Work Schedules

Work Week

The work week for Davidson College begins on Sunday at 12 a.m. and ends on Saturday at 11:59 p.m.

Normal Work Hours

Campus departments have adopted schedules which meet campus needs. These hours may vary, but the standard schedule for most administrative offices is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday with one unpaid 30-60 minute break for lunch each day. Schedules in other areas of the college vary according to the support function performed. The supervisor may require the employee to adjust his or her work schedule in order to meet the needs of the college and/or the department. It is also expected that employees be willing to work additional hours and/or overtime when needed. Supervisors are asked to provide this notification as far in advance as possible and to limit recurring overtime requests.

Breaks 

In addition to an unpaid lunch break of 30 minutes or more, full-time employees should be granted two ten-minute breaks or one twenty-minute break per day. Rest periods of 20 minutes or less are considered as "hours worked" and should not be deducted on employee time sheets. Rest breaks and lunch breaks are not cumulative (cannot be carried forward to other days) and cannot be used to shorten the workday.

Flexible Work Schedules 

In some areas of the college, it may be possible for staff members to work a flexible schedule. This is generally defined as a work schedule different from the standard 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday schedule. Requests for flexible schedules will be considered based on the operational needs of the department. Considerations such as service length, hiring agreements, and job duties will also be reviewed before a flexible schedule is considered. A flexible work schedule requires the approval of the staff member's supervisor and the department head. Once established, the flexible schedule should continue as agreed upon until a departmental or personal need arises to revise such a schedule. A flexible work schedule that will continue indefinitely should be documented in writing and a copy forwarded to the Human Resources Office for the employee file. Human Resources staff should be consulted before implementation of a different schedule, to ensure consistent application of the flexible work schedule policy.

Alternate Summer Schedules

During the summer (beginning the week following graduation and ending two weeks prior to the start of the fall semester), Davidson College offers alternate scheduling options. Department heads are asked to review departmental and college needs to determine if work schedules may be adjusted during the summer.

Guidelines

To the extent possible, offices should remain open during normal office hours. When smaller offices are closed to accommodate an alternate work schedule, a notice should be posted on the door advising visitors of the alternate work schedule and directing them to another office where assistance should be available. Smaller offices should attempt to pool resources to ensure telephones are answered Monday through Friday.

Employees utilizing an alternate work schedule should change voice mail messages to:

  • Let callers know of the alternate work schedule, and
  • Provide an alternate phone number and contact person during regular office hours
  • Employees who choose an alternate summer schedule should maintain the same schedule throughout the summer. An alternate schedule with fluctuating office hours or days off could be confusing or frustrating for callers and/or visitors.
  • Academic year employee work schedules should not be altered during the summer months to significantly reduce the hours the employee is normally available to the public or other employees. When determining alternate work schedules, please do not schedule employees to begin more than one hour prior to the normal starting time of the position or end the workday more than one hour beyond the normal ending time.
  • Departments choosing to implement the same alternate work schedule for the entire department should communicate this summer schedule to the campus community. If you have questions regarding the implementation of alternate summer schedules, please call the director or associate director of Human Resources at 704-894-2214. Departmental alternate summer schedules may begin later or end sooner than these timeframes in accordance with departmental and college needs.

Reduced Hours and Voluntary Time Off Policy

In addition to the existing options for flexible scheduling, the Reduced Hours and the Voluntary Time Off policies allow for short time reduction in hours.

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources at 704-894-2213.