Administrative Services: Payroll: MIT Libraries

A. This is most likely because you are a new employee and you either a) haven’t signed up for Direct Deposit yet, or b) you recently signed up for Direct Deposit but it hasn’t been processed yet in Payroll. You should:

Q. I was asked to process an application for a graduate student that we would like to hire. He/she will be working up to 10 hours a week. I have always hired undergraduate students in the past, and I don’t know if there is a difference with students enrolled in MIT to pursue a Master Degree. Do you know if it is OK for me to process the application?

A. Hiring a grad student isn't different than undergrad if the ID is recognized when entered in the eSPAF. Sometimes, when activation forms to hire a Grad Student has been sent in to Student Employment, HR sets them up on a monthly pay basis as if they are TAs or RAs. This will result in the students’ inability to enter their time and you will not be able to approve the time either.

When you fill out an eSPAF for a Graduate Student [change or activation], please indicate in your comments to HR that the student should be set-up on a weekly pay basis.

Once the eSPAF is processed, take a look in your time overview and see that there is a designation of "Student" in the Category column. If it is blank then you won't have access to weekly time sheets and we'll have to get it corrected:

= problem

= all set

If you run into this problem after the student is set-up, you may email us and we'll get payroll to reset the student to weekly pay basis.

Q. One of our students is not in the payroll system, is there anything I can do to find out what is happening?

A. If this is a student who has appeared before but has disappeared from your list, email payroll-lib@mit.edu with the student’s information. We can check to see if the appointment is showing in the library department roles. If it is not, we will contact the HR Pay Service center to have the student’s appointment “reattached” to the department’s roles.

The other reason they would not be viewable is if the position end date has been changed. MITSIS will override a position end date if there are problems with a student’s registration. The student most likely must petition for his/her registration to be reactivated. Unfortunately, the problem may take weeks to be resolved. According to MIT policy the student should not work until the registration is active again.

Please ask the student to keep you informed on his/her petition status. Once the student’s registration is updated, you will need to submit an activation form to re-assign the position to him/her. You must submit this request prior to their being eligible to work for your group again.

If the petition for student registration is denied, and s/he has worked but not yet paid, please notify payroll-lib@mit.edu, and we’ll see what arrangement can be made to have him/her receive payment.

A. The position end date defaults to the last day of the term. A student can work beyond this date if they have notified the Registrar’s office that they intend to work either up until graduation day or if they intend to enroll as a graduate student in the fall. Once the student’s record is updated in MITSIS, you may enter an eSPAF change request to extend the end date of the position. [https://sisapp.mit.edu/sfs-espaf/Home.mit]

Please do not let a student work after the position has expired, unless you have successfully entered a change request via an eSPAF form. Even if someone anticipates attending in the fall, it is HR policy that the registration must be active for them to work as an MIT student.
.
If your student is not intending to attend in the fall, but you still wish them to work beyond their graduation, you will need to hire them as a MITemp employee. [https://web.mit.edu/hr/restrictforms/mitemps.html].

Q. Is there a way to verify that the raise I made for a student was implemented?

A. You can modify the Student_Dindi.bqy to include the hourly rate for time paid:

Scroll down the items available in the Payroll Edacca Detail table and highlight ‘Report Hourly rate”

Now when the query is processed, the hourly rate will be the last column in the results section.

If the hourly pay rate is not current, it may still be in the works depending on when you submitted the request. If it's been greater than two pay cycles, you should forward the email confirmation received when you submitted the change form to hrpayservicecenter@mit.edu and request it to be processed as soon as possible. Any retroactive pay will then be processed in the next pay cycle.

Q. I submitted an activation form for an employee, and the position title is "undergrad worker-other". How do I get this fixed?

A. A change request should be submitted to correct the job title. It will be very important in this case to include the position ID# in the comments to HR section, since you'll be entering text different from what the job title currently shows in the system. The position ID is a column on the DINDI report. When entering the job title field on the change form key in the correct job title [not the erroneous one], then in the comments section, state that you are changing the job title from "undergrad worker-other" to [whatever job title is appropriate]. See the instructions on pg.2 of the eSPAF "how to" for naming conventions http://libstaff.mit.edu/admin/payroll/payrollindex.html#pafproc .

Q. Could you please confirm that it is OK for a new student to start working for my department before he gets his SSN?

A. According to the student employment web-site: The lack of an SSN will not prevent the student from being activated on the hourly payroll. Your student can start working prior to the receipt of the SSN, as long as their registration permits an eSPAF to be submitted. The student will [or has] received an automated email upon activation that they have to obtain an SSN prior to receiving pay.

Notice text: "We note that you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN) on file. Payroll is required to have your SSN on file for tax reporting. Please secure an SSN as quickly as possible. Once you have the number, you can go to WebSIS and record it. "

There is a great guide on the International student’s web page for obtaining an SSN: http://web.mit.edu/iso/students/ssn.shtml ,which also provides a template for the letter you must write. Our employer ID is 04-2103594. Please note that the letter should be on your department letterhead and may be signed by the hiring supervisor. The student then provides this letter along with personal identification papers and an SSN is assigned. It is up to the student to then report this in WebSIS.

Q. A student neglected to enter his/her hours last week. Is it too late to enter the hours a week later?

A. You can still enter the hours for last week. In fact students can enter hours up to ten weeks in the past. To do this, open your current time sheet and use the "Select a different week" drop down box to choose the prior timesheet you need:

Q. I haven't received my tax forms yet. Do you have any information that might assist me in tracking these materials down?

A. If you haven't received your forms by the end of January, you should contact the main payroll office directly for a copy. Send an e-mail to payroll@mit.edu to request a copy. You can also pick up a copy at the Payroll Office (NE49-3131) with a photo ID, but calling ahead is recommended [3-3337] to allow time for the copy to be made.

Q. I want to change the # of deductions taken for taxes each week. Do I have to walk over to payroll and sign a new form?

A. That is the plan and we know the central HR/Payroll/Controller’s Office is working on it. Electronic paystubs is one of the stated goals of the revised Payroll processes and systems. We haven’t heard that it is imminent though.

A. 5pm on Monday is the cutoff for SAP Web, for Holidays:
TIME ENTRY - Cutoff is Monday @ 5pm.
TIME APPROVAL - Cutoff is TUESDAY @ noon.

Q. How do I report my time when the library is closed but it is NOT an Institute holiday?

When a library is scheduled to be closed at times other than an
Institute holiday (such as holiday weekends), support staff members normally
scheduled to work those hours will be paid as if they worked for half of
their scheduled hours. For the other half of the normally scheduled hours,
the employee may choose from the following options:

1.         Make up or bank the time within the week of the closure or the week
            immediately preceding or following.
2.         Use vacation or personal leave
3.         Record the time as leave without pay

Timesheets for those staff members affected should be completed accordingly.
In addition to recording the time appropriately, the employee should note, in the "Comments" section of the timesheet, the details of their chosen option

A. ENTERING OVERNIGHT SHIFTS ON TIMESHEETS:
Create a separate line item specifically for the overnight shift.
Use the [ADD LINE] option for the days you work overnight:

If your overnight shift spans two days, please enter hours as they occur on the appropriate days:

In the above example, the employee worked their regular shift both Thursday &
Friday, and worked overnight as well. Please, record the time in the sequence of occurrence. Your regular time would be entered before AND after the overnight shift.

IN/OUT times [including dinner break if taken] are to be written in the “comments
to the approver” box located at the bottom of the timesheet. This is required by
auditors for payments of any shift differential.

A. The attendance/absence type is "Emergency Closing".
Use the add line feature to report hours you are regularly scheduled to work [including shift if applicable] after the announced closing time.

Those who worked during the emergency closing should enter their regular schedule [including shift if applicable] as emergency closure plus add a line to report "work during emergency". Please make sure you also indicate shift if applicable for both entries.

A. You may view your individual timesheets from the employee self service time tab.
Use either the drop down menu on the tab, or the link in the left section

LEAVE POLICIES

Q. How often is our vacation time updated? It doesn’t seem to be every month by our anniversary date.
The vacation accrual is posted monthly http://web.mit.edu/hr/vacation/support.html

A. Vacation isn't posted prior your anniversary date, but when the specific timesheet that has your accrual rate date is actually processed. Depending on when the day falls, you may see the update after the actual rate date has passed.

Q. I started working three weeks ago and have not yet gotten any hours for sick leave or vacation time. When will I begin accruing those hours?

A. New employees are credited with one day of sick leave after completing each of the first six months of employment. At the end of the first six months of service, employees are credited with one additional day of sick leave for each month remaining until the employee's next anniversary date.

Employees accrue 15 days of vacation for the first year of employment and 20 days of vacation each year after the first year. This works out to a monthly accrual of 1.25 vacation days during the first year and 1.6667 vacation days per month after the first year. Part time employees accrue vacation on a pro-rated basis. New employees begin accruing vacation after completion of their first month of service.
Q. I have used up all my accrued vacation, but would like to take a week off prior to my next accrual. Is there any way to borrow against the upcoming accrual?

A. With supervisor's (verbal) approval, you may use up to 5 days (35 hrs) of unaccrued vacation. This policy may be applied at the supervisor's discretion and is not an employee entitlement

Q. I have been out sick and do not have enough sick time to cover it

A. The use of vacation leave in lieu of sick leave may be an option. However, this type of leave must be pre-approved by the immediate supervisor, Department Head, and Associate Director, in consultation with the Libraries’ Human Resources Administrator and Assistant Director for Administration. Please see the policy for the usage of vacation in lieu of sick: http://libstaff.mit.edu/admin/payroll/payrollindex.html#policies

Q. A family member was ill yesterday and I needed to stay home to care for him/her. Do I need to take a vacation day?

A. You have a number of options:

You may use the “Sick – Family” Attendance/Absence Type. These days come from your own personal sick leave balance and you may use up to 3 days per year for this purpose.
You may use “Personal” if you have already used your “Sick-Family” allotment for the year.
It may be possible to use “Vacation in Lieu of Sick”. However, this leave type must be pre-approved (see policy at: http://libstaff.mit.edu/admin/payroll/payrollindex.html#policies.

Q. Is Maternity Leave covered by "Other Leave (Approved by HR)"?

A. Maternity Leave is covered by a number of Attendance/Absence Types IN THIS PARTICULAR ORDER:

Sick Leave (until exhausted)
Personal Leave (until exhausted)
Extended Sick Leave (until total of 1-3 has reached 8 weeks)
Vacation or Leave Without Pay (as requested by employee if continuing leave beyond 8 week sick leave

Maternity Leave must be approved in advance through the Libraries’ Robin Deadrick. Contact her with specific questions.

Q. I worked 5 extra hours during the week and I plan on using that time to cover a 5 hour shortage next week. I just entered my normal hours (35) as worked and indicated in the comments section “5 comp to be used later”. Is that okay?

A. You need to enter all the hours worked [40] this week, since it is the week the work was actually done. Later, when you use the "banked" time, it is entered as leave without pay. The "banked" time is to be used within two pay periods. i.e.- this or next week.

http://libstaff.mit.edu/admin/payroll/Policies/POLICYmakeuptime.doc

4. For time that is banked, the employee must record those hours as worked for the actual time that it is worked; for time that the employee is absent, it must be recorded as “Leave Without Pay”. Hours should never be recorded as worked, with the intent of making up the time at a later date, when the employee is not working. Likewise, actual hours worked by an employee, with the intent of banking time for to accommodate a later absence, must not be omitted from a timesheet

APPROVALS

Q. How do we get a new supervisor listed as an approver for the student and support staff time groups in our unit?

A. Send an email to Macrina Rizzo [msrizzo@MIT.EDU] listing which time groups need to be authorized and she can update the roles database.

Q. Do I need to be concerned about the message I got while approving hours for an employee? When I entered the regularly scheduled hours as Holiday for Monday I get an error message: "Holiday closing hours exceed 1/5 of normal work week."

A. The message is worded to sound like it's an error, but it really is just a system thing. It takes the employee’s regular hours for the week and simply divides by 5 and bases it's expected reporting on that. As long as you see a green check mark by the line items after you click save the employee will be paid the for the full amount of time reported.

Q. I cannot get in to approve an employee’s hours - I am getting an error message, "Personnel number for (Last name, First name) is currently locked." What should I do?

A. This problem occurs when someone else has had the time sheet open recently. Also this employee may have had just entered his/her hours. As long as this employee has closed his/her time sheet and exited SAP web, it will unlock in 15 to 20 minutes.

Q. I approved the time for an employee that neglected to enter hours for a workday two weeks ago. Distribution is listed as N/A. Is that okay?

A. The N/A refers to the ability to modify the distribution via the time sheet. Payroll only allows that function for current time sheets. That said, we can always modify the cost center the hours will be paid against. Please email payroll-lib@mit.edu, if you notice an employee’s distribution is incorrect.

Q. My employee will be absent for a week due to a death in the family. How should I report his/her time? Would this be bereavement?

A. Yes, this can count as bereavement. http://hrweb.mit.edu/policy/4/4-9.html
If your employee needs to be out for a longer period than the allotted five days bereavement leave, you may use “sick-family”, which is taken from his/her own sick time. http://hrweb.mit.edu/policy/4/4-3.html#4.3.7

Q. My employee has notified me that they did not leave early last Wednesday as planned, but worked their full shift. However, the time sheet was entered and approved based on the planned early departure. How do I make the correction?

A. Once a time sheet has been approved and the pay cycle is run, you need to make the change by opening the current week’s time sheet. There is a “select a different week” drop down box that will show the weeks available to you for editing. [Student time sheets can be edited up to 10 weeks in the past. Support staff timesheets can be edited up to four weeks in the past.] Select the appropriate week and click [GO]. Make the edits as needed and click [SAVE]. Any deductions to leave balances will be corrected when the next pay cycle is run.

If the timesheet is greater than 10 weeks for students or 4 weeks for staff, you will need to submit a request for correction form to the payroll office. The link is on the employee tab in SAPweb. Enter the personnel detail, and then enter the time exactly as it should have been reported. Click [SEND] and an email request will be automatically generated. Please keep a copy of the email for your records.

Q. My employee was out for jury duty, received payment and has provided me with the receipts. What should be done with them?

A. The receipt for jury duty and the checks [signed over to MIT] should be forwarded to the campus payroll office [NE49-3131]. They will then calculate the difference between any fee received from the court and the employee’s normal base pay for the time period involved. If the checks have been cashed already, the employee needs to provide a certified statement of earnings from the court for the period of service. S/He should keep a copy for they’re own record of service as well.

RECORD RETENTION

Q. How can I view employee historical timesheets?

A. You may view your employee’s timesheets from the employee tab in SAPweb.
Use either the drop down menu on the tab, or the link in the left section

Q. I have "Salary Expense Analysis" forms for student employees dating from May 1999 to March 2005. What is the retention requirement for these forms?

A. Retention: signed copy for the current fiscal year plus 4 years. The Dacca is signed off centrally since July2006, so you would only have to keep July 2003-June 2006.

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