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Library-Wide Work-Related Policies and Procedures

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LIBRARY

WORK RELATED EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

February 2002 (added policy 221.0- 6/16/03)

 

WORK SCHEDULES (Team Core Hours)

See Classified Staff Policy #309.0 and UHAP Policy #2.06.03

Each team should have core hours, hours during which the majority of their customers would expect them to be available for service. Team core hours specify the latest acceptable starting time and earliest acceptable departure time. Exceptions from the core hours schedule will be negotiated with the team and obtain teams/team leader. A team leader may designate core hours for groups or individuals different from the team’s core hours.

Work Schedule:

The work schedule will be agreed upon by the team/team leader and include hours during which primary work can be accomplished. An FTE employee will work 80 hours minimum within each pay period. In no event, is an average full-time employee workweek less than 40 hours.

Flexible Work Schedule:

A flexible work schedule may be used for the following types of activities, for example: need to accommodate car pools, childcare, or other family arrangements, scheduled service desk duties, exhibit set-up, search committee meetings, cross-functional team work, and faculty meetings that take place during a team’s non-core work hours. Adjustments will be made within a pay period and agreed upon by team/team leader ahead of time. This would mean that staff cannot accumulate and carryover hours beyond the pay period and apply hours to vacation.

Alternate Work Schedule:

Variation within the work schedule either requested by the employee or the work team should be scheduled ahead of time and negotiated with the team/team leader.

Employees whose normal work day exceeds eight hours within an 80-hour pay period, (for instance, eight 10-hour days) may only be paid eight hours per holiday and additional leave hours will be applied to vacation and/or compensatory time if non-exempt staff.

OVERTIME/COMPENSATORY TIME

See Classified Staff Policy #311.0

Overtime compensation for non-exempt Classified Staff employees is subject to the provisions of this policy and the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as amended. Overtime work shall be the exception rather than the rule. Overtime shall be used after other alternatives have been fully explored, such as rescheduling of priorities, balancing workload peaks, offsetting excess hours with reduced hours later in the work week and revising the work period so that weekend work can be performed at straight time.

 

Overtime work shall be approved in advance by the work or team leader and employees shall not work overtime unless specifically authorized to do so. Non-exempt Classified Staff employees are expected to work overtime when so requested by their work/team leader.

Eligible Classified Staff employees shall be compensated for overtime work by earning one and one-half hours of compensatory time off for each hour worked over 40 in the work week. Compensatory time off is to be taken within the following pay period or soon after as approved by your team/team leader.

In order to report overtime to the accountant, submit an exception report initialed by the work team leader or team leader.

 

LEAVE POLICIES

Team Processes for Tracking Leave:

Each team will set up a process for central tracking of leave taken and leave reported on exception slips. The designated tracker should notify team leaders if anyone is absent for three consecutive days. The tracker will reconcile the exception slip reports with actual leave taken. Teams will devise a way of centrally keeping a calendar of planned leaves and reported unplanned leaves.

 

VACATION LEAVE POLICY

See Classified Staff Policy #200.0 and UHAP Policy 8.01

Accrual and Use of Vacation Leave:

Vacation accrual for Appointed Personnel--The University grants appointed personnel 22 days of vacation per year. Accrual of vacation time will begin at time of hire and vacation will be accrued at the rate of 6.77 hours per pay period. All vacation taken must be accrued prior to using it.

Classified Staff in their first two years of continuous service with the University accrue vacation at the rate of 3.38 hrs per pay period for a total of 11 days per year. During the third and fourth year of continuous service they accrue 4.92 hours per pay period for a total of 16 days. In their fifth year and thereafter of continuous service they accrue 6.77 hrs per pay period for a total of 22 days. During the initial probationary period (six months), Classified Staff accrue vacation from date of hire, but may not take vacation until successfully completing probation.

Approval and Use of Accrued Vacation Leave:

Use of vacation must be approved in advance by the team leader (or dean, in the case of team leaders), and must be taken at times deemed appropriate by the Library. All staff and appointed personnel are encouraged to take accrued vacation at regular, personally beneficial intervals, and to not accrue so much vacation that they are forced to take it or lose it. The maximum allowable carry-forward into the next "anniversary year" is one-and-one-half times your yearly accrual rate (based on anniversary date, years of service, and FTE). Individuals should plan their vacation with their teams/team leaders, taking into account, for example: team projects and priorities, peak work periods for all customer services provided by the team, the need for fill-in-behind for vacant positions or colleagues on Family Medical Leave, the impact on other members of the team and the strategic work of the teams to which the employee is assigned. Approval for vacation should also take into account the available Sick Leave balance, so that the person does not move into a leave without pay status. Vacation is earned and the employee has a right to take vacation as approved by the team/team leader. Unapproved or unplanned vacation can not be taken in order to avoid losing vacation hours.

A team leader who recognizes that work performance is suffering because of extensive sick or vacation leave should begin coaching and providing the employee with constructive feedback about the impact of missing work on work performance. After coaching has begun, the team leader can deny approval for vacation, Sick Leave, or leave without pay, if the employee's performance is suffering owing to extensive absences. 

SICK LEAVE POLICY (INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY)

See Classified Staff Policy #201 and UHAP Policy 8.02.01

The purpose of Sick Leave is to provide a continuation of salary or wages to eligible employees whose absences from work meet the requirements of the University of Arizona Sick Leave policy. Sick Leave is a privilege and not an earned right. Sick Leave is accrued at the rate of 3.69 hours per 80-hour pay period for full-time employees, or .046125 hours for each paid hour up to 80 hours.

 

Employee Illness/Injury:

Eligible employees may be granted Sick Leave when they are unable to perform duties because of 1) illness, injury, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or 2) when absent for the purpose of obtaining health-related services not available outside of regular working hours.

Serious Illness within an Employee's Immediate Family, Established Household or In Primary Care Situations:

An eligible employee may be granted Sick Leave when absence is the result of serious illness or communicable disease within the employee's immediate family, established household, or in situations which place primary responsibility for care on the employee. For purposes of Sick Leave usage for an absence not covered under Family and Medical Leave, serious illness means that the employee's presence is required temporarily until other arrangements can be made to provide essential care to a family member who resides at the employee's residence and who is under the care of a physician.

An eligible employee may use Sick Leave upon death of family members who are not covered under University of Arizona Classified Staff HR Policy 208, Administrative Leave with Pay, #5, or Section 8.02.02 (Appointed Personnel) Bereavement. Employees may use up to three days of accrued Sick Leave for this purpose and two additional days to attend or arrange funeral services out-of-state.

Probationary Regular Classified Staff:

A probationary Regular Classified Staff employee is eligible for Sick Leave during the initial probationary period under the following conditions: Sick Leave is limited to the amount the employee has earned and shall be recovered from the final paycheck if the employee terminates prior to completion of the probationary period.  In general, if a team member calls in sick because of their own or a family member’s illness during core hours or for a scheduled work period (i.e. weekend or night service desk hours), they will use Sick Leave for this time. Occasionally this time may be made up within seven days (by workweek for non-exempt staff), with team leader approval. If a team member has planned individual or family medical appointments, time is to be made up that same day, unless otherwise approved by the team leader. Vacation can not automatically be used for Sick Leave when Sick Leave is exhausted.

Non-exempt employees will need to make up time within the workweek and exempt employees within the pay period.

PROFESSIONAL LEAVE POLICY (Library Leave)

Professional Leave is granted to both Classified Staff and appointed personnel  for the purpose of professional development and is limited to 24 days of Professional Leave per Fiscal Year (FY). Those hired after July 1 will receive a pro-rated number of days at two per month remaining in the fiscal year.

Professional Leave will be used to cover attendance at conferences, workshops and institutes when they are of a professional nature and related to library activities. Librarians may request such leave for purposes of research or writing in preparation for a conference or publication of a professional paper or book. Consulting activities can also be considered for Professional Leave.

All Professional Leave must be planned with the team and approved by the team leader in advance of the leave by submitting a Request for Leave, Travel/Professional Activity Form. Approved leave forms that do not require funding will be sent to the team's designated "leave" tracker. All employees taking Professional Leave will fill out and submit an exception slip, according to the team's agreed upon process. 

LEAVE WITHOUT PAY (LWOP)

See Classified Staff Policy #209 and UHAP 8.04 

Leave Without Pay is not automatic when an employee exhausts Sick and Vacation Leaves. LWOP must be requested in advance and can only be approved by the dean, except in cases where Family Medical Leave is approved or assigned (See Family Medical Leave, below.) In circumstances where LWOP occurs without prior approval, but the pay status is necessary until the employee can return to work, the dean, in consultation with the team leader, may or may not approve the absence (Code of Conduct 403.0 #1: Absence without legitimate excuse and/or failure to follow departmental notification procedures. If the employee's absences are affecting the individual's and the team's ability to accomplish expected work, when the employee returns to work, the team leader will engage in coaching which may include the beginning of a disciplinary action process.

 

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (FML)

See Classified Staff Policy #218.0 and UHAP 8.04.06

The Library follows the University policies regarding the granting and/or assignment of Family Medical Leave for a qualifying medical condition that requires absences of three days or more. As stated in University Policy, when FML is approved or assigned, the employee must first take their accrued Sick Leave, then can choose to take accrued Vacation or Leave Without Pay. The library will require physician certification within 15 days of FML designation. Team leaders and work team leaders can remove FML designation and have the option of approving or denying vacation, Sick Leave or Leave Without Pay if the certification is not received within 15 days.

 

COMPASSIONATE TRANSFER OF LEAVE (CTL)

See Classified Staff Policy #201.1 and UHAP 8.02.04

Compassionate Transfer of Leave is a benefit for employees. A benefit that must be paid by the Library when all accrued Vacation, Sick Leave and compensatory time has been exhausted and the employee is on Family Medical Leave. Based on UA long-term disability requirement, the maximum time an employee can receive CTL is six months.

Leave and Compassionate Transfer of Leave beyond the 12 work weeks of Family Medical Leave is at the discretion of the dean and team leader, who will take into account the need to provide fill-in-behind and the availability of funds.

EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE

See Classified Staff Policy #212.0 and UHAP 8.04.01

Related to Medical Reasons:

When all Family Medical Leave is exhausted, and the employee is unable to return to work (certified by a physician), the employee can request an Extended Leave of Absence, not to exceed 12 weeks after the Family Medical Leave period, and seek approval for such an absence from the team leader and the dean. Compassionate Transfer of Leave will not be automatic and requires the approval of team leader and the dean.

Leave that Benefits the Library:

From time to time Extended Leave of Absence may be granted for research or personal development that benefits the library. Extended Leave of Absence could also be granted for temporary relocation of spouse or family emergency. This type of Personal Leave of Absence may be granted for a period up to one calendar year and must be approved by the team leader and the dean.

ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE WITH PAY

See Classified Staff Policy #208.0 and UHAP 8.03.01

Classified Staff employees with a regular schedule of work may be granted an Administrative Leave with Pay for the following reasons:

Jury Duty or Material Witness Service:

Employees called upon for service on a jury or as a subpoenaed witness,

other than as a plaintiff or defendant, in a judicial or administrative proceeding, shall be granted leave with pay to perform such service.

Emergency Leave:

Is approved by UA president or designee in case of natural disasters or other circumstances, which may restrict or jeopardize the employee's safety and/or health.

Voting Leave:

If polls open less than three hours before the employee's regular work shift, or close less than three hours after the end of the employee's regular work shift, Voting Leave is approved.

Annual Military Active Duty Leave:

For a period not to exceed 30 work days in any two consecutive calendar years.

Bereavement Leave:

Not to exceed three working days, because of the death of the employee's spouse, parent, parent-in-law, child, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or any other person who is a member of the employee's household. In the event the employee is required to travel out of state to attend or conduct business related to the funeral of a relative as specified above, the employee may be granted Administrative Leave not to exceed five working days.

An eligible employee may use Sick Leave upon death of family members who are not covered under University of Arizona Classified Staff HR Policy 208, Administrative Leave with Pay, #5, or Section 8.02.02 (Appointed Personnel) Bereavement. Employees may use up to three days of accrued Sick Leave for this purpose and two additional days to attend or arrange funeral services out-of-state.

Victim's Leave:

Policy #221.0 (established 2/03/03)

The University of Arizona is committed to providing Victim's Leave to eligible employees in accordance with the Arizona State Victim's Leave Law ARS § 13-4439; § 8-420. This law authorizes employees who are victims of crimes to leave work to exercise the right to be present at legal proceedings related to the crime.

As defined in ARS § 13-4401, a "victim" is 1) a person against whom the criminal offense has been committed, or 2) if the person is killed or incapacitated, the person's immediate family (victim's spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent or lawful guardian) or other lawful representative (person who is designated by the victim or appointed by the court and who acts in the best interests of the victim), except if the person is in custody for an offense or is the accused.

Using Vacation Leave, Unpaid Leave of Absence, and Accrued Compensatory Time: When using Victim's Leave, the eligible employee may use accrued Vacation Leave, excused Unpaid Leave, or accrued compensatory time. While there is no maximum leave time allocated for Victim's Leave, the University reserves the right to limit the leave provided under the law if the leave creates an undue hardship to the University's business.

Eligibility: Any University employee is eligible for leave under this policy, except that the employee is not eligible if a family member is the victim and the employee is in custody for the offense or accused of the crime.

Request for Leave: Request for Victim's Leave must be made to the employee's immediate supervisor or responsible administrator, providing as much notice as practical. In making this request, the employee shall provide missing part of sentence.

Documentation:  A copy of the form provided to employee by the law enforcement agency, and a copy of the notice of each scheduled proceeding that is provided to the victim by the responsible agency.

TRAVEL POLICY

See Travel Policy #14.00

Travel Authorization is required for essential work that is in the line of duty and performed outside of a 35-mile radius of the campus. Authorization can be granted by the team leader or the dean for essential work that is part of expected duties and work assignments or formal service responsibilities. Once the team leader or the dean signs the Travel Authorization Form, no leave need be reported. (Formerly the Library required that the employee take "administrative" leave.)

Team accountants will keep the Travel Authorization Form on file and log the authorized travel in Kronos.

UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE WORK

Use of Regular Work Time:

Any Library team member is considered on their regular work time if they are attending meetings because they were elected or appointed to the Staff Advisory Council (or a committee thereof), the Faculty Senate (or a committee thereof) or a University Administrative Committee. Traveling to represent these bodies will require the completion of a Travel Authorization Form. (See Travel Policy, above)

Use of Non-Work Time or Professional Leave:

Attendance at meetings of other campus organizations such as the Women’s Faculty Association should be done during non-work hours; work for any of these organizations falls into the category of service, when Professional Leave should be requested. 

 

BREAK/LUNCH PERIOD

 

The University gives units the discretion to establish and permit rest periods. It is understood that our schedules, including meals and breaks, are a team concern and are arranged in such a way that they will neither interfere with the work of the team nor with service to our customers. Thus, the following guidelines for meal periods and breaks will apply to all Library employees:

  1. Employees may choose to take an unpaid meal period; no one may be denied a meal period.
  2. Non-exempt staff may request their meal period be pre-programmed into the automated time keeping system for one-half, three-quarters or one hour. This pre-programmed time may be altered if necessary.
  3. Staff may choose not to take a meal break and may instead take their break period (one-half hour for full-time employees as a meal break.)
  4. As in the previous policy, and pursuant to University policy, employees may take a paid rest period of up to 15 minutes each four-hour work period. Since rests period are paid time, each is considered time worked for the purpose of reporting work hours.
  5. Library employees may choose to combine their two 15-minute breaks but not in combination with the lunch period.

The responsibility lies within teams to negotiate any application of these guidelines.

 

CLASSES

The University of Arizona Library Policy and Procedures Memorandum #5-86 “Release Time for Attending Classes” states that employees are encouraged to attend classes which may help improve job performance and that the encouragement may be in the form of flexible work schedules and released time. Full release time is given when the Library requires an employee to attend a class. If the class will DIRECTLY benefit the Library by improving job performance or is part of a degree granting program which will lead to subject knowledge and/or specialization of value to the Library, release time shall be one hour per week. Release time shall be granted only for classes scheduled during the normal working hours of employee. The taking of classes is not a right; it is a privilege which can only be allowed if scheduling permits. (Please note: in this instance Release Time means time which you DO NOT have to make up.) Work loads, scheduling and the work of the team will guide the decision to approve release time.

In all other circumstances, the employee is expected to make up the time taken for classes. If taking a class, if approved, a copy of the fee waiver, signed by a team leader or work team leader should be forwarded to the Library’s HROE Office.

 

Within your team here are some questions to clarify on taking classes:

 

  1. Are there any times when classes may not be scheduled? During team meeting times? During peak service times?
  2. Who will approve the taking of a class? What process must be followed to obtain approval for taking a class? How does an employee go about changing their schedule to accommodate taking a class?

 

HOLIDAYS

Staff employees shall be granted time off from work with pay for each holiday designated by the University. Ten holidays are normally designated each year. Designated holidays which fall on a Saturday or Sunday shall normally be observed on a Friday or a Monday. University criteria:

Library Policy on Holiday Closure:

The University holiday closure guidelines do not apply to the Library since Main, SEL, and CCP will not be closed. In the case of branch libraries, if they are closed, individuals may work in Main or take vacation during this period. Please note that employees in their initial probationary period are earning vacation hours, but may not take vacation until they have completed the end of their sixth month with the University. Also, teams should be sure they have sufficient coverage over the holidays and have made arrangements early for those who wish to take time off.

 

WORKING AT HOME

This is not an option offered by the library, unless under "exceptional" circumstances. Determining what's exceptional requires discussions and agreements involving the home team, the team leader, Cabinet, the Library (through HROE), campus HR, and an ADA determination of disability and reasonable accommodation. If a work-from-home option is deemed necessary after this thorough investigation, then a full definition of what constitutes the work must be designed in a way that is measurable.

 

Library work related policies and procedures were reviewed and amended by Library Cabinet on January 2002. Revisions were made by HROE on February 25, 2002 and forwarded to team leaders for team discussion and feedback.

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