Speak up Be heard: Work life balance

Does ASU really need to be open from December 24 to Dec 31st? There are very few students on campus. Even though staff may have the PTO hours, we cannot ALL take the same days off for this special time of year. Can the school close for a week during this time?

As students get Spring break week and two days of Fall break to recharge, would it be possible to make a mini University holiday those weeks? 

Consideration for: 
1. University holiday for the Monday & Tuesday of Spring break for students AND employees. Students would of course get their full 5 days (employees just 2 days for longer weekend spring holiday)
2. University holiday for the Monday & Tuesday of Fall break for students AND employees.

As ASU is #1 in Innovation, ASU could really show the country and the world how we innovate work life balance by making full time 32 hours/week with 4 8-hour days. Many positions do not allow work from home or ability to take shorter lunches or come in earlier to leave earlier (especially in health services for non-provider staff). If ASU feels 5 days/week are needed to serve students (Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm), staff can be flexed to work different 4-day blocks (half staff work Monday- Thursday shifts and half staff work Tuesday- Friday shift). Each shift would be 8 hours (for the new full FTE being 32 hours). There will be several days when ALL staff overlap for meetings (like on Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays). Many staff cannot work 4-ten hour shifts (as stated in the ASU regulations as an alternate to Monday-Friday eight hour days) due child care challenges and challenge keeping up quality work when doing face to face customer/healthcare services for such long shifts (very draining with face-to-face services in particular). We are seeing companies allowing employees to work 4-eight hour shifts (with same pay). Companies have reported improved productively, less employee attrition, increased employee happiness on the job. 

Dear ASU Staff Council,

I am writing on behalf of my team to express our concern regarding ASU’s decision to remain open on Christmas Eve this year, with closures instead on December 25th and 26th. It has been 10 years since ASU required employees to work on December 24th, and the recent change has caused significant frustration and stress among staff.

Many of us view Christmas Eve as an extension of Christmas Day, with family obligations, church services, and holiday preparations making it a day of great personal importance. The requirement to work on December 24th has disrupted these plans and left many employees feeling disheartened. In addition, our team has noted that historically, there are very few students on campus, if any, during the week of Christmas, and it is highly unlikely that students will be present on Christmas Eve.

Given these factors, many employees would strongly prefer to work on December 26th instead of Christmas Eve. We believe that closing on December 24th, as has been the practice for the past decade, would better align with the needs of staff and the reality of campus activity during that time.

We respectfully request that the ASU Staff Council raise this concern with the President’s Office and advocate on behalf of the staff, who are deeply affected by this decision. We hope that our voices can be heard and that ASU will consider returning to the previous holiday schedule.

Thank you for your time and for advocating for the well-being of ASU staff.

Dear Arizona State Staff Council,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express some concerns that have been raised among staff regarding the university’s requirement for employees to work on Christmas Eve.

As someone who is not from Arizona, traveling to visit family during the holiday season is incredibly important to me. Working on Christmas Eve creates additional strain, as it requires someone else to cover my position, further stretching our already busy team. This not only adds stress to our work environment but also impacts our ability to spend quality time with loved ones during a significant holiday.

Moreover, I’ve noticed a pattern during the days surrounding holidays. When the university remains open, students often do not schedule appointments, and those who do frequently no-show. This results in staff being present for an entire shift, waiting around for appointments that do not occur. It feels counterproductive, especially when many of us would prefer to use that time for rest or to be with family, particularly as we prepare for the busy season ahead.

I urge the Council to consider the implications of requiring staff to work on Christmas Eve, as well as the overall impact on morale and well-being. It would be greatly appreciated if alternative arrangements could be explored that prioritize both staff needs and operational requirements.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

I wrote a letter earlier about how we are not in favor of working on Christmas Eve. I would like to mention that though, I do not wish to work on Christmas Eve since this is a day of celebration for me and my family. If having the day off is not possible for future years, I think I would like the school to consider this day to be one where staff is allowed to be remote. It seems to be a safety hazard to have only one person in the office purely so there is coverage, but as I mentioned in the previous note, no students come to campus. So the individual who has to work this day is entirely alone. Our teams can do the same work in or out of the office.
 

As many positions do not allow working remotely; would there ever be discussion about summer hours for employees such as Fridays off during June and/or July or summer hours ending earlier at 3pm during June and/or July? Summer shifts ending at 3pm would allow staff to leave before the extreme heat of afternoons, especially those that park far away. Another potential option for heat reprieve may be consideration of closing on Fridays during summer months. This would allow reduced electricity usage campus wide with reduction of ozone pollution from driving that is compounded by extreme heat periods. 

Hello, this year's employee appreciation BBQ falls on March 28 and 24, which is during Ramadan. I was wondering if we could consider selecting a date outside of Ramadan so Muslim employees can also attend. I also ask if we can consider having vegan and vegetarian items so the event is more inclusive.

Offices that use to house one person now have three. If a dept does not have space for employees then why don't they consider an additional work from home day. Creative furniture can't solve the lack of space in some offices.

I have worked in the non-profit, K-12, and other higher ed roles and ASU seems as though they are behind on implementing various holidays throughout the year. I recently worked for Maricopa Community College and the new president implemented 1 week of paid vacation for non-faculty staff for spring break as well as Juneteenth off for their 2023 calendar year on top of the 1 week of between Christmas and New Years. ASU really needs to implement at least the basic Federal holidays such as President's Day and Juneteenth and atleast the week off for the holidays at the end of the year. This will really help with employee morale and keep up with employers that are continually adding better PTO and vacation packages. I know you are able to request time off during that time, but other employers are giving that time to their staff. This leads to happier and re-charged staff throughout the year with less burnout and fatigue. Please bring this to senior leadership and the board so ASU can compete with other employers.