POLICY
It is the policy of the National Cancer Institute-Frederick (NCI-Frederick) to provide nonexempt employees work breaks during the normal workday to promote the efficiency, health and safety of employees. Such break times are provided at the discretion of management.

Definitions:

“Work Break” means a brief period(s) of paid work time not to exceed 15 minutes at one time or 30 minutes in one day, which is set-aside at the discretion of management for the efficiency, health or safety of employees. Work breaks may not be taken at the start or end of a work shift or accumulated for use in lieu of leave.

“Meal Break” means a period of at least 30 minutes of unpaid time. Employees working 8 or more hours per day must take meal breaks. Such breaks may not be taken at the start or end of a work shift unless the employee is working in a Limited Access Facility.

“Limited Access Facility” means any work location where an employee must shower before entering and/or after leaving, or where an employee must use more than 5 minutes to change into protective clothing/gear before entering and must take a similar amount of time to change upon departure. Examples of such facilities are animal barrier facilities and BL3 laboratories.

PROCEDURE

Employees whose position, job location, and duties allow them to take brief informal breaks during the regular workday are permitted to take work breaks to satisfy personal needs at the discretion of their management/supervisor. Employees must schedule work breaks and meal breaks with their supervisor before they are taken.

Employees in Limited Access Facilities may take up to two scheduled work breaks daily at the discretion of their management/supervisor. Because of the logistics involved in exiting and re-entering the workplace, these breaks may be combined with staff meetings and/or unpaid meal breaks.

Employees who use work break time to smoke are reminded that such time counts against the 30 minute daily limit for work breaks. All aspects of this Policy and Procedure No. 334 apply to work breaks taken for the purpose of smoking.

RESPONSIBILITY

Each contractor is responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented in a manner that does not create a negative impact on productivity.