Introduction to California Alternative Workweek Schedules for Employees

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Overview

• Under California law, employees are normally due overtime for any hours worked over 8 in one work day.

• Employers may offer, and employees may adopt, by a secret-ballot election, a regularly scheduled alternative workweek that authorizes work for no longer than 10 hours per day within a 40-hour workweek, without the payment of overtime.

• An “alternative workweek schedule” is defined as “any regularly scheduled workweek requiring an employee to work more than 8 hours in a 24-hour period.” “Regularly scheduled” means that the employer must schedule the actual work days in advance and give employees notice of the changes to their regular schedule.

• There are several steps that employers must take before they may implement an AWS legally.

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Objectives

• Gain an Understanding of Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) in California

• Benefits of AWS to the Employees, Organization, and Communities

• Work Unit Goals• AWS Implementation Requirements• Recommended Schedule• Next Steps for Implementation

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What is an Alternative Workweek Schedule in California?

• Alternative workweek Schedules in California are schedules that have been through an employee approval process to work greater than 8 hours in a 24 hour period without receiving overtime.

• The AWS in California requires compliance to the California Labor Code Section 511 & Wage Order 4-2001

> Maximum 10-hour shifts > Affected Employees Secrete Ballot Election> Two-thirds majority required> File with DLSE of California> 30-day waiting period

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Alternative Work Schedules Meet Needs of Employees

• Caring for young children when both parents are working.• Being able to see children off to school.• Caring for an aged parent.• Having non-weekend time to accomplish errands and other

personal business.• Scheduling leisure time more easily.• More flexibility to manage work and personal time• Enjoy regular full-day / half-days off while preserving full-time

salary• May provide a longer weekend for leisure time• Reduce travel costs• Improve work/life balance 

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Alternative Work Schedules Meet Needs of Organization

• Having more dedicated employees who are able to maximize their productive time and minimize the effects of outside responsibilities.

• Meeting changing and expanding customer expectations and demands, particularly for service and global companies whose customers may be in other time zones or have nontraditional work schedules themselves.

• Making better use of facilities and equipment by reducing idle time, energy usage

• Reduces absenteeism• May help reduce overtime pay requirements• Retain skilled employees who may have other personal

commitments

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Alternative Work Schedules Meet the Needs of Communities

• Reducing traffic congestion with workers on flexible daily schedules, instead of all arriving and leaving work at or near the same time.

• Reducing air pollution and energy demand when employees work a compressed workweek or telecommute

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1. Optimize coverage – 24/7/3652. Minimize labor costs/overtime3. Align employee satisfaction with business requirements and

customer needs

Work Unit Goal

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• Labor Code Section 511 & Wage Order 4-2001• Maximum 10-hour shifts• Employees affected need to vote• Two-thirds majority required• File with DLSE of California• 30-day waiting period

AWS - Alternate Workweek Schedules

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9-hour Shift Recommendation

Employee S M T W T F S Total Weekly Hours

A 4 9 9 9 9 Off Off 40

B Off 4 9 9 9 9 Off 40C Off Off 9 9 9 9 4 40D 4 Off Off 9 9 9 9 40

1st Shift 5:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.

2nd Shift 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

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• Employee Secret Ballot Election Meeting.  > Meeting is scheduled for: MM/DD/YY at H:MM

• If Approved> Implementation will be set for around 30 days after the approval> Employees will be assigned a shift and given a Shift Schedule

Agreement

Next Steps

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Questions

Thank you for your attention and interest!