|
Employee Handbook PART IV. TRINITY COLLEGE WORK HOURS
Trinity College is officially open for general business from Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m, except during periods when the College is not in session for classes or on official holidays published separately each year. However, beyond these "official business hours," Trinity conducts many programs that occur at other times during the day and evening, on weekends, and during the summer. Within these "official" business hours, Trinity non-exempt employees work 40 hours per week, exclusive of the lunch period. From time to time non-exempt employees may need to work overtime, with the approval of their supervisors, and such work is time-and-a-half after 40 hours. The responsibilities of exempt (salaried) employees may require work beyond 40 hours and outside of the official business hours of the College in order to fulfill the duties of the position and to achieve the goals of the department. Trinity does not practice 'comp time' for exempt employees, but flexible scheduling (see below) gives supervisors the opportunity to adjust schedules after an intense period of work. Because of the nature of the work of the College, from time to time all personnel may be asked to adjust hours, to provide assistance during special events or functions like Commencement, or to respond to emergencies involving the campus community. The nature of work in a college requires staff to be flexible and responsive to time demands that may not be foreseeable at the moment of hiring. The ability to adapt to changing schedule needs is an important consideration in accepting employment with Trinity. Events such as Commencement, Family Weekend, Alumnae Reunion and other special programs are not "extra" or "volunteer" time, but rather, are integral to the nature of the work of Trinity College. Because Trinity includes a residential component, and because some of the work of the College occurs outside of the regular business hours, some staff may have job assignments that require them to work overnight, on weekends, to travel, to respond to campus emergencies, or to conduct College-related work in other unusual ways. Such an environment requires both employees and supervisors to be flexible, to respect the weekly time-at-work expectations, and to be fair and honest in reporting actual hours worked, and in performing the duties of the position professionally at times when no supervisors are present. Trinity College recognizes the value of 'flextime' in promoting a healthy working environment. However, a college is a distinctively different workplace from a corporation or agency whose main work may well occur with minimal public contact; an academic institution serves a broad and ever-present public constituency who have a right to find offices open and staff prepared to be helpful during the published business hours of the institution. Accordingly, Trinity seeks to implement a modified 'flextime' policy that fulfills the College's duties to all of its constituents while also providing reasonable flexibility to supervisors and staff for creating individual work schedules. Supervisors and employees may work together to create flexible work schedules that occur within the official business hours of the College, or within such other parameters as the nature of the work may require (e.g., Physical Plant, Residence Life). Employees may participate in the creation of the schedules, but ultimately, the determination of work hours rests with the College. An employee is not entitled to any particular schedule. If an employee and the College cannot reach agreement on work hours, then the employee will not continue on the staff. Flexible scheduling also results in different schedules for employees from department to department. What may be possible in one office may not be possible elsewhere. Employees working in different departments should not expect to be able to have the same kind of scheduling across-the-boards. With the exception of positions that entail specific responsibilities outside of the official business hours, employees are expected to spend a minimum of 40 hours each week on the campus during the official business hours.
Trinity's general policy is that all offices of the College should be open for business during the official business hours of the College. However, recognizing that personnel limitations may make this expectation impossible for every office all of the time, the offices that serve students directly have the greatest obligation to arrange staff schedules in a manner that will ensure service for students during all business hours. Unless specifically exempted, when classes are in session these offices must always be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays: Admissions, Business Office, Financial Aid Office, Registrar, Student Services, School of Professional Studies (when SPS classes are in session), School of Education (when EDU classes are in session), Professional Development Workshops (when workshops are in session). The Conference Office and Physical Plant must also have staffing present whenever a major conference is taking place. The Library, Academic Computer Center, Academic Support and Career Services, Dean of Student Services Office and other offices that support students and faculty should be open as many hours as possible within the official business hours. When a department sponsors an event outside of the official business hours, that department is responsible to ensure adequate staffing for the event, including set-up and clean-up time. Supervisors should establish master schedules for each department in consultation with the supervising executive staff member or dean. If the president or her designee determines that any particular office schedule does not serve Trinity's constituencies appropriately, then the supervisor will receive additional directions about making changes. Trinity College reserves the right to review all departmental schedules periodically, and to make changes in this policy and its practice as the needs of the College dictate.
| |
|
Return to the Employee Handbook Main Page
|