College Handbooks & Policies

• Whitman College Staff Handbook

• Whitman College Travel & Business Expense Policy

• Whitman College Telework Remote and Hybrid Work Policy (August 2021)

Office Hours & Protocols

Work Day Hours

Per the Whitman College Staff Handbook, regular work hours at Whitman are 8:00am-5:00pm. This is an 8-hour day and includes a 1-hour break for lunch each day. The standard lunch hour is from 12:00pm-1:00pm. Modest adjustments to the lunch period are allowable (starting lunch at 11:00am or 1:00pm), but several administrative offices on campus close from 12:00pm-1:00pm and working through lunch to leave an hour early can negatively impact collaboration opportunities and generate perceptions of inequity.

Summer Hours

We also have two summer schedules that staff can opt in for designated periods from late May to mid August. Staff are expected to be working (or teleworking) during regular or approved alternate work hours. What that "work" looks like will vary, but the presumption is essentially that 40 hours each week is dedicated to advancing the duties and responsibilities articulated in their position description.

Flex Time, Errands, and Programs Outside of Regular Work Hours

As a private institution in the state of WA, we do not have the ability to provide flex time (officially). You cannot, for example, work 48 hours in one week and take a flex day off the next week. For hourly employees, any hours worked over 40 in a work week, must be paid overtime. Overtime should not be worked unless pre-approved by the Budget Officer (which in our Division is Dr. Johnson). For exempt employees, exempt does not mean exploitable, nor does it mean that they make their own schedule. Exempt staff in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion are still expected to work from at least 8:00am-5:00pm Monday through Friday, unless alternate arrangements have been made and approved by your supervisor.

We know that life does not always cooperate with our plans or happen inside the lines and that there will be instances when you need to run errands or handle personal business during regular work hours. When this occurs, I ask that you simply indicate that you are unavailable ("Errand") on your calendar. If your errand will require more than an hour of work time, you will want to let me know and may want to consider utilizing accrued vacation time or, if appropriate, sick time. You also might want to schedule it before or after the lunch hour to give yourself more time. Because our work is collaborative, we do not have the flexibility of working off-hours at our discretion. It may be the case that you discover that students would benefit from your presence at a regular after hours program or event. If a modification to your regular work schedule is desired, feel free to submit that request to me for consideration.

If you need to stay late or organize a weekend program, we can work to provide a temporary modification to your work schedule to prevent exploitation or exhaustion. Keeping in mind that as exempt staff, working 4-5 hours beyond the standard schedule each month is not necessarily considered unreasonable or cause for concern (especially considering the "erand" compromise). Working 4-5 additional hours each week, however, is not desirable and would indicate the need for a scheduling intervention (workload reduction, schedule change, etc.). Working fewer than 40 hours, with any regularity, would also generate Divisional and institutional inequity and should be avoided.

If you are running late for work (10-20 minutes), do not worry. Our time system does not need to be oppressive. But if you are running late for a scheduled meeting or will be more than 20 minutes late to the office, please let me know. Please text Dr. Johnson at (831) 332-2824. It's also acceptable to have an early or late errand (indicated on your calendar), provided that the accommodation is not abused.

Telework Remote and Hybrid Work Policy

https://www.whitman.edu/documents/Offices/Human-Resources/2022/telework-remote-and-hybrid-work-policy.pdf

Review the policy, complete the telework agreement form and return the signed form to me or Natasha at your earliest convenience. 

You will want to ensure that your work location on this day / these days is indicated with signage on your office door and on your Google calendar. Be sure that your calendar does not suggest you are out of the office or automatically decline meeting requests. You also will want to be proactive in notifying meeting organizers that you will require a virtual option to participate in meetings scheduled during your telework day. If you have student staff working onsite, you will want to make sure they have the necessary access to the facility and that you are maintaining supervisory status even from off site. Given the student-facing nature of your role, you also may want to promote the fact that virtual meetings with you on Mondays are available as an option and explicitly encourage students to take advantage of that opportunity.

Requestion Vacation or Sick Time

Sick time and vacation time is accrued monthly and requested via BambooHR. HR has requested that vacation/sick requests be made in increments of 4 hours or more. This helps reduce the number of vacation/sick requests that need to be processed on their end. Requests to use sick time will, in almost all cases, be summarily approved. You can request sick time at any time. If you will be out sick, please let your Admin Support or Supervisor know if you need them to reach out to folks who you had planned meetings with and now need to cancel or reschedule - if you are unable to do so. Vacation requests should be submitted with as much advance notice as possible. Vacation request denials/approvals will be based on Division staffing levels, student needs and the campus calendar.

1:1 Meetings

Dr. Johnson has one-on-one meetings with direct reports weekly or biweekly. Your Admin will find time on calendars and schedule. We will try to protect our time and keep things consistent, however there will be occasions when Dr. Johnson needs to move or reschedule these meetings. Dr. Johnson is also available for questions or check-ins whenever you need them outside of your regular meeting schedule. It is best to coordinate meetings through your Admin and get meetings on Dr. Johnson’s calendar rather than stop by the office. You can also email a quick question at any time.

Please provide Dr. Johnson and your Admin with access to full details on your calendar. If there is something you don't want visible you can of course make it private. But access to details helps us make scheduling decisions and better understand your work.

Division Meetings

The Division of Inclusive Excellence meets as a team once a month. The agenda is shared and you are free to add items. During the meetings you will be expected to provide a brief general update about your area.