Pay Period. All Rhodes employees are paid biweekly. In case a regular pay day falls on a bank holiday, the checks will be released on the last banking day preceding the scheduled pay day.
Overtime. Overtime must be authorized in advance by the employee’s supervisor. Overtime is paid to non-exempt employees at time and a half for all hours worked over 40 hours in the designated work week.
Special Compensation Payments for Staff. Any stipend or compensation in addition to regular salary for staff employees must be submitted in writing and approved in advance by the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs. The approved written request and justification must be included with the processing of stipend payment(s). For special compensation policies for faculty, see the Faculty Handbook.
Staff employees with an exempt job classification ordinarily may not receive additional payments for performing their duties, including time worked outside of the employees’ regularly scheduled work hours. Rarely, and only with prior approval from the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs, non-exempt staff employees may be compensated at different hourly rates for work outside their normal work week schedule (e.g. nights or weekends), if the duties and responsibilities are materially different than those duties required of their current job. However, hours worked under this exception will not exceed 2½ hours per week in excess of the normal 37.5 hours in the weekly pay cycle and will be paid to the employee, not banked as compensatory time.
Compensatory Time. Full-time non-exempt staff employees will receive compensatory (“comp”) time for any approved hours worked beyond their normal work schedule up to a maximum of 40 hours per week. After 40 hours, such employees will be paid wages at their overtime rate. Comp time must be exhausted before using accrued vacation hours. Accrued, unused comp time will be paid out at termination.
Supplemental Pay. Supplemental Pay is defined as additional pay to staff employees for assuming temporary new duties and responsibilities in addition to those currently required of the job description. Such pay can be provided to an employee who is assigned materially different or significant additional duties and responsibilities on an interim basis for a limited period of time (i.e. temporary supervisory duties due to organizational change, vacancy or leave of absence). Requests by a supervisor for supplementary pay for an employee taking on additional duties may be considered but must be approved in advance by the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs. Only after supplemental pay has been approved may the matter be discussed with the employee.
Payroll Deduction. Deductions from each employee’s gross pay period earnings are of two types: mandatory and voluntary. Mandatory deductions are those required by law or to maintain compliance with other regulatory agencies. Such deductions may include federal income tax withholding, social security, wage garnishments, personal bankruptcy payments, and child and/or family support. After written authorization, voluntary reductions will be made for elected benefits such as supplemental retirement, flexible spending account, dependent care reimbursement, United Way, Rhodes Annual Fund contributions, or various College-sponsored voluntary benefits. Once an employee’s resignation is received in the Human Resources Office, effective with the next payroll, any outstanding debt owed must be repaid.
Direct Deposit. Employees may have their pay checks automatically deposited in accounts at any financial institution of their choice by maintaining their payment elections in Workday while on the campus network. If changes to payment elections are required while an employee is unable to be using the campus network, please contact the Finance Office.
Disruptions. If the work of the College is stopped or is disrupted by an act of God (e.g. earthquake, flood) or other reasons, the College is not obligated for salaries or compensation but will make every effort to meet these obligations depending on the financial position of the College.
Deductions from Salary for Exempt Employees. Rhodes pays its employees according to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), which governs which employees must be paid overtime (non-exempt employees) and which employees are exempt from the payment of overtime (exempt employees). In general, the FLSA requires that exempt employees be paid on a salary basis, and deductions from such salary may be permitted on a very limited basis for such things as:
- For absences of one or more full days for personal reasons
- For absences of one or more full days due to sickness or disability if the deduction is made in accordance with a bona fide sick pay plan
- To offset amounts employees receive as jury or witness fees or for military pay
- For absences due to a work-related illness or injury where the employee is compensated for the loss of salary under the applicable workers’ compensation laws
- For penalties imposed in good faith for infractions of safety rules of major significance
- For unpaid disciplinary suspensions of one or more full days imposed in good faith for workplace conduct rule infractions.
- For partial day absences pursuant to intermittent family and medical leave
Rhodes is committed to avoiding improper deductions for exempt employees and will act promptly to remedy any situation in which such a deduction may have been made by reimbursing the employee for any such improper deductions not later than the first pay day upon which the reimbursement reasonably may be made following a determination that the deduction was improper.
Any employee who believes that a deduction from salary is improper should discuss the matter with Human Resources. The College will promptly (normally within two business days) make a determination as to whether the deduction is proper. If the College decides the deduction was improper, reimbursement will promptly be made. If the College decides the deduction was proper, the employee will be furnished a written explanation of the decision. The employee should ordinarily initiate this inquiry within two business days after being paid or being notified of the deduction unless special circumstances justify later action.