216 – Work Hours

I. Purpose

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) serves the people of Harris County at all hours and in all situations. To that end, HCSO employees are not all on-duty at the same time. This policy is intended to set clear parameters on when an employee is considered on-duty and when they are considered off-duty.

II. Definitions

Deputy: A full-time regular employee who is qualified under TCOLE regulations for appointment as a peace officer and who works as a peace officer in their duties for HCSO. This designation excludes the elected Sheriff but includes all other qualified employee regardless of their ranks.

Primary Duty Post: The location where an employee is expected to perform their regular duties for HCSO. For some employees, this is a specific building; for others, this is a specific geographic area of responsibility in which they conduct their duties. For all employees, the primary duty post shall be defined by their supervisor or by written directive.

Standard Workweek: Pursuant to Harris County Personnel Policies and Procedures, this is the period beginning at 12:01am on Saturday and ending at midnight the following Friday.

Workday: The 24-hour period immediately following the beginning time of an employee’s regularly scheduled shift.

Work Hours: The total amount of hours worked that includes all time spent on HCSO duties AND all time spent on extra employment.

Workweek: The period beginning at the start of the workday the employee returns to duty after completing their regularly assigned days off and ending at the end of the workday after which the employee begins their regularly scheduled days off.

III. Policy

HCSO recognizes that even the most dedicated employee cannot always be working. Moreover, HCSO acknowledges that employees with fulfilling personal lives are often more productive in their professional lives. Therefore, it is the policy of HCSO to clearly delineate employee work hours.

IV. Procedure

All HCSO employees are subject to the provisions of Section 8.04 of Harris County’s Personnel Policies & Procedures, titled “Hours Actually Worked.”

1. Police Action
   1. Off-Duty Deputy Requirements
      1. In almost all circumstances, off-duty deputies must carry — or keep in a place that is readily accessible to them — their HCSO-issued badge or other valid HCSO identification and an HCSO-approved, fully loaded firearm. The firearm should be concealed and carried properly in a holster in such a manner that it is secure from unintentional movement or stored securely to prevent unauthorized access.

         Note: This requirement is intended to allow off-duty deputies to take law enforcement action when necessary.

      2. This general requirement does not apply when an off-duty deputy is engaged in activities such as sports or intense physical labor that make carrying these items impractical. Neither does it apply while the off-duty HCSO deputy is attending educational classes, visiting a place of worship, or traveling outside of Texas.
   2. Taking Law Enforcement Action
      1. At all times — regardless of whether they are on-duty or off-duty —deputies shall take proper law enforcement action if they observe a situation that calls for it.
      2. Accordingly, deputies who are otherwise off-duty when they observe an emergency that requires law enforcement action shall be considered on-duty while engaged in such action. They shall be considered off-duty again when they cease law enforcement action.
2. Regular Duty Hours

   Each HCSO employee shall have regular duty hours assigned to them for each day during their workweek. Generally, an employee is considered on-duty during their regular duty hours and off-duty outside of those hours.

3. Work-Related Travel
   1. Everyday Commutes

      In most circumstances, employees traveling to and from their primary duty post for their regular duty hours are not considered on-duty.

   2. On-Call

      Employees who are on-call are not considered to be on-duty until they receive an assignment. Once they receive an assignment and sign on (SO), travel to the assignment is considered on-duty. These employees continue to be considered on-duty until they conclude the assignment or otherwise go off-duty.

   3. Out-of-County Travel

      All employees who travel outside of Harris County on assignments for HCSO are subject to the terms of Section 8.045 of Harris County’s Personnel Policies & Procedures, reproduced below.

      1. One Day Trips

         As a general rule, all travel time on a one-day out-of-County trip is included in Hours Actually Worked (except for meal periods or time spent traveling from home to a mode of public transportation, if applicable).

      2. Overnight Trips

         Travel time, excluding meal periods, during normal working hours (even on non-working days) on an overnight out-of-County trip is included in Hours Actually Worked. Travel time as a passenger in any type of vehicle outside of regular working hours is not work time. However, if you are offered public transportation (for example, air, bus, or train fare) but ask to drive yourself, your Department Head chooses whether to count as Hours Actually Worked the time spent driving or the time that would have counted as Hours Actually Worked if you had used the public transportation.

References

Harris County Hum. Res. & Talent, Personnel Policies & Procedures, §§ 1, 8 (2024).

Revision

This policy has been revised on the below listed dates:

April 21, 2009
May 21, 2014
June 9, 2021
March 6, 2025 (Technical Changes)
December 29, 2025

February 6, 2026