30.0 STANDARD HOURS OF WORK

INTRODUCTION

The university provides a standard work week and hours for employees. As a general rule, however, the work of operating the university is a twenty four hour a day seven days per week task. Certain departments may be required to work on an as needed basis.

PURPOSE

Provide AUS employees with standard hours of operation so that they know what to expect as it relates to their basic work schedule.

SCOPE

The basic workweek for all non faculty employees is Sunday through Thursday. The basic workday is from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for those employees who are assigned shift work. This amounts to a total of 173.33 hours per month on a regular full time contract.

PROCEDURES

There are certain times when the university or certain department heads may find it necessary to alter the basic workweek and hours of work. In addition, there are times when it may be necessary for the university to temporarily suspend operations and close the university.

30.1 ALTERNATIVE WORKWEEK AND HOURS

The authority to close the university and alter the basic workweek and standard hours rests with the chancellor or his designee. Given below are the means by which employees will be notified of university wide closure.

If a decision to close is made before the start of the workday, a message will be placed in the central answering service.
If the decision to close is made after the start of the workday, each department head’s office is notified by telephone by Human Resource Services Department (HRSD). HRSD maintains a list of departmental contacts and a system that permits simultaneous notification when a decision to close is made.

In the absence of an announcement, it should be assumed that the university is open, and employees should not be released with pay. At the discretion of the department head, employees who so request may be released without pay, or with their time charged to personal leave or vacation.

A suspension of classes and academic activities does not automatically extend to the work of employees. Conversely, a closing for employees does not affect students unless the announcement so states.

Changes in workweek and standard hours due to operational needs:

• This is determined by the department head who must secure permission from the appropriate vice chancellor.
• Once permission is secured the department head will notify employees of the schedule change and the reason for the change. Employees are expected to meet the needs of the university.
• If the non standard work week is continuous due to operational needs a Shift Differential and Irregular Hours Allowance is payable to the employee.

30.2 OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS

The official holidays observed by the university are:

• Hijra New Year (1st Muharam)
• New Year’s Day (1st January)
• Eid Al Fitr (Shawwal)
• Eid Al Adha (Al Hijjah)
• Prophet’s Birthday (12th Rabi Al Awal)
• Ascension Day (27th Rajab)
• UAE National Day (2nd December)
• Christmas Day (25th December)

On a few unanticipated occasions, the university may have to close, usually for a day or more, in compliance with the conventions of the community. This specifically refers to certain mourning days declared by the government. In such cases the assistant to chancellor for public affairs will advise the chancellor who will issue an appropriate announcement.

30.3 PAYMENT OF WAGES

Employees will be paid by the last day of each month in UAE Dirhams (Dhs) as specified by their employment contract.
All employees will be paid via direct deposit into a bank account at the Sharjah Islamic Bank or the HSBC Bank. Employees may select to direct all or part of their pay to any other bank through the electronic transfer of funds. Employees will not be charged for one electronic transfer per month to another bank of their choice.

Each month, AUS processes four payroll runs: faculty, staff, US citizens and UAE Nationals. The same procedures apply to all payrolls.

Department heads are to submit any relevant documents to be included in the current month’s payroll to the finance department before the deadline set by the finance department each month. The last date for submissions is communicated to all department heads in advance.

30.4 PREMIUM PAY

Overtime Eligibility
AUS employees are eligible for overtime pay as follows:

All employees in grade levels 1-6 will be compensated for overtime worked in excess of forty hours per week or eight hours per day. This includes full time, part time and temporary employees. The standard workweek is defined as 8 a.m. Sunday through 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

The employee’s supervisor must approve all overtime, in advance. Overtime is paid for hours worked in excess of eight hours a day and/or forty hours per week. Employee in grade levels 1-6 will be compensated for overtime as follows (Excluding dormitory supervisor who are compensated with a weekend working allowance, see shift differential and irregular hours allowance):

· 125% of base salary for each hour worked in excess of 40 hours per workweek,     Sunday through Thursday, between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
· 150% of base salary for each additional hour worked after 10 p.m. on weekdays.
· 150% of base salary for all hours worked on a Thursday.
· 150% of base salary for each hour worked on a Friday or a Public Holiday.
· During the Holy Month of Ramadan, the normal working hours during a workweek are reduced from 8 to 6 hours per day or 30 hours per week. Additional time hours worked in excess of 6 by employees in grade level 6 or below will be paid as overtime for at the rate of 125 % times base salary on weekdays and 150 % base salary on weekends.

The following procedure should be followed to process overtime payments:

i. The overtime form (Refer to form FA-FD-009) is sent to HRSD after the approval of the department head is obtained.

ii. The overtime is checked to ensure that total hours equal 40 hours or less and that the employee is eligible for payment. This is processed through payroll if it passes policy criteria.

iii. If the overtime is more than 40 hours per month, the overtime sheet is returned to department head for amending or for justification for exceptional payment. Payment of overtime over 40 hours requires the additional approval of the appropriate vice chancellor.

The positions of staff in grades 7, 8 and 9 are considered highly skilled or supervisory positions, which, by their nature may require staff to work all time necessary to fully accomplish their duties. The university usually takes such factors into consideration in determining salaries at these levels. Extra hours worked by these employees maybe compensated by compensatory time off upon due authorization by the department head (see 30.6).

Shift Differential and Irregular Hours Allowance

Shift Allowance is paid to employees who are assigned to a rotating three shifts schedule covering a 24 hour operation. It recognizes the disruption in the employees’ normal lives occurring from shift work. The allowance is a fixed rate payment each month (Refer to the current shift rates). It is not payable during leave periods exceeding five working days. The following procedure should be followed to process shift differential payments: i. The nature of the job determines whether the employee will be eligible for a shift payment. ii. The Human Rresource Officer is informed at the time of hire that shift allowance is applicable. iii. The Banner system is updated to automatically pay the benefit on monthly basis. The leave is monitored to ensure that payroll deduction of shift allowance is performed for employees on vacation.

Irregular hours allowance is payable to employees whose work schedule calls for work in the mornings and evenings, but which does not cover a 24  hour operation. It recognizes the disruption caused by working irregular hours. The allowance is a fixed rate payment each month. It is not payable during leave periods.
Weekend working allowance is payable to employees hired as dormitory supervisors who are sometimes required to work on a six days week basis. For this they will be compensated in addition to their shift allowance. The rate of compensation is at the discretion of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and is only payable during the academic year.

Payment during Special Holiday Closing

Full time and part time salaried employees not required to work during special holiday closing are paid for the hours they were regularly scheduled to work during the closing. Such employees scheduled and required to work during the closing are paid at their applicable rates, plus any shift differential, for the hours they work. Non-essential employees who are expected and are required to work are paid at their time rate, plus any shift differential, for the hours of the closing. Employees absent for any reason receive no time off or pay for a special holiday closing.
A department, laboratory or office that wishes to establish an afternoon/evening or night shift should contact HRSD to discuss conditions under which shift differentials will be authorized and the related policies and procedures.

University Holidays

All national and/or religious holidays declared by the UAE Government are considered public holidays for employees. However, the university reserves the right to request employees to work on such days. In these cases employees in grade level 6 or below will be paid at the rate of 150 percent of base salary. (All employees required to work during Official Holidays must have prior approval by the department head.)

Employees will be notified of the specific dates of government declared holidays as much in advance as possible. However, due to the nature of the occurrence of religious holidays being based on lunar calculations, it is not always possible for management to give employees prior notice.

If a public holiday falls during leave other than the annual leave, it is not compensated for in any manner.
Employees in grade 10 and above maybe granted compensatory time off at management’s discretion.

30.5 SPECIAL ACTING ALLOWANCE (Revised January 26, 2005)

Should a staff employee assumes additional responsibilities for a position that is greater than their current classification he/she may be eligible to receive an “acting allowance”. The allowance is not applicable when the employee typically serves in an acting capacity when the incumbent is away from the office.

An acting allowance of up to 10 percent of the employee’s current base salary may be paid if:

• The vacant position is at least a grade above the employee’s current position, and assumes first line supervisory or greater responsibilities. Should an employee assume responsibilities for a position at the same classification or lower, the allowance will not apply.
• The duration of the acting allowance is not less than 60 consecutive calendar days.
• The responsibilities are not applicable to training or career development that may result in the employee being promoted to the higher position at a future date.

The acting allowance must be approved prior to the employee assuming the responsibility of acting in a higher position. Authorization to pay the acting allowance must be recommended by the department head, endorsed by the Director Human Resource Services Department and approved by the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.

30.6 UNPAID TIME
Time not worked during the normal workday that is not due to holidays, excused absence, or other form of paid leave is unpaid. The employee’s supervisor, at his or her discretion, may allow the employee to make up such time by rescheduling the work of the employee at an alternative time conducive to the operation of the department. Make up time should not be scheduled so as to require the payment of overtime.

Lateness is generally time not worked and is unpaid time. However, transportation difficulties may cause employees to be late in coming to work. Such lateness is excused only when the university issues a notice to this effect, and to the extent indicated in the notice. Payment for excused lateness does not apply to employees who, for any reason, do not come to work on that day.

Employees who arrive at their normal reporting time receive no extra pay. For employees in grade levels 1-6, hours of excused lateness are counted toward the calculation of any overtime pay for the week.

30.7 COMPENSATORY TIME OFF

Employees in grades 7, 8 and 9, who are required to report for duty on days declared Official Holidays may be granted compensatory time off during their regular work schedule. This time off is granted as recognition of dedication to duty for staff, who have had to work beyond regular duty hours and are ineligible for over time payments.
Compensatory leave can be offered at the rate of 1 day in lieu of the extra day worked within three (3) months of the holiday or rest day it is to replace. Such leave may also be attached to the annual vacation, if approved by the respective department head.

Employees in grades 10 and above may be granted compensatory time off at managements’ discretions.

30.8 ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES

There are certain systems and services that must continue to run and be maintained during times that the university is closed. Employees that service and maintain these systems are required to work during university closings and holidays.

The following scheduling procedure will be followed unless an emergency does not permit for following this procedure.
The supervisor of the departments that have positions in which workers are designated as “essential employees” will notify these employees of this designation. In addition, they will be informed of their obligations and the procedures for communicating when they will be required to work.

An employee who is designated as an essential employee and who fails to report to work during an emergency or university closing is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

30.9 REPORTING CHANGE OF STATUS

A change in employment status is effected by a personnel action generated by HRSD upon receipt of a written request from a department head after being approved by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration/ Chancellor. There are 3 types:

1. Change in employee’s classification or rate of pay

· The department head sends a request to the appropriate vice chancellor/chancellor regarding the change for approval.
· The approved request is sent to HRSD for implementation.
· HRSD prepares a letter for the change and sends it to the director/dean for forwarding to the employee.
· HRSD updates the system of the change, completes the HR Notification Form and passes to payroll.

2. Transfer of employee from one department to another

· The department head sends a request to the appropriate vice chancellor/chancellor regarding the transfer of the employee approval.
· If approved, the request is sent to HRSD for implementation
· HRSD prepares a letter for the change and sends it the director/dean for forwarding to the employee.
· The employee signs and returns a copy of the acceptance of the letter to HRSD
· HRSD updates the system with the change, completes HR Notification Form and passes to payroll for action.

3. Change in employee’s personal address, name, account number and or phone numbers.

· The employee goes to the AUS HRSD web site and completes a change form (Refer to form FA-HRS-014) or writes a memo or email to HRSD for changing addresses, phone numbers, name, bank account numbers, marital status or addition of dependents.
· HRS checks the information and up-date the system accordingly. The system is updated with the names as per the passport.

30.10 DRESS STANDARD (Added November 1, 2003)

AUS is a professional organization and as such, all employees are required to dress appropriately. Clothing worn at the office should be respectful of the local culture and customs as well as reflective of the university's overall image.