VCOM Faculty Handbook

Voluntary deductions are those which are recognized by VCOM and made at the employee’s request. They include health insurance premiums not paid by VCOM, supplemental retirement annuities, and flexible benefits contributions. Tax liens and garnishments must be honored in accordance with the State Garnishment Law and the Federal Wage Garnishment Act. A garnishment or lien is the result of legal procedure whereby part of an employee’s salary is required to be withheld for the payment of a debt. Federal and state law prohibits the discharge of any employee because his/her earnings have been subjected to garnishment for any one indebtedness. An employee who receives more than one garnishment, however, may be subject to disciplinary action, which could include termination. Office Closings: Inclement Weather/Emergencies In certain circumstances, when VCOM is affected by inclement weather conditions, a natural disaster, or other emergencies, classes may be cancelled and operations of VCOM officially suspended. Such authorized closings may be for an entire or partial day. When VCOM is officially closed for students, faculty and staff, non-emergency VCOM personnel are not required to work. Please note that one campus closing for inclement weather or emergencies does not necessarily include the other campuses. When inclement or bad weather or an emergency (such as a power outage) forces closings, late openings, or early closings of VCOM, employees may receive full pay for these periods. Compensation for All-Day Closings (All Salaried Employees) All “non-emergency” employees absent due to an authorized closing for an entire shift will be paid for such absence. To qualify for such payment, employees must work or be on paid leave the prior scheduled workday before and the scheduled workday after the closing. Those who otherwise do not qualify for leave may apply to use their accumulated annual leave to the day of the closing. Partial Day Closing When VCOM opens late or closes early, employees will be paid for the authorized absence. To qualify, employees must work all or part of the work schedule immediately before and after the scheduling change. When an employee is late to work because of transportation difficulties caused by bad weather, the lost time does not have to be made up or deducted from their leave balances if the department manager judges the loss of time to be justified. Employees should consult their supervisor to learn about the department’s procedures for notifying employees about closings and to find out whether they are classified as essential personnel.

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