Library Staff Internal Guide: Flexible Work Arrangements

University leadership has not approved alternate work locations for library staff for FY26. As stated in the system policy linked below, requests based on medical reasons may still be made (see 2.6.1 and 2.6.2). Employees should speak with Human Resources to request medical exemptions. In addition, AWLs for staff with no public interfacing duties may still be requested.

Staff can still request a flexible schedule. For example, they can request to work four days a week at 10 hours per day.

Flexible Work Arrangements  (System Policy, updated 8/7/2025)

https://policies.tamus.edu/33-06-01.pdf

1.1.2 Flexible work schedules are intended to be effective for at least two consecutive months; however, an approved flexible schedule arrangement may be modified, continued, or discontinued at the discretion of management at any time.

4. FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE A flexible work schedule permits an employee to work a predetermined and approved variation of the employee's standard work schedule. A nonexempt employee must maintain a 40-hour workweek. An employee who is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act must maintain either a 40-hour workweek or an 80-hour schedule over two consecutive workweeks. A flexible schedule does not limit the hours that an exempt employee must work to complete the job requirements.

A&M-SA Procedure on Flexible Work Schedules (updated 8/2023)

https://resources.tamusa.edu/employees/business-affairs/compliance/documents/33-Employment-Standards-of-Conduct/33-06-01-00-01-Flexible-Work-Schedules-updated_0823.pdf

1.1  Conditions: All regular employees of Texas A&M University-San Antonio are eligible to apply for flextime.

So, any employee, exempt or non-exempt can request a flexible work schedule per the conditions listed in the system policy and procedure. They should speak with their supervisor first (not everyone will qualify, particularly those that open, close, run the Innovation Lab, etc.) and complete the Flexible Work Schedule Request Form, which is routed to the supervisor, department head (myself), and provost.

Flexible Work Schedule Request Form

https://resources.tamusa.edu/employees/business-affairs/compliance/documents/33-Employment-Standards-of-Conduct/33-06-01-00-01-F-Flexible-Work-Schedule-Request-Form.pdf

Separate from the flexible work schedules, per the system policy, as supervisors you have the authority to approve temporary adjustments of work schedules. This includes approval for completing their work responsibilities as well as exigent and emergency circumstances.

5. TEMPORARY ADJUSTMENT OF WORK SCHEDULES An employee may adjust hours within a workday or workweek as long as a 40-hour workweek is maintained. This schedule adjustment requires the appropriate supervisor’s approval, is for a justifiable reason and does not represent a flexible work schedule as defined in Section 4.

Considering the change in the allowance of remote work for the library, we will make the following updates effective 8/25 for Fall 2025 and on:

• To account for the library’s varied hours of operation, unless otherwise specified by your supervisor and/ or position description, work shifts are normal daytime hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday-Friday.
• Library staff are encouraged to use sick/ vacation leave for personal time off.
• Library staff should use their out of office replies when they are using leave time or attending conferences.
• We will no longer use the library calendar to enter schedules since the default is for everyone to work on-site. Meaning, we no longer need to track remote working days for library staff.
• We will return to how we handled drop-ins prior to library staff working remotely. If someone contacts the information desk and asks for a specific library staff member, the information desk should attempt to reach the staff member through their office phone number. If they are unavailable/ do not answer, then the information desk will provide the staff member’s business card to the patron for follow up.
• Library activities that request a library staff member to work outside of their normal schedule require 2 weeks advanced notification for making schedule adjustments. I strongly encourage stricter adherence to this guideline for the sake of work/ life balance for our library staff. I give supervisors and library staff discretion for scheduling library activities within a two-week period (meaning staff can if they are able and willing, but this is not my expectation).