Library Board approved April 16, 2002. Revised January 1, 2012. Revised February 28, 2023.
Workweek & Scheduled Hours
The Oak Park Public Library’s workweek begins at 12:00 am on Sunday and ends at 11:59 pm the following Saturday. Full-time staff members are those scheduled for 40 hours per workweek.
Scheduled work hours will vary depending on the operational needs of the library locations and the work in the community. Staff members are assigned a work schedule based on their budgeted hours and are expected to be on time and begin and end work according to the schedule. When a work schedule is changed, the library aims to give the staff member at least two (2) weeks’ notice unless unforeseen circumstances or absences require otherwise.
Non-Exempt (Hourly) Staff
The library will schedule and pay its non-exempt (hourly) staff for all hours worked as regulated under applicable state and federal laws and per the following minimum expectations:
- One day of rest in seven: Non-exempt (hourly) staff members must be provided at least one 24-hour day of rest in every consecutive seven-day period.
- Rest breaks: Non-exempt (hourly) staff members are permitted paid rest breaks for an appropriate amount of time within the workday as needed. At a minimum, this means one (1) paid rest break of up to 15 minutes per each consecutive four (4) hour work period, as work requirements permit. There will be no compensation for missed rest breaks, and they may not be used for leaving early or extending meal periods.
- Meal period: Non-exempt (hourly) staff members who work 7.5 continuous hours or more are expected to take an unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes. The meal period must be continuous, uninterrupted, and start no later than 5 hours after the shift begins. An additional meal period will be allotted for every extra 4.5 continuous hours worked beyond the 7.5-hour shift.
Illustrative table of the minimum number of rest breaks and meal periods:
| Scheduled continuous hours | Paid rest breaks (allowed) | Unpaid meal periods (expected) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 4 hours | As needed | None |
| At least 4 hours, less than 7.5 hours | 1 | None |
| At least 7.5 hours, less than 12 hours | 2 | 1 |
| At least 12 hours, less than 16 hours | 3 | 2 |
- Overtime pay: Non-exempt (hourly) staff members will be compensated at the rate of one and one-half times (1.5) their regular pay rate for all hours worked over forty (40) hours each workweek (Sunday through Saturday). Staff members may work overtime only with prior approval from their immediate supervisor or manager. Any paid and unpaid time off hours during the workweek will not be included as hours worked when calculating overtime pay.
Exempt (Salaried) Staff
The library pays exempt staff members on a salary basis in compliance with applicable state and federal laws (such as the Fair Labor Standards Act) and per the following expectations:
- Weekly schedule: Exempt (salaried) staff members are expected to work their budgeted weekly hours and any additional hours necessary to perform their job duties. Exempt staff may utilize flexible hours/schedule relative to their workload to meet their budgeted weekly hours.
- No additional pay: Exempt (salaried) staff members do not receive overtime pay, compensatory time off, or additional pay for hours worked or travel outside their regular schedule.
- Deductions from pay: Deductions from the salary of exempt staff members are prohibited, whether for quality or quantity of work, discipline, violations of workplace conduct rules, or otherwise, unless authorized by law. Any staff member who believes an improper deduction was made from their salary should immediately report it to Human Resources. After an investigation, if a deduction is deemed improper, the staff member will be paid the correct amount by the next possible pay date.
- Paid time off: Exempt (salaried) staff members are responsible for accurately reporting any use of paid time off. Exempt staff members should report time away from work in half-day or full-day increments.
Timekeeping Procedures
Staff members must accurately record their work time for payroll and benefits purposes.
Non-exempt (hourly) staff members must record in their timesheet the time they started and ended work each scheduled day, including the beginning and ending time of any departure from work for any non-work-related reason (such as a meal period).
Exempt (salaried) staff members must record any changes in their schedule for accuracy and enter time off requests for any absence from work for reasons such as health leave, vacation, or other reasons.
Falsifying time records is prohibited and subjects the staff member to discipline, up to and including discharge.
Staff members must review their timesheets regularly to verify the accuracy of all recorded hours. Any timesheet errors should be reported immediately to the service area manager, who will work with Human Resources to correct any errors.
Reasonable Accommodations
Breaks for breastfeeding parents: The library provides paid break times to any staff member who needs to express breast milk for their child while working on library premises from at least the date of the child’s birth up to one year. The library will provide a private room with a locking door other than a restroom where the staff member can express milk in privacy.
Other accommodations: Any staff member who needs accommodation regarding this policy (such as more frequent or longer breaks) may request such accommodation from their supervisor to begin the interactive process to determine what (if any) accommodations may be needed.
