Non-Exempt Employees

Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, if a non-exempt employee works in excess of 40 hours in a workweek, that employee is entitled to overtime compensation, which can be either monetary or compensatory time off. 

The standard workweek for staff at Sandhills Community College is 40 hours, as counted from Sunday through Saturday.  If it is necessary for an employee to work over forty (40) hours per week, one and one-half (1.5) hours of compensatory time shall be granted for each hour of overtime worked.  The employee is responsible for accurately and honestly recording hours worked on time records and in accordance with College policy and practice.  The employee's supervisor shall review and approve time records at the conclusion of each period to determine that all recorded overtime hours are accurate.

An employee’s supervisor must approve any time over forty (40) hours per week prior to the employee working the time and shall only approve overtime when the additional hours of work are deemed necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the College. Instances when overtime may be approved include, but are not limited to: weather emergencies, high priority project assignments with deadlines, campus academic cycles, or temporary vacancies (understaffing) in a department. Supervisors shall monitor employee overtime to ensure all overtime is authorized. 

Except in extreme circumstances, supervisors shall ensure employees do not accrue more than forty (40) hours of compensatory time at any time and all accrued compensatory time must be used by the last day of the fiscal year (June 30th).  An employee must begin to use compensatory leave if accrued compensatory leave exceeds forty (40) hours. An employee should take the leave as soon as possible after it is credited, generally within three (3) months or 90 days from the date the overtime work was performed. Employees are required to use compensatory leave prior to using any other accrued leave (vacation, bonus, sick, etc.)

If an employee fails to exhaust his/her compensatory time by the end of the fiscal year, the appropriate Vice President shall consult with the President to determine whether the unused accrued compensatory time shall be paid to the employee or if the College shall require the employee to use the leave at a time determined by the Vice President. 

If an employee separates before using accrued compensatory leave, the leave shall be paid in a lump sum along with any unused vacation leave.

Compensatory time shall be accumulated in quarter hours.  The College shall round up to the nearest quarter hour when calculating compensatory time. 

Failure to follow the requirements set forth in this policy is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including non-renewal or termination.

 

Exempt Employees

Executive, administrative, and professional employees (as defined in the Department of Labor regulations) and who are paid on a salary basis are considered Exempt employees.

When compensatory time is granted to an Exempt employee, the following provisions will apply:

• Compensatory time will be granted on an hour-for-hour basis
• Compensatory time will not be transferable
• Compensatory leave will not be cumulative beyond three months