Staff Handbook

At-Will Employment

In terms of South Carolina employment law, staff employment/employees are at-will. The employment of any at-will employee may be terminated either by the employee or the college at any time, with or without cause.

Attendance/Punctuality

Employees are expected to report to work when scheduled, on time, all the time. Employees are responsible for notifying their immediate supervisor of their inability to report for work within the first hour of their scheduled report time. An employee neglecting to inform, report or show up on time may not be paid for any time missed. No employee may be paid for any time if they did not perform the hours required or expected. Falsifying hours worked is grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment. Employees also are responsible for informing their immediate supervisor if they are unable to return to work when agreed to or expected after the employee has been out of work or away from the workplace for any duration of time.

Special Note: Absence without notice for three consecutive days is considered job abandonment and may be grounds for disciplinary action.

Dress and Appearance

At all times, employees are reflective of their role and Wofford College, and all employees are expected to be presentable and professional in their physical appearance, which includes (but is not limited to) their required uniform or Terrier gear (if applicable) or work attire and personal hygiene.

Employment

Job/Position FTE

Position FTE (full-time equivalent or full-time equivalence) is prorated from 1.0FTE, contingent upon the minimal work hours expected in accordance to the assigned regular work schedule.

• Twelve-month 1.0FTE position
  A 1.0 FTE 12-month position has minimal work hour expectations of 40 hours per week.
  40 hours x 52 weeks (1 year) = 2,080 hours.
• Nine-month 1.0FTE position
  A 1.0 FTE nine-month position has minimal work hour expectations of 40 hours per week.
  40 hours x 39 weeks (academic calendar weeks) = 1,560 hours.

FTE (full-time equivalence for hours of work expected)

Hours	FTE	Hours	FTE
1	0.03	21	0.53
2	0.05	22	0.55
3	0.08	23	0.58
4	0.10	24	0.60
5	0.13	25	0.63
6	0.15	26	0.65
7	0.18	27	0.68
8	0.20	28	0.70
9	0.23	29	0.73
10	0.25	30	0.75
11	0.28	31	0.78
12	0.30	32	0.80
13	0.33	33	0.83
14	0.35	34	0.85
15	0.38	35	0.88
16	0.40	36	0.90
17	0.43	37	0.93
18	0.45	38	0.95
19	0.48	39	0.98
20	0.50	40	1.00

Full-Time Employment

The college defines and accepts the following appointments as full-time employment:

• A 12-month appointment with work expectations of minimally 30 hours per week over the 12 consecutive months.
  • Calendar year = 52 weeks @ 30 hours per week = 1,560 hours/2,080 = 0.75FTE.
• An academic calendar appointment with work expectations of minimally 30 hours per week over the academic calendar year.
  • Academic calendar = 39 weeks @ 30 hours per week = 1,170 hours/1,560 = 0.75 FTE.

Hours

Regular Office Hours

The college’s regular operating office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Some areas and departments across campus may have other regular operational hours due to the nature of their work or services provided. Those areas or department offices may require and assign different work schedules or shifts for specific classifications of employees, contingent upon the area/department’s operations, needs and services provided.

Regular Work Schedule/Hours

Employees are informed of their regular work schedule upon hire. As department situations change, work schedules may need to be revised or changed. Employees, with their supervisors, are responsible for knowing their regular work schedule and making changes, if appropriate, with the approval of the area/department appointing authority. All permanent changes to an employee’s regular work schedule warrant review and update to the employee’s position description.

Special Note: An employee’s assigned work schedule may be different from their employing department’s regular operating office hours and/or the regular operating college office hours.

Training/Review

Required Training

Wofford College receives federal funds and is required to have specific employees complete required trainings either upon hire, annually or throughout the year. As a condition of employment, employees are to complete the required trainings assigned and within the allotted timeframe. For most employees, required trainings include (but are not limited to) Title IX Sexual Misconduct Training for Mandatory Reporters and Technology Resources-Responsible and Ethical Use.

Review – Annual Performance Evaluation

All employees are subject to an annual employee evaluation in accordance to the college’s fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).

Pay

Wofford complies with all federal, state and applicable local laws for pay and payment of earned wages. Wofford intends to pay all exempt employees on a salary basis and will not make deductions from salaries that are prohibited under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It is Wofford’s intention to pay each employee, exempt or nonexempt, the proper and appropriate pay. If any employee believes his/her salary has been improperly reduced, s/he may make a formal request to have their situation reviewed by Wofford’s payroll manager, or they may raise the issue to the director of human resources.

An employee’s appointment letter, in compliance with Section 41-10-30 of the S.C. Code of Laws, 1976, as amended, contains his/her terms of employment, including when and how s/he will be paid (what payroll schedule assigned) and by what method (direct deposit). All employees are paid per the applicable payroll schedule via direct deposit to their bank account and deductions from wages include federal, state and Social Security taxes, any and all court-ordered withholdings and premiums for all applicable and enrolled benefits and benefit plans.

Wofford administers four payrolls: monthly, bi-weekly, students and summer.

1. The monthly payroll is primarily for salaried employees. Salaried, monthly paid employees are paid for the current month on the 25th of the month. If the 25th falls on a federal or bank holiday or weekend, pay is provided the day before.
2. The bi-weekly payroll is primarily for hourly employees. Hourly, bi-weekly paid employees are paid every other Friday for the previous bi-weekly payroll period. If the Friday falls on a federal or bank holiday, pay is provided the day before.
3. The student payroll is reserved for student employment. Students are paid on the 10th of every month for the previous calendar month. If the 10th falls on a federal or bank holiday or weekend, pay is provided the day before.
4. The summer payroll is reserved for the summer academic curriculum and is determined at the end of each academic year. Pay is provided according to the schedule.

Overtime

FLSA non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay. Overtime pay is 1.5 times the regular hourly rate for any hours over 40 worked in the scheduled work week. Any overtime hours must be approved in advance by the immediate (or assigned) supervisor.

Special Note: Worked hours do not include any paid leave hours (i.e., vacation/personal leave, holiday, etc.).

Timecards

FLSA non-exempt employees are required to complete timecards weekly and provide to the Office of Human Resources. Both employee and supervisor are required to sign the timecard, and both are responsible for reporting accurate and actual worked hours and leave hours (holiday, vacation, leave without pay, etc.). Timecards are maintained in the Office of Human Resources to account for the employee’s time worked and attendance.

Work Flexibility and Accommodations

Work flexibilities are temporary, for a specified timeframe (of minimally one month and not to exceed six months) and must be acknowledged by the employee and approved by the supervisor (or appointing authority). Flexibilities include (but are not limited to) any of the following:

• An alternate work schedule (or flexible work schedule) – An alternate or flexible work schedule is a work schedule other than the employee’s assigned regular work schedule.
• An alternate shift schedule – An alternate shift schedule is a shift schedule other than the employee’s regular assigned shift schedule.
• Job change – A job change is to reassign an employee to a different job.
• Position duties change – Position duties change is to reduce, eliminate or add different duties or tasks to an employee’s current position description.

A formal flexibility request is provided to the supervisor and will be evaluated based on the requesting employee’s situation and job expectations, factoring in the department’s operational needs. The supervisor is to consult with the director of human resources to review for impacts on employment, leave (accrual/eligibility) and/or benefits eligibility. If approved, a copy of the approved flexibility request, with employee acknowledgement and supervisor approval, is forwarded to the Office of Human Resources for the employee’s personnel file (and all related payroll and benefit tracking).

Special Note: Allowing an employee to come in later on a given day because s/he stayed late a previous evening, or working on a Saturday to make up for a day missed during the week, or similar situations are all temporary flexibilities supervisors may provide to employees at their discretion as these flexibilities are provided on an informal basis, and there are no expectations of continuation for any prolonged duration.

An accommodation is any change to the job, to the way the job is done or the work environment that allows a person with a disability who is qualified for the job to perform the essential functions of that job and enjoy equal employment opportunities. Wofford College is subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, which “prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment.” For questions on ADA or accommodations, contact the Accessibility Services manager.

Special Note: Flexibilities are at the discretion of the employer. Accommodations, in compliance with ADA, are required for qualified employees with disabilities, so long as the accommodation is a “reasonable accommodation.”