Workplace Health & Safety

SOS for Anxious Times

Are you feeling anxious or distressed by all the troubling events happening worldwide? You’re not alone—anxiety is more common than you think. The symptoms are hard to pinpoint, though they shouldn’t be ignored. We’ll show you what to look for and provide some suggestions on how to restore some much-needed calm to troubled waters.

Anxiety 101

Anxiety is the body’s response to a perceived threat or danger, which can be real or imagined. Anxiety can also bring physical effects like headaches or chest pains.

How anxious are you? Check your symptoms to see if they warrant a call to your doctor.

Managing Anxiety by Managing Stress

Anxiety can be a response to stress. So, it makes sense that managing stress helps ease anxiety. We show you ways to evaluate your stress and how to you can build strategies for coping.

Treating Anxiety with Natural Remedies

For some symptoms of anxiety—those not associated with a diagnosed psychological disorder—a homeopathic remedy can bring temporary relief. The 12 remedies included here can help soothe your anxiety and bring your system into better balance.

Counseling Benefit

As an employee of CLU you are entitled to use mental health services through BlueShield. In California, please call 877-263-7178, outside California, please call 800-810-2583.

Source: Blue Shield

Policy Spotlight

The Administrative/Staff Handbook can be found here or on the "V" drive at: V:\PUBLIC\HR\HANDBOOK

Key Staff (Non-Exempt) Policies

OVERTIME POLICY

California Lutheran University does not encourage non-exempt staff employees working in excess of regular time. Overtime is not permitted on a voluntary basis, but may be occasionally required by the supervisor or department head.

CLU is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, and overtime is calculated in accordance with both Federal and California laws. These laws stipulate that overtime wages must be computed on a weekly basis. The following guidelines apply to the computation of overtime compensation:

Overtime Rules effective January 1, 2000

CLU must pay time and a half to non-exempt employees who work:

Over 8 hours of work in a workday;

Over 40 hours in a workweek;

The first 8 hours of work on a 7th consecutive day in any workweek .....

CLU must pay double time to non-exempt employees who work:

Over 12 hours in a workday;

Over 8 hours of work on a 7th consecutive day in any workweek.

Overtime compensation earned in a particular workweek is to be paid on the regular payday for the period in which such workweek ends. Overtime is calculated in accordance with the above schedule and is based on actual hours worked. (Holidays and sick leave are excluded from overtime earnings.)

Make-up Time:

Supervisors may approve, at their option, a written request of an employee to make up lost work at straight time, if:

The make-up work occurs in the same workweek in which work time was lost;

The work time was missed because of the employee’s personal obligations;

The make-up work does not cause the employee to exceed 11 hours of work in one day or 40 hours in one workweek.

*An employee must submit a signed, written request each time a request is made to make up work time. (See sample form on the Human Resources Website at www.clunet.edu/HumanResources. These forms will be available from your Director, Dean, or Human Resources Office effective January 1, 2000.)

CLU is prohibited from soliciting any employee to make up time within the same week.

Meal Periods:

If an employee works more 5 hours, the employer must provide a meal period of not less than 30 minutes.

If the work period is not more than 6 hours, it may be waived by mutual consent of CLU and the employee.

Employees working more than 6 hours can no longer waive the meal period.

If an employee’s work period is no more than 10 hours, a second 30-minute meal period is required.

Watch out for employees working overtime.

If the total amount worked is less than 12 hours, the second meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the supervisor and employee, but only if the first period was not waived.

Employees working more than 12 hours cannot waive the second meal period.

Rest Periods/Breaks:

CLU authorizes and permits rest periods for non-exempt staff employees who work at least 3.5 hours per day. Rest periods are to be 10 minutes for every four hours worked and are to be taken in the middle of each four hour work period insofar as it is practical. These breaks are treated as paid working time. Employees may be required to remain on the premises during breaks. Breaks may not be “banked” and added to the meal period or used to leave work early. Breaks do not have to be recorded on the time sheet

Completion of Time Sheets:

CLU is required to keep accurate records of hours worked by non-exempt staff employees. Time sheets are considered to be legal documents, and as such, must accurately reflect time worked and meal breaks. If an employee takes time away from their duties during the normal work day schedule and makes up for it by coming in early or working later, with their supervisor’s approval, this should be noted on the timesheet. Non-exempt employees are required to submit a completed time sheet approved by their supervisors, at the end of every pay period in accordance with the published schedule.

TRAVEL-TIME POLICY

Non-exempt employees attending conferences and workshops where travel is involved shall consider travel time as time worked. Overtime regulations apply.

One-Day Travel Out of Town: Travel time of a non-exempt employee sent out of town on a special one-day assignment must be counted as hours worked. However, the University need not count all of the travel time involved as hours worked. Since the employee would normally be required to report to work at his/her normal work place, any time spent traveling between the employee’s home and the terminal of a common carrier, when such a carrier is used, will not be considered as work time. The employee’s normal meal period may also be deducted.

Overnight Travel Out of Town: Time spent traveling to and from an out-of-town event (conferences & seminars, etc.) constitutes compensable time worked. However, time spent taking a break from travel (e.g. meal breaks, sleeping, sightseeing, etc.) is not compensable.

Travel in the Day’s Work: If part of a non-exempt employee’s principal job activities during the workday include travel, such as travel from one job site to another, such travel time must be counted as hours worked. Similarly, travel to a meeting place for the purpose of receiving instructions, performing work, or collecting tools, etc. must be counted as working time.

APPROVAL OF LEAVE PERIODS:

Employees must submit a Leave Request Form to their supervisor for approval in advance of all leave.