ACU staff will soon have the option to apply for a reduced-full time classification, while still maintaining full-time employee benefits, effective June 1.

At the start of summer, non-exempt employees will be welcome to apply from the 40-hours a week full-time status to the 32-hours reduced full-time employment. Non-exempt staff are those paid a multiple of their regular rate of pay for overtime hours.

Prompted by the university budget cuts, reduced full-time classification is the answer to employees interested in working alternative schedules when classes are not in session. The cost-cutting across campus has resulted in some faculty and staff eliminations. Reduced full-time employment is an option to benefit both employees and ACU’s budget.

“Creating this new employee class allows for the department to enjoy some flexibility in scheduling while allowing the employee to maintain health insurance coverage,” said Wendy Jones, director of human resources.

ACU currently has full-time, half-time and part-time employees, but only full-time employees receive health insurance.

“In the past, the only way we could do this was to move the employees to half-time which would result in a loss of health insurance coverage,” Jones said. “Obviously, this was not an attractive option.”

For staff members, access to these benefits is not the only attractive factor.

“With reduced weekly hours, employees will now be given the opportunity to spend more time with their families,” said Robyn Smith, talent management specialist.

Jones said this reduced full-time alternative was something Human Resources has wanted to offer, regardless of the university’s budget situation.