VCOM Administrative and Classified Staff Handbook

Hours of Work, Breaks, and Overtime

Hours of Work The standard workweek for all full-time employees at VCOM will consist of a five-day, 32 to 40-hour workweek schedule for every seven calendar-day period (Sunday-Saturday). Approved holidays, annual vacation days, and sick days will be counted as work hours for purposes of computing the minimum 32 to 40-hour-per-week requirement. An employee’s Division Officer determines work schedules according to staffing requirements. When scheduling employees, the Division Officer should schedule the employee in a manner that assures the employee’s work schedule does not exceed 40 hours, except for exempt employees. Meal Breaks When considering lunch schedules, what is best for the Department or Division as a whole is considered first, followed by the employee preference on the lunch hour. The final decision is based upon the needs of the department or division and the number of employees working to ensure that the department or division is covered at all times during the day (minimum of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The lunch period should be alternated between employees within a department or division so that the department or division is always covered. The division officer will approve the schedule at the time of hire and may alter or update that schedule from time to time to meet the needs of the College. A request for a different lunch hour by an employee may be approved by the division officer or immediate supervisor from time to time for special occasions. All employees must take a meal break whether they choose to leave their office environment or not. It is the employee’s responsibility to take the breaks provided. The meal break will not be included in total required hours of work per day, except when the division officer/supervisor has designated the lunch period of the work schedule to provide for client service or meetings. • Employees working at least six consecutive hours will be afforded, at a minimum, a 20-minute meal break. • Employees who work eight consecutive hours are allotted a 30-minute meal break and at two additional 15 minute breaks. • The meal break shall not be extended to 60 minutes by combining the two 15-minute breaks with the 30 minute meal break unless approved by the supervisor. • The employee’s total breaks will not exceed 60 minutes a day and cannot be taken at the end of the day without supervisor’s approval. This should not be a daily practice but an exception. Evening Hours and Weekends VCOM full time employees also work during evenings and on weekends. When scheduling employees that work weeknights and weekends, the Division Officer should schedule the employee in a manner that assures they do not exceed 40 hours. Certain employees such as the library assistant and the front desk guard may not leave their area to eat; therefore, they are considered as “working” when they are eating, and the time is considered in the work hours. In this case, the Division Officer must be careful to figure the time in as work hours without requiring overtime for the workweek. In times of emergency or to meet the needs of students and VCOM, additional work may be assigned that must be completed on the weekend. In those instances, employees may be asked to work on a weekend. When college events occur on Friday or the weekend, the officers and employees should anticipate allowing time off to be taken

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