| Memo to: | All UH-Downtown/PS Holders | UH-Downtown/PS 02.A.01 | |
| From: | Manuel T. Pacheco, President | Issue No.1 | |
| Subject: | Policy on Working Hours | Effective date: 5/12/89 | |
| 1. PURPOSE
This PS states the policy on working hours for full-time staff. |
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| 2. POLICY/PROCEDURES | |
| 2.1 Hours of Work 2.1.1. The normal working hours of the university are from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for all employees. Some areas, because of the nature of the services rendered, may be required to open and close either earlier or later. |
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| 2.1.2. The State Appropriations bill requires that state offices remain open during the noon hour with at least one person on duty to accept calls, receive visitors, or transact business. | |
| 2.1.3. Hourly employees are required to adhere to the schedule set by their supervisors. Hourly employees are not permitted to sign in or commence work before their normal starting time or to sign out or continue work after their normal quitting time without the prior approval of the supervisor. | |
| 2.1.4 All staff are required to call the supervisor within the hour of the time to have reported to work to report absence or tardiness and give explanation. | |
| 2.1.5 All full-time staff employees will normally work eight (8) hours per working day for a forty (40) hour work week. | |
| 2.1.6 The State Appropriations bill supports the employer's attempt to accommodate an employee's request for a "flex-time" work schedule. When personal conflict prevents an employee from adhering to the normal working schedule of the university (e.g., travel time to and from work, day-care problems, etc.), the employee may request a different schedule. Approval from the supervisor and the department administrator must be obtained in advance for any deviation from the regular hours of work at the University of Houston-Downtown. | |
| 2.2 Overtime | |
| 2.2.1 Overtime for hourly employees may be scheduled when requested by the supervisor and approved by the department administrator. Hours worked in excess of forty hours during the work week by an hourly employee shall be considered overtime. Supervisors should manage the work load so that overtime is minimized. (See specific overtime policy). | |
| 2.3 Time Sheets | |
| 2.3.1 Each non-exempt, hourly employee (any employee subject to the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act) is required to fill out a time sheet showing the number of hours worked during the preceding two week period. | |
| 2.3.2 Weekly pay is computed from hours worked plus hours of approved absence for which the employee is eligible to be paid. Only approved absences for leave taken may be considered as hours worked for pay purposes. | |
| 2.3.3 Salaried employees are required to fill out monthly time sheets to record absences for leave taken, but they are not eligible to receive overtime compensation. | |
| 2.3.4 Signing another employee's time sheet, or falsifying one's own time sheet, is strictly prohibited and will result in discipline, up to and including termination. | |
| 2.4 Breaks | |
| 2.4.1 Rest breaks during the work day are considered time worked, and not recorded on time sheets. Rest breaks should be approved by the supervisor. | |
| 2.4.2 Lunch breaks are not considered time worked. All hourly employees are expected to take a lunch break unless authorized to work during lunch by the supervisor. Scheduling of lunch breaks should be approved by the supervisor. | |
| 2.4.3 Any other time spent by an hourly employee away from the work area (e.g., deliveries, office errands, etc.) must be approved by the supervisor. Employees leaving the work area should let the supervisor know where they may be reached and the length of time they will be away. | |
| 2.5 Leave | |
| 2.5.1 Employees may take sick leave when sickness, injury, or pregnancy and confinement prevent the employee's performance of duty, or when a member of the employee's immediate family who lives with the employee is actually ill. | |
| 2.5.2 If an employee is absent due to illness for more than three (3) days, upon return to work, the employee must present a doctor's certificate showing the cause or nature of the illness, or some other written statement of the facts concerning the illness which is acceptable to the supervisor. | |
| 2.5.3 Requests for leave because of the death of an employee's spouse, or the employee's or spouse’s parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren or children will generally be granted. Leave may also be granted for the employee to take care of personal responsibilities surrounding death. The amount of time allowed will depend on the circumstances, and is at the discretion of the supervisor. | |
| 2.5.4 Pregnancy or adoption of a child under three years of age shall be treated as any other temporary disability. Each case will be evaluated on its own merit, and non-medical parental leave may be granted at the discretion of the supervisor and the department administrator. | |
| 2.5.5 The employee must obtain approval from the supervisor prior to vacation leave. Otherwise, the absence will be construed as an unexcused absence and the employee may be disciplined and time away from work charged against the employee's payroll. | |
| 2.5.6 An employee will be notified of holidays each year. Employees wishing to take an optional holiday allowed by state law (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Good Friday, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) must obtain advance approval from the supervisor for the substitution of a regular holiday. | |
| 2.5.7 When the employee is required to leave work because of an emergency, the employee should notify the supervisor of the emergency where possible. An employee must submit a leave request to the supervisor before leaving for or after returning from an emergency leave. The supervisor has the discretion to approve or disapprove such leave. | |
| 2.5.8 An employee is permitted to report for jury duty. Upon return to work, the employee must submit a letter or certificate from the court showing the length of service. | |
| 2.5.9 The employee is permitted to report for military duty. Upon return to work, the employee must submit a letter or certificate from the military showing the length of service. | |
| 2.5.10 The employee wishing to take leave for personal business must report the leave as vacation time. Misrepresentation of leave time may subject the employee to disciplinary action. | |
| 2.6 Tardiness and Job Abandonment | |
| 2.6.1 Tardiness is defined as being late to work, late returning from a lunch break, or late returning from any other absence from work. Tardiness generally applies only to hourly employees. Habitual tardiness of employees should be handled by the supervisor. | |
| 2.6.2 Job abandonment is defined as leaving work without authorization and will be considered voluntary resignation, unless the absence from work is later excused by the supervisor. | |
| 3. REVIEW AND
RESPONSIBILITIES Responsible Party (Reviewer): Vice President for Administration Review: As needed Reprint of original policy statement. Signed original on file in the President's Office. |