As previously announced, this is the last week of extended hours for the summer and we will be resuming normal business hours as of Monday, Aug. 14. To ensure the availability of on-campus support services for our students, we will also increase our on-site density for staff to a minimum of 70% of work time being performed on campus, which is equivalent to 7 out of 10 days of in-person work in a two-week cycle. Of course, not every position lends itself to a remote component. This determination will be made by supervisors in consultation with their managers/directors and should be based on the essential functions of the position and the needs of the department. Supervisors and employees should continue to refer to CUNY’s Flexible Work Guidelines for helpful information.
Supervisors must ensure appropriate office coverage in each office when assigning work schedules. As was the case last academic year, all offices shall be open and staffed during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, and in some cases, during scheduled extended business hours.
Please note that supervisors have the ability to assign on-site/in-person work over the 70% minimum to ensure we are providing efficient service to the campus community. Additionally, as the hybrid experience has shown, it often is more productive to have entire teams (or groups of teams) reporting to campus on certain days to attend important meetings or events to be able to reap the benefits of in-person collaboration. Further, when employees call out sick when scheduled to work in-person, it often affects other team members’ schedules. In those situations, a supervisor may revise schedules so that employees continue to provide in-person coverage equally within a specific unit. Similarly, schedules can be revised by supervisors when team members are out on approved annual leave to ensure proper office coverage. Supervisors may also set blackout dates, or periods of 100% in-person work as needed during the department’s peak times.
As always, those who qualify for a reasonable accommodation under CUNY’s Procedures-for-Implementing-Reasonable-Accommodations-9.21.2016.pdf (cuny.edu) can submit a request for a reasonable accommodation to HRAccomm@csi.cuny.edu. Please note, absent a reasonable accommodation approved by HR, an employee cannot be assigned more than 30% remote work.
In limited circumstances where vacations and/or illnesses result in departments having no on-site coverage for a temporary period, supervisors should consult with the appropriate administrator and ensure proper signage and notifications are in place so that visitors know how the department can be reached.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Human Resources.
Best wishes for a great fall semester.
By Jessica Collura
