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Payroll Timekeeper Tips

The Payroll Timekeepers' Tips are provided as assistance for our Attendance Clerks to use as guidance for leave accounting documentation.

The information provided below may not apply to all scenarios. Please refer to the appropriate CSU Collective Bargaining Unit Agreements (MOUs) for details applicable to represented employees. Also, Employees should verify their leave information with the department Attendance Clerk(s).

Attendance Records

State Administrative Manual 8539 – Attendance Records:

  • Agencies will maintain complete records of attendance and absences for each employee during each pay period.
  • These records will be properly certified.
  • Agencies may designate specific individuals to certify attendance. If specific individuals are not designated, an employee's supervisor will certify the attendance. Authorizing signatures will be compared to the lists, which will be continuously updated (Payroll Signature Authorization Forms).
  • When time records are maintained by employees, they will be signed by both the employee and the employee’s supervisor.
  • Persons certifying attendance reports cannot certify his/her own attendance report.

Payroll Procedures Manual D001 – Attendance Reporting:

  • The State Uniform Payroll System (USPS) has 21 or 22 work days in each pay period. Beginning and ending dates vary.
  • Departments/campuses have the full responsibility for accurate preparation of attendance reports.
  • No state employee may be paid more than 21/22 days in a pay period unless paid as "extra hours" (shift differential, overtime, excess hours, stipends, bonuses, etc. - separate checks are issued from the master payroll warrants).
  • Employees must be reported on "dock" (time deducted) if sufficient excess credit or leave credits have not been accrued and the normal shift is less than 21/22 days.
  • Master Payroll warrants reflect the regular time employees are to be paid in the pay period (including holiday, sick leave, vacation, compensable time off, jury duty, etc).

Protection of Confidential Employee/Student Data

According to the Information Practices Act of 1977, "each campus continues to be required to maintain appropriate access, disclosure, and confidentiality of student and employee personal information".

Confidential employee/student information includes, but is not limited to:

  • Social Security Numbers
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Home Addresses
  • Physical Description
  • Home Telephone Numbers
  • Medical History
  • Performance Evaluations

CSUSB "must ensure that all employees with access to confidential employee information have a legitimate CSU need to have such access. These employees must understand the responsibility they have under the Information Practices Act and Title 5 to protect sensitive employee data".

"Requirements for protecting confidential employee data include the requirement that employees with access to confidential employee data in PeopleSoft or any other computerized information system sign a data confidentiality agreement acknowledging that the employee understands requirements for protecting confidential employee data".

"Confidential employee information should not be transmitted outside the CSU unless it is for legitimate CSU purposes. Recipients must be informed that the information provided is confidential and is provided for the sole purpose of the specific business need. Also, recipients must be informed that they are responsible for the protection of the information and the destruction of all files after the intended use is satisfied".

CSUSB is prohibited from:

  • Publicly posting or displaying an individual's social security number.
  • Printing an individual’s social security number on any card required access to products or services.
  • Requiring an individual to transmit his/her social security number over the Internet, unless the connection is secure or the social security number is encrypted.
  • Requiring an individual to use a social security number to access an Internet Web site, unless a password, unique personal identification number, or other authentication device is required also.
  • Printing an individual's social security number on materials that are mailed (except where required by state or federal law). However, social security numbers may still be included in applications and forms sent by mail to establish, amend or terminate an account, contract or policy, or to confirm the accuracy of the social security number. A social security number may not be printed on a postcard or visible on an envelope.
  • Effective July 1, 2005, the CSU is prohibited from encoding or embedding a social security number in a card or document, including using a bar code, chip, magnetic strip, or any other technology. There is no exception from this prohibition.

Because the legislation is intended to deter public disclosure of social security numbers, it does not prohibit use of the social security number for internal verification, or administrative purpose, or as otherwise required by law.

Attendance Clerks' Responsibilities:

  • To accurately record/submit Absence and Additional Time Worked Report (STD634) (a.k.a. Time Sheets) or Student Listing Reports, to Payroll for processing, in a timely manner. Please refer to Faculty/Staff &/or Student/ Hourlies Payroll Deadline Calendars.
  • Please use 'current' STD634 forms and adhere to legal instructions on page 2 of the form (reverse side). STD634 forms can be found on the California Department of General Services web site.
  • To monitor and report absences without pay (a.k.a. Docks) as they occur, on  STD603 forms (Absences Without Pay Report). Payroll must receive 'dock' forms prior to Payroll cut-off of the appropriate pay period, in order to issue the correct pay. Please see payroll deadline calendar for cut-off dates.
  • To communicate issues, affecting employees' attendance records and employees' pay, to employees and/or your department's upper management.
  • To verify the Leave Accounting Balances Reports (LAB), and/or Manual Faculty Sick Leave Statements, on amonthly basis. Notify Payroll of any discrepancies in a timely manner in case adjustments must be made. Also, adjust your department attendance records accordingly (to 'balance' records).

Attendance Clerks' Processes (O.R.D.E.R.):

Organize:

  • Set up department spreadsheets/worksheets to track and monitor attendance activity for all employees in your department(s).
  • Identify and distinguish between employees who are ‘exempt’ and ‘non-exempt’, as the attendance recording rules can be different.
  • Identify and distinguish what collective bargaining units your department employees are represented by (rules and conditions may vary) - (Non-represented employees are covered under Title V).
  • Develop a schedule that identifies deadlines for employees to submit documents (i.e. time sheets) to you for processing, so that you can in turn meet the required Payroll/Human Resources deadlines for the generation of accurate pay warrants and/or leave records.

Record:

  • Record all employee attendance activity on the required forms (STD634 - time sheets or STD603 - dock forms) for submission to Payroll.
  • Attach supporting documentation to time sheets, for charging appropriate leave banks (i.e. jury duty slips, military orders (also to H/R for monitoring), doctor's releases (if applicable - to H/R), FMLA eligibility paperwork (to H/R) or Maternity/Paternity/Adoption leave eligibility paperwork (to H/R).
  • When submitting the original forms to Payroll by the attendance due dates and times, obtain all original signatures on time sheets, dock forms and work schedules (if applicable - e.g. Public Safety) if work schedules are other than Monday through Friday, 8 hours per day (F/T - SCO 'standard shift'), prior to submission to Payroll.
  • Please do not use whiteout (liquid paper) or correction tape to make adjustments or to correct errors, as these forms are 'legal documents'. Please line through any errors and clearly record the correction and initial it.
  • If the employee is not available for signature, submit the time sheet with the Supervisor's original signature that states on the employee's signature line, "not available for signature". Take a copy of the time sheet. Upon the employee's return or availability, have the employee sign and date the copy and have the employee's Supervisor re-sign as well. Submit the signed copy to Payroll (with original signatures).
  • When submitting revised time sheets to Payroll, please write "Revised" at the top of the time sheets (highlight if possible).
  • Have the employee initial any changes made, and have both the employee and the employee's Supervisor re-sign (original signatures) the revised time sheets, prior to submission to Payroll.
  • Please submit all original time sheets and revisions to Payroll in a timely manner (per the Payroll deadline calendars). For audit purposes, we should not receive retroactive time sheets going back further than two pay periods.

Duplicate:

  • Duplicate all original documents that are sent to Payroll for processing (time sheets, dock forms, back-up documents) for your department's records (and audit purposes). Once documents are processed, check for accuracy (LAB reports, PeopleSoft detail pay reports, etc.).
  • Retain copies of records for the retention period (STD634s - 4 years; STD603s - 5 years (per the California Department of General Services)).

Encourage:

  • Encourage all employees to monitor their leave balances for accuracy and timely updates.

Report:

  • Report to Payroll any discrepancies that you find (missing time sheets, corrections/revisions needed, etc.).
  • Correct any errors that you find in your department records, so that your records and Payroll's records are in sync.