About CIT

CIT Departmental Policy Statement

CIT will consider requests for reduced appointments based on an assessment of the reasons for the request balanced against the division or program business needs. Division-level management will ultimately decide whether a request is granted and under what terms. 

Background and Reasons for the Policy

CIT seeks to foster a supportive workplace by reasonable accommodations of employee need for meeting demands of health, family, and other personal needs.

Overview

All reduced appointments are subject to the following:

1. Should business needs change, CIT reserves the right to request the employee return to full-time status.
2. Employees on a reduced appointment should be aware that if they are unwilling to return to full-time status when business needs require this, they may be subject to layoff.
3. Agreement should include whether the changed appointment is viewed as temporary or permanent and, in either event, should establish a timeframe for periodic review, with annually being the minimum review period.
4. Reduced appointments for exempt employees should be no smaller than 20%, the equivalent of one workday per week. An employee's compensation wil be reduced by the same proportion that time worked is reduced.
5. If the reduced appointment significantly impacts the effectiveness of the role or the nature of the work that can be accomplished, the employee may be asked to take a reduction in title and/or pay.
6. On occasion, the demands of the position duties may require that an exempt employee on a reduced appointment work more than number of hours agreed upon. If this occurs, the employee and their manager may determine if adjustments need to be made either via additional compensation for that week or flexing hours incrementally in the following workweek. Nonexempt employees will continue to be compensated for every hour worked, as required through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations.

Process/Procedures

Employee Responsibilities

It is the employee's responsibility to contact CIT HR and the university OHR to understand any potential impacts a reduced appointment may have on benefits coverage and university employment status.

Reduced appointment requests should be discussed with and approved by supervisor in advance of intended dates.

If a reduced appointment is approved:

• Maintain regular, ongoing communication with supervisor to ensure performance levels continue as well as to discuss any changes to terms of agreement.
• Understand and abide by terms and conditions as outlined in signed agreement.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Meet with employee to discuss the request.

Before responding to a request for reduced appointments, the supervisor needs to consider whether:

1. Employee's needs could instead be met by a flextime/place agreement.
2. In the case of personal or family health issues that are not of definite duration form the motivation for seeking a reduced appointment, a university Personal Medical Leave may be the more appropriate solution. Contact CIT HR to discuss available options.
3. The business needs of the workgroup can still be met.
4. Other members of the workgroup will question the merits of having a colleague move to a less than full-time work schedule.
5. Employee's performance meets all expectations, especially in regards to productivity.
6. The benefit of retaining the employee's services merits the overhead (supervision, space, hardware, etc.) of a reduced appointment position.

If the request meets all the above considerations:

• Contact CIT HR to understand implications in workplace resulting from reduced appointment.
• Discuss the request with area Director.
• If Director approves, contact CIT HR to initiate CIT internal approval process who will notify supervisor when necessary approvals obtained.

If a reduced appointment is approved:

• Notify employee of approval and meet to discuss terms and expectations.
• Document reduced appointment form [link to online form similar to Flexplace form???] that sets forth terms and conditions of the reduced appointment that is to be sent to CIT HR (200 CCC) to be placed in the employee's personnel file. The agreement should explicitly cover all the points listed in the above section. Provide a copy of the signed agreement to the employee.
• Inform employee's co-workers of the change in employment status and explain what adjustments are being made to the area's work activities to accommodate this reduction.
• Review all reduced appointments in workgroup annually, if not more frequently, as specified in the individual agreements. The relevant area Director is required to sign-off on the review process.

If a reduced appointment request is denied:

• The supervisor should meet with the employee to explain reason for denial.
  
• The employee should be referred to CIT HR to discuss other potential options.

University Forms

• [None]

CIT Forms

• Request/Approval form for manager and Director approval — to be created

Related Documents and Policies

University Documents and Policies

• University Policy 6.6.13, Flexibility in the Workplace http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/treasurer/policyoffice/policies/volumes/humanresources/flexibility.cfm
  
• University Policy 6.9, Time Away from Work (excluding Academic and Bargaining Unit Staff http://www.dfa.cornell.edu/dfa/treasurer/policyoffice/policies/volumes/humanresources/timeaway.cfm
  
• Benefits at Cornell http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/benefits/

CIT Documents and Policies

• [None]

Process

As violations of the associated university policy have potential tax implications for the university, violations of this policy should be reported to DAF (Pat Nelson, 5-55525, pas2, or Rohit Ahuja, 5-5954, ra78). If you choose to report violations to your supervisor, unit manager, division director or a CIT HR representative, those individuals should discuss the violation with DAF. If you choose to make an anonymous report, you may do so through the Cornell University Hotline.

Consequences

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

University definitions are marked with an asterisk, all others are CIT definitions.

No Frequently Asked Questions are currently listed for this policy.