES

A.1. Official Opening Hours

The introduction of flexible working hours will not affect the opening hours of the office, which will continue as at present, i.e.

Monday to Thursday 8.30 a.m. - 5.15 p.m.
Friday 8.30 a.m. - 4.45 p.m.

A2. Working Day

i. The working day will be made up as follows:-

Flexible Time 8.00 a.m. - 9.30 a.m.
Core Time 9.30 a.m. - 11.45 a.m.
Flexible Time 11.45 a.m. - 2.15 p.m.
Core Time 2.15 p.m. - 4.00 p.m.
Flexible Time 4.00 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.

ii. All staff must be at work during core time, unless absence is authorised.

iii. During flexible time, staff may vary their starting and finishing times, subject to the requirements of their Department, notably the requirement to provide satisfactory cover for the period during which the offices are open to the public. Management, therefore, reserves the right to regulate the starting and finishing times of staff, where necessary.

A3. Lunch Break

A minimum lunch break of 30 minutes must be taken during the period 11.45 a.m. and 2.15 p.m. A maximum lunch break of 2½ hours may be taken subject to the requirements of the Department.

A4. Accounting Period

The accounting period will be 4 weeks.

A5. Contracted Hours

The total contracted hours to be worked in the accounting period will be 148 hours (i.e. 4 weeks at 37 hours). Each individual officer will be responsible for ensuring that he/she works at least the contracted hours subject to the approved number of carry-over hours (credit or debit).

A6. Credit and Debit Balances

i. A credit or debit, up to a maximum of 10 hours, may be carried over from one accounting period to the next. At the end of the accounting period, the total hours accumulated by each member of staff should fall between 138 hours and 158 hours (subject to any approved absences without pay).

ii. Normally a credit balance, which exceeds 10 hours at the end of the accounting period, will be discounted.

iii. Normally an officer, who accumulates a debit balance in excess of 10 hours at the end of the accounting period, will be liable to a deduction from pay equivalent to the excess. Disciplinary action will be taken against an officer who continually exceeds the maximum debit hours allowed. Advice regarding disciplinary action can be obtained from the Director of Personnel.

A7. Flexible Leave

i. An officer is entitled to take 1 day or 2 half days "flexible" leave per accounting period, subject to the prior approval of the Section Head.

A8. Overtime

i. Compensatory time off "in lieu" of unpaid overtime is separate from the above "flexible" leave provisions.

ii. Overtime will not be paid unless prior authorisation has been obtained from the Director of School/Head of Service. In any event, approved overtime will only apply outside normal working hours, i.e. before 8.30 a.m. or after 5.15 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 4.45 p.m., Friday.

iii. Where officers are entitled to overtime payments, any approved overtime will be recorded separately from the F.W.H. record.

iv. An officer may carry forward a debit of up to 10 hours, but still have earned overtime. However, if an officer finds himself in excess debit, i.e. of more than 10 hours, but has worked approved overtime, the appropriate number of overtime hours will be deducted in order to bring his debit to the stipulated limit of 10 hours

A9. Absence/Time Off

i. Time off due to sickness, official holiday or authorised absence with pay, will be credited to employees on the basis of the standard working hours,

	i.e. 	1 full day 	= 	7 hrs. 24 mins;
		1 half day 	= 	3 hrs. 42 mins.

iii. Absences for medical reasons involving visits to doctors, dentists, opticians, hospitals, etc. may be authorised with pay by the Section Head.

SECTION B - RECORDING INSTRUCTIONS

B1. Recording Working Hours

i. All staff must record their attendance times, immediately on arrival and departure from work. Staff must use the attendance book provided. A Flexible Working Hour record sheet should also be completed on a daily basis.

ii. Therefore, staff must record for each day their starting and finishing times of the morning and afternoon attendance's. The total hours worked for each day should also be calculated and entered on to the record sheet.

B2. Absences from the Office - Sickness, Holidays and/or Approved Leave of Absence.

i. Credit for absences with pay due to sickness or annual leave must be claimed each week on the F.W.H. record sheet and authorised by the Section Head. Normally each member of staff is responsible for claiming credit for such absences.

ii. Credit for Bank Holidays should be claimed as per the standard working day i.e. 7 hours 24 minutes.

iii. Credit for approved absences with pay which involve absence of one half day or more e.g. day release, leave of absence with pay, should be claimed on the record sheet.

iv. Where leave of absence without credit during core time is approved in exceptional circumstances, the employee must enter the time of leaving the office on the record sheet. If the employee returns to the office on the same day then the time of recommencing work should be entered etc.

B3. Medical Visits

i. Where such absences with pay are approved by the Section Head for morning appointments and the employee is allowed to attend the appointment centre straight from home, a credit adjustment must be claimed on the record sheet. The maximum credit adjustment that is allowed in this circumstance will be to make up the employee's hours to total the official working day of 7 hours 24 minutes.

ii. Where such absences with pay are approved by the Section Head for morning appointments and the employee comes to work prior to the appointment, then actual attendance at work and details of the absence should be recorded in the appropriate columns on the record sheet.

iii. Where such absences with pay are approved by the Section Head for afternoon appointments and it would be unreasonable to expect the employee to return to work after the appointment, a credit adjustment must be claimed on the record sheet. The maximum credit adjustment that is allowed in this circumstance will be to make up the employee's hours to total the official working day of 7 hours 24 minutes.

iv. Where such absences with pay are approved by the Section Head for afternoon appointments and the employee returns to work after the appointment, the actual attendance at work and details of the absence should be recorded in the appropriate columns on the record sheet.

B4. Official Business

i. If an employee leaves the office during the morning on official business and expects to return before lunch, the employee is not required to sign-out. Similarly, the employee is not required to sign-out if he leaves the office during the afternoon and expects to return before 6.30 p.m.

ii. If an employee leaves the office during the morning on official business and will remain out of the office over lunch, he must sign-out when leaving and sign-in upon return. A credit adjustment for the time spent away from the office (excluding the period that is spent at lunch) must be claimed on the record sheet. Similarly, if an employee leaves the office and will not return before 6.30 p.m., he must sign-out and claim a credit adjustment on his record sheet for the time worked after his signing-out time.

iii. If an employee is away from the office on official business without having first signed-in at the office, the employee must claim a credit adjustment on his record sheet. Where a member of staff is attending a seminar/conference on behalf of the University and such attendance in any one day exceeds the standard hours of 7 hours 24 minutes, the excess attendance time can also be claimed on a reconciliation sheet.

B5. F.W.H. Record Sheet

i. Details of attendance at work should be recorded daily on the record sheet, i.e. starting and finishing times, and total hours and minutes worked during the day.

ii. All credit adjustments should be claimed on the record sheet. Such adjustments should be certified by the Section Head as soon as possible.

iii. At the end of the first week in the accounting period the employee should calculate the total hours worked for the week plus or minus any carry-over hours from the previous accounting period. The resultant figure should be entered on the record sheet and also carried forward to the next week.

iv. At the end of the second, third and fourth weeks the same procedure should be followed.

v. The record sheet should then be submitted by 10.30 a.m. on the first day of the new accounting period to the Section Head, who will complete the summary and calculate the carry-over hours.

The employee will be notified of the carry-over hours, which must be entered on to the record sheet for the new accounting period.