A WAGE PAYROLL employee is an individual who is paid hourly and normally works less than a full-time work schedule. The position title may include the words "part time."

Wage payroll appointments are initiated at the University at the time of hire by the administrative and financial services area of Cooperative Extension and Outreach upon receipt of the completed wage forms. It is not necessary to advertise wage payroll positions; however, if advertising is desired, it must be arranged through the Office of Human Resources (814-863-3452).

WAGE RATES

Wage rates are established according to the duties of the position and the qualifications required of the employee. Please refer to the University wage scale web site www.ohr.psu.edu/policy/hr41.htm. Wage rates that do not fall within this scale, must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Human Resources before the employee is hired and periodically, thereafter, based on the intent of the supervisor to continue the employment. All wage appointments must have a beginning and ending date. Continuous wage appointments must be renewed annually. Wage payroll reappointments and wage increases are done so based on a review of the payroll forms on file and the determination that all forms are complete and current.

To make changes to a current wage appointment, a written communication must be sent to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach, attention Kim McClelland at ksm7@psu.edu, or to 401 Ag Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802. Wage payroll increases may be made on an annual basis based on acceptable performance. Even if the duties of the job have not changed, you are encouraged to give the employee his/her wage increase effective January 1 or July 1 of each year. Newly established wage rates must fall within the University wage scale for the duties required (please refer to web site: www.ohr.psu.edu/policy/hr41.htm). Wage increases may also be provided based on an increase in duties or responsibilities.

A written communication must be sent to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach, attention Kim McClelland at kms7@psu.edu, or to 401 Ag Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802. Requests received will be directed to Human Resources and supervisor will later be notified of the action taken.

Other wage appointment changes such as appointment ending date, permanent increase or decrease in number of hours worked, funding source change, etc., must be made in advance of the change to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach, attention Kim McClelland.

EMPLOYMENT OF MINORS

EMPLOYMENT OF NON-U.S. CITIZENS

The employment of a "non-U.S. citizen" requires that an Alien Information Request Form be completed along with the formal wage packet. The Alien Information Request Form allows Penn State to collect information for tax withholding purposes regarding an individual's employment, and immigration category and the primary reason the individual is in the United States. All individuals, who are not citizens of the United States of America, are required to have completed this form prior to any request for payment. General guidelines that must be followed include: the individual's visa must be current and valid in order for the individual to be paid; and, if work authorization is not part of the immigration category, then authorization must be obtained before the individual can be paid.

Employees must attach copies of all of the documents, which support the information he/she provides on this form. Photocopies of the following forms are accepted.

Wage payroll is paid biweekly according to a schedule developed by the University. Wage payroll employees must complete a wage payroll time sheet indicating the number of hours worked and submit the form to their supervisor. Supervisors must verify hours worked, sign the form and make sure it is mailed to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach, 401 Ag Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802 (or faxed to 814-863-7776) in time to meet the deadline on the schedule. If time sheets are faxed, please follow up by mailing the original time sheet to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach. Providing all wage forms are complete and accurate, and submitted by the first Thursday of the payroll period, employees will be paid two weeks after the submission of their hours.

OVERTIME

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that all work paid on an hourly basis is subject to the overtime provisions of the law. And as such, wage hours must be reported on the wage time sheet on the days in which they were actually worked. Hours worked in a one-week period in excess of 40 must be paid at the rate of time and one-half.

When a wage payroll employee employed in more than one part time position or paid from more than one budget incurs overtime (more than 40 hours in a work week), the Human Resources representative(s) of the work unit(s) involved shall be responsible for determining the budget(s) to which the overtime pay shall be charged.

LUNCH BREAK COMPENSATION

Wage employees follow University policy and as such do not receive compensation while taking lunch breaks. When completing time sheets, hours submitted should not include any time allotted for lunch. Wage employees are paid for actual hours worked.

The University provides general liability coverage for wage payroll employees. (The University also provides general liability coverage for association employees when they are under the direct supervision of an extension agent.)

County-based wage payroll employees must be enrolled in cooperative extension's self-insured Unemployment Compensation pool at the rate of 1percent of their gross salary. The 1percent must be paid from local extension funds; University funds cannot be co-mingled with the U.C. pool monies. In the event of a claim, the U.C. pool supports the entire claim. State Job Center employment activity forms that are received in county extension offices (usually green or yellow in color) must be sent immediately to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach, attention Kim McClelland. These forms will be completed at the University and returned to the State Job Center.

WORKER'S COMPENSATION

All employees are covered with Worker's Compensation Insurance as a protection for injuries or illness under the Worker's Compensation and Occupational Disease Act. Worker's Compensation is designed to provide wage loss benefits and reimbursement for reasonable medical care for one who is injured on the job.

PASS-THROUGH FUNDS/ PSU PAID—COUNTY FUNDED

Individuals who are funded through local sources may be paid on the University wage payroll system through the pass-through account. This program is intended for individuals who deliver educational programs.

Under this arrangement, the University pays the wages and fringe benefits and then invoices the local extension office quarterly for the wages and associated fringe benefit costs. (Fringe benefit costs are generally in the 8 to 9percent range and are subject to change each July 1.) Supervisors who employ through this arrangement are expected to comply with the wage guidelines contained within this document. Misuse of the wage payroll system may result in a termination of this service.

Supervisors must provide Kim McClelland with the appropriate University budget numbers that coincide with the grant when individuals are hired on grant or contract funds. The budget information must also be conveyed to Kim McClelland for continuing employees whose funding source changes to grant funds or from one grant to another. When employees are working on multiple grants, they must submit separate biweekly time sheets for each grant. Supervisors must monitor budget reports to verify that the wage staff is being charged appropriately. Restrictions apply based on requirements of the granting agency for transfers of wage charges once they occur. Typically, wages cannot be transferred to or from grant funds after 30 days.

If employees hired on grant funds begin to work prior to a signed contract between the granting agency and the University, the local extension office will be responsible for supporting the wages through the pass through procedure described above until the contract is fully executed. It may be possible to transfer the wages to the grant after the contract is fully executed providing the hours worked were within the granting period. If the contract does not come to fruition, the local extension office will be invoiced for the wages and associated fringe benefit costs.

Employees paid on grants and contracts must be enrolled in the self-insured unemployment compensation pool from local funding sources if the grant or contract does not allow for overhead. Enrollment in the self-insured program is not an allowable expense on grant funds. When grant or contract funds provide for overhead, it is not necessary to enroll employees in the self-insured programs since unemployment would be supported from University funds.

Accumulated earned time can be used by an employee to account for work time missed due to illness, vacation, personal time off, etc. The work requirements of the University shall take priority over the scheduling of time off for an employee. Nonetheless, the University shall give consideration to any specific request for time off by an employee. Except in the case of illness or an emergency, time off is to be charged to the earned time accumulation only when such absence has been scheduled and approved by the supervisor in advance.

Earned time hours must be entered and circled on the biweekly wage time sheet.

Employees on the Earned Time program must complete an "Earned Time" card, documenting hours worked, holidays, and earned time used. Employees and/or supervisors must verify that the information recorded on the Earned Time card matches the wage time sheets that are submitted biweekly. Balances are calculated at the end of each month. A copy of the Earned Time Card must be faxed or mailed to the Office of Cooperative Extension and Outreach, attention Kim McClelland at the end of every month. The original card must be mailed in at the end of each calendar year, so a new card for the new year can be generated.

When a wage employee terminates employment, the employee shall receive the cash value of unused earned time, computed up to and including the last day worked, provided the employee has given at least two weeks advance notice.

~OR~

If an employee who terminates his/her standing position to accept an offer of wage employment consisting of at least 750 hours of work each year, he/she shall have the option to transfer any or all (up to a maximum of 96 hours) of his/her vacation accumulation to earned time, provided there is no break in service. A wage employee who terminates his/her wage position to accept an offer of regular employment shall transfer all of the earned time balance to vacation accumulation, provided there is no break in service.

NOTE: An employee who has qualified for healthcare coverage, earned time, and holiday time who then works less than 375 hours or has more than an eight pay period break at half-time (40 hours per pay period) during any consecutive six-month period, will no longer be eligible to participate in the above referenced programs unless the decrease in hours is directly related to an absence covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (outlined below). Such employee may requalify for eligibility during the subsequent two year period, if in any consecutive six-month period they work at least 375 hours, and at least eight pay periods at half-time (40 hours per period) or more. If reinstated, an employee will again be disqualified if the conditions described above recur.