Support staff appointments are processed through the Human Resources Office upon recommendation of the supervisor and appropriate vice president. A Personnel Assignment Status Sheet (PASS) is prepared by Human Resources for each person; this is the official authorization to pay a salary, to change a salary or other pertinent information, or to terminate an appointment.

Pay Period

The pay period consists of two work weeks. Each work week begins at one minute past midnight on Saturday morning and ends the following Friday at midnight. The shift start time determines the day to which the hours worked are attributed. The standard number of hours in a pay period for most full-time support staff employees is 75 hours, based on a 37.5 hour workweek. Pay period dates are available on the Payroll web site.

Timekeepers

A timekeeper is an employee whose responsibilities include payroll reporting. Each department should designate a timekeeper, who shall assure that the departmental Time Recap Sheets are accurately posted, totaled, and submitted when due, and also that the accompanying Employee Service Reports (or counterpart) bear the appropriate signatures. A backup timekeeper should also be designated so that payroll reporting functions are still accomplished promptly in the event of the absence of the primary timekeeper.

Time and Attendance Report

Each employee is required to maintain a record of hours worked and benefit time used during the pay period by completing the Support Staff Time and Attendance Report. The Time and Attendance Report should account for every workday of the calendar week. All hours spent working must be reported. The employee is required to sign the Time and Attendance Report, certifying that the hours reported are correct. At the end of each pay period, the employee is to submit the Time and Attendance Report to the appropriate supervisor for review and signed approval.

Time Recap Sheets

The Time Recap Sheet lists all support staff employees authorized to work in a department during the pay period. Time Recap Sheets are released to departments on the last day of the pay period. The designated timekeeper in each department is to post the hourly totals from the Employee Service Reports to the Time Recap Sheet, using the appropriate columns to report regular, benefit and overtime hours. Full-time support staff employees must account for a minimum of 75 hours for the pay period. Department totals should be entered on the last page of the Time Recap Sheet and signed by the timekeeper. Properly completed Time Recap Sheets and Employee Service Reports are due in the Payroll Office by 11:00 AM on the Monday following the end of the pay period. Special due dates and times may apply during pay periods when holidays occur.

Signatures

Both the employee and the supervisor must sign the Employee Service Report before submitting it for payment. Signing the Employee Service Report means that the dates and hours indicated are an accurate representation of the dates and hours worked. At no time should someone other than the employee sign in the space designated for “Employee Signature”. If for some reason the employee is unable to sign, the approving supervisor should attach a memo of explanation to the Employee Service Report and submit both to the Payroll Office. In the event the direct supervisor is unable to sign the approval, the approval signature should be affixed by the next level supervisor, then submitted to the Payroll Office. All signatures must be in ink. Signature stamps are not acceptable.

Overtime

Based on a 37.5 hour work week, any hours in pay status exceeding 37.5 hours will be paid at the rate of one and one-half times the employee’s base hourly rate. Employees whose schedule is based on a 40 hour work week will receive overtime for any hours in pay status which exceed 40 hours. Benefit time is included in the calculation of overtime. Hours paid at a premium rate are not included in the calculation of overtime.

Absences and Use of Benefit Time

Support staff are obligated to report any absences to the appropriate supervisor or department head. For benefits-eligible support staff, benefit time consists of vacation, sick leave, and convenience day. When necessary, the University provides employees with other benefit time, which includes funeral leave, jury duty, and military leave. Benefit time must be used to replace standard hours not worked when benefit balances are available. Sick leave, funeral leave, jury duty, and military leave may be used only for reasons outlined in the University Handbook. When standard hours are not met, and benefit time is not claimed, the Payroll Office will charge first the convenience day balance, then the vacation balance in order to remain in compliance with University policy. Only when both balances are exhausted can leave without pay be processed. The use of benefit time for a portion of a day may not cause that day’s total payable hours to exceed the hours in a standard workday. Department heads are responsible for the accuracy of reporting absences.

Holidays

Time off with pay for University-designated holidays will be granted to all benefits-eligible employees who are not required to work, and provided they have payable hours for the last workday before the holiday and for the first workday following the holiday. University-designated holidays are listed in the University Handbook.

Payroll Deductions

Deductions from paychecks are made when the Payroll Office receives the appropriate authorization. The employee may authorize voluntary deductions, such as health coverage and credit union. These deductions will be taken on the first two biweekly pays of each month. Each year there are two months in which a third biweekly pay occurs; most voluntary deductions will not be withheld on the third pay. The employee may elect an option for some voluntary deductions to be made with pre-tax dollars. Mandatory deductions, such as tax levies and garnishments, are ordered by a court or government agency and will be taken from each pay with no exception.

Payroll Taxes

Deductions from paychecks are made on each pay for federal, state, and local county income tax withholding, and for Social Security taxes. Employees should provide the Payroll Office with new withholding forms whenever a change in status occurs, such as a change in personal allowances, marital status, or a change in residence which may affect county tax withholding. Tax withholding forms are available in the Payroll Office.

Direct Deposit

Effective July 1, 2000, all newly hired employees are required to authorize electronic direct deposit of their pay. All other employees are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits of direct deposit. Employees are asked to provide a voided check or deposit slip to verify account information. Please be sure to notify the Payroll Office promptly and provide a new authorization when changing financial institutions or account numbers. Direct deposit authorization forms are available in the Payroll Office or on the Payroll web site.

Payroll Release

All University payrolls are released by the Office of the Controller on regularly scheduled dates. Support Staff Payrolls are released to departments on biweekly Fridays at 11:00 a.m. Pay issue dates are available on the Payroll web site. Special schedules may apply for holiday periods, and notification is provided with the appropriate recaps whenever possible. Early release of individual checks is not permitted.

Terminations

All terminations, whether voluntary or involuntary, should be coordinated through Human Resources and the appropriate vice president’s office immediately upon notice of resignation. Prompt communication of termination dates is essential in order for the University to comply with final pay requirements and benefits administration. In most cases, the last day of work will become the effective termination date. A properly signed Time and Attendance Report must be submitted for the final pay of hours worked. Use the comments section of the Time Recap Sheet to confirm the last day worked. For benefits-eligible support staff, the final pay should include a payoff of unused vacation and unused convenience day. A portion of unused sick leave is also paid employees who meet University retirement qualifications, in accordance with University policy. Arrangements for the return of University property should be made prior to the final pay. According to Indiana statute, final pay may not be withheld.