Current Employees

 Coming soon.

Employee Guidelines

• Identify the tour you would like to attend.
• Obtain approval from your supervisor prior to attending.
• Attend the tour.
• If you attend a tour outside of your normal working hours, ensure you use your corresponding paid release time within the same workweek as you attend the tour.

Approval
Participating in the Know Your U program should be arranged at a time that is workable for both the employee and the department. When requesting to participate, the employee must provide their supervisor with as much advanced notification as possible. Supervisors may deny the request based on operational needs.

Benefits Continuation
Because tour time is considered work time, employees continue to receive the same State and University benefits. All State-paid contributions continue.

Eligibility
Permanent full- or part-time civil service and academic professional (including visiting) staff who have been employed for six months or more are eligible to participate. For employees in positions represented by a union, this program will be adopted through the collective bargaining process.

Supervisor Guidelines

• Be sure the appropriate eligible employees are participating in the program.
• The employee should approach the supervisor with the tour they want to attend along with the date/time, etc., for approval.
• The supervisor will then either approve or deny the participation based on operational needs.
• Once approved, the employee will then attend the tour and keep track of their time.
• Supervisors will then check in with employees periodically to ensure they have not exceeded their eight hours.

Eligibility
Permanent full- or part-time civil service and academic professional (including visiting) staff who have been employed for six months or more are eligible to participate. For employees in positions represented by a union, this program will be adopted through the collective bargaining process.

Approval
Participating in the Know Your U program should be arranged at a time that is workable for both the employee and the department. When requesting to participate, the employee must provide their supervisor with as much advanced notification as possible. Supervisors may deny the request based on operational needs.

Reporting Activity Time
Time spent participating in an approved tour is considered worktime during the normal scheduled work day and is not subject to overtime and should not extend an employee’s workday or workweek. Civil Service non-exempt (overtime eligible) employees should report the time as regular straight time in the appropriate time reporting increments. There is no reporting requirement for overtime exempt academic and civil service employees as there is no leave usage.

Benefits Continuation
Because tour time is considered work time, employees continue to receive the same State and University benefits. All State-paid contributions continue.

Up to eight (8) hours may be granted each academic year (August 16 – August 15).  Tours typically will be in one- to two-hour increments and can be done individually or in groups. Once an employee uses eight (8) hours of time in an academic year, the employee is not eligible again under the Know Your U program until the next academic year.

Employees will be granted this time during their normal work day and should NOT use accumulated vacation leave or floating holidays when participating in an approved tour under this program. This program cannot be exchanged for a day off from work; it may be used only to participate in tours related to your university.

Additionally, department/unit events (e.g., office retreats; holiday events; team building workshops) should not count towards the employee’s eight (8) hours of tour time.  Unused hours will not carry over into the next academic year and have no monetary value if not used.

• Employees may participate in an approved tour that occurs either during their regular work schedule or that occurs outside their normal work schedule, including weekends. Release time is granted to employees who participate in an approved tour, regardless of whether the tour occurs during normal work hours or outside of normal work hours. Paid release time must be used within the workweek during which the tour occurs.
• Participation in each tour must have prior supervisory approval and is subject to the unit’s operational needs.
• Travel time to and from tours outside of an employee’s normal work location will be determined by unit/college specific guidelines and practices.
• Tours for which an employee must purchase a ticket or pay an admission fee are not eligible Know Your U.
• Scheduled tours of athletic and entertainment facilities or operations (e.g., Krannert Center, State Farm Center, Memorial Stadium) are eligible Know Your U tours.
• Supervisors should provide clear rationale for refusing an employee’s request to participate in a tour.