The University of Memphis

Timekeeping and Leave Reporting

POLICIES

The University of Memphis maintains time and leave records for hourly paid employees and maintains leave records for administrative/professional and faculty according to Tennessee Board of Regents Guidelines and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Human Resources Department and the Payroll Office are responsible for developing and maintaining systems necessary to keep accurate records of employees' time and attendance, to appropriately issue payments, and to monitor leave usage.

Web Time Entry (electronic system), time clocks, time cards, and time sheets are acceptable means for keeping a record of hours worked by an employee for payroll purposes. If a time clock is used, general time clock procedures found in this policy must be followed, and a sufficient number of time clocks must be maintained in convenient locations. Time and leave reporting will be done in accordance with this policy.

To provide instructions for submitting hours worked by hourly paid employees and for requesting, using, and reporting leaves of absence by all categories of employees. To clearly define the University's standard work schedule as well as alternative work schedules, such as Flextime.

The standard work schedule is:

• 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday
• 7.5 hours per day; 37.5 hours per week
• 1 unpaid hour for meal break each day
• 1950 hours per fiscal year

The standard time/leave reporting period is Saturday through Friday.

Schedules that vary from the 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. workday, the Monday through Friday workweek, and/or 37.5 hours per week are considered to be non-standard. There are two types of non-standard schedules

• Alternative Work Schedule - when the department establishes the schedule based on the needs of the department
• Flextime - when the employee requests approval to alter his or her schedule, and the department agrees only if work flow permits

For employee convenience if work flow permits, Flextime allows full-time exempt and non-exempt employees to vary their arrival and/or departure times if they (1) work the required 75.0 hours in a two-week period and, (2) for hourly paid employees, do not work more than 40 hours in a single workweek. This arrangement allows variations in the length of the workday and/or the length of the workweek. The appropriate Dean, Director, or Activity Head and the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources must approve Flextime schedules.

Web Time Entry is an electronic system which enables employees to report their time worked and leave taken via the Spectrum Portal Web site through Employee Self-Service. This method is used in lieu of a paper timekeeping method. 

Bi-weekly paid employees must report all straight and overtime hours worked and any leave taken during each pay period. Time/leave must be reported using only whole hours and tenths of an hour. Time/leave reporting must utilize University approved time reporting systems or forms. Currently, the University is using Web Time Entry as the principal method of reporting time/leave.

Financial Managers (WTE approvers) are responsible for timely approval of time sheets, timely submission of any paper time sheets (for corrections/adjustments) to the Payroll Office, and safe storage and retention of all timekeeping paper documents for three years. After three years, records may be destroyed if audit requirements have been met. The three-year retention is also required for any paper documents used for Web Time Entry.

Bi-weekly employees and Financial Managers (WTE approvers) must complete time sheets according to established payroll deadlines. Time sheets may be submitted in advance of deadlines when using Web Time Entry. By virtue of entering the time online and hitting the submit for approval button, the employee certifies the information entered is true and correct.

Late salary payments will result when time sheets are not submitted or approved on schedule, whether done by paper or online. Late salary payments will be made on the next scheduled bi-weekly payroll.

Monthly paid administrative/professional employees, 12-month faculty, coaches and post-doctorate fellows must report any leave taken during each pay period.  Currently, the University is using Web Time Entry as the principal method of reporting time/leave. Leave must be reported using only whole hours and tenths of an hour.

Nine-month faculty should report any leave usage to their Department Chair or Dean as appropriate.  A copy of the leave report should be forwarded to Employee Records.  The original leave report should be retained in the department/dean's office for three years.

Financial Managers (WTE approvers) are responsible for timely approval of leave reports, timely submission of any paper corrections/adjustments to Employee Records, and safe storage and retention of all leave reporting paper documents for three years. After three years, records may be destroyed if audit requirements have been met. The three-year retention is required for any paper documents used for Web Time Entry.

Employees should complete their leave reports according to established payroll deadlines. Generally, the deadline for reporting leave is the 5th working day of the month after the end of the pay period. This deadline may be adjusted due to holidays. 

Leave reports may be prepared in advance. If leave reports are not submitted on schedule, any necessary salary payment adjustments will be made on the next scheduled monthly payroll. By virtue of entering the leave online and hitting the submit for approval button, the employee certifies the information entered is true and correct.

All attendance records, time sheets, leave records, payroll documents, and other timekeeping documents/systems will be recorded using only whole hours and tenths of an hour. The following schedule will be followed in the documentation of time worked or absent:

•   1-  6 minutes  =   .1 hour
•   7-12 minutes  =   .2 hour
• 13-18 minutes  =   .3 hour
• 19-24 minutes  =   .4 hour
• 25-30 minutes  =   .5 hour
• 31-36 minutes  =   .6 hour
• 37-42 minutes  =   .7 hour
• 43-48 minutes  =   .8 hour
• 49-54 minutes  =   .9 hour
• 55-60 minutes  = 1.0 hour

All hourly-paid, nonexempt employees must be paid for all hours worked. Employees will be paid overtime when they work more than 37.5 hours in one pay period (Saturday through Friday.) There are two categories of overtime:

• Straight-Time Overtime equals the regular hourly rate. This rate is applied to hours in excess of 37.5 hours and up to 40 hours in the same workweek.
• Premium-Time Overtime equals one-and-one-half times the regular hourly rate. This rate is applied to hours in excess of 40 hours in the same workweek.

NOTE: Time counted for overtime pay purposes includes only hours actually worked and paid holiday hours. All other hours are excluded for calculation of overtime, e.g., annual leave, sick leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave. 

The supervisor should not permit employees to perform work past their regular schedule without specific approval, and overtime may be authorized only if appropriate budget arrangements have been made.

Executives, administrators, professionals, and employees who teach, provided they meet the test for exemption from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), are expected to devote whatever time is required to complete their duties and responsibilities. The Human Resources Department determines for each position if the test for exemption under FLSA has been met. Therefore, all monthly paid employees are exempt from overtime reporting requirements or compensation for hours worked in excess of 37.5 per week.

Requests for annual leave are subject to approval by the Financial Manager prior to the beginning of the leave, and leave taken must be reported via an approved University system or form. Annual leave or sick leave may not be advanced, i.e., taken before accrued. Sick Leave usage in excess of the available sick leave balance will be charged to the employee's annual leave balance, if hours are available. Otherwise, the excess sick leave time will be unpaid.

The Financial Manager should establish a consistent process for how employees are expected to request advance approval for annual leave and planned sick leave as well as how they are expected to report unexpected absences.

Note:  Any grant-funded full or part-time employees are not eligible to accrue or use annual leave unless the applicable grant or contract provides sufficient funds to cover the costs of such leave or unless eligibility to accrue annual leave is approved by the President. University Policy 1508-Annual Leave provides complete details.

Up to two fifteen-minute paid breaks may be taken each workday if workflow permits. When permitted, the breaks are allowed in two blocks of time only, not in shorter, more frequent breaks away from work or in one 30-minute break.

An employee who is required to work on a holiday has two options for payment:

• Pay for regular number of hours accrued for holidays, e.g., 7.5 hours for most employees and 8.0 hours for Public Safety employees.
• Regular number of hours to be taken off on another date, but within the same pay period.

Regular employees on alternative work schedules or Flextime should revert to the standard 7.5 hours per day work schedule during pay periods with paid holidays. This return to the normal work schedule will avoid confusion about how hours should be paid during a work week with one or more holidays.

Regular part-time employees will be paid for designated University holidays on a pro-rata basis. Employees should report only the number of holiday hours that are proportionate to the position, e.g., one-half time positions earn 3.8 hours per holiday; one-third time positions earn 2.5 hours per holiday. 

Leave without pay should be reported using a University approved time and leave reporting system or form. Whether an employee is required to utilize available sick or annual leave while on leave of absence depends on the purpose for the leave. University Policy 1572-Leaves of Absence provides complete details.

Employees on unpaid leaves of absence are not entitled to compensation for official holidays that occur during their unpaid leave.

Bi-weekly paid temporary employees and student employees are responsible for entering and submitting all regular and overtime hours worked during the pay period using a University approved time reporting system or form. Time must be reported using whole hours and tenths of an hour, as listed below.   

•   1-  6 minutes  =   .1 hour
•   7-12 minutes  =   .2 hour
• 13-18 minutes  =   .3 hour
• 19-24 minutes  =   .4 hour
• 25-30 minutes  =   .5 hour
• 31-36 minutes  =   .6 hour
• 37-42 minutes  =   .7 hour
• 43-48 minutes  =   .8 hour
• 49-54 minutes  =   .9 hour
• 55-60 minutes  = 1.0 hour

Employees should complete time sheets according to established Payroll deadlines. Electronic time sheets may be entered in advance of deadlines. If time is not submitted on schedule, late salary payment will be made on the next scheduled bi-weekly payroll. By virtue of entering the time online and hitting the submit for approval button, the employee certifies the information entered is true and correct.

Bi-weekly paid temporary and student employees do not accrue annual or sick leave and are not eligible for holiday pay; therefore these types of absences are not reported. Only hours actually worked are reported.

Occasionally the University is closed due to inclement weather or other emergencies. Employees who are required to work during  these closings will be compensated as prescribed in University Policy 1531- Emergency Closings.

Flextime variations that may be utilized, subject to approval and change by the department head and the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, are:

• Core Time Schedule - The department establishes the required daily core time when every employee must be present. Employees work 7.5 hours per day, five days per week, but they may alter arrival and departure times before and after core time. For example: Every employee is required to be present between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Alternate work scheduling would permit employees to work from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with one hour off for an unpaid meal break. 
• Compressed Time - Employees are required to work 75 hours in a two-week period, but they may work longer days and accumulate excess hours to provide time off during the same two-week period. Bi-weekly paid nonexempt employees cannot exceed 40 hours in a single workweek.

There may be times when supervisors must ask employees to temporarily suspend their Flextime schedule due to heavy work volume, special projects, or seasonal needs such as registration. Supervisors also have the right to permanently suspend Flextime in their department. Advance notice of the need to suspend Flextime should be given as early as possible.

A Financial Manager may require employees to clock in and out. Generally, all employees in a work unit should be required to record their time in the same manner. However, the Financial Manager may designate some employee categories to record their time in a different manner so long as the method used is a University approved form or system. 

Financial Managers are responsible for ensuring that time clocks function properly and that any malfunctions are immediately addressed by either repairing or replacing the time clock.

When time clocks are used, these procedures must be followed:

• An employee must clock in and out each working day.
• No employee shall be allowed to clock in or out for another employee. Violation of this rule may be grounds for disciplinary action against both employees, up to and including termination of employment.
• Employee may clock in 10 minutes prior to their beginning work time in order to prepare to begin their work at the appointed hour. These minutes are not compensated unless the employee actually begins working before his or her appointed time.
• Employees shall clock out punctually at the end of their work day. Any time reflected on the time card in excess of five minutes after the end of the normal work day shall be compensated.
• It is not necessary for employees to clock in and out for one-hour meal breaks. However, if an employee takes an extended meal break, the total time off the job shall be noted in writing on the time card.
• Time posted to the time sheet (paper or WTE) shall correspond exactly with those hours reflected on the employee's time card.
• Time cards shall be maintained in a secure manner.
• If any misuse of time clocks is discovered, appropriate disciplinary action should be taken.
• The employee and the supervisor shall sign each time clock time card, certifying that the time recorded as worked is true and accurate.

Failure to comply with these requirements should be addressed through the Performance Improvement Process.

Any corrections/adjustments for a bi-weekly paid employee's time/leave identified after the end of the pay period, must be submitted to the Payroll Office in writing by the employee's Financial Manager.  A paper time sheet must accompany any request for correction/adjustment.  An additional copy of all documents must be sent to the Employee Records Office in Human Resources.

Corrections to a monthly paid employee's leave report must be submitted to the Employee Records Office in Human Resources in writing by the employee's Financial Manager.

The timekeeping organization determines the individuals assigned to acknowledge/approve employee time sheets and leave reports.  Financial managers (WTE approvers) may not approve their own time/leave, so their timekeeping organization will be one level higher in the organization structure.

If a terminating employee has not taken all accrued annual leave, he or she may request that this unused annual leave be paid lump sum on his or her last pay day or over subsequent pay periods. A terminating employee is considered to be on terminal leave when receiving this unused annual leave over subsequent pay periods.

When terminating employees choose terminal leave, an Online Separation and Clearance Form must be submitted prior to the payroll deadline. If the Clearance Form is not submitted timely, a bi-weekly paid employee is at risk of not being paid for terminal leave hours, and a monthly-paid employee may be overpaid. In either case, untimely notification creates process problems for the University and hardships for the employees.

Note: There will be no terminal leave payment for accumulated but unused annual leave for any grant-funded full or part-time employees unless funds are provided for such payments in the grant or contract. University Policy 1508-Annual Leave provides complete details.

Financial Managers are responsible for storage and retention of completed and signed time cards, time sheets, and leave reports  for three years.  After three years, time records may be destroyed, provided audit requirements have been met. Refer to the University's Records Management Program. 

http://policies.memphis.edu/UM1508.htm

http://policies.memphis.edu/UM1303.htm

http://policies.memphis.edu/UM1467.htm

http://policies.memphis.edu/UM1527.htm

http://policies.memphis.edu/UM1544.htm

http://policies.memphis.edu/UM1365.htm
http://bf.memphis.edu/home/recmgt.php