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Working Conditions

COASTAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Policies and Procedures Manual

10.03 Working Conditions

Original Approval: 04/01/2022
Last Updated:  06/03/2024
Last Reviewed:   06/03/2024  

Policy/Purpose:

It is the policy of Coastal Alabama Community College to ensure compliance with all federal and state laws relating to employee working conditions, including but not limited to the Students First Act, Code of Alabama 16-60-111.4, and Code of Alabama 16-60-111.7 and Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Board Policies.

The following ACCS policies are referenced in this policy:
Board Policy 608.01
Chancellor’s Procedures 608.01
Board Policy 608.02
Chancellor’s Procedures 608.02

Scope:

This policy applies to all Coastal Alabama Community College employees during any activity involving the College, including the workday. In addition, visitors, vendors, contractors, and all other non-employees are expected to recognize and comply with College policies.

Definitions:

Employee: For the purposes of this policy, an employee is a person currently employed or a former employee whose employment terminated within the preceding year.

Open Door Policy: An open door policy means, literally, that every supervisor’s door is open to every employee.

Position: For the purpose of this policy, a position means a job that is performed by an employee of Coastal Alabama Community College.

Details:

  1. Absences and Absence Management:
    1. Attendance: All employees are advised of their work hours at the time of employment. All employees are required to report for work at the designated time and remain on duty in accordance with the schedule.
      1. All employees or employee representatives (in cases of emergencies) must notify their respective supervisors when the employees are unable to report to work on time. Prompt notification is required and will occur within 15 minutes of the designated time for work to begin. If the supervisor cannot be reached, calls will be directed to designees, as assigned by the employee’s supervisor, and to the appropriate Dean or Supervisor.
      2. Division Chairs, Campus Directors, and Supervisors are responsible for reporting employee absences to the appropriate Dean’s office on a daily basis.
      3. Excessive, unexcused absences may result in disciplinary action.
         

    2. Extended Absences: Refer to ACCS Board Policy 611.01 and Chancellor’s Procedures 611.01. For illnesses or injuries that exceed three (3) business days, employees must notify their supervisor each day of the absence and the expected duration of the illness. To determine if the absence is a qualified Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, the employee must discuss the leave with their supervisor and then contact the Human Resources Office to complete the necessary paperwork. Any unauthorized absence, lateness, or leaving early may result disciplinary action (except for absences under the FMLA).

      Planned absences are to be scheduled and approved in advance by the Supervisor. Due to work scheduling, some departments may require a different absence or call-in procedure. It is important that the employee seek guidance from their supervisor on that department’s call-in or absence reporting procedure.

      Whenever an employee expects to have, or has had, an extended absence, whether paid or unpaid, it is the responsibility of the employee’s supervisor to notify the Human Resources Office, in writing, of the last day the employee actually worked and the first day the employee is expected to return. Notification is important for benefit continuation and leave accruals.

    3. Excessive and/or Patterned Absences: Because frequent absences undermine performance and compromise the College’s service to students and department operations, employees with frequent absences may disciplined. Absences of three (3) consecutive workdays or more without calling, and the absences do not qualify for FMLA leave, may result in separation of employment by reason of job abandonment.

      Employees who have absences that appear to follow a pattern of misuse may be disciplined. Examples of pattern absenteeism include unscheduled absences, absences taken in conjunction with weekends or holidays, consistently taking unplanned multiple days off at a time without proper notice, or sick time misuse. Employees who have excessive and/or patterned absenteeism are subject to immediate discipline, up to and including termination.

      Employees will review their department’s guideline on absenteeism.

    4. Timekeeping and Time Off (Absence Management):

      1. Timekeeping: All employees in non-exempt positions pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on Salary Schedules E and H must complete timesheets and submit prior to month end.

        Contracted Workdays:
        Staff are contracted to work 260 days

        Faculty may be contracted to work:

        • 175 Days Fall and Spring Terms
        • 54 Days Summer Term
        • 229 Days Total Year


          Employees are responsible for reviewing their time and making sure all-time entry is accurate prior to Supervisor review and approval.

          Employees who come in early or late cannot automatically flex time during the workday or workweek to make up the missed time or leave early. Falsifying one’s attendance or absence record in any way will result in disciplinary action, up to and including separation of employment.

      2. Time Off Requests (Absence Management): Leave reports for paid leave are due before the end of the month. Leave reports can be found in OneACCS under the Employee tab.

        If utilizing unpaid leave, a Leave Form must be completed and submitted.

        Time off must be taken in the appropriate increments (refer to the Paid Leaves and Time Off Policy and Unpaid Leaves and Time Off Policy).

  2. Meals and Breaks: It is the policy of Coastal Alabama Community College to ensure compliance with all Federal and State law as it relates to employee meals and breaks.

    1. Meals: The College provides a meal break for all full-time employees, of which will routinely be taken during the middle of the workday. Supervisors are responsible for designating meal periods to ensure service operations are not unduly interrupted. Meal breaks cannot be skipped, reduced, or otherwise utilized to arrive to work late or leave work early.

      NOTE: Full-time instructors are required to work a minimum of 35 clock hours, exclusive of any meal break taken.

    2. Breaks: The College does not typically provide rest breaks to employees. The College provides nursing mothers with the time and space for milk expression for one year after the birth of a child.

  3. Open Door Policy: It is the policy of Coastal Alabama Community College that supervisors have an “open door” policy for employees. The purpose of an open-door policy is to encourage supervisor and employee open communication, feedback, and discussions about any matter of importance to an employee. Supervisors hold the responsibility for creating a work environment where employees' input is welcome, advice is freely given, and issues are surfaced early and are candidly shared without the fear of retaliation when this input is shared in good faith.

    1. Informal Issues or Concerns: If an employee has an issue or concern or simply needs to voice concerns about a work or service process, they should feel free to discuss these issues with their supervisor. Concerns should be addressed immediately, but no later than three (3) business days after the occurrence. Issues or complaints addressed longer than that time period cannot be addressed in a timely manner.

    2. Formal Complaints: Refer to the Employee Complaints and Grievances Policy or the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence (Title IX) Policy to submit a formal complaint.

  4. Workdays / Hours (AKA Duty Days / Hours): It is the policy of Coastal Alabama Community College to ensure compliance with Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Board of Trustees Policy Board Policy 608.01, Chancellor’s Procedures 608.01, Board Policy 608.02, Chancellor’s Procedures 608.02, Code of Alabama 16-60-111.4, and Code of Alabama 16-60-111.7.

    1. Non-Instructional Full-Time Work Week: The normal work week for full-time, non-instructional employees on Salary Schedule E is at least forty (40) hours, exclusive of lunch. Days that the institution is officially open are duty days for full-time, non-instructional employees of the College.

      1. College Hours of Operation:

        • 7:30 am- 5:00 pm Monday-Thursday
        • 7:30 am- 1:30 pm Friday
           

      2. Exceptions to Hours of Operation: Some employees may be required to work schedules that differ from the standard College Hours of Operation.

      3. Instructor Work Schedules (Duty Days):

      4. Adjunct Instructor Duty Days: Adjust Instructors are expected to report to work on assigned class, clinical, and/or lab schedule.

      5. Work Schedules for Part-Time Employees: Part-time hourly non-exempt employees are limited to working no more than a total of 19 hours per week regardless of the number of positions held at the College. Part-time employees will be paid only for actual hours worked each day and are required to accurately record hours worked.

        NOTE: Exceptions to the maximum weekly work hours may be approved by the President or Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in advance.

Procedures(s):

Submitting a Leave Report Procedures

  1. Learn more about entering and submitting a leave report at https://coastalalabama.instructure.com/courses/12257/pages/employee-resources.

Formal Complaints Procedures

  1. Refer to the Employee Complaints and Grievances Policy.
  2. Refer to the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence (Title IX) Policy.

Workdays / Hours Scheduling Procedures

  1. Refer to the individual instructional division for internal procedures for determining workload/schedule for full-time instructors and adjunct instructors.

Additional Provisions / Information:

Refer to the Employee Complaints and Grievances Policy.
Refer to the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence (Title IX) Policy.

 

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