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Business Hours and Work Schedules

Overview

As a campus community, Central College desires to structure office hours and work schedules to best support students, faculty and staff.  Each area has their own considerations to make to structure schedules and staffing to meet the needs of campus.

Definitions

Exempt: classification of employees that are paid a set level of compensation and are not eligible for overtime pay regardless of hours worked.  Also referred to as salaried.

Non-exempt: classification of employes that are paid hourly and are eligible for overtime compensation if the total hours worked in a week are over 40.

Responsibilities

Employee: responsible for working scheduled hours and following expectations around breaks as outlined in this policy.

Supervisor: communicate expectations of hours with staff to ensure proper coverage of areas of responsibility.

Policy Details

Normal business hours for offices across campus are Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. It is expected that these hours will be maintained, except those days formally designated as college holidays.  Some departments may close when classes are not in session depending on the structure of the team and the need for staffing.

  1. The hours of work in particular departments or for specific employees are established by the college administration and/or the supervisor based on the requirements of the area or position.
  2. It is important to have established hours of operation and have staff available to handle routine matters as they arise from both internal and external sources. Any deviation from these hours must be approved by the Vice President responsible for the area.
  3. For non-exempt employees (hourly), overtime may be required in certain circumstances, but every effort will be made to give the employee as much advance notice as possible.
  4. Lunch and break periods
    1. Lunch breaks
      1. A normal lunch period is 30 minutes.  Depending on the area and schedule, a longer lunch (up to 1 hour) can be taken if that works for the area.  Longer lunch time may require a longer work day to meet the scheduled hours.
      2. Lunch break is encouraged to give staff a break from their work responsibilities and is unpaid time.
      3. Non-exempt staff need to deduct the time taken for lunch break (30-60 minutes) from the time reported on their timesheet.
      4. Non-exempt staff must be free of work responsibilities during their break since that time is unpaid.
      5. Administrative offices are to be kept open during lunch periods when the college is in session to be available for other staff and student needs.
  5. Work breaks
    1. A 12-minute paid break is allowed both morning and afternoon when working a full 8-hour shift.
    2. Break times should be staggered to ensure all work areas are covered throughout the day.
    3. Employees who work through breaks are not entitled to leave early or receive extra pay for the time worked.
  6. Breaks can not be paired with a lunch break to extend the time away.
  7. Staff should coordinate schedules to ensure proper coverage of offices and responsibilities are maintained during regular hours.
  8. Flexibility in schedules is possible based on the needs of the department and staff as long as there is proper coverage in place to support the function of the area.
  9. All exempt and non-exempt regulations will be followed as schedules are developed and communicated with staff by supervisors.

Last Revision Date: 4/12/2024

Policy Owner: Talent, Equity, and Engagement Office