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HOURS OF WORK AND ATTENDANCE
Discussion
An “hours of work and attendance” policy explains an
NPCs’ standard business hours and requirements for attendance by each
employee. Since NPC employees may work for investigators or supervisors
in many different locations, NPCs should have a policy that explains
that each employee’s supervisor will determine the work schedule, and it
is the employee’s responsibility to understand the schedule. Included in
this section should be a statement of an NPC’s lunch (i.e., 1/2 hour
unpaid/paid lunch) and break (i.e., two 15-minute rest periods per day)
policies. Check with a local attorney familiar with your state laws
because many states have mandatory break requirements.
NPCs may want to have procedures for employees to
follow when an employees becomes ill or has an emergency as well as the
consequences for failure to provide proper notification for an absence.
Eligibility and requirements for overtime work for
non-exempt and exempt employees should also be reviewed with each
employee. It is a good idea to establish a policy requiring advanced
supervisor approval for overtime work for non-exempt employees to prevent
employees from working overtime (and therefore spending investigator or
other funds) without knowledge or approval of the investigator.
However, if an employee does work overtime without
employer/investigator approval, the NPC is still liable to pay the
overtime to the non-exempt employee but the NPC could take disciplinary
action against an employee doing so if they have a prior approval
policy.
Sample Office Hours Policy
This nonprofit currently has the following standard
business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While the
regular workweek for many employees extends during regular business
hours, Monday through Friday, individual schedules may vary to include
weekends, evenings or nights according to laboratory or departmental
needs. The employee’s immediate supervisor determines the work schedule
and it is the employee’s responsibility to understand this schedule.
Employees working an eight-hour day are entitled to an unpaid
half-hour lunch break and two 15-minute rest periods per day.
Supervisors generally schedule breaks. Breaks may not be taken in
conjunction with the lunch break or used to shorten the workday. All
employees are provided a time sheet to complete daily.
The standard workday is 8.5 hours including a
half-hour unpaid lunch break and the workweek consists of 40 working
hours.
Sample Overtime Policy
Overtime work may be required due to
demands of in business workflow. It is both necessary and important that
employees shall be available, sometimes on short notice, to work
overtime when circumstances require. Work performed by non-exempt
employees in excess of forty
(40) hours in a work week will be paid at the rate of time one and
one-half (1 1/2) of the employee's regular rate of pay. Employees must
receive authorization by a supervisor prior to working overtime. Failure
to receive authorization prior to working overtime will result in
discipline with possible termination. Employees exempt from overtime
under law (i.e., executive, administrative and professional employees)
shall not receive overtime compensation.
Helpful
Links
http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/rest.htm
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