The Daily Bulletin

We are all aware of the economic difficulties the college is facing. In an effort to meet the coming challenges while maintaining academic excellence as a priority, we would like to remind employees of the Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule (VRWS) program that is available to eligible employees and may be of interest to you. Participation is optional and is subject to operational needs and supervisory approval. 

Please contact Human Resource Management with any questions. Human Resources can provide additional information on how this program you may be eligible for would affect your pay, benefits, retirement, seniority, and other factors. 

The VRWS is a program that allows eligible full-time employees to voluntarily trade income for time off, reducing their work schedules to reflect personal needs and interests. The VRWS program is available to eligible annual-salaried CSEA, PEF, UUP, and M/C Professional employees. Individual VRWS agreements may be entered into for any number of payroll periods up to a maximum of 26 biweekly pay periods in duration and must expire at the end of the last payroll period in the fiscal year. The eligibility criteria for CSEA- and PEF-represented employees and the eligibility criteria for UUP- and MC-represented employees are available on the Human Resource Management website.

Employees can decrease their salary while reducing their workday or work week. Or employees can decrease their salary while continuing to work full time to bank leave credits to use at a later time. 

How It Works

• Participating employees may reduce their work schedules (and salaries) a minimum of 5 percent, in 5 percent increments, up to a maximum of 30 percent.

• The employee and supervisor can establish a VRWS agreement on a fiscal year basis of any number of payroll periods in duration from 1 to 26.
• Employee accrual rates will be reduced depending on the accrual rate and percentage of the reduction taken for the duration of the agreement.
• The VRWS contract expires the last day of the last payroll period in the fiscal year.
• The VRWS agreement must begin on the first day of a payroll period and end on the last day of a payroll period. The 2020–2021 payroll calendar (PDF, 63 KB) is available on the Human Resource Management website.
• The employee and supervisor may, by agreement, discontinue or modify the VRWS agreement if the employee's needs or circumstances change.
• VR credits earned during an agreement may be carried on the employee's time card past the end of the individual VRWS agreement and past the end of the fiscal year but must be liquidated by September 30 for classified staff and December 30 for UUP staff following the end of the fiscal year in which the individual VRWS agreement expires.

Below are several examples of ways VR time can be used. They are not intended to be restrictive. Combinations and variations should be considered for an employee’s individualized schedule.

1. Shorter Workday/Normal Workweek
   • A 10 percent reduction on a 37.5-hour-per-week schedule could produce a workweek of 5 days at 6.75 hours each, or 5 days at 7.2 hours for a 40-hour-per-week schedule.
   • A 20 percent reduction on a 37.5-hour-per-week schedule could produce a workweek of 5 days at 6 hours each, or 5 days at 6.4 hours for a 40-hour-per-week schedule.
2. Shorter Workweek/Normal Day
   • A 10 percent reduction could produce a 4.5-day workweek, either 37.5- or 40-hour schedule.
   • A 10 percent reduction could produce a workweek of 3 days at 8.5 hours plus a fourth day of 8.25 hours on a 37.5-hour workweek, or four days of 9 hours each on a 40-hour work week.
   • A 20 percent reduction could produce a 4-day workweek with no change in the length of the work day. Same for a 40-hour workweek.
3. Block of Time
   With a 20 percent reduction for 10 pay periods, an employee can accumulate VR time to take a month off. By working the normal full schedule for eight pay periods and banking VR time earned, an employee could take off two pay periods (a month). The employee would receive a paycheck representing a 20 percent reduction in pay for each of the 10 pay periods. At the end of the agreement period, the employee returns to his or her normal work schedule and salary.