The Georgia Institute of Technology provides a variety of flexible working arrangements, at the discretion of individual departments, to enable employees to serve customers, meet Institute and departmental goals, and balance personal and professional responsibilities. Participating in a flexible working arrangement is a privilege and not a right.
The University System of Georgia (USG) has approved flexible working arrangements for employees who work in positions that are eligible for telecommuting and/or flextime and approved by the designated authority. Exceptions may be granted to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Requests for accommodations should be made through the Georgia Tech Human Resources, Employee Relations unit. Employees may find additional information about requesting a reasonable accommodation at: Human Resources Disability Services
Flexible working arrangements may be discontinued at any time. Employees and supervisors should discuss the schedule; however, supervisors make the final decision and employees must maintain the agreed upon schedule. The employee and/or the supervisor may end the arrangement by providing written notice a minimum of 14 calendar days in advance. Flexible working arrangements should be reviewed on an annual basis and shall be limited to periods of no more than 12 months, and after review, may be extended annually in 12-month increments. There are two exceptions to this provision: 1) when an employee is hired into a fully remote position; or 2) when the employee has been approved for remote work as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.
Flexible working arrangements should not cause a non-exempt employee to work overtime or cause any employee to work on existing holidays or conflict with leave allocation practices. Exceptions should be approved in advance by the Georgia Tech Human Resources (GTHR). Occasionally, an adjustment to an employee's work schedule may be required on a short-term basis and such adjustments do not require updates to the flexible working arrangement. Employees who occasionally request to telework must get supervisor approval first, but do not need to complete the flexible working arrangement.
Performance Expectations
While working under a flexible working arrangement, employees are expected to maintain satisfactory performance. This includes turning in assignments by applicable deadlines, producing a quality work product, attending meetings, and following proper leave procedures for time off. In addition, employees must follow established state laws and departmental policies and procedures. Failure to do so may subject the employee to revocation of the flexible working arrangement agreement and/or disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Retention of Agreement Forms
HR Reps / HR Contacts are responsible for retaining the flexible working arrangement until superseded or obsolete. The most recent flexible working arrangement and any related documents should be maintained by the department for two years after the agreement has concluded.
Compressed Workweek
A compressed workweek is the scheduling of a traditional 40-hour week into fewer than five full days by adjusting the number of hours worked per day. An example of a compressed schedule is working four ten-hour days with one full day off each week.
Flextime
A work schedule with variable arrival, departure and / or lunch times. It is typically designed to enable employees to come in earlier or leave later than the organization's normal hours of operation. This approach also enables the department to ensure necessary office coverage, customer service and staff interactions are maintained during the core business hours.
Telecommuting
The performance of normal work duties at a location away from the conventional or main office. This off-site location is most often the employee's home, but can also be a satellite office or, if traveling, a virtual office. Telecommuting is a privilege and not a right for employees.
For any flexible working arrangement:
- The employee should first schedule a time to meet with their supervisor to discuss the feasibility of a flexible working arrangement.
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Based on the outcome of the discussion, the employee should complete the Working @Tech Arrangement and submit it to their supervisor. If the flexible working arrangement being requested is telecommuting, the employee may also need to complete the Equipment Loan Agreement if using equipment off-site.The department's Human Resources Representative (HR Rep) is available for questions or to provide assistance in completing the form(s).
- The supervisor, in consultation with the department's HR representative, may approve or deny the Working @Tech Arrangement or may recommend an alternate flexible working arrangement. In determining whether to approve or deny the proposed arrangement, the supervisor must consider the organization's goals and should approve only if the arrangement permits those goals to be achieved. If the employee and the supervisor, in consultation with their department HR Rep., do not agree on a flexible working arrangement, the employee and/or supervisor should contact the Employee Relations unit to discuss further. In the meantime, the employee will continue to work standard hours.
- If an arrangement is agreed upon, the supervisor must submit the completed and signed flexible working arrangement form to the unit head for final approval. The unit head approving the agreement(s) may wish to consult with the department's HR Rep before making the final decision. Again, if a flexible working arrangement is not approved, the employee and/or unit head should contact the Employee Relations unit to discuss further. In the meantime, the employee will continue to work standard hours.
- If the arrangement is approved, the supervisor must send the completed and signed flexible working arrangements form to the department's HR Rep who will retain the original. The supervisor and the employee should retain copies.