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The COUNCIL and the GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:
1. This Report brings forward proposals for a revision of the current flexible working arrangements in operation and the development of a Flexible Working Policy covering all staff.
2. The University's arrangements for flexible working for University officers were set out in a Joint Report of the Council and the General Board (Reporter, 1990-91, p. 363) and subsequent Notice (Reporter, 1991-92, p. 108). In the Report, a procedure was proposed by which University officers and applicants for University appointments might request leave of absence in order to work on a part-time basis while continuing to hold a full-time University office. At that time, the Council and the Board wished to put into place practicable and effective means to allow those whose domestic responsibilities made it difficult for them to undertake full-time work to continue in or take up University employment. They also recognized that the introduction of more flexible working arrangements within the University could be used to assist Faculties and Departments in attracting and retaining staff where it was clear that significant benefits would accrue from allowing an individual to combine University work with relevant external part-time employment in an area where there were strong professional links. The introduction of such an arrangement was only allowed where it could be demonstrated that such an arrangement would be clearly in the interests of the institution.
3. Under the 1991 procedure, part-time arrangements would be on at least a half-time basis, subject to a three-year limit and extended only if on review it was clear that they were working satisfactorily. Officers would be granted leave under the provisions of Statute D, II, 6(c) and the institution would receive the savings from stipend to make arrangements for replacement cover. In the case of officers engaged in work other than teaching and research, whose duties normally extended over the whole year, the Council and the Board indicated that they would be willing to consider applications for periods of unpaid leave on a regular basis, for example during school holidays, provided this was consistent with the needs of the institution concerned.
4. The key criteria laid down in the 1991 Report that had to be satisfied if a part-time arrangement was to be approved were that it would be in the interests of the institution concerned, that adequate replacement cover could be provided, and that no additional cost would fall on University funds. The Council and the Board made it clear that any person permitted to work on a part-time basis should be no less committed to the University as her or his primary employer than someone who worked full time.
5. The Council and the Board reviewed some of these arrangements in 1999 and developed previous flexible working arrangements by introducing a policy whereby University officers returning from maternity leave could begin work on a part-time basis of a minimum of 20 per cent, rising to at least 50 per cent within twelve months of the initial return to work. Later that year, in their joint Report on a career break scheme (Reporter, 1999-2000, p. 228) the Council and the General Board proposed a further expansion of flexible working arrangements to allow officers with domestic responsibilities to request leave to take a career break of up to two years.
6. As a further step towards full review and one necessitated by impending legislative changes, the Council and the Board have proposed a change to Statute D, I, to allow the establishment of part-time offices for fixed terms or on a permanent basis, as appropriate (Reporter, 2002-03, p. 616). This change was approved by Grace 9 of 8 May 2003.
7. There are a number of reasons to consider a review at the present time:
| (i) | a review is necessary in the light of recent legislative changes, namely the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000, the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002, and the Flexible Working Regulations 2002; |
| (ii) | part-time working may be appropriate for reasons other than those outlined in the original flexible working arrangements policy, for example, due to health or in the period leading up to retirement provided this is of benefit to the institution; |
| (iii) | while the arrangements currently in place have operated satisfactorily, the take-up of these schemes has been small; |
| (iv) | a revision of the existing policy may assist institutions in handling such requests in a systematic and fair way; |
| (v) | so that coverage is extended to all staff. |
The Council and the General Board believe it would be an appropriate time to introduce a more comprehensive policy, building on the principles outlined in the previous Report.
8. Despite having a policy for flexible working arrangements, the take-up of this option by established officers has been low (currently 25 officers have been granted leave to work part time). Also, although guidance is provided in the senior academic promotions procedure about making allowance for disability and periods of absence on account of family commitments and illness, Heads of institutions and Appointments/Promotions Committees may find assessments about the career progression and achievements of a University Teaching Officer who works part-time a more complex task. While recognizing these issues, the Council and the General Board believe that, by having a transparent policy on flexible working which is applicable to all staff, academic staff who wish to work part-time may be encouraged to explore this option and staff at senior levels will feel better able to support them in doing so. Any part-time arrangements would need to ensure that the officer involved made a proportionate part-time contribution in all aspects of the officer's duties - research, teaching, and, where undertaken, administration. In addition, the Council and the Board believe that part-time arrangements should only be agreed on the basis that the officer's primary loyalty lies with the University. However, any request to work part-time will receive proper consideration in accordance with the policy on flexible working.
9. The Council and the General Board propose that a policy on flexible working should be developed, applying to all staff.
10. The process of consideration of requests should remain the same as laid down in the original Joint Report on flexible working arrangements, updated and given in more detail in the Flexible Working Policy set out in the Annex to this Report. The former arrangements encouraged a prospective applicant to discuss the matter informally with the Head of institution or relevant authority before making an application, to be accompanied by a statement of support from the relevant authority before submission to the Council or the General Board. In the light of recent legislative and statutory changes, the written application should now be submitted by the member of staff, through the Personnel Division, specifying whether the request is for a permanent contractual change (in which case an application under the Flexible Working Regulations may be appropriate) or for a temporary flexible arrangement. For officers, approval by the competent authority to a temporary arrangement would continue to involve a grant of leave for a limited period under Statute D, II, 6(c) and any savings would be credited to the institution. In all cases where revision to working arrangements was for a limited period, the duration of the initial review period (which should be no longer than the maximum probationary period for staff) should be agreed. Since the maximum probationary period for officers is five years, a change to Statute D, II, 6(c) would be needed to extend the maximum initial period. As before, a review of working arrangements would then need to be conducted before any extension to the flexible working arrangement was agreed.
11. The Flexible Working Regulations envisage a wide range of flexible working arrangements encompassing a change to the hours worked, a change to the times when the individual is required to work, and a request to work from home, with a resultant change to working patterns, for example compressed hours, flexitime, job-sharing, staggered hours, and term-time working. Some of these arrangements will be more appropriate for certain roles than for others where the duties and hours are more broadly defined but the Council and the Board recommend that it would be appropriate for the Flexible Working Policy to envisage a variety of arrangements whilst allowing for careful consideration of requests. The Council and the Board wish to continue with existing arrangements for graduated return from maternity leave, taking the opportunity to increase coverage of this scheme to all staff, and to retain the career break scheme for officers and analogous staff and the family break scheme for assistant staff. The Assistant Staff Unions have been informally consulted and are in agreement with these proposals.
12. The Council and the General Board recommend:
I. That the current arrangements for flexible working be replaced by the Flexible Working Policy detailed in the Annex to this Report.
II. That the Council and General Board be given authority to make such changes in the procedure as they consider necessary in the interest of efficient operation or to reflect future changes in legislation.
III. That, subject to the approval of Her Majesty in Council, the Statutes of the University be amended as follows, and that the proposed amendment be submitted under the Common Seal of the University to Her Majesty in Council for approval:
Section 6.
By replacing in this section the word 'three' in lines 2 and 3 by the word 'five'.
| 21 July 2003 | ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor | B. J. BRINDED | JAMES MATHESON |
| S. H. ADELMAN | PETER GODDARD | MARTIN REES | |
| SARAH AIREY | D. A. GOOD | G. A. REID | |
| R. J. ANDERSON | DAVID S. INGRAM | M. SCHOFIELD | |
| RICHARD BARNES | IAN LESLIE | LIBA TAUB | |
| JOHN BOYD |
| 9 July 2003 | ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor | ANDREW CLIFF | ROGER PARKER |
| SARAH AIREY | M. J. DAUNTON | KEITH PETERS | |
| N. O. A. BULLOCK | MALCOLM GRANT | KATE PRETTY | |
| H. A. CHASE | DON MACDONALD | M. SCHOFIELD | |
| JESSICA CHILDS | A. C. MINSON | S. J. YOUNG |
[Covering flexible working arrangements for periods of more than three months]
1.1 This policy on flexible working arrangements for University staff has been developed bearing in mind the University's commitment to equality of opportunity (in particular that of appointment on the basis of merit) and with the intention of helping members of staff to balance their commitments and interests outside work with their contractual duties and responsibilities. It is recognized that being able to offer flexibility in working arrangements may assist members of staff to return to work after a period of absence or to continue in work or to adjust to retirement.
1.2 This policy complies with national legislation, including the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000, the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002, and the Flexible Working Regulations 2002. Staff working flexibly will be valued and respected in the same way as full-time staff. In addition, their contractual benefits will be the same, on a pro-rata basis if working less than full-time, as full-time staff engaged on the same type of contract and performing the same or similar work, unless objectively justifiable.
1.3 Flexible arrangements offered to members of staff under this policy cover a wide range of different arrangements including part-time or term-time working, job share, compressed or annual hours, staggered hours or flexitime. At all times, the arrangements that are agreed will attempt to balance the needs of the member of staff with the work to be carried out and should be in the interests of the institution1 concerned. Some of these arrangements will be of a permanent nature and, where appropriate, will fulfil the University's obligations under the Flexible Working Regulations. Others will be of a temporary nature, to accommodate a member of staff's need for an adjustment of their working arrangements to balance commitments outside work. However, flexible working arrangements will not be agreed where a member of staff wishes to 'try out' employment offers outside the University. In addition, applications to work flexibly will not normally be considered where the member of staff would be undertaking other remunerative employment outside the University.
1.4 This policy also applies to staff wishing to apply to work flexibly for a limited period in certain circumstances such as:
-career break (for officers and comparable appointments) and family leave (for assistant staff);
graduated return from maternity or sick leave.
(Study and research leave are covered by separate arrangements outside the scope of this policy.)
1.5 Details of these schemes are given in the Staff Guide for Academic and Academic-Related Staff and the Assistant Staff Handbook, which can be found, together with more detailed procedural information on these schemes, on the Personnel Division website (www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/). In all cases, the temporary arrangements must be to the institution's as well as the individual's benefit and the timescales must be clearly defined.
1.6 Statutory rights to temporary leave, such as maternity, parental, emergency, paternity, and adoption are covered by separate arrangements outside the scope of this policy. Details of relevant policies, notes of guidance, and forms are available on the Personnel Division website (www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/policy/).
1.7 In addition to giving serious consideration to any request to work flexibly, Heads of institutions2 and all those responsible for appointing staff are encouraged to consider routinely how certain duties in their department could be covered on a part-time basis, or divided up in different ways when reviewing a job vacancy or assessing the workload of the department or of an individual job.
2.1 This policy applies to all staff, regardless of length of service, who request flexibility in their working arrangements for a period of time of longer than three months.
2.2 Requests to work flexibly for periods of less than three months, for example for compassionate reasons or as a graduated return from sick leave, should be reviewed with the member of staff and agreed locally by the Head of institution or comparable authority, in accordance with guidance given by the Personnel Division.
3.1 Before making an application to work flexibly that will result in working fewer hours the member of staff should carefully consider the effect on her/his pay, pension contributions, and benefits since they will also be reduced on a pro rata basis. He/she may wish to seek advice from the Pensions Office about the implications for his or her pension (See Appendix 2 for details on sabbatical leave provision for University Teaching Officers working less than full-time).
3.2 The member of staff should apply in writing to the Head of institution, specifying the working pattern being requested, whether this is intended to be a temporary (with approximate timescale) or a permanent change and the reasons for the application. The Flexible Working Regulations require that he/she also gives information on how his/her work could be covered if the proposed working pattern was implemented.
3.3 If the member of staff is applying to work flexibly on a permanent basis or exercising her or his right to applying to work flexibly under the Flexible Working Regulations, s/he should read the notes of guidance and apply using the FLEXAF form available from the Personnel Division website (www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/policy/).
3.4 The key criteria that will be assessed by the Head of institution and that must be fulfilled in order for her/him to give her/his support and for the competent authority to approve a request to work flexibly are as follows:
| • | The new working pattern should be in the interests of the institution concerned, for example in terms of recruitment, retention, efficiency. |
| • | Adequate replacement cover could be provided or alternative work arrangements could be made if the new working pattern were implemented |
| • | There would be no unapproved additional cost of the new working arrangements on University central funds. |
3.5 All applications will be carefully considered, taking into account operational requirements and the nature of the member of staff's post when deciding whether the proposed arrangements can be accommodated within the institution concerned. The Head of institution should also take into account equal opportunity considerations, in particular the law relating to sex discrimination, when assessing the merits of an application.
3.6 The Head of institution will review the request, focussing on the job, the duties to be carried out, the hours to be covered, and how these can be accommodated. In making an objective decision on whether the option proposed would be feasible, he/she will take into account a range of factors such as the different elements of the job, the size of the workload, the need for continuity, any specialist skills required. He/she will take into account wider effects of the proposal such as cost, staffing, service delivery, performance, and quality implications, as well the impact of the new working arrangement on other staff and on any structural changes planned in the department.
3.7 It is acknowledged that an application to work flexibly may arise due to a wide range of different circumstances, the most common being to accommodate domestic/caring responsibilities, for health reasons (as recognized in the University's disability and employment and stress policies) or to reduce work commitments progressively in the period leading up to retirement provided this is of benefit to the institution.
3.8 A request from a University Teaching Officer must accord well with the spirit of an academic community. When assessing such an application, the Head of institution should weigh up the potential disadvantages in terms of the impact on the officer's commitment and loyalty, which must remain primarily with the University, with the benefits to the officer of balancing professional commitments with domestic and caring responsibilities. Similarly consideration must be given to the advantages and disadvantages to the institution and the officer of allowing her/him to combine University work with relevant external part-time employment in an area where there are strong professional links; such an arrangement must be clearly in the interests of the department and not being made to diversify the employment or remunerative opportunities of the officer. However, any request to work part time will be fully considered on its merits in accordance with the process laid down in this policy.
3.9 Before making an application, the member of staff may find it helpful to have a preliminary discussion with the Head of institution to review:
| - | whether the working pattern proposed would be feasible and if so whether it would be in the interests of the institution; |
| - | whether the member of staff would be requesting a temporary or permanent change and whether this could be accommodated within the institution. |
At this stage the Head of institution may be able to agree to the request straightaway, in which case a letter of approval is sent to the member of staff via the Personnel Division so that formal notification of amendments to the contractual terms and conditions including pay can be given. However, if more detailed consideration or consultation is needed (for example, Faculty Board support is needed for requests from officers before formal approval can be given), a formal request should be made (see paragraphs 3.10-3.15 below).
3.10 Formal requests should be made and considered using the following procedure:
| (i) | The member of staff applies in writing to the Head of institution or relevant authority specifying whether a request for a permanent (in which case an application under the Flexible Working Regulations may be appropriate if the member of staff has more than six months' service and wishes to work flexibly to care for a child - see notes of guidance on the Personnel Division website, www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/policy) or temporary flexible arrangement is being made and giving full details, including the proposed duration if temporary (which by mutual agreement should not be for less than three months duration or for more than five years), the proposed working pattern, and suggestions on how the full duties could be accommodated if the application was accepted. |
| (ii) | The Head of institution and member of staff meet to discuss the application and to review how it could be accommodated within the institution's working arrangements, patterns, and practices. The Head of institution should consider the application and may need to review the matter with the member of staff's supervisor or team members or consult within the institution before reaching a decision. |
| (iii) | The Head of institution then decides according to the criteria and factors set out in paragraphs 3.4-3.6 and gives a written response. If he/she is able to support the request he/she notifies the member of staff and subsequently writes a letter of support giving full details of the proposed working arrangements, timeframe, and timetable. The papers are then passed to the Personnel Division (for officers in Faculties, via the appropriate Faculty Board) for approval. If the application would not be feasible, alternative workable arrangements should be discussed (see paragraph 3.12 below). If the application is rejected, the Head of institution informs the member of staff why and follows this up in writing, providing a copy of the papers to the Personnel Division for the member of staff's file. The letter also includes details on how to appeal against the decision (see paragraph 3.15 below). |
| (iv) | If the Head of institution (and Faculty Board as appropriate) supports the request, the application is considered and approved3 on behalf of the competent authority. |
| (v) | A letter of approval is sent to the member of staff, either for a permanent change or for an arrangement of a limited duration specifying the initial review period. Notification of amendments to the contractual terms and conditions including pay is given. |
3.11 Every effort will be made to give full consideration to the request in a timely fashion and if an application is made under the Flexible Working Regulations, the timeframes specified in the statutory procedure will be followed (see notes of guidance on the Personnel Division website, www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/policy/). Under these regulations, the member of staff is also entitled to bring a companion (another employee) or a Trade Union representative to the meeting referred to in paragraph 3.10(ii) above.
3.12 If the original working pattern outlined in the application would not be feasible, the Head of institution should discuss and review alternative workable arrangements at the meeting with the member of staff before taking a decision to reject the proposal. The member of staff for her/his part should endeavour not to be too prescriptive in her/his request for a revised working pattern as a willingness to be flexible will increase the chances of the department being in a position to agree to accommodate the request. If the application is rejected, the Head of institution will write to the member of staff, giving the operational reasons for the refusal and providing details of the right to appeal against the decision. (Under the Flexible Working Regulations, the range of acceptable business reasons for rejecting an application is specified - see notes of guidance on the Personnel Division website, www.admin.cam.ac.uk/personnel/policy).
3.13 In the event that it is unclear whether a flexible working arrangement in a particular post would be a workable option, the Head of institution may agree to a trial period, which should usually be for not longer than three months, during which the duties of the post will be carried out under the proposed flexible arrangements. Where this is agreed, the nature of the arrangement will be set out in writing, the member of staff's hours will be varied for the stated temporary period only, and this will not be interpreted as a contractual agreement giving the member of staff the right to work flexibly on a permanent basis. The advantage of such an arrangement is that it gives the member of staff an opportunity to demonstrate how part-time working can be made to work satisfactorily and the Head of institution an opportunity to review objectively and factually the degree of success of the proposed flexible arrangement. Any tangible problems that arise can then be addressed in a practical way with a view to finding solutions that are acceptable to all. If, however, the changed working arrangement does lead to significant problems, the supervisor/manager will be able to give reasons why it could not be a longer-term option. He/she should meet with the member of staff towards the end of the trial period and confirm his/her decision in writing, together with any contractual changes. If he/she considers that the trial has not been successful, the job will revert to its previous status and the member of staff will be expected to resume the previous contractual working arrangement.
3.14 Before the Head of institution gives her/his approval to a new working pattern involving reduced hours, agreement should be reached on either a reduced quantity of work, or the removal from the job description/role profile of certain discrete elements of the post in order to ensure it can be effectively performed part-time. For staff holding academic appointments any part-time arrangements should ensure that the officer makes a proportionate part-time contribution in all aspects of the officer's duties.
3.15 A member of staff who is dissatisfied with the decision made in respect of her/his application may make a complaint through the appropriate grievance procedure. If an application has been made under the Flexible Working Regulations, there is a separate statutory right of appeal to the Head of institution (normally a different, more senior member of staff than the person who originally rejected the application) within 14 days of being notified of the employer's decision. In addition, there is a right to be accompanied to the appeal meeting by another employee or a Trade Union representative.
4.1 The probationary arrangements for staff who take up their appointment on flexible working patterns, for example on a part-time basis, will be the same as comparable full-time employees.
4.2 For staff who complete their probationary appointment in a full-time capacity and then subsequently take up a flexible working arrangement of limited duration there should be a review of the arrangements should an extension be requested. The application for an extension and a letter of support from the Head of institution (via the appropriate Faculty Board for approval as appropriate) should be sent through the Personnel Division to the competent authority for approval, specifying the duration of the extended arrangements and any changes to the original application for flexible working. Any extension should be for no longer than five years. In most cases any approval to an application to work flexibly for a limited period of time will be in order to help a member of staff to balance commitments outside work on a temporary basis. However, if the Head of institution proposes to limit the duration of a flexible working arrangement, he/she should ensure that he/she is able to provide objective justification for this decision, in accordance with the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002, implemented in October 2002 (www.dti.gov.uk/er/fixed/).
5.1 The range of flexible working practices that may be requested and may be appropriate, depending on the circumstances, include:
| - | part-time or term-time working |
| - | job share |
| - | compressed or annual hours |
| - | staggered hours or flexitime |
| - | working from home or tele-working |
(See Appendix 1 for definitions of these terms. Appendix 2 gives details of sabbatical leave provision for University Teaching Officers working less than full time.)
5.2 Effective practical procedures must be set up from the start of any flexible working arrangement. Establishing good communication systems and clarifying reporting relationships will help to ensure the success of the flexible working arrangement. Advice and guidance can be sought from the Personnel Division about the detailed working arrangements for different flexible working options.
5.3 The most common type of arrangement is part-time working, described in more detail below.
5.4 Part-time working, defined as working less than the full-time hours for the post, is appropriate where:
| - | there is insufficient work for the post to be carried out on a full-time basis |
| - | the nature of the work or working hours are best suited to part-time work |
| - | the job can be split sensibly and effectively between part-time job sharers, or |
| - | suitable full-time employees are not available. |
5.5 Heads of institutions (or other supervisors or managers) considering recruiting a part-time member of staff should:
| - | carefully assess the viability and desirability of having the job done on a part-time basis and the likelihood of finding suitable part-time applicants |
| - | identify the hours to be worked, for example whether the job holder needs to attend every day or whether a reduced number of full-time days would be appropriate, and |
| - | assess the potential cost of employment. |
The usual formal approval mechanisms should be followed before filling the post.
5.6 Heads of institutions (or other supervisors or managers) considering a request to move to part-time working should consider:
| - | whether it is necessary for someone to be present in the job during all the department's working hours |
| - | whether all the necessary work can be done within the hours requested |
| - | whether the job can be re-defined or restructured in order to make it easier for it to be performed on a part-time basis |
| - | whether some of the duties of the job can be separated and allocated to other employees |
| - | what the effects would be on other staff if the worker moved to part-time working and whether these effects would be acceptable |
| - | whether it would be possible for the job to be performed on a job-share basis |
| - | whether the worker who is requesting a move to part-time working could be moved to a different job at a similar level so as to accommodate the request to work part-time (if the worker's existing job is found not to be suitable for part-time working) |
| - | what the cost would be to recruit and train a new worker if the existing worker were to leave the organization on account of a refusal to agree to part-time working |
| - | what benefits would accrue to the department if part-time working arrangements were agreed. |
Formal approval should be sought before agreeing to the contractual change, which may be on a permanent basis or mutually agreed for a limited period of up to five years. The Personnel Division can provide advice on implementing part-time arrangements.
5.7 If it is unclear whether a part-time arrangement would be a workable option, the Head of institution may agree to a trial period, which should usually be for not longer than three months, during which the post will be carried out under the proposed part-time arrangements (see paragraph 3.13 above).
5.8 Part-time workers are protected by the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (effective 1 July 2000), which makes it unlawful for employers to treat part-timers less favourably than comparable full-timers in their terms and conditions of employment, unless different treatment can be objectively justified (www.dti.gov.uk/er/ptime.htm).
5.9 Some flexible working patterns may not be appropriate in all circumstances for certain types of staff, for example annualized and compressed hours arrangements or job share for academics, where the duties are broadly construed and the contract does not specify working hours and holidays.
Cover will not always be required as a result of a move to flexible working. However, any necessary cover arrangements need to be organized at the start of any part-time or flexible arrangement. It is helpful for the member of staff to consider this when making the application and to be ready to discuss ideas with the Head of institution at their meeting.
Appropriate cover arrangements will include using savings on salary (for officers, when part-time arrangements are agreed, the savings of stipend are credited to the institution's account), for example to make another part-time appointment, or to reorganize duties among the work team.
Where the Head of institution is unable to identify the immediate costs of such an arrangement, it may be possible to submit an application for short-term support.
The effectiveness of this policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Personnel Division by monitoring the number of staff who have taken up a flexible working arrangement over the 12-month period, comparing the number of staff who are working under a flexible working arrangement year on year, and reviewing any difficulties that have arisen in the operation of this Scheme. A full review of this policy will be conducted five years after implementation, in consultation with the Assistant Staff Unions and other interested groups, as appropriate.
Where it would prove useful, detailed guidance on specific flexible working arrangements and patterns will be issued in due course.
Part-time working means the member of staff is working less than full-time hours.
Term-time working makes it possible for permanent employees to take unpaid leave during school holidays.
Job-sharing involves two part-time employees sharing the duties of a post normally done by one. Job-sharers divide pay, holiday, and other benefits.
Compressed working hours lets people work their total number of hours over fewer days. For example, working full-time hours over four days a week instead of five, or working nine days a fortnight instead of ten.
Annualized hours means that total working hours are calculated over a year rather than a week. This means people can work according to the peaks and troughs of activity over the year.
Staggered hours means employees have different start, finish, and break times. This allows employers to cover longer operational hours. It also offers employees more flexibility, as long as they are consulted first.
Flexi-time lets people choose when they work, usually outside agreed core times. This means staff can vary their start, finish, and break times each day.
Working from home has been made easier due to new technology. It is possible for a range of types of work. It can be an appropriate option in circumstances where a member of staff needs to be based at home on an occasional basis or for a limited period of time.
Tele-working involves working at home, and using a telephone and computer to keep in touch with work. A proposal to work at home needs to be carefully reviewed in terms of the cost of providing equipment; health and safety and communications considerations; security, data protection, and other legal issues; working and reporting relationships and any requirements to attend work to perform the duties of the post.
1. University Teaching Officers or those holding comparable appointments (those listed in Schedule J or Study leave for holders of certain University offices list) are entitled to sabbatical leave at the rate of one term for every six terms of service (Statute D, II, 5 and the General Board's Notice on Leave of Absence under Statute D, II, 5, Statutes and Ordinances, p. 660, give full details of this provision).
2. The maximum entitlement that can be accrued by the holder of an eligible office is three terms (under the 'six year rule', Statute D, II, 5(b)).
3. Under Statute D, II, 5 the General Board have the power to determine whether a term or part of a term is to be reckonable for sabbatical leave purposes in any case where the holder of an office with an entitlement to sabbatical leave has been dispensed from discharging all or part of the duties of that office.
4. When a University Teaching Officer is granted leave to work part-time (under Statute D, II, 6(c)) or is appointed to a part-time office, the usual accrual of sabbatical leave entitlement will be allowed by the General Board according to the number of reckonable terms worked (a reckonable term being one where the officer was in residence for a greater part of their working week and had not taken sick or research leave (Statute D, II, 6(a) and 6(b)) for a greater part of the officer's usual working days during that term). The General Board will determine the stipend which will be payable during the sabbatical period, taking into account the rates of pay received during the period of reckonable service. For example:
| (a) | A University teaching officer working half-time for six reckonable years would be entitled to three terms sabbatical leave at her or his usual rate of pay (50% of the full stipend for that office). |
| (b) | A University teaching officer working 40% for two years, followed by 60% for two years, followed by 80% for two years (six years reckonable service) would be entitled to three terms sabbatical leave at a rate of pay of 60% (the average stipend over the six-year period) of the full stipend. |
1 'Institution' means all academic and academic-related departments, including administrative units, libraries, museums, and any other individual sections or units of the University.
2 'Head of institution' means the Head of a Department, Chair of a Board of a Faculty not organized into Departments, Director or the authorized deputy or designated nominee, as appropriate within that institution.
3 For officers, this would involve granting leave under Statute D, II, 6(c) and any stipend savings would be credited to the institution.
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Cambridge University Reporter, 23 July 2003
Copyright © 2003 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars
of the University of Cambridge.