POLICY

A. Purpose

This policy outlines the requirements for accurate and timely reporting of effort using Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (Berkeley Lab's) Pay and Time Reporting System.

B. Persons Affected

All Berkeley Lab employees

C. Exceptions

None

D. Policy Statement

1. Each employee must report his or her own time worked (by project/activity) and leave taken (by category). Each division or department must review and approve time reported by each of its employees.
2. Accurate and timely reporting is required and enables the Laboratory to:
   1. Guarantee employees are paid correctly and their leave accumulations are accurate
   2. Ensure labor costs are properly reported by Department of Energy (DOE) Budget and Reporting classification
   3. Monitor actual performance against funding limitations and budgetary goals
3. Procedures
   1. The Laboratory Employee(s) Time Entry System (LETS) provides online access to time-reporting and approvals. Role assignment, password applications, and training are available through the division offices. To access LETS, refer to the LETSLite User Guide or "How To" brochures available in each division.

   2. The following chart details the minimum reporting requirements by employee type:

      Type of Employee	Schedule	Timecard	Minimum Reporting Unit
      Exempt(including UC faculty)	Full-time	Monthly	1/2 day
      Exempt	Part-time	Monthly	1/4 hour
      Exempt (Engineering, EH&S, and Facilities only)	Full-time	Monthly	1/4 hour(4hours for leave taken)
      Non-exempt	Full-time, part-time, and variable	Weekly	1/4 hour

   3. For employees in exempt classifications, time worked and leave taken on each project must be reported in total. It is not necessary to report the days on which the work was performed, but all leave time must be reported in specific days. For employees in non-exempt classifications, time worked and leave taken must be reported in specific days.
   4. If exempt employees work more than the normal number of hours or days, they are to distribute their effort proportionally to each project they worked on, based on the total time worked.
4. Schedule and Time Changes
   1. An employee's schedule of days off, workdays, and hours per day within the specified time schedule may be varied by his or her supervisor to meet unusual job requirements without use of a Personnel Action Form (PAF). The schedule for employees working indeterminate time, however, must be indicated in detail on the employment form, and changes must be submitted in detail on a PAF.
   2. When clocks are changed to and from daylight savings time each year, actual hours worked should be reported. In the spring, when the time change results in a seven-hour owl shift, non-exempt employees may be scheduled for an extra hour of work or charged an hour of vacation to make an eight-hour shift. In the fall, when the time change results in a nine-hour owl shift, the additional hour (when worked) is reported as overtime
5. Certification and Approval of Time Reports
   1. Employees must certify the accuracy of their time reported.
   2. Each supervisor (approver) must approve the time reported by his or her subordinates and must approve all of his or her employees' time, either electronically or on a time sheet produced by LETS. In the absence of the supervisor (approver), normally, only another designated supervisor or manager may approve time.
   3. Work Leads - In addition to supervisors (approvers), designated work leads are also able to certify time for employees assigned to them.
      • Designated work leads must be exempt-level Berkeley Lab employees who regularly provide work direction to the person(s) for whom time is being approved. Designated work leads cannot be graduate student research assistants (GSRAs), contract workers, students, or affiliates.
      • With the approval of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), a work lead will be assigned to the Lab Director. The work lead will be an exempt level member of the Director's staff who is knowledgeable of the Director's schedule.
      • In certain instances, the ability to certify timecards may be granted to non-Berkeley Lab employees currently employed by another DOE national laboratory who are providing work direction to the person(s) for whom time is being approved.
      • Requests for exceptions must be provided in writing and approved in advance by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or designee.
   4. Time certification by the employee, supervisor, or designated work lead may be electronic with the use of a personal password accessing LETS or, when not possible electronically, by actual signature on a time sheet produced from LETS and provided by the division timekeeper.
   5. Timecard corrections (e.g., to correct project/activity for time worked or use of leave taken) can be accomplished through LETS or through a Labor Distribution System (LDRS) labor adjustment.
      1. LETS corrections must be certified in the system by the employee and approved by the supervisor. If the corrected timesheet is questioned either by the employee or his or her supervisor, the Controller's Office can assist in the determination.
      2. For LDRS labor adjustments, an e-mail alert will be automatically generated. This notification will be sent to the individual whose time was adjusted as well as to his or her manager, indicating the details of the adjustment. This notification will serve as a negative concurrence for adjustments; should the individual or his/her supervisor not agree with the adjustment that was made, a response is required within five days Labor adjustments over the approval thresholds identified above still require approval from a designated financial approver.
6. Periodic Reviews. The Office of the CFO conducts periodic reviews of time-reporting documents for compliance with policy as stated above.
7. Due Dates in LETS. All employee time records are electronically sent to Payroll for processing based on the following schedule:
   1. Weekly Reporters. Noon on the first business day of each week and the first business day of the new month
   2. Monthly Reporters. Noon four business days prior to month's end

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Managers, supervisors, and employees have the responsibility to adhere to the provisions of this policy.

F. Definitions/Acronyms

None

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

None

H. Implementing Documents

I. Contact Information

Disbursements Services Manager
Payroll Manager

J. Revision History

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Source Requirements Documents

• Federal Appropriation Law
• Contract 31, I.21(d)(1), FAR 52.222-4 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act - Overtime Compensation (July 2005)

Implementing Documents

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Key labels/tags:

• Time reporting, effort reporting, time sheet, timecard, labor reporting

New terms that need to be added to Glossary/Acronym list:

• (list items not found and context (Policy Area name) – full definition would be included in Policy)

Implementing Documents restricted to department/functional use

(optional – these will be used for tracing between requirements and associated documents)
Side bars: Side bar 1 location (cite by Policy Section # - for example: Section D.2.a)
Sidebar 1 text:
Sidebar 2 location
Sidebar 2 text:
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Sidebar 3 text: