Timecard Questions

What employees are required to keep timecards?

All employees are required to keep time records.  However, there is a difference between Exempt and Non-Exempt employees.
 

Who are Non-Exempt employees?

Non-Exempt employees are governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act.  These are employees on the non-exempt salary schedule and the clerical salary schedule, such as secretaries and other paraprofessionals.
 

Who are Exempt employees?

These are employees on the salary schedules for Teachers, Exempt persons, and Administrators.  These are employees such as teachers, counselors, librarians, supervisors, and principals.
 

What are the timecard requirements for Exempt employees?

Any type of record may be used as long as it indicates the employee was at work that day.  For example, a list in the office where the employee initials by their name or signing in on the Raptor system may be used.  Again, these persons are not governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act.  We just need some kind of record that they were at work that day.  Time in and time out is not a requirement.
 

What are the timecard requirements for Non-Exempt employees?

The timecard must include:  Employee Name, Employee ID#, Dates Worked for Monday to Sunday for any week, Time In and Time Out each day, Total Hours worked each day, Total hours for each week, Signature of the Employee, Signature of Supervisor.  See example below for the minimal requirements for the perfect campus paraprofessional.  Additional documentation and calculations are required for absences, compensatory time and overtime.
 

Name:  John Doe

 

ID#:  123456

 

     

 

DAY

DATE

IN

OUT

TOTAL

Monday

08/20/07

7:30 AM

3:30 PM

8

Tuesday

08/21/07

7:30 AM

3:30 PM

8

Wednesday

08/22/07

7:30 AM

3:30 PM

8

Thursday

08/23/07

7:30 AM

3:30 PM

8

Friday

08/24/07

7:30 AM

3:30 PM

8

Saturday

08/25/07

 

 

 

Sunday

08/26/07

 

 

 

 

Total hours for week:

40

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employee Signature

 

Supervisor Signature

             

What is the PISD work week?

The work week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday at midnight. 
 

Is it mandatory that clerical employees we use the PISD Excel Timecards?

Yes; this has been the directive of the Superintendent, however, if you wish to use some other form for the Non-Exempt employees, it must be approved by the Business Office.  Business Office approved timecards are mandatory for all Non-Exempt employees.
 

Can I use the Raptor system as my substitute for timecards?

You can use Raptor as the electronic sign in for your Non-Exempt employees.  However, more work will have to be done by the payroll bookkeeper.  The time in and time out on the Raptor printout will need to be translated to quarter-hour increments and the hours added up for the week to see if each employee worked 40 hours.  If it adds up to 38 hours, then the employee will have to be charged some form of leave in order to get paid for 40 hours or be docked accordingly.  If it adds up to 42 hours, then the employee has earned Overtime or Compensatory Time.  This will increase the paperwork on the school secretary responsible for payroll.  The Excel time card must be used by clerical employees.

 

What if I use the Raptor system and someone forgets to sign in or out?

The employee must provide signed documentation to the payroll bookkeeper indicating the correct time out.  This will become part of the auditable payroll records.

 

Why would I want to use the Excel timecard instead of a paper form like the example above?

The Excel timecard automatically does all of the calculations for Overtime or Compensatory Time. It has employee absences and the Lawson Absence Codes on it.  All calculations are done on the timecard and “funny” decisions do not have to be made by the payroll bookkeeper.  If your employees have access to a computer, the excel timecard will save them and your payroll bookkeeper many hours and have more accurate time records.

 

When do I earn overtime or compensatory time?

Overtime or compensatory time is earned at the rate of time and one-half when the employee works over 40 hours for the week.  Every work week stands alone.

 

If I worked 41 hours this week, then can I work 39 hours next week?

Each work week stands alone.  By working 41hours, the employee earns 1.5 hours of overtime or compensatory time.  The employee can work 39 hours the following week and reflect the use of 1 hour of compensatory time on the time card.  The employee would still have a compensatory time balance of one-half hour.

 

Can I work 39 hours this week and make up the hour next week?

If an employee works only 39 hours and does not use any paid leave, then they will be docked for the one hour.
 

You say I must work over 40 hours to earn overtime or compensatory time.  How do paid absences figure into this?

The Fair Labor Standards Act says that you must work over 40 hours to earn overtime or compensatory time. 

 

Do Non-Exempt employees need to sign in and out for lunch?

Office/clerical personnel assigned to a school campus, police officers, and police dispatchers will work an eight hour day with 30 minutes designated as “on-duty” lunch.  They do not sign in or out for lunch as long as they are on campus.  All other non-exempt employees will work an eight hour day and will sign in and out for lunch.
 

What if I am a campus paraprofessional and leave the building to make a quick run to McDonalds for lunch?

You sign out when you leave the building and sign in when you return.  You are off the clock when you leave the building.

 

What if I am a campus paraprofessional and I leave the building to attend a training session at the administration building and do not return to my building?  How do I sign out?

If you attend a PISD training session, you are technically on the clock for your building.  The next day you may enter your sign out time on your campus timecard as the time you left the training session.  Your excel timecard should reflect the hours you participated in staff development or official business.

 

Does the Fair Labor Standards Act require that employees be given breaks?

No, your supervisor may grant breaks, but at the convenience of the work.  If your supervisor grants breaks, they should not exceed 15 minutes at any one time, be limited to two per day, and should be near the middle of the first and/or second half of the workday.

 

Can my secretary skip her two breaks and leave 30 minutes early?

No, breaks are paid time.  Thus, if she leaves 30 minutes early, then she only worked 7.5 hours that day.

 

Can my secretary add her break times to her 30 minute lunch and take an hour for lunch?

No, again, breaks are paid time.  If the employee adds the break times to lunch then that person only worked 7.5 hours that day.

 

Can a non-exempt employee skip lunch and leave 30 minutes early?

No, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires that a meal period must be provided if the employee is scheduled to work 8 hours or more per day.

 

Can my secretary take work home to catch up?

If the supervisor allows this, then the employee is on the clock for the time she works at home.  Her PISD timecard must reflect the correct time worked.

My principal has me working on a project and I need to work an hour longer today to finish it.  Can I volunteer or donate my time to the District?

No, you are on the clock for all work related to your position. 

 

My principal wants me to assist with our campus open house tonight.  Can I volunteer or donate my time?

No, you are on the clock for all work related to your position.

 

I am a school secretary and my daughter plays on the volleyball team.  Can I volunteer my time to work their game concessions?

Yes. This job is unrelated to your campus duties.

 

In what increments are absences recorded?

Leave for Non-Exempt employees shall be recorded in increments of one-quarter hour.
Leave for Exempt employees shall be recorded in increments of half-days or full days.

 

What are the rounding rules for entering Non-exempt employee time?

Time for Non-Exempt employees shall be recorded in increments of one-quarter hour.
 

NEAREST QUARTER HOUR  ROUNDING RULE: 
 
Take the exact time (hours and minutes) and round that number either up or down
based on a grace period of 7 minutes within each quarter.
 
Minute   Minute
1 to 7 Rounds down to  0
8 to 14 Rounds up to 15
16 to 22 Rounds down to  15
23 to 29 Rounds up to 30
31 to 37 Rounds down to  30
38 to 44 Rounds up to 45
46 to 52 Rounds down to  45
53 to 59 Rounds up to 60

 

 

I am a non-exempt employee.  What if my supervisor wants me to work 9 hours today because of heavy registration and then wants me to work 7 hours another day during the week?

The supervisor has the flexibility to set alternative work schedules for your 40 hour week.  Overtime and compensatory time is only earned for working over 40 hours for the week regardless of how many hours were worked on any one day.

 

 During the week, my secretary worked 10 hours on Friday to make up for a 6 hour day on Thursday.  Is there overtime due?

Overtime is based on 40 hours for the week and time worked on any day during the week is not relevant.  The week is looked at as a whole.

 

My principal says that we do not have overtime or compensatory time on our campus.  If I work 42 hours in a week, what do I do?

The 42 hours must be recorded on the timecard and the employee must be given overtime pay or compensatory time.

 

What if I work 42 hours one week and my principal tells me to enter only 40 hours on the timecard?

The timecard must reflect the correct hours worked.  An employee may be terminated for falsifying a timecard.

 

Can my secretary come in a day prior to her duty schedule to get a trade day?

Clerical employees that principals have come in prior their official beginning work day can either earn Trade Days or will be paid using a one-time pay at their existing hourly/daily rate of pay.  See web page "Trade Days" for the rules and the excel time sheet example.  If the employees are brought in to assist with the normal registration process or other normal heavy work at the beginning of school, then the payment is to be charged to the principal's budget.  If the employees are brought in to assist with some sort of special project that is approved by the appropriate Associate Superintendent for Campus Development, then the payment can be charged to responsibility 899.  Once the project is approved by the ASCD, the ASCD will notify Jeanne Conway that the charge has been properly authorized.  Again, overtime or compensatory time only earned for hours worked in excess of 40 hours for the week.

 

What is the maximum amount of compensatory time that I can accrue?

A maximum of 60 hours of compensatory time can be accrued.  The 60 hours of accrued compensatory time is equal to 40 hours of actual overtime worked.

 

When can I use my compensatory time?

The use of compensatory time may be at the employee’s request or as determined by the supervisor to protect the district’s activities.

 

What if I do not use all of my compensatory time by July 31?

Any compensatory time not used by July 31 each payroll year must be paid to the employee at the rate of pay relating to the time it was earned.

 

Can my supervisor mandate that I earn compensatory time in lieu of overtime pay?

Since the earning of compensatory time or overtime has to be preapproved by the supervisor, the supervisor can stipulate that time earned over 40 hours is compensatory time.  If the employee wants overtime pay and not compensatory time, then the supervisor has that right to only allow compensatory time and not overtime pay.  If the employee refuses to work unless the overtime is paid, then the supervisor can mandate the employee not to work over the standard 40 hours.

 

What if you direct your secretary to not work over 40 hours for the week, but her time card shows 42 hours worked?

She is still due the overtime pay or compensatory time.  The supervisor has the right to follow the appropriate reprimand procedures and further violations may lead to termination.

 

Can you require your secretary to use compensatory time before using other paid leave such as personal business?

Yes, the District can require employees to exhaust all their accrued compensatory time before using any paid leave, local or state.

 

What if an employee knowingly violates the District’s policy on leaves and absences?

Any at-will or special assignment employee who knowingly violates the District's policy on leaves and absences shall be subject to dismissal.  Falsifying a timecard is an example of this.  Board Policy DEC (Local)

On early dismissal days, can  teachers and clerical personnel also leave early?

Campuses


Early dismissal days are for students only.  Staff should stay for the full day unless they have been given trade time or compensatory time for previous staff development or work when they were not supposed to be on duty.  This applies to certified (Exempt) and non-certified (Non-Exempt) employees. 

Supervisors may release their staffs one hour early as long as someone keeps the office open until normal closing time.

 Central Office

  1. For central office, supervisors may release their staffs one hour early as long as someone keeps the office open until normal closing time. If a major report or project is due on that last day, the supervisor may restrict the release of his staff until the report is finished.

  2. No one is docked or required to use personal time or vacation time unless they take more time that we’ve allotted under these scenarios.

  3. For Non-exempt employees, on your excel time card, use the Absence Reason, “PISD Officially Closed with Pay”.  This will account for the time and not cause any dock of pay.