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

Date Originally Issued: 11-01-1991
Revised: 03-21-1997, 07-01-2004, 09-05-2006, 01-01-2008, 01-01-2012, 12-12-2016, 09-30-2017

Authorized by RPM 6.3 ("Privileges and Benefits")

Process Owner: University Controller and HSC Senior Executive Officer for Finance and Administration

1. General

Nonexempt, on-call, student and other employees whose salaries are based on an hourly rate or unit basis are paid bi-weekly. 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 Pay Schedule which defines pay periods and lists all pay dates for the subsequent calendar 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 Monthly Leave Usage Form available on the Payroll website may be completed by exempt employees and given to the timekeeper to aid in reporting leave electronically.  Refer to UAP 3400 (“Annual Leave”) and UAP 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.  Standard time sheets are available on the Payroll website. 

In order for employees to be paid on the bi-weekly 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.  Failure to approve time by the deadline may result in delays in payment to employees. 

Employees will NOT be paid until time is entered on-line and approved on-line.  There is a period of time up to two (2) 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 UAP 3400 (“Annual Leave”), UAP 3410 (“Sick Leave”), UAP 3405 (“Holidays”), UAP 3305 (“Overtime”) and UAP 3310 (“Compensatory Time”) for more information.

3.1 Timekeeping Segregation of Duties

Departmental timekeeper and time approver functions should be segregated and the same employee should not perform both functions.  In no case should an employee enter and approve his/her own time.  Employees who are both timekeepers and time approvers should have their approval access removed or other documented compensating controls must be maintained and utilized if the access is necessary for business purposes. 

Departments are responsible for ensuring this segregation of duties.

3.2. 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, employee's supervisor, and timekeeper/approver or time manager to the Payroll Office as soon as possible. The request must include a copy of the signed timesheet and memorandum signed by the dean, department head, or director that explains the correction needed.

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. In the case of employees working off-site, an electronic signature may be used instead of a "wet" signature.  If time cards are used, indicate that the signature is 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.