Payroll Procedures

One of the most important responsibilities of the work-study supervisor is the timekeeping and reporting function. It is important that you implement a process of validating and reporting the hours that a student works and follow this process consistently. This section will outline the process for timekeeping. We do not require you to follow these exact procedures; however, you must keep records in your office of actual hours worked in order to satisfy both time reporting and auditing requirements.

VALIDATION OF ACTUAL HOURS WORKED
We recommend that students sign in and sign out on a sign-in/out sheet. Keep in mind that:

• Students must not be allowed to work during scheduled class hours.
• Students must not be allowed to work more than 8 hours per day or 20 hours per week (a student should only be allowed to work 20 hours to make up hours missed in a previous work week).
• Students must not be allowed to work more hours per semester than their work-study award will pay.

TIME SHEETS

Supervisors are responsible for the hours reported on time sheets. The approval of the supervisor on the web time entry time sheet certifies the number of hours worked and that the work was performed in a satisfactory manner. Students are also required to submit the web time entry time sheet. If a supervisor or student misses the payroll deadline for submission of the web time entry time sheet, a paper time sheet will be required. Submit a paper time sheet to the Office of Student Financial Services, 212 University Center, or fax to 824-6212.
The printable forms are online at http://www.uah.edu/admin/payroll/reports.html; submit the time sheet to the Office of Student Financial Services with both the student's and supervisor's signature. Please set your calendar to approve your time sheets.  Student Financial Services makes every effort to ensure the students get paid for hours worked.  Supervisors who repeatedly miss payroll deadlines and require additional prompts to submit approvals may lose work study privileges.

Please complete payroll time sheets completely and accurately. Hours are to be reported in fifteen-minute increments, with fifteen minutes representing 0.25 hours. For example, if a student works from 8:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., this represents two hours and forty-five minutes or 2.75 hours. These hours should be reported as 02.75 hrs. on the time sheet, not as 02.45 hrs.

Any student knowingly making false entries on a time sheet or obtaining a false signature of approval will be referred to Student Judicial Affairs for appropriate action and reported to the Office of Inspector General for review. Please note: All falsely reported or tampered time sheets will be charged back to the department if we conclude departmental negligence.

RECEIVING A PAYCHECK
Two options are available for check distribution. Checks may be directly deposited into the student's checking or any bank or credit union savings account located within the Continental United States that is a member of the automated clearinghouse, or students may pick-up their checks in the Payroll Office (151 Shelby King Hall) on pay day with a valid photo ID.

MONITORING EARNINGS
It is the supervisor's responsibility to monitor a student's earnings to ensure that the student does not work more hours than the work-study award will pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, prohibits employers (including schools) from accepting voluntary services from any paid employee. Any student employed under the FWS Program must be paid for all hours worked. If the FWS award is not sufficient to pay student for all hours worked, then the department will be required to pay the difference. 

Students are awarded an amount, which will allow them to work an average of 10 to 15 hours per week. If a student is allowed to work more than this average, he or she will deplete the allocation before the semester is completed. If the department wishes to continue the student's employment, a departmental PAF form must be completed and submitted to the Student Success Center located in Madison Hall.  This PAF form should be completed early enough for Payroll to generate a time sheet for the departmental position and continue paying the student in a timely manner. Departments who consistently submit work-study time sheets for more hours than FWS awards will be subject to termination from the program. Please refrain from calling the SFS Office to find out the number of hours a student has worked. SFS will send e-mails, as necessary, indicating the number of hours a student has remaining to work when they are close to reaching their award. But remember, it is the supervisor's responsibility to monitor earnings and insure that the student does not work over the award amount.

TERMINATION BY SUPERVISOR
A supervisor has the right to dismiss a student for unsatisfactory job performance. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Repeated failure to comply with the agreed work schedule
• Unwillingness to accomplish assigned tasks
• Insubordination or lack of cooperation which results in disturbing other workers or work progress

When a student is terminated or transfers from an assignment, the current supervisor is required to contact Student Financial Services immediately. Failing to do this will result in errors on the student's employment record. After receiving the termination packet, the Assistant Director of Financial Aid for Student Employment will meet with the student to determine whether the student will be allowed to transfer to another FWS position or will be terminated from the program permanently.

TERMINATION BY THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
Student Financial Services must immediately terminate a student's employment upon determination that the student no longer meets eligibility requirements. Changes in eligibility may result from:

• Change in enrollment status
• Failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress