Requesting and Approving Overtime
PURPOSE: To ensure appropriate use and approval of necessary overtime by non-exempt employees of the college.
DATE CREATED: February 21, 2022
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 1, 2022
A. Directive Statement (Background)
Overtime is defined as work that is required or permitted beyond the normal 40-hour University work week, which begins on Friday and ends on Thursday. It is a supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that unauthorized overtime is not worked. The work schedule should be arranged so that overtime is not usually or routinely required. In certain situations where the department’s mission cannot be carried out overtime work may be authorized and allowed.
- TEAMS Employees (non-exempt)
Overtime worked by employees in non-exempt TEAMS positions must be compensated in one of two ways. The employee may be paid one and one-half times his or her regular hourly rate of pay for each hour of overtime worked. As an alternative, if the employee and supervisor so agree in advance, the employee may be compensated by crediting the employee with up to 120 hours of overtime compensatory leave, i.e., 80 hours of overtime work, on the basis of one and one-half hours of leave for each hour of overtime worked. Upon reaching the 120-hour limit of overtime compensatory leave, employees must either receive payroll compensation (cash) for additional hours of overtime worked or use accrued overtime compensatory leave before receiving further overtime compensatory leave credits. No other “arrangements” are allowed, as they constitute falsification of time records.
Supervisors are encouraged to make a reasonable effort, based on departmental/unit resources (funding availability) and mutual agreement, to allow employees to specify preference between overtime compensatory leave and payroll compensation (cash). If agreement cannot be reached, payment via payroll (cash) will be made.
- Hourly OPS Employees
Hourly OPS employees appointed through human resource services or student employment must be paid one and one-half times their regular hourly rate of pay for each hour of overtime worked. No other arrangements are allowed. OPS employees are not eligible to earn overtime compensatory leave.
B. Policy and Procedure
- Request
Based upon the needs of the department, overtime should be approved by the employee’s supervisor prior to the work being performed.
It is the responsibility of the employee to monitor hours worked in a UF work week to determine if overtime might become a possible need. The employee should contact his/her supervisor to notify him/her of the overtime potential.
The following information must be included in the employee’s written request: beginning date/time; ending date/time; total hours overtime requested; justification for why overtime is needed.
Upon approval from the supervisor, the employee should contact his/her payroll processor for reporting instructions.
- Default Compensation
Unless specifically requested by the employee, the default compensation method for TEAMS employees eligible for overtime will be compensatory leave rather than pay.
- Approval
Overtime should be approved by supervisors prior to the work being performed. Approval should consider the employee’s performance before approving overtime.
Blanket or general approval for an employee to work overtime may be appropriate in unique and limited situations however, the approval may not exceed 90 days from the date of request. These approvals must include a maximum number of hours per week and total for the approval period (not to exceed 90 days).
- Failure to Comply
Employees who consistently work overtime without prior approval from their supervisor may be subject to formal disciplinary action