1 / 22

VRT

VRT. Voluntary Reduction in Time Program. What is VRT?. Temporary program - effective 1/1/2009 through 5/31/2012 Staff can request to voluntarily reduce work hours and corresponding pay Some departments may choose not to offer

liko
Download Presentation

VRT

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. VRT Voluntary Reduction in Time Program

  2. What is VRT? • Temporary program - effective 1/1/2009 through 5/31/2012 • Staff can request to voluntarily reduce work hours and corresponding pay • Some departments may choose not to offer • Participation requires the approval of the department head and Dean or Vice President, with the Dean or Vice President having final approval authority

  3. Program Purpose VRT is intended to: • Help the University achieve salary savings in these tough economic times • Provide staff with the opportunity to request reduced work hours that may also help with work-life balance

  4. Who is eligible? • Non-faculty staff in participating departments - Not all departments will offer VRT • Non-faculty staff includes administrative staff and staff who are members of a collective bargaining unit with a .80 FTE assignment or greater (working 30 hours per week or more) • Non-probationary and staff in good standing - Provisional employees are excluded • Staff with the approval of their department head and Dean or Vice President

  5. Timing Considerations • VRT is available 1/1/2009 through 5/31/2012 • Requests to participate must be for at least one month • VRT agreements will begin on the 1st day of a payroll period

  6. VRT Participation Staff may request to: 1. Reduce their work hours or work schedule at least 5 percent, up to a percentage that equates to working no less than 20 hours per week Example: • Suppose full-time is a 37.5 hour work week • 20% reduction in work time = 80% of full-time • Staff would work 30 hours per week and be paid accordingly

  7. VRT Participation Or, 2. Work less than 12 months in a calendar year - i.e., work 11 months or 10 months, maintaining a 37.5 hour week during work months Example: • Assume staff requests to work 11 months • During the 11 months, staff would work 37.5 hours per week • The salary for 11 months would be paid over the 12-month period Either way, participants must work at least 1,000 hours in the calendar year

  8. Program Process • Interested staff are encouraged to discuss VRT participation with their supervisor/manager • Supervisor/manager, department head and Dean or Vice President consider VRT participation in light of workload and budget • If participation is feasible, staff completes the VRT Agreement form with supervisor/manager assistance

  9. Program Process (con’t.) • Appropriate Agreements are approved by the department head and Dean or Vice President • Approved requests are sent to HR for final review and processing • With final approval from HR, the department processes the EPAF to adjust salary

  10. Exempt Staff Considerations Greater emphasis is placed on position responsibilities than work hours, so: • Supervisors/managers and exempt staff must determine and agree on any needed workload adjustments • These adjustments will be included as part of the VRT written agreement

  11. Program Changes VRT commitments will be used for planning and to project department savings – so, it is best if changes are not made; however, With appropriate approval and 30 days advance written notice, staff or the department head may: • Change the reduction of time • Terminate the VRT agreement earlier than scheduled [Advance notice may be waived if due to an emergency]

  12. Benefit Impacts • As long as participating staff adhere to the VRT program options, these benefits will not change: • Health Insurance (Blue Cross; Kaiser Permanente) • Dental (Delta) • Vision • Employee Assistance Plan • Life Insurance

  13. Benefit Impacts • Staff health care contributions will be the same as prior to VRT participation • Vacation and sick leave accruals will be reduced by the reduction in time • The applicability of other HR policies including layoff and termination will not change

  14. Benefit Impacts • USF contributions to the 401(a) retirement plan will be based on the reduced salary, and will continue provided that participating staff work at least 1,000 hours in the calendar year • For participating staff contributing to a 403(b) retirement plan, where contributions are based on a percentage of earnings - during VRT participation, these contributions will be lower -Staff will be eligible to contribute up to the maximums set by the IRS

  15. Benefit Impacts Tuition Remission Program: • For participating staff with a .80 FTE or greater • No change in this benefit • For participating staff with less than a .80 FTE: • For their spouse/LDA and IRS tax-dependent children, this benefit remains the same • For staff already enrolled in an academic program, this benefit remains the same • Staff are not eligible to enroll in a new program or class unrelated to a program in which they are already enrolled

  16. VRT Agreement • The form is accessible on the HR website • Staff participation start and end dates need to be determined and noted on the form for all options • Minimum participation is for 1 month

  17. Participation Options & Work Assignments • Monthly/semi-monthly administrative (exempt) staff and librarians may request to: • Reduce work time by a percentage, or • Reduce current schedule to work 11 or 10 months - instead of 12 per year For this option: • Time-off periods must be specified • Salary is spread and paid over 12 months • Participation must be for a period of 12 months

  18. Participation Options & Work Assignments • Members of a collective bargaining unit (hourly) may request to: • Work a reduced schedule • Staff must show their current and proposed reduced work schedules • Work days and number of hours per day must be provided • Or, reduce current schedule to work 11 or 10 months - instead of 12 per year

  19. Example: Working 11 months instead of 12 Assumptions: • Staff annual salary = $39,600 Monthly salary = $3,300 Pay calculations: • Salary is reduced by 1 month: $39,600 – $3,300 = $36,300 • Reduced monthly pay: $36,300 ÷ 12 = $3,025 • Semi-monthly pay: $3,025 ÷ 2 = $1,512.50 $1,512.50 would be paid each pay period over 12 months

  20. Program Support Human Resources will support VRT implementation by: • Training supervisors/managers • Providing presentations to interested staff • 11/25/08 • 12/4/08 • 12/8/08 • 1/6/09

  21. Program Support (con’t.) Human Resources will: • Support departments as needed • Respond to program questions • Help supervisors/managers to: • Review and analyze existing business processes • Make appropriate program participation decisions

  22. HR Contacts • For Program Information • Michele Centrella, x2833 • Maye-Lynn Gon-Soneda, x2431 • For Benefits Information • Diane Sweeney, x2440 • Sharon Hom, x2834 • For Payroll Information • George Chin, x2837

More Related