Reduced Work Schedule

To the extent feasible, the Department of General Services (DGS) will make reduced work schedule available to employees who are unable, or who do not desire, to work full-time. DGS management supports the reduced work schedule concept where it is practical. An employee who wants to participate shall discuss the matter with his/her supervisor.

Employees considering reduced work schedule should be aware that:

• Approval of a request depends on the responsibilities and required level of service for an employee’s position
• Management cannot involuntarily place an employee on reduced work schedule
• Reduced work schedule may affect the employee’s benefits and seniority, and
• The employee can normally return to full-time work upon request, except during a hiring freeze. If the reduced work schedule was granted for other than medical reasons, a hiring exemption must be obtained prior to returning to a full-time work schedule.

Definition/Explanation:
Reduced work schedule means employment of less than 40 hours per week and is at the request of the employee, which includes arrangements involving:

• Job-sharing,
• Four-, five-, or six-hour workdays,
• Jobs that provide eight hours of employment or less for one, two, three, four or five days per week, and
• Such other arrangements that a department finds consistent with maximum employment opportunity to employees desiring other than a standard work schedule.

This voluntary request is a time base change.

The objectives of Government Code (GC) section 19996.19 are:

• To provide for maximum employment opportunities,
• To encourage the realization of individual potential,
• To increase the numbers and kinds of public and private sector voluntary reduced work schedule options,
• To support the creation of a healthy balance between work and family needs, including the need for additional income,
• To encourage voluntary reduced work schedule opportunities within the private as well as public sector,
• To develop policies and procedures that support the growth of voluntary reduced work schedule positions,
• To promote job stability,
• To strengthen the family and promote domestic tranquility and to benefit the family and society by promoting a balance between work and home, and
• To provide for alternative solutions to the growing need for adequate child care, care for dependent adults, and care for the disabled.

Advantages

• Alternative work schedules improve morale and reduce stress.
• Contribute to lower absenteeism and higher productivity.
• Overtime costs are reduced.
• Recruitment is enhanced, particularly for those employees who might not be available for a traditional work schedule.
• Business hours can be extended through the flex-time and compressed workweek options.
• Flexible schedules allow for more economical use of office space and equipment.

Disadvantages

• Supervisors and employees may not work the same hours, requiring greater planning and control over workflow.
• Administrative problems may arise with timekeeping or with the way benefits are assigned, prorated, or split.
• Administrative costs may be high when an option is first implemented, depending on existing systems and how quickly they can be adjusted.
• Workplace coverage may be a problem with some options.

Procedure

1. Any full-time employee may request participation in the reduced work schedule program by:
   • notifying his/her immediate supervisor of intent to exercise the option; or
   • submitting to his/her immediate supervisor a request in writing no later than 30 days prior to the effective date of the reduced work schedule program (beginning of a pay period) on the Reduced Work Schedule Arrangement Screening Tool and Request form.
2. The Reduced Work Schedule Arrangement Screening Tool and Request form, if approved by the supervisor, is submitted to the Classification and Pay (C&P) Analyst as an attachment to the Request for Personnel Action (RPA).
3. The C&P Analyst shall review the request and approve/deny and return the completed document to the employee.
   
   If approved, the employee and his/her immediate supervisor shall complete the Reduced Work Schedule Arrangement Agreement form and return it and the original request form to the C&P Analyst for processing. Note: a copy of both forms should be maintained by the immediate supervisor and employee. A copy of the reduced work schedule should be provided to the Attendance Clerk for accurate posting of the employee's time.
   
   The C&P Analyst will forward the original documents to the Personnel Specialist with the RPA for processing. The documents will be filed in the employee's Official Personnel Folder (OPF).
   
   If denied, the C&P Analyst will indicate the reasons for denial on the request form, disapprove the RPA and forward a copy of the denial to the California State Employees Union (CSEA) for Bargaining Units (BU) 1, 4, 11, 14, 15, 20, and 21 (the other CSEA BUs, not listed, and other BUs, do not require submission of the denial).
   
   Send the copy to:
   
   Work and Family Committee
   CSEA, Local 1000, SEIU, 1108 "O" Street
   Sacramento, California 95814

Rights of Employees
An employee shall:

• Not be coerced by the supervisor, another employee, or DGS to reduce his/her work schedule involuntarily,
• Not be excluded from participation in reduced work schedule when the conditions outlined in GC section 19996.21 is met, and
• Not be assigned workload or mandatory overtime that is excessive in comparison to that assigned to other employees performing similar work under the same appointing power.

Violation of any of the provisions of this GC section may be the basis for a grievance under CalHR rules or the applicable provisions of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Feasibility Determination
When an employee requests a reduced work schedule, the supervisor shall determine if it is feasible for the position to be a reduced work schedule position. Feasibility determination shall include consideration of, but not limited to: cost, levels of service and the need to maintain adequate supervision.