Staff participation on committees should be evaluated in order to assess the impact participation will have on the participant's workload, the workload of others, and daily operations. The amount of work that may need to be delayed, reassigned, or eliminated needs to be identified and evaluated. Schedule changes may be required for the participant or others. Such changes would need to be reviewed for budget and legal FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) impact and compliance.*

The staff participant and supervisor should discuss these and any other pertinent topics. The following is provided as an aid in evaluating what effects, if any, staff participation on committees will have on the department:

1) In what other committee assignments is this staff member currently active?

2) Will a change in work schedule be likely or necessary, since this is paid work time? If not, is flexible time available?

3) Will staff coverage for the department be affected? How? What is the solution?

4) What adjustments in work assignments or deadlines may need to be made? Which work deadlines cannot be adjusted?

5) Will committee participation result in reassignment of work to others? What? To whom?

6) What is the expected meeting time commitment?

*The supervisor needs to view any operational solutions in terms of the impact on the budget and the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The department's budget will be affected if the staff member is subject to the provisions of the FLSA (at Carleton this is defined as employees who are paid on a biweekly basis) and a schedule change results in added hours to a part-time work schedule or the added hours result in overtime pay (hours worked in excess of 40 in any one workweek). It is important to note that paid time off, in lieu of working more than eight hours per day, must be taken in the same workweek in which the additional hours per day are worked. If the staff member works more than 40 hours per week, overtime will be paid for the hours worked over forty. If the staff member is not subject to the FLSA (at Carleton this is defined as employees who are paid on a monthly basis), there will be no budget impact, but workloads and deadlines should still be reviewed as suggested above.