Because of the stressful nature of childcare, we encourage all staff members to take regular breaks during their workday. By state law, any employee working 6 or more hours must be provided with a half-hour unpaid meal break.
There are times when you may need to leave the class under the supervision of your co-worker, including:
bathroom breaks (for staff or for one of the children in your class)
getting/preparing snacks for the children
getting/preparing materials for a project
coming to talk to the Administration about an issue that cannot wait until the end of your shift
In all cases, we expect you will be considerate of your co-workers and of your responsibility to your class and keep time out of the classroom under 10 minutes. For any other purpose that takes you out of the building (examples: to go out to get lunch, or to smoke a cigarette), you must use your scheduled break time.
Our break guidelines are:
Your break is a half-hour long, unpaid.
You may not skip or change a scheduled break without approval from administration.
You must clock in and out for any break and may leave the premises if you wish. You may NOT take this break in any classroom.
Nursing mothers can split their break into 2 to accommodate their child’s feeding schedule.
All breaks are scheduled and covered by qualified personnel.
If you leave the building for anything other than a scheduled break (i.e. smoking or taking a personal phone call), you must obtain coverage AND CLOCK OUT.
On occasion admin may ask you to forgo your scheduled break (leaving early instead), or to take your break earlier or later than scheduled.