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C. Supervising the Payroll Process

  1. Approving Time Cards
In compliance with federal law, hourly staff are required to maintain an accurate record of time worked in the university’s web time entry system. Time cards must be electronically signed by the employee, approved in the WittLink portal by the immediate supervisor, and submitted electronically to the Payroll Office by the established deadline.

Supervisors are responsible for signing and approving time cards that accurately reflect an employee's hours at work. Pay and benefit calculations are based on the time recorded. By approving a time card, you are verifying the accuracy of the hours worked and the recorded paid leaves. As a supervisor, you are required to understand the university’s paid leave policies so that you can properly approve all time cards. Make any additions or corrections on the electronic time card and then note your change in the message box to your staff member.

  2. Authorizing Overtime Work
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring staff members do not work unauthorized overtime. If your department does not have overtime costs budgeted, and overtime is necessary to meet the department's operational needs, you must make a request to the associate vice president for human resources prior to requiring your staff to do overtime work.

All hourly staff are classified as “non-exempt” under the provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and must be paid overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a standard work week. Supervisors are responsible for knowing whether the individuals they supervise are classified as nonexempt employees; if so, they are further responsible for ensuring that their overtime work is accomplished according to the university’s overtime policies.

  3. Approving Overtime Pay and Comp Time
Hourly staff who work approved overtime hours are entitled to receive either overtime pay or paid time off in lieu of overtime pay. As a supervisor, you are responsible for understanding the university’s policy and procedures as described in this manual and to make sure that they are administered correctly.

  4. Approving Vacations
Supervisors are responsible for making sure that the staff members they supervise take vacations according to the university's vacation policies. Please make yourself familiar with the university's vacation policies.

  5. Approving the Use of Personal Days
Wittenberg gives supervisors the discretion to deny requests for personal leaves that might adversely affect the operation or services of their departments. Otherwise, supervisors are expected to honor a
staff member's personal day request. You should require your staff to give you all possible advance notice of their personal day requests in order to ensure that your department continues to run smoothly despite absences, and you should have emergency contingency plans in place should unscheduled absences occur.