Occasional time off
Occasional time off means absences from work up to 4 hours per month, taken consecutively or at intervals, which the employee may take in exceptional and duly justified circumstances, provided that they are requested at least one working day in advance, are duly authorised by the hierarchical superior and do not affect the normal functioning of the unit or service.
Occasional time off can be taken in any working time arrangement, pursuant to provisions established and mentioned in FAQ no.1
No, taking occasional time off cannot be combined with the use of banked hours.
No, the use of occasional time off must only be authorised by the hierarchical superior if the employee has no banked hours available or has already used them up.
Birthday leave
As a general rule, employees are given time off on their birthday if it does not fall on a weekly rest day.
No, in this case the birthday falls on an employee's rest day, which fulfils the purpose of the leave.
As Saturday is a normal working day in this case, the leave is granted on the same day.
No, in this case the birthday falls on an employee's rest day, which fulfils the purpose of the leave.
In ordinary years, time off will be granted on the last day of February in accordance with the rules and limits applicable to other employees.
No, as the purpose of the birthday leave has been fulfilled.
Birthday leave must be taken within a maximum of 30 consecutive days with the agreement of the employee's hierarchical superior, otherwise, it will be forfeited (no pay or compensation will be due).
No, because birthday leave assumes that the employee is performing his/her duties to the full and is not absent from work. In the event of absence, even if for grounds not attributable to the worker, he/she is not entitled to the birthday leave.
The same will apply to employees who are absent from work due to parental leave.
No, because birthday leave assumes that the employee is performing his or her duties to the full and is not absent from work
If the birthday falls on the period of compulsory closure of the unit/service in which the employee works, he/she may, on his return to work, take birthday leave on a day to be agreed with the hierarchical superior, provided that it is within a maximum of 30 consecutive days.
Sim. De acordo com o Regulamento de Duração e Organização do Tempo de Trabalho na Universidade de Coimbra, Regulamento n.º 56/2020, publicado no Diário da República, 2.ª série, n.º 15, de 22 de janeiro, em regra, é concedida dispensa ao/à trabalhador/a no dia do seu aniversário, desde que este não coincida com um dia de descanso semanal. Não havendo qualquer menção no regulamento que condicione esse direito ao tempo de execução do contrato - ou seja, não sendo exigido que o/a trabalhador/a já tenha completado o período experimental para usufruir da dispensa de aniversário -, terá direito à dispensa, desde que esteja ao serviço nesse dia e não seja dia de descanso.
Se o aniversário coincidir com um dia de descanso, feriado ou tolerância de ponto, considera-se que o objetivo da dispensa está cumprido e não há compensação noutro dia.
Se, contudo, por conveniência de serviço não puder gozar a dispensa nesse dia, pode acordar com o/a Superior Hierárquico/a o gozo da mesma num prazo máximo de 30 dias consecutivos.
Alerta-se, no entanto, que por se tratar de uma dispensa, esse dia será descontado na duração do período experimental.
Working time arrangements
Public employees may adopt one or more working time arrangements
a) Flexible working hours
b) Fixed work schedule
c) Staggered hours
d) Continuous workday
e) Half workday
f) Shift work
Banked hours are allowed in the following working time arrangements:
a) Flexible working hours
b) Fixed work schedule
c) Staggered hours
d) Continuous workday
e) Half workday
f) Shift work
Flexible Working Hours
As a rule, the employee can bank up to a maximum of 7 hours per month, which may be used in the following month for one full day (7 hours) or two half days (3 hours and 30 minutes), or to justify absences during the core hours for a maximum of 1 consecutive hour.
Note: The justification of absences during core hours of up to 1 consecutive hour cannot be cumulated with the use of half-day banked hours on the same day.
If the employee has a negative flexible workload at the end of the month, i.e. he/she has not worked an effective average of 35 hours per week, there will be a deduction of hours.
Any hours of deficit of 2 hours or less will normally be automatically carried over to the following month and must be balanced in that month, under penalty of unjustified absence (absence relating to the month in which the hours were deficit).
In this case, the employee may justify the hours deficit by using banked hours from the previous month by submitting a request to this effect.
If the employee is unable to make up the entire deficit in hours from the previous month, an unjustified absence will be recorded for the period that is not made up, referring to the month in which the deficit in hours occurred.
If there is a deficit of more than 2 hours, the employee shall be recorded as absent for one or half of the normal daily working time, which may then be justified under the legally admissible provisions.
Fixed work schedule
You will only be allowed to leave early again if you have made up the hours you left early on Monday (assuming it was in the morning) and if you have obtained the appropriate authorisation.
Note: If you fail to make up the leaving early time on Monday and leave early again on Tuesday, you will be recorded as absent on that day.
No. In order for it to be possible for you to leave early on Tuesday, you would have had to make up the time of your late arrival on Monday.
Please note that failure to compensate for your late arrival on Monday and early departure on Tuesday will result in your being recorded as absent for those respective days.
No, on days when you arrive late, you will not be able to leave early, even if you have permission to do so.
Note: Even if the late arrival occurs in the morning and the employee makes up the time in the morning, he/she will not be able to leave early in the afternoon.
No, you are only allowed to leave work early in one of the two periods of the day.
Yes. Tuesday's late arrival will be covered by Monday's banked hours, provided the early leave was properly authorised.
No, the hours banked on Monday are not enough to make up for the late arrival on Tuesday (10 minutes deficit).
Yes, since there is still half an hour to make up, an absence will be recorded on Friday.
Yes, as long as the normal working hours of the unit/service are adhered to, which must not start before 8 am or end after 8 pm, without prejudice to any applicable exceptions.
No, you can only make up 30 minutes. The remaining 5 minutes can be justified by using banked hours from the previous month or annual leave days.
You can make up the shortfall on the same day or in the same week.
No. Leaving work early may only occur with the prior authorisation of the hierarchical superior and as long as it does not interfere with the regular workflow of the service.
No. Lateness and leaving early in a given week can only be made up in that very same week.
Yes, in this working time arrangement, it is now possible for the employee to benefit from banked hours, which are calculated for the time that exceeds the normal daily working time (in accordance with the working hours and the operating hours of the unit/service).
As a rule, the employee can bank up to a maximum of 7 hours per month, which may be used in the following month for one full day (7 hours) or two half days (3 hours and 30 minutes).
Note: Banked hours cannot be used to justify absences of up to 1 consecutive hour in fixed work schedule.
In the case of fixed working hours (e.g. breastfeeding leave, student worker status), the maximum number of hours that can be banked cannot exceed the normal daily working hours.
Staggered hours
It is a working time arrangement which, while maintaining the normal daily working time (7 hours), allows for the establishment of differentiated fixed start and end times for teams, units/sections or specific group(s) of employees (not subject to employee choice).
Note: Banked hours, late arrivals and early departures are permitted under the fixed working hours provisions, with the necessary adjustments.
Continuous Workday
Yes, employees can use up to a maximum of 6 banked hours per month, and can only use them for periods of full days (6 hours) in the subsequent month.
Note: Banked hours cannot be used to justify absences of up to 1 consecutive hour in this working time arrangement.
Yes, you may arrive up to 30 minutes late, which must be made up on the same day.
No, leaving work early is not allowed under the continuous workday scheme, as the normal daily working time cannot be less than 6 hours.
Half workday
Yes, the employee can take up to 3.5 banked hours per month, which can be used the following month as time equivalent to the average daily hours
Note: Banked hours cannot be used to justify absences of up to 1 consecutive hour in this working time arrangement.
Yes, late arrivals or early departures are allowed up to a maximum of 15 minutes, to be made up on the same day or in the same week. This is subject to the provisions established for the fixed work schedule, as long as it does not interfere with the regular workflow of the service/unit.
Shift work
Yes, banked hours, late arrivals and early departures are allowed on the same terms and conditions as the fixed work schedule, with the necessary adjustments.
Accrual Leave
Accrual leave is the total number of days off that an employee can take in the following year, based on the number of banked hours accrued each month as unused paid time off over the course of a year.
Accrual leave must be taken up in whole days or in half-day periods, with prior authorisation and agreement from the hierarchical superior, to be requested at least 5 working days in advance, and may not be used to take absence that results in loss of pay.
The Accrual leave applies to:
1. Flexible working hours
2. Fixed work schedule
3. Staggered hours
4. Continuous workday
5. Half workday
6. Shift work
Accrual leave is calculated as follows:
- 2 (two) days off work granted to employees who, in each month of the year, have monthly banked hours equal to or greater than the average daily working time;
-1 (one) day off work granted to employees who, in at least 6 (six) months of the year, have monthly banked hours equal to or greater than the average daily working time.
No, periods during which the employee is absent from work for any of the above reasons will not be counted for the purposes of annual credit, as this system is directly dependent on the employee achieving monthly banked hours equal to or greater than the average daily working time, which does not occur during periods of absence from work.