The Division of Student Affairs

Across all roles, work location and modalities, employees are expected to:

• Fulfill job responsibilities and maintain expected levels of productivity and performance
• Ensure work schedules and work locations align with operational and service needs
• Apply flexibility appropriately within the context of role requirements and team impact
• Use flexibility and leave options appropriately and in accordance with university policy
• Follow team, department, and divisional expectations
• Be accessible via phone, email, Teams, Zoom, or other established communication channels during scheduled work hours
• Respond to communications within time frames established by leadership
• Communicate proactively about availability, scheduling needs, and any barriers that may impact work, responsiveness, or service delivery
• Actively participate in meetings, collaboration, and other work-related activities
• Contribute to a work environment where practices are applied consistently and equitably across similar roles

Work Hours

• Work hours should align with published office hours and operational needs. A typical 8am-5pm work schedule includes a 60-minute unpaid lunch.

Flex Time

• Division of Student Affairs staff members often work irregular or extended schedules to accommodate evening and weekend programming and crisis response. Employees are encouraged to work with their supervisors to shift regularly scheduled hours as needed in accordance with operational priorities. Working and non-working hours should be clearly indicated in Outlook calendars.

Calendar Sharing

• Clear visibility supports coordination and accountability. Employees are expected to:
  • Maintain an accurate, up-to-date Outlook and shared work calendars, including:
    • Work location (remote/on-site)
    • Meetings and commitments
    • Adjusted schedules (including nights/weekends)
• Ensure alignment between calendar and actual working hours
• Use OOO notifications when unavailable
• Assign appropriate delegation access in Workday

Division of Student Affairs employees are expected to use and share Outlook calendars as follows:

• Set Work Hours in alignment with office/department operating hours
• Mark appointments as Working Elsewhere when working remotely or from an alternate office location
• Share Full Details or Titles & Locations with Supervisor, Director, and AO
• Mark only personal/non-work related or confidential appointments as Private
• Share calendar with others as requested by supervisor/Director/AO (colleagues, supervisors, PSS staff, students, etc.)

Bereavement

• Up to 5 days for the death of a close family member.
• Up to 1 day to attend the funeral of an extended family member.
• Additional time may be approved by HR and the AO in extenuating circumstances.

Exercise Release

• Up to two 30-minute periods per week with supervisor approval for physical activity.

Laker Day, My Way

• One paid day off per calendar year to:
  • Observe a culturally significant or religious tradition.
  • Participate in a day of service.
  • Prioritize personal rest.
• Employees choose how to use the day based on their individual needs.

Salary Continuation

• Paid time for qualifying health-related situations involving:
  • Illness, injury, or hospitalization of the employee, child, spouse, covered household member, or parent.
• Up to 9 business days may be used before referral to HR/Leaves, with required documentation.
• May also be used for:
  • Routine doctor appointments
  • Urgent care or emergency room visits
  • Annual physicals
  • Dental appointments
  • Eye exams
  • Therapy or mental health appointments
  • Other physician-prescribed appointments
• Does not cover:
  • Weather-related absences
  • Childcare or school closure-related absences

Vacation

• Accrued at a rate of up to 4 weeks per calendar year.
• Up to 200 hours may be carried over from one calendar year to the next.

Standard Exclusion Dates

• PTO requests generally will not be approved during designated exclusion dates unless there are extenuating circumstances (e.g., weddings or funerals).
• Exclusion dates are determined at the unit level based on operational needs, such as:
  • Move-in week and related activities
  • Graduation celebrations
  • Staff or student orientation periods

ESTA is the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act which went into effect on February 1, 2025

• ESTA provides a new benefit for student employees, graduate assistants, and other temporary staff who did not previously have paid sick leave benefits
• For employees with salary continuation benefits, ESTA allows for 72 hours per year of that time to be used via ESTA guidelines vs. GVSU guidelines
  • Tip: Add a comment to all salary continuation time requests noting salary continuation vs. ESTA
• Unlike salary continuation, ESTA can be used for:
  • Care for individuals not covered under the GVSU definition of family
  • Participation in a meeting at child’s school, or childcare due to closing of child’s school/daycare due to public health emergency
  • Time needed to participate in legal services or criminal proceedings
• There is no paid time for care or bereavement of animals/pets. In those situations, employees may take vacation time or flex their work schedule, with supervisor approval.

Absence Expectations

Planned Absence

• Notification
  • Submit vacation requests at least 14 calendar days in advance whenever possible.
  • Submit salary continuation requests for pre-scheduled appointments as soon as possible.
• Calendar
  • Ensure your calendar accurately reflects your PTO hours and days.
• Automatic Reply
  • Set up an automatic reply indicating who should be contacted during your absence if you will be away for one or more working days.
• Workday
  • Submit PTO requests in Workday at least 14 calendar days in advance whenever possible.
  • Set up Workday delegation permissions, as appropriate.

Unplanned Absence

• Notification
  • Notify your supervisor or submit your request as soon as possible, and always before the start of your scheduled workday or shift.
• Calendar
  • Cancel, reschedule, or delegate all scheduled appointments.
• Automatic Reply
  • Set up an automatic reply indicating who should be contacted during your absence if it will last one or more working days.
• Workday
  • Submit your PTO request in Workday as soon as possible.ed to participate in legal services or criminal proceedings

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA)

A Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) is a university benefit that provides flexibility in when, where, or how work is performed while continuing to support operational needs and work-life balance. FWAs may include telecommuting, flextime, compressed work schedules, or other approved arrangements.

Eligibility & Approval

• Division of Student Affairs staff are eligible to request an FWA after completing six months of employment.
• Employees who regularly work outside their standard schedule or work location must have an approved FWA on file.
• Approval is at the discretion of the supervisor, Director and Appointing Officer and is based on job responsibilities, work performance, and operational needs. FWAs may be modified or discontinued if business needs or performance expectations change.

Administration

• FWAs should include clearly defined start and end dates and be reviewed on a semester or annual basis, as determined by the Director/Appointing Officer based on operational needs.
• Unit-specific exclusion dates should be identified in advance when flexible work arrangements may be limited due to operational demands.

DSA FWA Effective Dates

Fall/Winter Semester

• Effective Dates: 
  • Monday of Laker Welcome Week through the Friday before the start of Summer classes.
• Submission Deadline: August 15.

Summer Semester

• Effective Dates: 
  • First day of Summer classes through the Friday before Laker Welcome Week.
• Submission Deadline: April 15.

Remote work eligibility is dependent on role and operational needs. Employees approved for remote work are expected to:

• Maintain productivity, service levels, and accessibility equivalent to on-site work.
• Work from a dedicated, professional workspace that protects confidentiality and university data.
• Remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours in accordance with divisional and departmental expectations.

 An employee may not provide child or elder care during scheduled remote work hours.

Regular remote work

Employees who work remotely on a recurring basis must have an approved FWA in place.

Unplanned remote work

Occasionally, unexpected circumstances may prevent an employee from working on campus while still allowing them to perform their job remotely.

When requesting unplanned remote work:

• Notify your supervisor as soon as the need arises and obtain approval before working remotely.
• Be prepared to explain the reason, anticipated duration, and confirm you have the necessary resources to perform your work.
• If remote work is not appropriate based on operational needs or the nature of the position, supervisors may require the use of available paid leave or unpaid time instead.

Leader Responsibilities

Managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring university policies and divisional expectations are applied consistently, equitably, and in a manner that supports operational effectiveness. Managers are expected to:

• Communicate clear expectations regarding work schedules, availability, responsiveness, and work location.
• Evaluate requests for flexible work arrangements, remote work, and leave consistently, considering job responsibilities, operational needs, work performance, and applicable university policy.
• Ensure employees who regularly work outside standard schedules or work locations have an approved Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) on file.
• Support operational continuity by planning for employee absences, identifying coverage needs, and maintaining appropriate staffing levels.
• Monitor workloads, productivity, and service levels regardless of work location, addressing concerns in a timely and constructive manner.
• Encourage timely communication regarding scheduling changes, absences, and operational impacts.
• Maintain equitable practices across similarly situated employees while recognizing that operational needs may vary by role or unit.
• Consult with Human Resources when questions arise regarding policy interpretation, accommodations, leave administration, or other complex employment matters.