General info
Hours of work
The collective agreement between Postdoctoral Fellows at Queen’s University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 901, Unit 2 recognizes the unique nature of their work, primarily involving research and scholarly activities. Therefore, there is flexibility regarding the standard 37.5-hour workweek to accommodate the specific demands of their research and the research program of their Faculty Supervisors.
In any given workweek, Postdoctoral Fellows will not be required to work more than 50 hours. However, with prior approval from their Faculty Supervisor, they can work up to 173 hours within a pay period. If they work more than 162 hours in a pay period, but less than or up to 173 hours, they will be compensated at regular rates for those additional hours.
In the event that an Employee works beyond the 173-hour limit in a pay period, they will have the choice of receiving overtime pay or compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay. The overtime pay or compensatory time off will be calculated at 1.5 hours for each additional hour worked, provided that all extra hours and the form of compensation were approved according to Article 13.05 of the Unit 2 Collective Agreement.
If an employee opts for compensatory time off, they must discuss the schedule with their Faculty Supervisor, and it should be taken within six months of the pay period in which it was earned and before the end of the employee’s contract.
To ensure accurate record-keeping, employees are required to submit, in writing and by the first business day of the week, the number of hours worked in the previous week. Failure to do so will result in a default assumption of 37.5 hours of work for that week, or the regular weekly hours for part-time appointments.
When employees attend conferences, seminars, or workshops with prior agreement from their Faculty Supervisor, the time spent traveling to and attending such events will be considered part of their normal hours of work, and they will not receive overtime compensation for this time.