Employee electronic timecards are legal documents that must accurately reflect the hours worked each day. It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure their timecards accurately reflect all hours worked. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to verify the information the employee has entered on the timecard, including the accuracy of the hours reported and the total hours worked. Leave time hours for paid holidays, breaks, vacation, personal, sick, bereavement, jury duty, and college closures also needs to be accurately reflected on the timecards. Timecards must be approved by the employee’s supervisor through the Paycom system by the indicated due date. Failure to submit a completed timecard by the indicated due date, and inaccurate time reporting may result in delay in payment and may be grounds for corrective action, including termination of employment.
Break, Meal, and Rest Periods
While the College does not have formal rest periods, each department is responsible for establishing its own work breaks, including rest and meal periods, based on departmental needs. Employees working a shift of more than six hours shall be allowed an unpaid, duty-free period in accordance with the following:
Employees who work a shift of more than six (6) hours, which extends over the noon day meal period (11:00 am to 2:00 pm), will be allowed an unpaid meal period within that time frame.
It is the College’s policy that meal breaks for full-time employees are unpaid and one hour in duration, and part-time employees who work six (6) hours are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break. Any diversion must be pre-approved through Human Resources.
Employees who work a shift of more than six (6) hours starting before 11:00 am and continuing later than 7:00 pm shall be allowed an additional meal period of at least 20 minutes between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Employees who work a shift of more than six (6) hours that begins between the hours of 1:00 pm and 6:00 am shall be allowed an unpaid meal period during a reasonable time during the shift.
It is the employee’s responsibility to record the start and end time of their meal periods on their electronic timecards in Paycom. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring their staff is taking a full meal break during the appropriate time and does not perform work during their meal break. If an employee works during their meal break, the time must be reported as time worked on the timecard and not reported as the meal break.
One Employee Shift: In some instances, where only one person is on duty, it is customary for the employee to eat on the job without being relieved and for the employee to be paid for the time spend doing so. Employees in such positions will be asked to consent to this arrangement. In the event an employee wishes to withdraw her/his consent to this arrangement, they must provide their supervisor at least 72 hours advance written notice to ensure sufficient coverage can be secured.
Abuse of breaks and/or meal periods may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
Overtime
Though sometimes necessary, overtime work should be minimized and must be planned and authorized by supervisors in advance, except in the instance of an emergency or critical staffing need. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay at the rate of 1.5 times the employee’s regular rate of pay for hours worked more than 40 hours in one workweek. At no time will compensatory time off be given in lieu of overtime pay.
Any hours worked between 35 and 40 hours per week will be paid at the employee’s regular rate. Where hours of work can be rescheduled, a supervisor may authorize a flexible schedule instead of additional hours for work between 35 and 40 hours, as long as it is done within the same workweek in which the extra hours were worked.
Payroll Deduction
Each payday the employee receives a paycheck/statement of earnings/pay stub. This document provides current and year-to-date earnings and withholdings. Statutory deductions are withholdings the College is required by law to make from an employee’s earnings. Statutory deductions include social security, Medicare, and federal, and state income taxes. Voluntary deductions are deductions the College has been authorized by the employee to make from their pay. This may include retirement, benefits premiums or deductions, flexible spending accounts, or gifts to the College and United Way.
In January of each year, all employees will receive a Wage and Tax Statement (W-2 Form) through the Paycom system. Using the Paycom Employee Self-Service portal, employees can elect to receive their W-2 form electronically or have a hard copy mailed to them. To change federal tax withholdings during the year, employees should complete a new W-4 form through the Paycom system. A separate New York State form, Form IT-2104, may also be completed for changing New York State withholding only.
