Section VII: Work Rules / Calendar

Table of Contents


7.01 Work Rules

  1. Starting and ending times for a shift shall be designated by the dean, vice president or president. Lunch shall be one hour where appropriate.
  2. Employee Meetings. Instructors and other College personnel are required to attend all employee meetings called by the dean, vice president, president or other authorized person.
    1. Part-time instructors who are required to attend a meeting are eligible for compensation.
    2. Part-time instructors affected by this directive shall be notified of their required attendance at such a meeting at least one day prior to the meeting.
    1. It is recognized that there is an extra burden imposed on some part-time instructors when they are required to attend such meetings.

7.02 Attendance

An employee’s regular attendance on the job is important to the College’s operation. Frequent or unexplained absence from work or tardiness in reporting to work will seriously impair the value of the employee’s services to the College and will be sufficient cause for termination or other disciplinary action.

7.03 Calendar

A school calendar is adopted by the Governing Board each year after drafts have been circulated by the administration to employees and an opportunity has been provided to receive suggestions for revisions.

7.04 Modified Schedule

The College sometimes announces a special schedule due to weather conditions, emergency situations or other special circumstances. When this occurs, information about the modified schedule is provided to the news media and on CNM’s special telephone line, 224-4SNO, and on the CNM website.

  1. Abbreviated Day. When an abbreviated schedule is announced in the early morning, CNM opens and classes begin at l0:30 a.m. and the schedule continues as if it were a regular day.
    1. Instructional personnel are expected to arrive in time to perform their assigned duties. Other personnel whose workday begins before 10:30 a.m. are expected to arrive no later than 10:30 a.m. Personnel whose workday begins at l0:30 a.m. or later will report at the regularly scheduled time.
    2. If an employee is unable to report to work within the expected time, annual leave, personal leave or leave without pay will be used.
  2. College Closings. Extremely inclement weather or another emergency may on rare occasions cause the entire College, or a portion thereof, to close for a day or days.
  3. When an abbreviated day or closure is in effect, personnel whose positions involve essential services as designated by the respective vice president or designee shall report to work at the regularly scheduled time or as soon thereafter as possible. Compensation for essential employees for hours worked when the College is closed shall be at 1.5 times the regular rate. (Also see Section 5.02.C.11.)
  4. When an emergency mandates a modified schedule for a portion of the College, affected employees are placed in alternative work settings for the duration whenever possible.
  5. Employees whose office, building or campuses are not affected by a closure must maintain their regular work schedules.
  6. Full-time employees and part-time instructors are paid their regular wages when the College is closed; all other part-time employees are paid their regular wages for scheduled time when the College is closed; however, work-study employees are paid only for time worked.
  7. Approved leave of any kind, effective during a modified schedule, will not be adjusted.

7.05 Election Days

The College follows state law in allowing employees release time to vote on election days. The employee shall make scheduling arrangements with his or her supervisor.

7.06 Flexible Work Policy

Effective Date: 2/14/2023

CNM is committed to supporting employees in work-life balance which leads to higher employee efficiency, productivity, and retention. The purpose of this policy is to maintain a progressive and productive flexible work environment. CNM will continue to focus on the educational and service needs of our students by offering a flexible hybrid model of in-person and virtual instruction & services. The College will prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for students, faculty, staff, and community members.

The Flexible Work Policy ensures that both the employee and supervisor have a shared understanding of the work plan. Supervisors must approve the Flexible Work Plan for individual employees and communicate arrangements with Human Resources.

  1. Type of Flexible Work Strategies

       Employees may request one work strategy or a combination thereof:

    1. Flextime: Permits flexibility in starting and ending times without changing the total hours worked in a work week. 
    2. Compressed Workweek: A full-time schedule compressed into less than the traditional five-day work week.
    3. Remote work: Allows employees to work all of their work hours from a location other than a CNM campus. Supervisors, reference section C (3) below when considering this option.
    4. Hybrid: Employees work part of the standard work week at a location other than on campus. This group includes people who must be on campus either regularly or periodically but who can perform some portion of their work remotely. Supervisors, reference section C (3) below when considering this option.

      When clearly outlined and executed, flexible work plans can prove beneficial to employees and supervisors. Supervisors should clearly articulate procedures for check-in times and hours of availability. Well-planned work arrangements should mitigate communications problems. This policy provides guidance for supervisors, employees, and departments to determine whether flexible work strategies may be used to provide education, training, and services to students, colleagues, and our community partners and how such strategies are structured.

  2. Eligibility
    1. Employees are eligible to request a flexible work plan, however, not all positions lend themselves to flexible work.
    2. A flexible work plan must meet the needs of the department, colleagues relying on services provided, and the department employee. Departments should be consistent in the decision-making process when creating and administering flexible work plans.
    3. Employees within their probation period or in corrective action may not be eligible for a flexible work plan.
  3. Documenting the Flexible Work Plan
    1. The goal of a flexible work plan is to ensure that both the employee and supervisor have a shared understanding of the agreement and how the individual work plan aligns with the department’s service expectations. Supervisors must approve the Flexible Work Plan for individual employees and communicate such arrangements with Human Resources.
    2. Supervisors should maintain a copy of the agreement in departmental records and send a copy to Human Resources at hr_consultants@cnm.edu. The contents of the agreement should include: 
      1. A work schedule that specifies hybrid/remote work days, location, and hours.
      2. Department service level agreement requirements (if applicable).
      3. Required methods of communication specific to hybrid/remote work (e.g. Zoom, phone).
      4. The duration of the flexible work arrangement.
      5. Responsibility for equipment used offsite.
      6. Any circumstances requiring on-site attendance.
      7. Relevant policy acknowledgments of responsibility.
    3. It is critical for all departments and work units to maintain service level expectations with the college community, which includes a daily on-campus presence. For this reason, supervisors and employees should strive to limit an employee’s off-site work to no more than two full work days per week. Exceptions must be approved by the appropriate Executive Team member.
    4. The Flexible Work Plan and Agreement Form is available for supervisors and employees.
  4. College Property and Data Security
    Reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that College property is used in compliance with IS-1002 Information Technology Use Administrative Directive. This includes complying with all software licensing agreements. The security and confidentiality of College records must also be maintained. Sensitive data should not be placed on a personal computer or device, but instead should be accessed via secure remote access technology.
  5. Equipment Insurance
    College equipment and resources located at an alternate worksite are not automatically insured. Remote work employees may be required to sign a form acknowledging financial responsibility for College equipment damaged, stolen, or destroyed while in their possession. Remote and hybrid work employees are required to immediately report to their supervisors any damage to College equipment.
  6. Public Records Disclosure
    Records and work product created while performing remote work is subject to the State of New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act (NMSA 1978, Section 14-2-1 et seq.). 
  7. Overtime Eligible Employees
    In general, overtime is not permitted for overtime-eligible employees working remotely. CNM policy for overtime authorization remains in effect.
  8. Workers’ Compensation
    Remote and hybrid work employees are covered by workers’ compensation for job-related injuries that occur in the course and scope of employment.
  9. Tax Implications
    Employees are responsible for addressing and resolving any questions about their ability to deduct expenses related to hybrid or remote work.