COMPENSATION AND PAYROLL INFORMATION

COMPENSATION

Wage Plan

The Personnel Office is responsible for developing and maintaining a wage plan for staff, and each position is assigned a pay grade in the plan. Beginning with job descriptions and other information that differentiate a particular job from others, the positions are grouped according to like duties and responsibilities. The classifications are used to set pay rates for staff members and to provide career advancement opportunities for Colby employees.

The salary range or rates of pay for each position class or for individual positions are established in consideration of the following factors: type of work, level of responsibility, and appropriate market wage and salary rates.

Upon hiring, promotion, reclassification, or transfer, the employee's pay rate will be determined by Personnel Services, consistent with the College's wage and salary plan. Transfers within the same job classification will not ordinarily result in a change of pay. Permanent transfers to a lower-rated position when such transfer is made at the employee's request or because of a disciplinary action will normally result in a loss of pay. Promotion to higher pay grades will normally be accompanied by a pay increase.

Pay Practices

The normal work year for staff is the fiscal year beginning July 1, or the remainder of a fiscal year if the starting date is after July 1. After the approval of the annual budget and prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, staff eligible for continuing employment may be issued re-appointment and/or increase letters.

The College normally provides general wage and salary increases each year, effective July 1 or September 1, the beginning of either the fiscal or the academic year. Merit salary increases, based upon the staff member's performance of duties and responsibilities, are normally provided subject to Board approval each year.

Staff salaries and wage rates are reviewed each year. Recommendations for reclassification, title changes, promotions, or special wage or salary adjustments are normally requested by supervisors as part of the budget process each fall. Requests are reviewed by Personnel Services and, where appropriate, recommendations for changes are reviewed by the Vice President for Administration in consultation with other members of the Senior Staff and the President. Approved changes are normally effective July 1 or September 1, the beginning of either the fiscal or the academic years. Increases normally will be implemented on the first full payroll of each fiscal year or academic year as appropriate.

A temporary increase may be recommended for a staff member who assumes greater duties and responsibilities for an employee who is absent. Such a temporary increase in pay will not be granted unless it is known that the additional responsibilities will be held for one month or more. Such temporary increases are normally not given for administrators. Rather, such special contributions are considered in subsequent merit reviews. Temporary increases require the approval of the Director of Personnel.

A shift differential in addition to an employee's regular rate of pay will be paid for certain non-exempt positions. For shifts beginning after 2:30p.m., the employee shall normally receive an additional $.25 per hour; for shifts beginning after 10:30 p.m., the employee shall normally receive an additional $.35 per hour.

If a nonexempt employee is called back to the campus for emergency reasons, the College will pay an amount equal to two and one-half times the hourly rate of pay, and the hours worked will be compensated for actual time worked. Call-back pay does not apply to hours worked in conjunction with and beyond a regularly scheduled shift. In addition, call-back pay does not apply to overtime work that is scheduled in advance, for whatever period of time, even though the hours worked are not in conjunction with and beyond a regularly scheduled shift.

PAYROLL INFORMATION

Payroll Enrollment

In order to be placed on the payroll, a newly hired staff member must complete W-4 forms for federal and state income tax, provide the College with his or her Social Security number, and supply evidence of citizenship or employment eligibility. If the new employee does not have a Social Security number, the required tax-withholding forms must be accompanied by an application for a number from any Social Security Office. All employees of the College are subject to federal income withholding taxes, Maine withholding taxes, and federal Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Payday

Pay checks for hourly-paid staff are issued every other Thursday and cover hours worked for the previous two weeks. Pay checks for monthly-paid staff are issued on the last working day of each month.

Upon request, net pay may be deposited automatically every payday to one or two checking or savings accounts at any one of several local banks or credit unions. After the appropriate forms have been submitted to the Payroll Office, there is normally a one-pay period delay in activating the automatic deposits.

If the College has made an error, the error will be corrected immediately upon notification to the Financial Services Office. If the error is on the part of a staff member, such as failing to submit a time card or properly reporting all hours eligible for pay, the College will normally make corrections in the next regularly scheduled payroll.

Time Cards

All hourly-paid staff are required to report hours worked every two weeks on a College time card and each week is measured from Saturday (midnight to the following Saturday midnight). Time cards are due in the Payroll Office by 10 a.m. the Monday following each pay period. The Payroll Office announces the scheduled pay periods and deadlines each year. Cards should be prepared and signed by both the employee and the supervisor. Absences from work for use of paid or unpaid leave must be indicated on the card. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining accurate attendance/leave records for all support staff.

Overtime Pay and Compensatory Time

Colby conforms to all terms of the Fair Labor Standards Act (also known as the Federal Wage and Hour Law), including the payment of minimum wage and overtime pay. These laws and guidelines establish the criteria for determining which positions are salaried or hourly paid. Support staff must be paid for hours worked in excess of 40 during a work week at one-and-one-half times the employee's regular hourly wage. In certain limited circumstances, time off may be provided within the same pay period to hourly paid staff to in lieu of overtime pay. Administrative staff are not eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time.

Payroll Deductions

The College is required by law to withhold certain amounts of pay for federal and state income taxes and for Social Security taxes (including Medicare). Other possible payroll deductions include: 1) retirement plan contributions, 2) dependent health insurance premiums, 3) optional life insurance premiums, 4) flexible spending account contributions, 5) Colby mortgage payment, 6) tax sheltered annuities available through the College's retirement plan, 7) College annual fund and capital campaign contributions, and 8) College approved charitable contributions.

EMPLOYEE INFORMATION CHANGES

Any change in a staff member's status that may affect benefits or other obligations should be reported promptly by the appropriate supervisor to Personnel Services using a Personnel Action Form (available on the Personnel Office's Web-page) or electronic-mail. It is a staff member's obligation to report other changes such as an increase or decrease in the number of dependents, a legal name change, beneficiary designations for life insurance, birth dates of dependents, or address changes.