Time Reporting (for Non-exempt Employees)

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Policy Number: 415

Policy Suffix:

I. General Policy

As stated in Policy 410, Rice University is committed to paying staff fairly and competitively for work performed and to maintaining compensation practices in compliance with federal, state and local regulations. In carrying out this policy and compliance requirements, Rice University is responsible for collecting accurate time reporting records of hours worked by non-exempt staff and student workers. This ensures that Rice pays non-exempt employees and student workers accurately and timely in accordance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state recordkeeping requirements.

II. Roles and Responsibilities

Non-exempt Employees (staff and student workers) are responsible for complying with time reporting policies and procedures. It is also the employee’s responsibility to:

Comply with department work schedules and obtain supervisor documented approval prior to working outside employee’s normal work schedule.
Obtain supervisor documented approval for all overtime hours prior to working the hours.
Capture the actual time employee begins and ends working, as well as the beginning and ending times of each break or meal period that lasts more than 20 minutes using Rice’s time collection devices.
Certify the accuracy of all time recorded (including any absences, paid or unpaid) at the end of each two-week pay period.
Take immediate action to correct any time submitted in the event of an error, whether the employee has over-reported or under-reported work hours.

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that employees are complying with University time reporting policies and procedures. It is also the supervisor’s responsibility to:

Ensure employees are complying with department work schedules and approving exceptions prior to the employees working outside their normal work schedule.
Communicate decisions about requests to work overtime hours prior to employees working the hours and take the necessary corrective action when employees do not request overtime in advance.
Review and approve employee’s time records for accuracy at the end of each two-week pay period within the period allotted for approvals.
Take immediate action to correct employee time records in the event of an error.

Payroll Office is responsible for overseeing compliance with University time reporting policies and procedures and for updating policies and procedures as needed.

III. Definitions

Non-exempt Employees are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act provisions for overtime pay and the federal minimum wage, and are paid on an hourly basis.

Pay Period is a two-week pay period starting at 12:00 a.m. Sunday of the first week and ending 11:59 p.m. Saturday of the second week.

Supervisors are individuals who oversee non-exempt employees and their work.

Time Collection Devices include the web clock or time card function within iO or a physical time clock.

Time or Hours Worked includes time an employee is performing duties or services to Rice (ordinarily all time when an employee is required to be on the employer’s premises, on duty, or at a designated workplace). Time or hours worked that are not scheduled or authorized in advance by the supervisor must still be paid if the University knows or should have known that work was performed, but may result in corrective action to the employee for working outside of the regular schedule without supervisor approval.

Time or Hours Not Worked includes time when an employee is not performing duties or services to Rice such as uninterrupted break or meal periods longer than 20 minutes, travel time to/from work, or paid absences including, but not limited to, bereavement, holiday, jury duty, and paid time off.

Workweek is comprised of seven consecutive 24-hour periods, beginning at 12 a.m. on Sunday to the following Saturday at 11:59 p.m.

IV. Elaboration of Policy

A. Time or Hours Worked

Employees are required to record actual beginning and ending work times as well as the beginning and ending times of each break or meal period using Rice’s time collection devices. The time collection devices capture actual time worked and calculate worked hours by rounding hours to the nearest quarter hour.

B. Time or Hours Not Worked

Employees submit paid absence requests (bereavement, jury duty, and paid time off) in accordance with the paid absence guidelines. After the supervisor approves an absence, hours transfer to the employee’s time record. Employees report non-standard hours (e.g. crisis pay, holiday, and recess) in accordance to guidelines.

C. Certification and Approvals

Employees must certify the accuracy of their time records and submit their time card within 36 hours after the end of each two-week pay period. The Payroll Office will assume time cards with hours but not submitted for approval are correct, submit the time cards as reported, and notify the employee’s manager of non-compliance with this policy. Supervisors are responsible for correcting and approving all employee time records within 48 hours after the end of each two-week pay period. The Payroll Office will assume time cards without supervisor approval are correct and approve the time records as reported.

D. Changes to Previously Reported Time or Missing Time

Employees are responsible for capturing actual time worked using Rice’s time collection devices (e.g. iO web clock, iO time card, physical time clock, cell phone app). Actual time worked is when employees begin and end working and accounting for the beginning and ending times of each break or meal period. Repeated occurrences of corrected or missed time may result in corrective action.

The timekeeping system audits all changes to time records after the initial submission of the time card. All changes require a valid business reason. Supervisors must approve all changes.

E. Enforcement of Accurate Time Records

Any altering, falsifying, or tampering with time records or recording time on another employee’s time record may result in corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.