Skeleton Work Crew
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are skeleton crews necessary?
In accordance with the provisions of the Texas Government Code, 662.006, " ...an institution of higher education shall have enough employees on duty during a state holiday to conduct the public business of the agency or institution." This section does not apply to a state holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, or the 24th or 26th of December.
Who at the university is responsible for determining if a skeleton crew is required?
Vice presidents and deans are charged with the responsibility to determine if the work of their reporting departments indicates that skeleton crews are required. If the work of the department involves conducting public business, then access to departmental staff would likely be necessary.
Do skeleton crews always have to be on the work site?
Given the specific nature of the work to be done, a vice president or dean could consider allowing the skeleton crew to perform services that can be handled by telephone from an off-campus location, such as their residence. If the skeleton crew employee has access to a cell phone it would be possible for the employee to provide services from any location. In this case, the employee would not be restricted to their residence.
In some cases no on-site staff would be required. In other circumstances, it may be necessary to have on-site staff available to provide services to the public.
If an on-site skeleton crew is required by a vice president or dean is there a minimum number of staff that must be present?
There is no minimum number of staff required for an on-site skeleton crew. However, in determining the number of staff to be on-site, the vice president or dean would want to consider the safety and security of those staff assigned to work as well as the volume of activity anticipated. Consideration should also be given to relief for break and lunch periods.
If an employee works on a skeleton crew day, do they receive any kind of compensation?
An employee who serves as a member of an on-site skeleton workforce will be granted compensatory time in lieu of the holiday. The time worked on an on-site skeleton crew is recorded on the time sheet as time worked in addition to the holiday time. The resulting compensatory time that is earned must be scheduled for use within twelve months with the prior approval of the employee's immediate supervisor. It may also be used to observe an additional religious holiday or holidays, or state or national holiday that is not officially observed by the University of Texas at Austin. The Legislature has specified Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Cesar Chavez Day and Good Friday as optional holidays provided they do not fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Employees may be permitted to observe these holidays provided they work a skeleton crew holiday, or use accrued and available leave.
In some circumstances, a member of a skeleton crew provides service via telephone from an off-campus site and is not restricted to a specific location. Therefore the employee does not receive compensation, compensatory time or overtime unless they are actually working. The time actually spent working is recorded on the time sheet to the closest quarter of an hour.
Example: An employee calls a university phone number to check voicemail messages left by customers and then responds appropriately. The employee’s movement is not restricted, as voicemail can be checked from any phone from any location. Therefore the employee would not receive any type of compensation, except for the time he is actually on the phone checking voicemail or returning phone calls. If the employee spent 10 minutes checking voicemail and returning phone calls, she would record 15 minutes of work time on the timesheet.
For questions regarding specific circumstances and whether or not compensation would be required, please contact Human Resource Services, Compensation/Classification Services, 512-471-5824.
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