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Overtime Pay Policy for Non-exempt Personnel

This policy applies to College employees classified as non-exempt from the overtime requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that non-exempt personnel be compensated for all hours actually worked, as described below, and that the College keep records of their working hours.

Time Sheets

Each non-exempt member of the professional staff is required to complete an online time sheet each pay period. All actual working hours must be recorded on time sheets. Payment is made for 15 minute increments of work. Time sheets must be approved by the individual's supervisor or academic department chair, and then submitted, through an online process, to the Business Office each pay period. Please see "Recording of Work Hours on Time Sheets" below for more information.

All additional work hours (those over and above normal weekly scheduled hours) and overtime hours (hours over 40) must be approved by the employee's supervisor before any extra hours are worked. This includes any additional or overtime hours worked away from the normal work site, extra hours worked during normal lunch break periods, hours worked before the normal starting time, etc.

Compensation for Hours 1 through 40

The "base" salary of a full-time member of the non-exempt staff equals the staff member's hourly rate of pay multiplied by his/her regularly scheduled annual work hours (typically either 1,820 for those who work 35 hours per week, or 2,080 for those who work 40 hours per week). Non-exempt personnel are paid every other Friday based on the number of hours they worked during the preceding pay period. Non-exempt staff members typically receive 1/26 their base salary each pay period, unless additional hours - over their normal 35 or 40 per week - are worked, or less hours are worked.

Work hours 1 through 40 in a week are compensated on a "straight time" basis (one time the employee's normal hourly rate). Non-exempt employees who normally work a 35-hour work week will receive their base pay for hours 1 through 35, and one additional hour of pay, at their normal hourly rate, for each hour worked over 35 during one week (hours over 40 are compensated as described below). Those who normally work 40 hours per week receive their base pay for hours 1 through 40 during a week.

Compensation for Hours Over 40

An "overtime premium" is paid for all hours worked in excess of 40 in one work week. Hours over 40 in one work week are compensated at the rate of one and one-half times the employee's regular hourly rate of pay for the week. For the purposes of computing overtime, the work week begins at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and ends 168 hours later at 12:00 a.m. the next Sunday. For example, a non-exempt employee who normally works 35 hours per week works 44 hours in one work week. This individual will receive her normal base salary for hours 1 through 35, pay at one times her normal hourly rate for each hour 36 through 40, and pay at one and one-half times her regular rate for hours 41 through 44.

The following will count as "hours worked" for non-exempt employees, solely for the purpose of calculating eligibility for overtime pay; i.e., calculating the number of "work hours" an employee is credited with in a work week. In addition to the total number of hours an individual actually works, paid absences due to any of the following will count as up to a maximum of 7 or 8 hours per day (based on the staff member's regular number of scheduled daily work hours) solely for purposes of determining total "work hours" for the week:

    • paid vacation days

    • paid sick days, bereavement days, and/or family illness days

    • paid personal days

    • paid time spent in business-related training or travel

    • time away from work spent on jury duty

    • absences during paid College holidays 

    • absences when the President declares an additional paid College holiday period

    • absences during a paid utility failure or weather emergency period

"Comp. Time"

A schedule re-arrangement may be permitted when a non-exempt employee works more than his/her normal scheduled hours during the week. For example, if an employee who normally works 7 hours per day works 8 hours on Monday, he may reduce his schedule, with his supervisor's permission, to 6 hours on another day during the week. However, if a non-exempt employee works more than 40 hours during one week, she must record the hours over 40 as overtime on her online time sheet and will receive the applicable overtime premium.

On-call Time

If a non-exempt employee must be "on-call" on College premises, hours on-call must be recorded on the employee's time sheet. A non-exempt employee who is required to be on-call but whose activities are not restricted (i.e., may serve on-call while at home, is permitted to carry a pager, or is permitted to leave a message where he/she can be reached) should record on time sheets only time actually spent responding to a call.

Reporting Errors

Franklin & Marshall College intends to abide by all applicable wage and hour regulations. A member of the faculty or professional staff who feels he/she has not been paid correctly is to promptly notify Human Resources, 358-3995. Routine questions regarding pay, taxes, or standard deductions may be directed to the Payroll Coordinator, 358-5995.

Student workers are to promptly report errors in pay to the Student Employment Manager, 358-6045, or to the Payroll Coordinator, 358-5995.

Recording of Work Hours on Online Time Sheets for Non-exempt Members of the Professional Staff

  • All work hours must be accurately recorded on online time sheets. "Work time" includes all time spent performing activities on behalf of Franklin & Marshall in conjunction with your employment.

  • Work time includes time spent attending work-related meetings if you are asked or expected to attend, even if the meeting occurs during a time when you normally do not work.

  • Time spent performing College-related work away from campus must be recorded on time sheets (work from home or other location). Such work must be authorized in advance by your supervisor or academic department chair.

  • Time worked is to be rounded to the nearest 15 minute increment. For example, if you begin working at 7:58 a.m., record 8:00 a.m. on your online time sheet. If you begin working at 8:18 a.m., record 8:15 a.m. on your online time sheet.

  • The actual time spent working is to be recorded on your online time sheet, rounded to the nearest 15 minute increment. If you arrive later than scheduled or leave work earlier than normal on a particular day, your actual work hours that day are to be recorded on the time sheet, rounded to the nearest 15 minute increment. Similarly, if you work more hours than normal on a particular day, your total actual hours are to be recorded on your time sheet (additional hours must be approved in advance by your supervisor).

  • Your immediate supervisor or academic department chair must approve your online time sheet each pay period. Online time sheets must be completed, approved, and submitted no later than by each payroll deadline, if any hours were worked during the payroll period. Time sheets must not be held and submitted on a monthly basis or intermittently.

  • Work hours over and above your normal weekly schedule must be approved in advance by your supervisor. Work hours over 40 during one week are compensated at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate; any work hours over 40 during one week must be authorized in advance by your supervisor.

  • Time spent attending College events on a purely voluntary basis is generally not considered work time and should not be recorded on time sheets (with the exception of the DIPNIC, the annual holiday luncheon, and similar authorized events held for faculty and professional staff).

  • For full-time personnel, paid sick days, paid vacation days, "Family Illness Days", paid personal days, and any unpaid time off must be recorded on online time sheets.

Please contact the Payroll Coordinator, (717) 358-5995 with questions about completing time sheets.

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Policy Maintained by: Human Resources, Associate Vice President
Last Reviewed: July 25, 2016