R-MC Human Resources: Staff Handbook

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SECTION 3 – WORKING HOURS, ATTENDANCE AND TIME OFF

3.1 Working Hours

The normal office hours of the College are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, due to differing departmental functions and needs, work schedules for individuals may vary from department to department. Your supervisor will inform you of your own work schedule. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on the work day prior to the Christmas holiday period, the office hours of the College are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

3.2 Attendance

To maintain a productive work environment, the College expects employees to be reliable and punctual in reporting for scheduled work. Consistent attendance on a daily basis is expected and employees are to be at work and on time according to their assigned scheduled workday.

Absenteeism and tardiness place a burden on other employees and on the College. In instances where employees cannot avoid being late to work, or are unable to work as scheduled, they should notify their supervisor as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence. This notification is required for each day of unscheduled absence or tardiness.

3.3 Absence from Work

The College recognizes that employees will not be present at work from time to time for a variety of reasons. However, attendance is and will continue to be an important factor in an employee’s performance evaluation. Excessive absences may result in disciplinary action including possible termination.

An employee who is absent without proper notice for three consecutive workdays will be considered to have voluntarily terminated employment with the College.

3.4 Meals and Rest Breaks

Employees working a full work day will be provided with a lunch period. Short rest breaks may also be allowed. Since work schedules vary, your supervisor will inform you of your own schedule for these times.

3.5 College Closing Policies

Inclement Weather Policy

Because Randolph Macon is a residential college, it is our policy to remain open unless College officials declare that the College will close for normal office operations during extremely severe weather conditions, such as blizzards, major flooding, and hurricanes. In some circumstances you may leave work early because of inclement weather, but only with your supervisor's permission. Employees will be paid at regular rate for the time that the College is officially closed.

Once Randolph-Macon College officials alter normal operations due to inclement weather or other emergencies an announcement with updated information will be sent through various mediums. The official and most reliable form of communication for accessing school closing information is Randolph-Macon’s School Closing Hotline, which can be accessed at 752-3633 or by calling the main R-MC number at 752-7200 and pressing 9. This information will be posted on the R- MC Web site homepage at www.rmc.edu and sent through R-MC email. The College will report this information to the local media to include WTVR Channel 6, WRIC Channel 8, WWBT Channel 12, WCVE 88.9 FM, WRVA 1140 AM, and WHAN 1430. However, due to heavy volume and other circumstances that may be out of our control, this may not be the most reliable form of communication. Employees are encouraged to confirm college operations by calling the R-MC Official School Closing Hotline. Contingent on the urgency of the situation, the College may also send out text messages through its R-MC Alerts system. All employees and students are strongly encouraged to sign up for this valuable service which may be used in an urgent/emergency situation.

Essential personnel will be expected to report for work unless otherwise stated. Your supervisor will have informed you prior to such an occurrence if your work is considered essential under such circumstances.

If the College closes before the workday begins:

Non-exempt employees who are identified as essential and who work when the College is closed due to inclement weather will receive a regular full day’s pay plus additional inclement weather pay at time-and-a-half rate for hours actually worked.

Employees taking a scheduled vacation/personal/sick day on that day will not have the time charged against their accrual.

The College will remain in “closed” status until the following work day. Inclement weather pay for non-exempt employees will cease at the beginning of the first shift of each department the following work day if the decision is made to open the College during normal operating hours. If the decision is made to open the College late, inclement weather pay will continue until the scheduled opening time.

Non-exempt employees who report to work on a day when the college is closed and are not identified by supervision as essential will not receive inclement weather pay for hours worked.

If the College opens two hours late (i.e. 10:30 a.m.):

Non-exempt employees who are identified as essential and report to work prior to the College opening at 10:30 a.m. will receive regular pay from the time their shift begins to 10:30 a.m. plus additional inclement weather pay at time-and-a-half rate for hours actually worked until 10:30 a.m.

If the College offices close early due to travel safety concerns with inclement weather:

Non-exempt employees are paid regular pay through the end of their normal work day. Non-exempt employees who are identified as essential and are required to stay will receive regular pay for time worked. No extra pay will be given unless the time worked goes into overtime. Employees taking a scheduled vacation/personal/sick day will have the full day counted against their accrual.

In all cases above, exempt employees who work during inclement weather do not receive additional pay, but a supervisor may grant additional vacation time whenever an employee has been required to work excessive time beyond normal expectations.

If the College is not closed and you can’t make it to work:

If the College is not closed and a non-exempt employee is unable to get to work or will be late due to weather conditions, the employee must call in to advise the supervisor of the situation. The employee must make up the time missed by one of the following methods:

• taking accrued vacation/personal leave
• working additional nonscheduled hours within the current pay period if approved by the supervisor (such as weekend hours, etc.)
• choosing not to be paid for the time missed

If the College is not closed and an exempt employee is unable to get to work or will be late due to weather conditions, the employee must call in to advise the supervisor of the situation. The employee must make up the time missed by one of the following methods:

• taking accrued vacation/personal leave (in full or half day increments only)
• choosing not to be paid for the time missed if absent for entire day

Emergency Closing Policy

In the event the College closes due to an emergency situation that is not weather related, the policy above will apply with one exception. In the case of a non-weather related emergency, depending on the circumstances surrounding the emergency, a number of employees may need to be designated as essential. Administration (Cabinet members and the Crisis Management Team) will be asked to report and they will identify and notify those employees designated as essential to dealing with the emergency.

In all cases, employees need to use their own discretion regarding their personal safety in reporting to work and should contact their supervisors if they are unable to report or will be arriving late.

3.6 Vacation

The accrual period for vacation is July through June each year and is prorated from the date of hire.

Regular full-time 12 month employees accrue vacation as follows:

• 0-5 years of service: 10 days per year (.83 day per month)
• 5-15 years of service: 15 days per year (1.25 days per month)
• 15+ years of service: 20 days per year (1.67 days per month)

Regular part-time employees who work 20 hours or more per week 12 months per year accrue proportional vacation days as regular full time employees, and must be used during their regularly scheduled hours of work.

Employment categories not eligible for vacation are: Regular part-time employees working under 20 hours per week, Special full-time and Special part-time employees, Other part-time employees and Temporary employees.

Although vacation time accrues from the date of hire, new employees are not allowed to use or be paid for accrued vacation until after 6 months of continuous service. With the exception of the first six months for a new hire, vacation time may be used before it is fully accrued during any one year, but should not exceed the annual maximum allowed. Employees must work one day per month in order to receive the vacation accrual for the month.

If a part-time employee who is eligible for vacation goes full-time, the part-time years of service with vacation eligibility count towards the full-time years of service calculation.

The College allows carry over of up to 5 vacation days each year that can be used as follows:

• Carry over days can be used as vacation and are “use it or lose it” the following year.
• Carry over days can be put in one’s sick leave bank thereby increasing the employee’s accumulated sick leave days, up to a maximum of 130 days.

Charges of vacation time must be made in full (7.5 hours) or half day (3.75 hours) increments for exempt employees and in increments of at least 15 minutes for nonexempt employees. Furthermore, vacations must be scheduled well in advance with the approval of the supervisor.

In the event an individual leaves employment of the College and has unused, accrued vacation time, the College will compensate that employee for those hours or days at his/her normal rate of pay, with the exception of carry-over days. However, in the event an individual leaves employment of the College and has taken unaccrued vacation time, this unaccrued time must be paid back to the College.

In the event an employee terminates employment with the College and is rehired within one year of termination, the prior years of service to the College will be counted when calculating vacation accrual.

3.7 Holidays

The College grants eleven paid holidays annually to all full time employees and part time employees who qualify. Five of these holidays will be taken sometime during the Christmas period (between December 15 and December 31) by all employees. Because some areas will remain open during this period, the exact schedule will be determined by your supervisor annually.

In addition, the following are recognized by the College as holidays:

• New Year's Day (January 1)
• Last day of Spring Break
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day (July 4th)
• Thanksgiving
• The day after Thanksgiving

Also, on the Wednesday prior to the Thanksgiving holiday and the workday prior to the Christmas holiday period, the office hours of the College are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Should any holiday fall on a Sunday, the holiday will generally be observed on the following Monday. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will generally be observed. To be eligible for a paid holiday, you must work your regularly scheduled work days immediately preceding and following the holiday, unless your supervisor excuses your absence in writing.

If you are full-time and work a 40 hour work week, including departments who work rotating shift schedules 24/7, your holiday will be paid as an 8 hour day at regular rate. If you are full-time and work a 37.5 hour work week your holiday will be paid as a 7.5 hour day at regular rate. Part-time employees are eligible for holiday pay if the holiday falls on a regularly scheduled work day. The part-time employee will be paid for the number of hours he/she was scheduled to work that particular day at his/her regular rate. If one of the paid holidays falls during your scheduled vacation period, the holiday will not count as a vacation day.

If you are a non-exempt employee and are required to work on a holiday, you will receive your regular pay for the hours worked, plus holiday pay as described in the preceding paragraph; or, with the permission of your supervisor, you can be allowed to take the holiday on another approved day. If the latter is approved, you will receive regular pay on both the holiday worked and the day taken off in its place.

If you are an exempt employee and are required to work on a holiday, you will receive regular pay for the hours worked and you will be allowed to take the holiday on another day approved by your supervisor.

If your religious affiliation recognizes holidays other than those designated by the College, and if your religious conviction prohibits you from working on those days, you may take those days off from work without pay, provided that you have given your supervisor a minimum of two weeks' notice. The College may ask you to furnish a statement from your minister, priest, rabbi, or other religious leader that such additional holidays are consistent with the religious convictions and practices of the faith to which you belong.

3.8 Leave Time

All leaves must have the prior approval of the supervisor and department head. While on leave, the employee must also have the prior approval of the supervisor and department head before undertaking employment outside the College. Before going on extended leave, an employee should contact the Director of Human Resources to determine which benefits can be continued during the leave. In order to accrue credit for leave time, you must work part of each month that is being counted.

3.9 Personal/Family Leave

The accrual period for personal/family leave is July through June each year, and is prorated from the date of hire.

Regular full-time and special full-time employees accrue personal/family leave at a rate of .42 day per month worked.

Regular part-time and special part-time employees who work 20 or more hours per week accrue proportional personal/family leave which must be used during their regularly scheduled hours of work.

Employment categories not eligible for personal/family leave are: Regular and special part-time employees working under 20 hours per week, Other part- time employees and Temporary employees.

Personal/family leave may be taken with the permission of the supervisor at the discretion of employee, but cannot be carried from one year to the next. Personal/family leave may be taken before accrued up to the annual maximum allowed. Charges of personal/family leave time must be made in full (7.5) or half day (3.75) increments for exempt employees and in 15 minute increments for non-exempt employees.

In the event an individual leaves employment of the College and has unused, accrued personal/family time, the College will compensate that employee for those hours or days at his/her normal rate of pay. However, in the event an individual leaves employment of the College and has taken unaccrued personal/family time, this unaccrued time must be paid back to the College.

3.10 Sick Leave

The accrual period for sick leave is July through June each year, and is prorated from the date of hire.

Regular full-time and special full-time employees accrue sick leave at a rate of .83 day per month worked. Regular part-time and special part-time employees who work 20 hours or more per week accrue proportional sick leave which must be used during their regularly scheduled hours of work. Employment categories not eligible for sick leave are: Regular and special part-time employees working under 20 hours per week, Other part-time employees and Temporary employees.

Unused, accrued sick leave will accumulate from one year to the next, up to 130 days, but is not paid to the employee when he/she leaves employment with the College. Sick leave is to be used for the employee’s own illness or accident and cannot be taken before accrued. At the discretion of the supervisor, the College may require a doctor’s slip for absences due to illnesses or accidents. Charges of sick leave time must be made in full (7.5) or half day (3.75) increments for exempt employees and in 15 minute increments for non-exempt employees.

If you are absent or expect to be absent for more than 3 days, your absence may qualify as leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (section 3.17), if eligible. You must notify Human Resources to request a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Randolph-Macon College is required by law to designate leave as Family and Medical Leave once we have received medical certification or it has been determined that an employee’s absence meets the certification under FMLA.

3.11 Maternity Leave

The College does not have a maternity leave policy. State and federal laws require that pregnancy and related disabilities be treated as all other temporary disabilities. Leave of absence related to pregnancy and childbirth shall be treated as any short-term disability at the College (see Section 5.5 entitled Short-Term Disability Program and Section 3.17 entitled Family and Medical Leave Act).

3.12 Uniformed Services/Military Service

In compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act of 1994 (as amended), and in addition to any other federal and applicable state laws, leave of absence for per¬formance in the Armed Forces of the United States, National Guard, Reserves, Public Health Service or the Coast Guard will be granted. Upon receiving orders, the employee should notify his/her manager as soon as possible. A copy of the military orders should be submitted to his/her manager and the Human Resources Department unless it is impossible to do so. If the employee is called to active duty or enlists in the Armed Forces of the United States, a military leave of absence and reinstatement rights in compli¬ance with applicable state and federal law will be granted.

Employees who are absent from work will receive full compensation for up to 30 days of active military service from their last day of employment at R-MC. Service members are able (but are not required) to use accrued vacation leave while performing military duty. Reservists participating in military training activities such as weekly drills, weekend drills, summer encampment, or cruises will be granted an unpaid leave of absence to complete these training tasks. A copy of orders for such training activities must be provided to the supervisor and forwarded to the Office of Human Resources. Vacation time may be used for these types of activities if the employee so desires.

3.13 Jury Duty

The College encourages you to perform jury duty whenever you are requested to do so. Provided that you notify your supervisor as soon as you receive a jury summons and obtain a statement from the Court Clerk indicating the time that you served, the College will pay your normal wages for the time that you serve. You are expected to return to work immediately after being excused from jury duty.

3.14 Funeral and Bereavement

The College recognizes that times of bereavement are very difficult for employees. In this regard, every effort will be made to ensure that an employee is able to attend to family matters. The following policy guidelines will apply.

• Absence due to death in an employee’s immediate family (mother, father, children, brother, sister, spouse, same-sex domestic partner, parents in law, grandparents, and grandchildren) will be excused and paid up to a maximum of three business days.
• Absence of up to one day to attend a funeral of a relative not in the immediate family will be granted and paid as an excused absence.

Should additional time be needed, you may request time off without pay, or vacation or personal leave time may be used. Employee requests for bereavement leave should be submitted to the supervisor for approval.

3.15 Leave of Absence Without Pay

At the discretion of the President or a respective senior administrator in consultation with the Director of Human Resources, the College may grant an extended leave of absence without pay to an employee with a year or more of full-time service. Leaves of absence will not be granted to employees searching for other employment or for starting a business. Whenever possible, the College will hold open for 30 calendar days (from the last full workday) the job of an employee who is away on an approved leave. After that time, an effort will be made to offer a comparable position to the employee returning to work. Under no circumstances will leaves of absence be granted in excess of one year. An employee taking a leave of absence greater than 30 days will forfeit rights to any benefits until and if reinstated. Failure to return to work at the agreed upon time will be considered as a resignation.

3.16 Volunteer Emergency Work

Randolph Macon College encourages its employees to participate in community service and provides time off with pay for any employee who is called away from work as a volunteer on a fire fighting or ambulance emergency.

3.17 Family and Medical Leave

In compliance with federal regulations regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the College will grant up to a total of 12 weeks of unpaid job protected leave during any 12-month period to eligible employees for the following reasons: for incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth; to care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care; to care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition; or for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform his/her job. The 12-month period is measured forward from the first day of FMLA leave.

Military Family Leave Entitlement

Eligible employees with a spouse, son, daughter, or parent on active duty or call to active duty status in the National Guard or Reserves in support of a contingency operation may use their 12-week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. Qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings. The 12-month period is measured forward from the first day of FMLA leave.

Additionally, an employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, or parent, or next of kin of a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness is entitled to a combined total of 26 weeks of leave for the care of the servicemember. The 12-month period is measured forward from the first day of FMLA leave.

Eligibility

Eligible employees are those who have been employed by the College for at least 12 months, and who have provided at least 1,250 hours of service during the previous 12 months before the leave is requested. It is the responsibility of the employee and his/her supervisor to work together to coordinate family and medical leaves of absence and to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of such leave time.

Employees on leave due to their own serious health condition may also be eligible for the College’s Short-Term Disability Program as discussed in Section 5.5. In such instances, the Family and Medical Leave Act and Short-Term Disability Program run concurrently.

Procedures and Definitions

When FMLA leave is taken for the birth and care of a newborn child or placement of a child by adoption or foster care, the leave must be taken during the first 12 months after childbirth or placement and taken all at one time. Employees must also provide thirty days advance notice before the date on which the leave is scheduled to begin or "such notice as is practicable."
FMLA leave may be taken for the care of a family member who has a "serious health condition." The term "family member" includes a spouse, child (i.e., under age 18 or an adult child who cannot care for him/herself), or parent (this means the person who acted as the employee's parent when the employee was a child and does not include parent-in-laws). FMLA leave to care for family may be taken intermittently (i.e. take leave a few days, work a few days, then take leave again) or on a reduced schedule basis when medically necessary. An employee will also be allowed to take FMLA leave on an intermittent basis for their own serious health condition when proven medically necessary.

The term "serious health condition" means an illness, injury, impairment, or a physical or mental condition that involves either (1) an overnight stay in a medical care facility; (2) continuing treatment by a health care provider for a condition that either prevents the employee from performing the functions of the employee’s job, or prevents the qualified family member from participating in school or other daily activities.

Subject to certain conditions, the continuing treatment requirement may be met by a period of incapacity of more than 3 consecutive calendar days combined with at least two visits to a health care provider or one visit and a regimen of continuing treatment, or incapacity due to pregnancy, or incapacity due to a chronic condition.

The term “covered servicemember” means a member of the Armed Forces, National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is on the temporary disability retired list, for an injury or illness incurred by the member in line of duty on active duty that may render the member medically unfit to perform assigned duties.

Notification and Certification Requirements

Requests for FMLA leave should be made to your supervisor within 30 days before the leave of absence is to begin. If 30 days' notice is not practical because the reason for the leave was unforeseeable, you must notify your supervisor by any means at your disposal as soon as possible, usually within two business days from the date leave began. You must provide the following information: the reason(s) for the FMLA leave request, the anticipated length of the leave period (if possible), the starting date of the leave, and the return to work date (if possible). In addition, the appropriate certification from a doctor or child placement agency should accompany the FMLA leave request. If the FMLA leave is requested because of a serious health condition, you must complete a "certification of health care provider" form (which is available from the Office of Human Resources) no later than 15 days after the leave is requested. The College may also request recertification of the serious health condition every 30 days in order to ascertain the status and intention of the employee to return to work after the leave period has begun. In addition, when FMLA leave is requested, the employee requesting such leave must schedule a meeting with Human Resources to clarify the details of the leave.

The Office of Human Resources will inform employees requesting leave whether they are eligible under FMLA. If they are not eligible, a reason for ineligibility will be provided.

Randolph-Macon College is required by law to designate leave as FMLA leave when the College knows the leave is for an FMLA-qualifying reason.

Employee Benefits

During their FMLA leave period, employees will continue to receive the same group health care coverage as received while actively employed. To ensure uninterrupted coverage, employees must pay their portion of the health care premium and must contact the Office of Human Resources as soon as possible to arrange for such payments. If an employee's premium is more than 30 days late, the College may discontinue health care coverage and recover any employee premiums paid by the College to maintain coverage during the FMLA leave period. If an employee fails to return to work following the FMLA leave period for reasons other than the continuation, recurrence, or onset of a serious health condition, the College may recover the premiums which were paid to maintain the employee's health care coverage during the leave period.

Employees must use any unused, accrued sick leave and vacation as a part of the 12-week period of leave if the leave is due to the employee’s own serious health condition, or for incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth. Employees must use unused, accrued vacation as a part of the 12-week period of leave if the leave is for the care of a family member with a serious health condition, care for the employee’s child after birth or placement of a child by adoption or foster care. Employees must use any unused, accrued vacation as part of the 26-week period of leave if the leave is due to the care of a covered servicemember

Job Restoration

Employees who take FMLA leave and return to work by the end of the 12 week period or 26 week period (if applicable) are entitled to return to their former position or an equivalent position with equivalent benefits, pay and other terms and conditions of employment. However, no employee has an absolute right to return to the same position. Certain highly compensated salaried employees are eligible for leave but are not guaranteed restoration to their position if they choose to take leave.

3.18 Nursing Mothers In The Workplace Act

In compliance with federal regulations, the College will provide an employee with a non-compensated reasonable break time each time the employee has need to express the milk for her nursing child during the first year of the child’s life. The College will provide a suitable, private location other than a bathroom stall, which is located in close proximity to the employee’s work area. Employees may use their own office if applicable. Contact Human Resources if you need assistance in arranging a space or have questions regarding the policy.

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