Payroll, Benefits, Work Schedules, Leaves of Absence

PART II

Payroll, Benefits, Work Schedules, Leaves of Absence

I. Compensation

Salary (schedule based) and flat salary make up the total compensation paid to ESU #13 employees. In addition, employees may qualify for certain employee benefits. Total compensation is subject to mandated payroll deductions.

II. Payroll Deductions/Employee Benefits

A.  Income Tax and FICA: Deductions are made from earnings for federal and state income taxes and for social security as prescribed by state and federal regulations.

B.  Nebraska School Employees Retirement System (NPERS): Employees are subject to membership in NPERS.

C.  Insurance: Employees (at least .50 FTE) qualify for health, life and long-term disability insurance as specified below. ESU #13 also provides liability insurance coverage for all employees.

1.  Health Insurance: Each employee subscribing to Blue Cross-Blue Shield EHA is given $372 per month for the purchase of insurance. You must subscribe to EHA to take advantage of this benefit. Premium payments in excess of $372 will be deducted from your monthly paycheck. Selection of a family or individual plan must be made within 31 days of hire. Employees employed on a part-time basis (but more than .50 FTE) receive the FTE equivalency of the benefit.

2.  Life Insurance: Insurance amount is determined by salary classifications listed below:

·  Class I (salary over $20,000): $20,000 Life Insurance

·  Class II (salary $15,000 to $19,999): $15,000 Life Insurance

·  Class III (salary $10,000 to $14,999): $10,000 Life Insurance

·  Class IV (salary less than $10,000): $5,000 Life Insurance

3.  Long-term Disability Insurance: Insurance is provided in an amount equal to two-thirds (.667) of the salary to a maximum of $7,500 per month after 30 calendar days of disability.

4.  ESU #13’s liability insurance policy covers employees in the performance of their duties and while traveling in ESU #13 vehicles.

D.  Other Deductions: Voluntary deductions can be made for legal tax sheltered annuities, savings plans, United Way, NSEA, and various other deductions specified by the employee.

E.  Section 125 (Cafeteria Plan): Employees may elect to join this plan that allows the employee to set aside a portion of each paycheck into a tax-free spending account for dependent care and unreimbursed medical expenses. Eligible dependent care expenses include fees paid to daycare centers, nursery schools and private home care providers. Unreimbursed medical expenses include deductibles, co-insurance payments, office visits and prescription co-pays, dental expenses and vision care expenses.

F.  Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Employees may participate in the EAP that offers short-term counseling services at no charge to the employee to work through personal problems such as marital conflicts, grief, stress, parenting issues, emotional difficulties, substance abuse, financial troubles, etc. In the event your counselor determines that you could benefit from long-term counseling, those expenses will become your responsibility.

G.  Workers Compensation (WC): Employees injured in the course and scope of employment (but not willfully negligent at the time of the injury) are covered by WC insurance. The employee must notify the Administrative Secretary of the injury and complete a WC Incident Report. The Administrative Secretary will complete the First Report of Alleged Occupational Injury/Illness and submit it to the WC insurance carrier.

III. Work Schedules

A.  ESU #13 full-time employees will be required to work a 40-hour workweek. A meal period may be counted as part of the 40-hour workweek so long as the meal period does not exceed 30 minutes each day.

B.  The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be followed regarding exempt and non-exempt employees. FLSA’s definitions of exempt and non-exempt employees are as follows:

·  Exempt employees: FLSA provides an exemption from both minimum wage and overtime pay for employees employed as executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer professional employees. These exempt employees must meet certain tests regarding job duties and salary levels.

·  Non-exempt employees: The exemptions provided by FLSA do not apply to “blue-collar” workers. These non-exempt employees are covered under the FLSA overtime rules.

C.  Each employee’s workday depends on his/her position and assignment and may vary from department to department. Consequently, your Program Director will set your personal workday based on program needs. For itinerant staff, your schedule will reflect the schedule of your assigned schools. In addition, itinerant staff and teachers may spend one-half day per month in the office for planning, parent contacts and preparation. It is suggested that this time be scheduled at different times each month.

D.  Non-exempt employees will be required to use the approved time sheets to document hours worked. Job-related activities performed by non-exempt employees outside the normal 40-hour work week (overtime, if granted) will be compensated by the employer provided all overtime hours worked carry prior approval of the immediate supervisor. Time sheets must be signed by the employee’s immediate supervisor.

If you are a non-exempt employee required to use a time sheet and your workday is 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, you are required to be in your office/classroom and ready to work at 8:00 AM and you are required to work until 4:00 PM. Any deviation from your set workday must have prior approval from your supervisor. Deviations from your set workday without your supervisor’s prior approval may result in a dock in pay and/or disciplinary action.

Time sheet requirements:

·  Thirty-minute lunch periods may be taken between the hours of 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM. You will be docked for time exceeding the 30-minute allowable lunch period. This time cannot be made up.

·  Time away from work cannot be made up without prior approval from your supervisor. If approval is granted, time must be made up the same week that it is taken.

·  Time used for sick, personal, bereavement or vacation leave must be documented on your time sheet. Please write the date and type of leave being used at the bottom of your time sheet. An absence form must also be completed. You will be docked for any time used beyond the maximum leave allowed per year.

·  At the recommendation of our auditor, time sheets must be signed by the employee and the employee’s supervisor and submitted by the due dates. Due dates are listed on the Payroll Dates 2016-17 page of this handbook.

·  If your supervisor is unable to sign your time sheet (i.e., your supervisor is out of the office and will not return by the due date), make a copy of the time sheet, give the copy to the supervisor, and submit the original to the Office Manager so that you can be paid.

·  Your supervisor will determine whether or not to approve the time submitted. If approved, the supervisor will sign and return the time sheet or time sheet copy to the employee for submitting to the Office Manager. If accuracy of time is questioned, the supervisor will discuss the matter with the employee and make adjustments before the

employee submits the time sheet to the Office Manager. All adjustments must be initialed by the employee. Adjustments made to the time recorded will be reflected on the next month’s paycheck.

·  Overtime will be paid on any time over 40 working hours per week. Supervisors may grant comp time rather than cash overtime payments under certain circumstances. It is necessary to document comp time on your time sheet—the date it was earned and the date is was used.

Time sheet (sent via e-mail) requirements:

·  Time sheets must be sent by the due dates designated by the Payroll Clerk and as posted on the ESU #13 website under Administration-Payroll. Send the time sheets to your supervisor. The employee must type his/her name on the signature line.

·  The supervisor will check the time sheet for accuracy. If approved, the supervisor will send a “reply all” with approval. If accuracy of time is questioned, the supervisor will discuss the matter with the employee. The supervisor will either approve the time sheet or make adjustments before the employee submits it to the Office Manager. Any adjustments made to the time recorded will be reflected on the next month’s paycheck.

The following Department of Labor rules apply to non-exempt employee required to keep a time sheet:

·  You will document time on your time sheet each time you come to the workplace and each time you leave, including lunch periods and doctor’s appointments, personal errands, etc.

·  Do not come in early, document the time on your time sheet, then linger around or socialize. This is referred to as “riding the clock,” an action that can be cause for reprimand and even grounds for termination.

·  If you miss a time documentation, take your time sheet to your immediate supervisor as soon as you realize your mistake. Your supervisor will write in the correct time and initial it.

·  Make sure you document time worked for yourself and yourself only. It is not permissible to document time on a time sheet for others for any reason.

·  Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, you are not permitted to volunteer your time in a capacity that is the same as your position.

E.  It is important for employees check in and out with the Receptionist so that accurate information can be provided to callers and visitors. We want to present the image that ESU #13 is ready and willing to provide assistance, and we need to be able to utilize your expertise when addressing their needs and/or concerns.

F.  It is necessary for all staff members who do not report daily to the ESU #13 office to submit a schedule to your Program Director. Please keep your schedules current. It is imperative that you adhere to your schedule. In order to provide a quality education for the students we serve, continuity and dependability are very important. School officials remind us that they like to see your faces in their schools.

IV. Office Calendar

The office will be closed on the following dates:

·  Labor Day: September 5, 2016

·  Fall Break: October 28, 2016

·  Thanksgiving Break: November 23-25, 2016

·  Christmas Break: December 22-January 2, 2017

·  Mid-Winter Break: February 24, 2017

·  Spring Break: March 24-27, 2017

·  Easter Break: April 14-17, 2017

·  Memorial Day: May 29, 2017

·  Independence Day: July 3-4, 2017

V. Snow Days

In the case of hazardous weather conditions, the Administrator will notify ESU #13 employees (Phonevite) when ESU #13 offices are closed. Employees at the Scottsbluff site should also listen to KNEB (AM 960 or FM 94.1) for specific instructions. Employees at the Sidney site should listen to KSID (AM 1340 and FM 98.7). If ESU #13 student programs and/or member districts are closed but the ESU #13 offices are still open, the following applies:

·  Itinerant staff members – report to the ESU if your schools are closed.

·  Student program staff members – report to the ESU if your student program is closed.

·  All other staff members – report to the ESU.

VI. Leadership Team Meetings

The Administrator, at his/her discretion, shall appoint ESU #13 employees to the Leadership Team (Program Directors) and shall meet with them twice monthly to discuss department progress, accomplishments and planned activities. This group works as an internal support team to assist each other with problem solving, coordination of efforts, program improvement/expansion, etc.

VII. Department Meetings

Department meetings will be scheduled by each Program Director. Program Directors will accept agenda items for discussion from members of the department. Information from department meetings may be utilized during Leadership Team meetings.

VIII. Leaves of Absence

A.  Sick Leave

1.  Every employee shall be eligible for sick leave without loss of pay. This leave shall be cumulative from year to year not to exceed sixty (60) days.

2.  Time granted under this leave may be used for personal illness or because of death or serious illness of the employee’s immediate family. Immediate family shall mean husband, wife, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, or persons bearing the same relation to the spouse. Sick leave also includes stepparents, stepbrother, stepsister, and stepchildren.

3.  Sick leave is granted at the rate of ten (10) days for nine-month employees and twelve (12) days for twelve-month employees and is accrued as follows:

·  Certificated/contracted degreed personnel are granted the total sick leave on the first day of employment.

·  Classified/non-contracted degreed personnel are granted one day of sick leave on the first day of each month until the total is accumulated. For new employees, sick leave is granted after the 90-day probationary period at the same rate.

4.  For part-time employees, a day of sick leave is defined as the normal part-time working day; i.e., one day of sick leave for half-time employees is equal to one-half day. Sick leave is accumulated on a “day” basis; i.e., if an employee goes from full-time to part-time employment and had accumulated ten days sick leave, then sick leave as a part-time employee would be ten part-time days. If an employee changes from part-time to full-time employment, sick leave accumulated as a part-time employee increases to a full-time day.

5.  An Absence Form (PER 5) shall be completed by the employee for every absence. It is your responsibility to submit these forms to the Receptionist and failure to do so may result in loss of pay.

6.  If the Administrator so requests, employees claiming sick leave privileges shall file a doctor’s certificate attesting to such illness. If the absence due to personal illness exceeds ten (10) days or more, the employee (if requested by the ESU #13 Board) shall submit to examination by a physician of the Board’s choosing. Willful failure to submit such physician’s statement as requested or willful failure to submit to such an examination if requested shall constitute (at the Board’s discretion) just cause to pursue appropriate actions needed to assure that the instructional services provided to children and youth served by ESU #13 are not diminished.

7.  Unless re-employed within one contract or fiscal year, whichever is applicable, all leave so accumulated terminates upon resignation, retirement or termination of employment. If re-employed within one contract or fiscal year, the employee retains any sick leave earned but not used at the time of termination.