Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act as amended in 1986, if a non-exempt employee works more than 40 hours in a given work week, that employee receives overtime compensation at a rate of not less than one and one half hours for each hour of overtime worked. The College recognizes the existence of circumstances that might require overtime for exempt employees. In these exceptional circumstances, compensatory time could be given upon prior approval by their supervisor.

The standard work week for staff at Sandhills Community College is 40 hours, as counted from Sunday through Saturday. The payment of time and one-half rates in the form of monetary compensation or compensatory time off is required for hours physically worked in excess of 40 hours within a week, with the exception of those considered exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act as Executive, Administrative, or Professional employees.

College supervisors shall hold hours worked by the employee to the established 40-hour work week standard, except in those cases where excessive hours of work are necessary. The College recognizes the existence of circumstances that might include but are not limited to: weather emergencies, high priority project assignments with deadlines, campus academic cycles, or temporary vacancies (understaffing) in a department. In any of these circumstances, supervisors are responsible for the manner in which overtime is authorized. It is equally important for supervisors to control unauthorized overtime.

Both the employee and the supervisor shall discuss in advance the need for unusually long work hours or work week. SCC employees subject to hours of work and overtime pay standards should understand that time off will be given in lieu of monetary compensation, wherever possible, for hours physically worked beyond 40 in a work week.

In exceptional circumstances, overtime pay or compensatory time may be given to exempt employees. Such payments are typically made as a reward for additional hours worked or extra duties performed. When compensatory time is granted to an Executive, Administrative or Professional 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

Compensatory time is not cumulative for an infinite period of time. For this reason, an employee should take time as soon as possible after it is credited, generally within three (3) months or 90 days.