As they have for the past few summers, Case Western Reserve University staff will have additional time off during June and July. CWRU Take Two, the university initiative that gives employees two hours off on Friday afternoons, begins June 1.
Nine Fridays will comprise this year’s program: June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, as well as July 6, 13, 20, and 27. On each of these days, staff will be able to leave at 3 p.m., which will amount to an additional 18 hours of paid time off for employees this summer.
“We are so appreciative of the outstanding efforts of our staff in all departments, who keep the university moving forward each day,” said Vice President for Human Resources Carolyn Gregory. “We hope that every staff member enjoys the additional time off this summer.”
Most employees will be able to leave their offices at 3 p.m. on Fridays during the program. However, there are some instances in which employees must continue working past that time to support the university’s ongoing functions—such as safety and maintenance. In those cases, alternative arrangements should be made.
Additionally, some offices and units also must be staffed until 5 p.m. on Fridays, in which case, alternative arrangements also should be made.
When an employee cannot leave at 3 p.m. on Fridays, supervisors are expected to engage with employees to schedule for equivalent paid time off in other ways. One way to work around these concerns is alternating which staff members work until 5 p.m. on Fridays, and giving those that do time off on an agreed-upon day. Additionally, supervisors can allow employees to group their hours into half- or full-days.
President Barbara R. Snyder launched the program as a pilot in 2015 as a way to show appreciation for staff when financial constraints limited raise pools. After the program concluded that summer, surveys revealed that 95 percent of staff and 78 percent of supervisors wanted the program to continue. In addition, President Snyder announced another show of gratitude earlier this year: that staff will receive paid time off between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 from now on.
Contact the Office of Human Resources’ Service Center at 216.368.6964 with questions.