Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual - Policy 2610: Time and Leave Reporting

Date Originally Issued: 03-21-1997
Revised: 07-01-2004, 09-05-2006, 01-01-2008, 01-01-2012
Subject to Change Without Notice

Authorized by: UNM Regents' Policy 6.3 "Privileges and Benefits"
Process Owner: University Controller.

1. General

Nonexempt, on-call, student and other employees whose salaries are based on an hourly rate or unit basis are paid biweekly. The pay date for these employees is normally on the first Friday after the end of the pay period.  Each January, the University Payroll Office distributes a calendar which defines pay periods and lists all pay dates for the subsequent fiscal year.   Exempt employees whose salaries are based on a monthly rate are paid on the last working day of each month.

2. Leave Reports for Exempt Employees and Faculty on Twelve (12) Month Appointments

The timekeeper for each department must enter an annual and sick leave report electronically for each exempt employee and faculty member on a twelve (12) month appointment using the HR Banner System no later than the deadline date published by the Payroll Office, usually on the 20^th of every month.  This report must be entered for every exempt employee who took leave for the previous month.  The Exception Report form available on the Payroll Office website may be completed by exempt employees and given to the timekeeper to aid in reporting leave electronically.  Refer to Policies 3400 "Annual Leave" and 3410 "Sick Leave"  for more information.

3. Time Reports  for Bi-weekly Staff and Student Employees  

Departments must complete internal time sheets for each nonexempt staff and student employee signed by each employee's respective supervisor.  These internal time sheets must accurately record the time employees begin and end their work, as well as the beginning and ending time of each meal period.  They must also record the beginning and ending time of any split shift or departure from work for personal reasons other than for the employee's fifteen (15) minute break.  Entries should be made daily to the nearest tenth of an hour.  Internal time sheets are available on the Payroll Office website. 

In order for employees to be paid on the biweekly payroll, summary information from internal time sheets must be entered electronically for each employee using the HR Banner System no later than the deadline date published by the Payroll Office, usually the Monday following the end of the pay period.  Once the time is entered, the on-line form must be submitted electronically to the department administrator authorized to approve electronic time input.  Electronic approval must be completed prior to the published deadline.  Employees will NOT be paid until time is entered on-line and approved on-line.  There is a period of time up to four (4) business days after the deadline that the system will not be available to make these corrections due to payroll processing.  Additional information, such as hours for sick and annual leave, holidays, overtime, and compensatory time should be entered in the HR Banner system where applicable. The total hours column should reflect the total number of hours to be paid, including leave and overtime hours.  Refer to Policies 3400 "Annual Leave," 3410 "Sick Leave," 3405 "Holidays", 3305 "Overtime" and 3310 "Compensatory Time" for more information.

3.1. Reconciliation of Internal Time Sheets to Electronic Reporting

An authorized administrator must electronically approve the departmental time report entered into the HR Banner System before it will be submitted for payment.  This electronic approval must take place before the published deadline.  Depending on the number of internal time sheets submitted, the authorized administrator may not be able to conduct a full reconciliation of the electronic time report to each internal time sheet before the electronic approval deadline.  In such cases the approver should review the electronic time report for reasonableness, electronically approve the electronic time report, and then conduct a full reconciliation of internal time sheets to the electronic time report as soon as possible after approval but no later than the next scheduled payroll deadline.  All reconciliations must be signed by the administrator authorized to approve electronic time reports.  If any corrections are needed, the authorized administrator must submit a UNM Biweekly Payroll Time Entry Adjustment Form signed by the employee's supervisor to the Payroll Office as soon as possible. The request must explain the correction needed and include a copy of the applicable internal time sheet.

3.2. Departmental Electronic Time Keeping Systems

Departments who wish to use an electronic time keeping system must obtain approval from the Payroll Department to ensure the system will feed data correctly to Banner.  After approval, departments are responsible for maintaining all required documentation listed in this policy including reconciliations of the time keeping system to the information in Banner.

3.3. Errors in On-line Information

If employee information in the HR Banner System is incorrect, departments should notify the applicable Employment Data Center (such as HR or Student Employment) of the correction needed as soon as possible to avoid problems with the employee being paid.

3.4. Required Signatures

Departments are responsible for obtaining supervisor and employee signatures on Internal Time Sheets. If the employee is not present when the Internal Time Sheet is completed, indicate "not available for signature" and obtain the signature as soon as possible. If time cards are used, indicate signature on file.

4. Record Keeping

Departments must maintain documentation for each employee of hours worked, leave hours taken, and other information submitted on-line into the HR Banner System.  Internal Time Sheets and departmental time sheet reconciliations must be maintained in the department for four (4) years or in accordance with grant requirements, whichever is greater.