BRIEF

Policy Summary

This policy outlines the requirements for accurate and timely reporting of effort at Berkeley Lab using the Laboratory's Pay and Time Reporting System. Each employee must report his or her own time worked (by job or project) and leave taken (by category). Each division or department must review and approve time reported by each of its employees.

Who Should Read This Policy

All Berkeley Lab employees

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

Contact Information

Disbursements and Project Costing Manager
Payroll Manager

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 job or project) 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. Monitor actual performance against budgetary goals
   2. Ensure labor costs are properly reported by Department of Energy (DOE) Budget and Reporting classification
   3. Guarantee employees are paid correctly and their leave accumulations are accurate
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 LETS User Guide or "How To" brochures available in each division.
   2. The following chart details the various time-reporting categories:

      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 of Time Reports
   1. Employees must certify the accuracy of their time reported. Each supervisor (approver) must certify the accuracy of 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.
   2. In addition to supervisors (approvers), designated work leads are also able to certify time for employees assigned to them. Either the supervisor (approver) or the designated work lead may approve the employee's time. 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.
   3. 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.
   4. Requests for exceptions must be provided in writing and approved in advance by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or designee.
   5. 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.
   6. Employees, supervisors, and/or designated work leads must concur with changes and corrections to the time they have certified, whether accomplished through LETS or labor resource adjustments. Corrected time sheets or communication (e.g., e-mail notification) for labor resource adjustments and clearance of labor charges from dropout projects must be sent to the employee and his or her supervisor for concurrence. If the appropriateness of a corrected time sheet is questioned either by the employee or the supervisor, the Controller's Office can assist in the determination.
   7. GSRAs do not report time on individual timecards. The monthly computer listing for each group of GSRAs is generated by the department and requires the signature of the faculty advisor or, as alternates, the division director, his or her deputy, or the division administrator.
6. Periodic Reviews
   1. The Office of the CFO conducts periodic reviews of time-reporting documents for compliance with policy as stated above.
7. Due Dates in LETS
   1. 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 three 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 and Project Costing 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