§ 82-172. Nonexempt employee responsibilities

(a) The county requires that every employee work 40 hours every week. Vacation leave, sick leave, authorized holidays, authorized time off, and accrued compensatory time count toward this 40-hour per week requirement: Except for the lunch period explained in subsection (c) of this section, employees are expected to be working for the benefit of the county from the time the employee's shift begins until the employee's shift ends.

(b) Nonexempt employees are strictly prohibited from working more than 40 hours per week, without prior approval from their supervisor. All of the time an employee works must be recorded on the county's time and attendance system. An employee is never to work without recording time. If an employee is ever asked to work without recording work time, the elected official or department head must be notified immediately. If the matter is not resolved by the department, the employee must immediately notify the county human resources department.

(c) Each elected official or department head will designate a 30-minute, 45-minute or one-hour lunch period for his nonexempt employees. The elected official or department head may not set the lunch period within the two hours after the employee's regular shift begins or in the two hours before the employee's regular shift ends. Whatever lunch period the elected official or department head designates for his employees will not be work time. The time and attendance system will automatically deduct the designated lunch period from the hours actually worked by the employee, and the employee will not be paid for this time.

(d) The employee is not allowed to work during his lunch period. The lunch period is time for the employee to use for his benefit, not for the benefit of the county. It is time for the employee to use as the employee chooses, except that the employee may not choose to work during the lunch period. If any employee does work during a lunch period, that employee's supervisor is required to record that lunch period on the time and attendance system as having been worked. Working the required lunch period without prior approval on more than three occasions or failing to report the work done during the lunch period may subject the employee and the employee's supervisor to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

(Ord. No. 2011-1463, 8-30-2011)