Important Legal Notices & Policies
Legislation is constantly changing and these changes often times affect your benefits. Here at Ithaca College Human Resources we make it a point to make the most up to date legal notices available to our employees. This section contains a list of notices and policies that you should be familiar with. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us here at ICHR.
 | 2012 Summer Hours Program Q&A |
| Frequently Asked Questions about the Summer Hours program |
- QUESTION: What are Summer Hours and when are they implemented?
ANSWER: Following a successful pilot program that began in the summer of 2003 as a special recognition for the efforts of staff, the College drafted an official Summer Hours policy.
Summer Hours will become effective on Friday, May 25, 2012 and continue through August 10, 2012. During this period, full-time employees will work two fewer hours (37-1/2 hours reduced to 35-1/2, 40 hours reduced to 38 hours) and receive their usual compensation. The College’s official business hours will end at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays instead of 5:00 p.m.; thus giving many of our employees a chance to get a head start on the summer weekends. This year, there will be twelve Fridays on which the official hours will be reduced by two hours.
It is the general rule that official summer hours will begin the Friday after Commencement and end two weeks before the beginning of the academic year (fall). A notification will be sent to the campus each year identifying when summer hours will begin and end.
- QUESTION: What if my usual working hours differ from the College’s business hours?
ANSWER: If you are a full-time employee, your supervisor will work out a way for you to benefit from Summer Hours. One possibility is that s/he may arrange for you to leave two hours earlier on the last day of your work week. For example, if you work Tuesday through Saturday and usually finish at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, your work hours may change so that they end at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Supervisors will be working with staff to come up with schedules which support the department needs and provide a comparable amount of reduced time.
- QUESTION: Will the reduced hours result in a reduced paycheck?
ANSWER: Definitely not. Full-time, non-exempt employees who work a shortened day under this program are to submit hours on the TRF for such day as if they worked regular hours. Exempt employees will be paid their usual salary.
- QUESTION: What if I am on vacation or take a medical leave day on a Friday in the Summer Hours period?
ANSWER: You will accrue the same number of hours during this period and you will be charged the same number of hours against your paid time away bank as if the hours had not changed. For example, if you usually work 8 hours on Friday, your PTA account will reflect 8 hours.
- QUESTION: I need to leave early on a Friday, working only 3 hours of my designated shift during the Summer Hours period. Do I need to use my Paid Time Away bank?
ANSWER: Yes. In order to take advantage of the Summer Hours benefit you must work no less than 5-1/2 hours (37.5 hour week) or 6 hours (40 hour week) of your designated shift. The Summer Hours benefit may not be combined with PTA. Therefore, you would need to use your PTA account of 4-1/2 hours (37.5 hour week) or 5 hours (40 hour week).
- QUESTION: What if the demands of my job make it impossible to take off the two hours in a particular week?
ANSWER: You should discuss this with your supervisor. With the approval of your supervisor, you may “bank” up to two hours to be taken in another week. Employees are asked to make every effort to use “banked” hours during the summer period and all such hours will be forfeited if not used by October 26, 2012. This date will adjust each year.
- QUESTION: What flexibility do supervisors have with this policy? For example, if our department cannot release all of our staff on Fridays at 3:00 p.m., could we rotate Fridays among my staff and use the “banking” of time option for those staff that must work on some of the Fridays?
ANSWER: Yes, and supervisors or employees are encouraged to consult with the Office of Human Resources to discuss acceptable options or policy interpretation.
Please Note: Banked Summer Hours cannot be used to supplement a Flexible Work Schedule. A Flexible Work Schedule must follow the Ithaca College Policy Manual, Volume 3.6.7 (/attorney/policies/vol3/Volume_3-306.htm#30607) and must be in compliance with FLSA.
- QUESTION: Does this policy apply to benefits eligible staff who do not work full time?
ANSWER: Summer Hours apply only to benefits eligible employees who work full-time. Full- time for purposes of this program will include nine- and ten-month employees who work 37.5 or 40 hours during the academic year and who work full-time in any of the weeks during the Summer Hours period.