Office Hours

Most College offices are open Monday to Friday from at least 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the academic year and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the summer. Departments that utilize Summer Hours must do so consistent with the Work Location Policy. A normal workweek for full-time staff members is typically 35 to 40 hours, but the time when these hours are worked may vary considerably from College office hours because of coordination with academic needs, special events, or the needs of individual departments.

The special demands of the workload of some exempt staff may not fit into a standard definition of a work week. This brings both additional responsibility and additional freedom. Within reason, extra weekend and evening duties can be somewhat balanced with time off during a regular working period or working at home, upon agreement between the employee and supervisor.

However, employees need to be aware that the College operates primarily during the hours described above, and those who regularly arrive late or leave early may create communication and morale problems.

Recording Time Worked & Leave

Staff time and leave is tracked in the College’s human resources information-management system, Workday. Non-exempt employees should record all time worked and request all leaves and absences in this system. Exempt employees should request all leaves and absences in Workday. 

Staff employees classified as non-exempt are paid a specific rate for all time worked in a work day. Consequently, to comply with all applicable wage and hour laws and regulations and to ensure the accuracy of payroll, non-exempt employees are required to record the time they start work and end work as scheduled by their supervisor. Meal breaks should be deducted from the hours submitted. However, a 30 minute break is automatically deducted for non-exempt staff working six or more hours for those employees who use an external time clock. Non-exempt employees record their time in the Workday timekeeping system according to their department’s respective procedure.

If an employee position is classified as exempt, pay does not depend on the number of hours worked per day and/or per week. Instead exempt employees receive a fixed salary each month without regard to the number of hours worked, and salary is subject only to those deductions specifically authorized by law and consistent with exempt status. Full-time exempt staff employees are expected to work at least 37.5 hours per week on a regular basis. Exempt staff employees are required to record vacation, sick, and other leave they have taken within Workday absence system.

Under no circumstances may an employee clock in or out for another employee or share their Haverford password with another employee to access their account or record time. Only supervisors or those designated as a proxy may approve time within Workday. All time must be approved by a supervisor and/or their delegate before an employee can be paid. Employees will not have the ability to approve their own time for payroll purposes.

Overtime for Non-exempt Employees

Overtime for non-exempt employees (for time in excess of 40 hours in a work week) is permitted only as authorized and approved by a supervisor in advance of its being worked. Consequently, if a non-exempt employee feels the  need to work overtime in order to meet job-related demands, they must notify their immediate supervisor in advance.

However, there are times when it may be necessary for a supervisor to require a non-exempt employee  to work overtime on little or no notice (for example, to address an emergency). Supervisors will make every effort to ensure that these occasions are as few as possible. When these situations occur, non-exempt employees are expected  to make arrangements for personal affairs to comply with required overtime.

Employees  will be compensated for overtime worked within a specific work week, which runs from Monday through Sunday:

• At  the regular hourly rate of pay for all hours worked up to 40
• At one-and-one-half  times  the regular hourly rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40

If a non-exempt employee  works overtime without prior approval, they will be paid for the unauthorized overtime worked. However, they  also may  be subject to appropriate disciplinary action for working overtime without the required prior approval.

Time off (e.g., “comp time”) will not be provided in lieu of pay for any regular and/or overtime hours worked.

Attendance and Punctuality

Staff employee attendance is expected to be regular and prompt on each scheduled workday. This is essential in order to efficiently serve the needs of the College. In the rare instances when an employee cannot avoid being late to work or is unable to work as scheduled, they are expected to make every effort to notify their supervisor as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence.

Substandard attendance and/or punctuality (including arriving late and/or leaving early) may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination from employment.

Unscheduled Absences and Tardiness

A staff employee who is unable to report to work because of illness or other unavoidable circumstances must make every effort to speak personally (via telephone) or electronically (via email or text message) with their immediate supervisor at least 30 minutes prior to their scheduled starting time and provide their supervisor with the reason for and the expected duration of the absence. If a staff employee expects to be late for work, they are required to notify their supervisor as soon as possible  and provide their supervisor a reason for, and the expected length of the delay.

The staff employee must report the absence or lateness to the direct supervisor or in accordance with the instructions established for the department. If an absence continues for more than one  day, they are required to contact their supervisor on a daily basis until the probable duration of the absence is established unless they provide the Office of Human Resources with a written statement from a health care provider indicating how long the employee will be absent from work. They will be expected to return to work on the stated return date, unless the Office of Human Resources is given a written explanation prepared by a healthcare provider which describes the reason for this change and the expected time frame for the absence. An absence from work for a period of three consecutively scheduled work days without proper reporting  constitutes an abandonment of employment and is considered to be voluntary resignation from the College’s employ. Employees may be asked to provide a written statement from a health care provider if absent from work for more than three consecutive days.

Inclement Weather Emergencies

Haverford College is a residential community that continues to operate as long as students are present. In snow storms or other severe weather, a decision on early dismissal or other curtailment of services will be made by the senior vice president for administration and finance in consultation with Campus Safety, the provost, the dean, and Grounds. Once a decision has been made, a campus broadcast email is sent, and the website is typically updated. Employees may also call the inclement weather hotline (610-896-4299). Individual offices can not release employees until they have received formal notification.

Essential employees are required to report to work during inclement weather emergencies unless told otherwise by their supervisors. It is understood that employees ultimately must decide if road conditions make their travel unsafe or unwise; that is, employees should not travel if they feel they are taking undue risk in doing so.

Those who supervise non-exempt staff employees should be aware of the following policy:

1. Early Dismissal. When an institutional decision has been made to dismiss early because of weather conditions, employees who are at work that day will be paid for their normal workday. Those essential employees who are required to stay beyond an official time of dismissal because of the nature of their work will be paid two times their normal earnings for the remainder of their normally scheduled hours.
2. If an essential employee is required to stay beyond normal hours because of weather, the employee will receive two and 1/2 times their normal earnings for those additional hours worked.
   Example: Employees are dismissed at 2 p.m. An essential employee who normally completes their work at 4 p.m. is required to remain at their post because of the nature of the work and receives two times their normal pay for the additional two hours. They are then asked to continue to work until 5 p.m. due to weather, and are paid two and 1/2 times the normal pay for the additional hour.
3. Late Arrival. Inclement weather that occurs overnight may delay the timely arrival of employees on campus. Each employee ultimately must decide if road conditions make travel unsafe or unwise; that is, employees should not travel if they feel they are taking undue risk in doing so. An employee who is unable to get to work because of weather-related conditions, even though the College is open, may use personal or vacation time as available, or elect to take the day without pay, if no paid time is available. Example: An overnight snowstorm makes travel extremely difficult during the morning rush hour. The College is open; employees who do not reach campus at the time they normally begin work but arrive later in the day will be paid for hours worked at their normal pay rate.
4. Inclement Weather Day. Since Haverford is a residential College and many faculty live on or near campus, classes will be suspended only in extraordinarily difficult weather conditions. Even in such unusual circumstances, essential employees must report for scheduled hours, as the student body must be housed and fed, security must be provided, and efforts must be made to clear campus roads and paths.

Be aware that an exempt staff member who is absent and does not work on an inclement weather day on which the College remains open may use vacation time available or may take the day without pay, if no vacation days remain. 

If at all possible, such a decision will be reached no later than 6:00 a.m., and a notification of the Inclement Weather  Day will be posted on the College’s website. 

All staff employees who were scheduled to work on a day that is declared an Inclement Weather  Day will be paid in full for the hours they were to work. A non-exempt essential employee who works on an Inclement Weather  Day will be paid two and one half times their normal earnings for all hours worked, regardless of their scheduled hours. Employees who are on a previously scheduled vacation or personal day will be paid vacation or personal day as scheduled. 

Example: The College declares an Inclement Weather Day. Most employees are not asked to report to the campus but will receive pay as though they had worked a normal day. An essential employee reports to work to provide services to the student body (e.g., food services). The employee arrives at 8:00 a.m., works a normal shift of eight hours, plus an additional two hours. They are paid two and one half times the normal rate for all ten hours worked on the snow/ice day.

Individual departments and offices may implement internal guidelines and schedules to ensure that critical staffing needs are met during times of extreme weather conditions.

Meal Periods

Meal periods for non-exempt employees are at least 30 minutes in length and are unpaid. Depending upon the nature of the assignment and work responsibilities, the supervisor may arrange the time for the meal period. Generally, meal periods must be taken at times which do not interfere adversely with coverage and/or the department’s ability to meet its obligations efficiently.

Using Workday, non-exempt staff who do not use an external time clock must record the beginning of their 30-minute unpaid meal break and  record when they  complete their 30-minute unpaid meal break. During the 30-minute unpaid meal break, they may not perform any work unless they have prior permission from their supervisor. They will be paid for the entire meal break if:

1. with permission of the supervisor, they do not take a scheduled meal break;
2. the meal break is less than 30 consecutive minutes (for example, because one is called back to work during the meal break); or
3. the meal break (even if 30 minutes) is interrupted in any way (for example, one receives a call or page).

In any of these circumstances, the employee is responsible for working with their supervisor and the Office of Human Resources to ensure that they are paid.

An employee may not skip the meal break, take less than 30 minutes, or do any work during the meal break unless they have prior permission from the supervisor. If the employee skips the meal break, takes less than 30 minutes, or does any work during the meal break without prior permission, the employee will be paid for the entire meal break but be subject to appropriate disciplinary action for working additional time without the required prior approval.

Breaks for Nursing Parents

Consistent with applicable law, the College will provide reasonable break time(s) for an employee to express breast milk for the nursing child for up to one year after the child’s birth. If an employee requires breaks for nursing, please contact the Office of Human Resources for the campus nursing room access code, so that appropriate arrangements can be made.