Employee Breaks

Sprouts Classroom Staff:

The center will at all times maintain ratios/staffing according to PA state regulations for each classroom as well as for the center as a whole. This means that you may not be allowed to leave the building, even while on break. If you would like to leave the building during a break time, this requires Administration approval to ensure that center-wide ratios are maintained.

30-45-minute unpaid breaks are given when a teaching staff member is working greater than 6 hours in a day. 15-minute paid breaks are given as needed to staff who are working less than 6 hours. Additional times to step out of the classroom, planned or unplanned, (such as bathroom breaks) are arranged via float and/or administration in order to maintain required ratios at all times. If a staff member needs to leave the room but doing so would violate ratio requirements, they should call float using a nearby classroom phone or their cellular device, wait for relief to arrive, then the relief that was called in should supervise children until the staff member returns. Childrens' tags should be transferred to the relief person, then transferred back to the original staff member upon their return, and a name-to-face check should be completed with each handover of care. There will always be a person available to receive these float calls/relieve staff members when necessary.

30 or 45-minute employee breaks may be reflected in employees' posted schedule in the employee portal. If a staff member is scheduled to work longer than 6 hours in a day and a break is not reflected in their posted schedule, staff members are responsible for choosing the time of their break, and responsible for asking other staff to cover their post during the break if necessary to maintain proper classroom supervision and state-required adult/child ratios.

Other Employees:

Office staff and administrators who are not in the classroom may take a 30-minute break at a time when it does not interfere with the workflow of the organization. For example, a staff member should not take a break during a scheduled staff meeting, but around such times. If a staff member's meal break needs to be at a designated time of day, it will be reflected in their employee portal schedule. Staff scheduled more than 6 hours in a day on the employee portal without an assigned break time are responsible for managing their own 30-minute break, with it logged in their Brightwheel hours appropriately.

Break Room:

All employees are welcome, but not required, to take breaks in the downstairs teachers' office/ break room. This room is stocked with reading materials, drawing materials, snacks, drinks, and fidgets. Employees are responsible for keeping the space tidy, and notifying administration if supplies require restocking. Employees may store their personal items in this space (purses, jackets, glasses, etc), but please be considerate of the shared space and leave room for others' belongings as well!