Reduced Schedule Positions and Positions Transitioned from Full-Time to Part-Time as well as Other Flexible Work Arrangements
Employees who are not actively working do not have to complete timesheets; otherwise, whenever an employee is working, regardless of location, the employee must complete a timesheet and report all hours actually worked.
For employees who are paid hourly, there will be no proration. Such employees are paid for actual hours worked. So, an employee who transitions to a reduced schedule or a part-time position will simply not receive salary for hours not worked. For example, if an hourly employee’s reduced schedule arrangement did not call for the employee to work in May, June, and July, the employee would not receive a paycheck for these months.
For salaried employees, your salary will be prorated to reflect the reduced hours you work or the months that you will not be scheduled to work as of the first day that the new arrangement takes effect. So, for example, if you make $80,000 as a 12-month employee, and you transition to a 9-month employee or from full-time to 75% time, then your pro-rated salary will be $60,000, which is 75% of $80,000. Salaried employees will receive their pro-rated salary distributed over the course of the full calendar year in accordance with the University’s normal payroll schedule and practices.
In short, non-exempt employees must record all hours work on their timesheets, regardless of where such hours are worked, and they will be paid for any overtime worked in the paycheck for that period. Specifics on how the University pays for any time worked beyond normal hours is set forth in Section B.2. of the Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual.
Your health benefits elections will not change; however, if your prorated salary causes you to fall into a lower salary tier, then your benefit premiums will correspond to the salary tier of your adjusted salary. For exempt employees, premiums will continue to be deducted from your regular paychecks, which will be paid over the course of the full calendar year. For non-exempt employees, as you will not be receiving paychecks during the periods that you are not scheduled to work, you will be responsible for submitting the amount of your portion of the monthly premium to Human Resources in order to maintain your benefits, and you should discuss arrangements for making these premiums with Human Resources prior to any transition taking effect. If you fail to submit your share of the monthly premium, then your benefits will be discontinued.
If your commuter account is set up as a recurring order, or every month, you should suspend your transit/parking passes and the associated deductions while not actively working. You do this by logging in to Wage Works at www.wageworks.com. As a reminder, the Wage Works change order deadline is 10:59 CST of the 10th day of the month prior to the month that the change is to take effect. So, you want a change to take effect on June 1st, you need to submit the change on or before 10:59CST on May 10th.
This benefit remains in place as long as you are actively working, and employees who work a reduced schedule will continue to be deemed active during the period they are away from the University as the expectation of the employee and the University is that the employee will be returning to work. However, although your life insurance will remain in effect, it will be based on your prorated salary. If you have elected Supplemental Life, your premiums will decrease based on your new coverage volume (i.e., your new prorated salary). Additionally, non-exempt employees will be responsible for submitting their monthly premiums for Supplemental Life during the periods they are not receiving paychecks. If you fail to submit your share of the monthly premium, then your Supplemental Life coverage will be discontinued, but not the basic coverage provided at the University’s expense. For exempt employees, premiums will continue to be deducted from your regular paychecks, which will be paid over the course of the full calendar year.
In general, as long as you are benefits eligible, meaning that you are working at least 23.25 hours per pay period, you are eligible to receive a 403(b) contribution. Retirement plan contributions are tied to salary; therefore, your contributions will be based on your prorated salary. For non-exempt employees, retirement contributions and deductions will be made only during the periods that you are actively working and, therefore, receiving paychecks; contributions will not be made during any period during which you are not receiving a paycheck. For exempt employees, contributions based on your new prorated salary will be deducted from the regular (26) paychecks that you receive. You may need to adjust your 403(b) election if you would like to keep the dollar amount of your elective deferral the same.
Yes, you and your family members may continue to use Lifeworks.
Sick and vacation time are prorated based on the number of hours you work, and will, consistent with applicable University policy and practice, be accrued over the course of the year – 26 pay periods. By way of example, if you transition to a 9-month position, you will accrue vacation at a rate of 75%. So, if your vacation accrual rate in your 12-month position was 4.48 per pay period, then, upon transition to the 9-month position, your vacation accrual rate would be 3.36 accrued over each of 26 pay periods. Sick time would be accrued under the same formula.
Yes, you may continue to use these benefits/facilities as you otherwise would.
Yes, you and your family may attend the picnic.
Working a job outside of the University is at your discretion as long as you continue to meet the expectations of your job at Illinois Tech, including but not limited to, work hours, responsibilities and applicable work rules. Working in other departments, must have the approval of both unit leaders (Vice Provost/President or Dean) in consultation with Human Resources.
It can be discussed as an option in consultation and approval of the Vice Provost/President, Dean and Human Resources.
Not necessarily. It is the needs of the business unit that primarily drive the use of reduced schedule positions rather than the personal needs of the employee. It is likely that once a determination is made to reduce a position, it will remain that way for some time unless the needs of the unit change. However, if the needs of the unit do change such that the position needs to revert to a 12-month position or full-time, then you will be expected to revert to working such schedule.
As long as you are actually working, you will remain eligible for taking approved University holidays off with pay. So, by way of example, if you are in a 9-month position that has you not working June, July, and August, you will not be expected to work Labor Day, but you will still get paid. However, you will not be paid for Independence Day.
No. Nothing in this policy is meant to imply that the University will adopt summer hours. The option for summer hours at the university or department level is not available.
As the policy to which these FAQs respond is subject to change at the discretion of the University, these answers only reflect the policy as it currently exists, and these answers are not binding on the University in the event the underlying policy is revised. In the event of any actual or perceived conflict between these FAQs and the policy as it currently or may exist in the future, the terms and provisions of the policy will always govern and control.