Payroll

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a law that requires employers to classify jobs as either exempt or nonexempt. Nonexempt employees are covered by FLSA rules and regulations, and exempt employees are not covered by FLSA rules and regulations.

• Nonexempt employees are paid for each hour worked based on hours reported on a timesheet.
• Exempt employees are paid a salary.

Exempt or non-exempt status is determined by Human Resources and communicated to each employee on the Offer of Employment Letter.

The following information applies to both exempt and nonexempt employees:

• Pay Periods: Pay periods are bimonthly, averaging fifteen (15) days per period. Each week starts on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. and ends the following Saturday at 11:59 p.m. Pay periods are listed on the payroll calendar that is given to each employee during orientation and can be accessed on the portal at any time.
• Paydays: Employees are paid on the 10^th and 26^th of each month by an electronic direct deposit to a bank, credit union, or pay card of your choice. If a regularly scheduled payday falls on a holiday that the Federal Reserve (bank) is closed, employees receive their pay on the business day before the regularly scheduled payday as coordinated by the payroll department. Advances of payroll are not made for any reason.

Mains’l is not responsible for any delays in mail service or electronic deposits in your bank account. Errors in electronic deposits resulting in funds not being deposited will be re-issued after verification has been received from the bank that the funds have been returned to Mains’l. Pay dates are listed on the payroll calendar that is given to each employee during onboarding and can be accessed or requested at any time.

• Review your pay advice: A few days before pay day, a document called a pay advice is available to access online to each employee who reported work time for that pay period. Each payroll advice includes year to date earnings, amounts withheld for taxes, garnishments, and other deductions or reimbursements. To ensure that you are paid properly and that no improper deductions are made. Please review your pay advice each time you receive one.
• Ask if you have a question or concern about your pay or a payroll deduction: Mains’l makes every effort to ensure that our employees are paid correctly. Occasionally mistakes happen. When mistakes occur Mains’l will promptly make any corrections necessary to provide you with the pay you were entitled. Please review your pay stub when you receive it to make sure it is correct. If you believe a mistake has occurred or if you have any questions, please use the following procedure.
  • If you have questions about your pay (over or under payment) or any deduction from your pay, immediately contact your supervisor/manager. If your supervisor is unavailable, you may contact the CA Payroll Department at (530-251-3776) or the Human Resources Department at (530-899-1907 ext. 351). State, Federal, Social Security and Medicare taxes are deducted automatically per State and Federal regulations. No other deductions are made unless required or allowed by law or prior authorization.
  • Mains’l will assess your report by reviewing appropriate time and payroll records.
    
    • If you have been paid incorrectly, or if Mains’l determines that a deduction was improperly made, Mains’l will reimburse you as soon as possible.
    • If you are overpaid, Mains’l will ask that you sign a written agreement allowing the deduction from your wages.
• Understand and prevent timesheet fraud: It is a violation of policy and state and federal laws for any person to:
  • Falsify or lie on a timesheet.
  • Alter another employee’s timesheet.
  • Instruct an employee to incorrectly or falsely report hours worked or alter another employee’s timesheet.

If anyone instructs you to falsify or lie on a timesheet or to instruct someone else to falsify or lie on a timesheet you must report the situation immediately to Human Resources at 530-899-1907 ext. 351.

Certain edits may be made to an employee’s timesheet by Mains’l that does not constitute a violation of this policy or state and federal laws. Allowable edits are limited to:

1. Correcting the Department or Number of the person receiving services when it is certain you have the wrong number.
2. Correcting the pay code when it is certain you have the wrong pay code.
3. The supervisor entering timesheet information on behalf of an employee when it is certain that they have accurate data to create the timesheet. The data must be provided by the employee to the supervisor. This may only occur in very rare circumstances where the employee is unable to enter the data on their own.

Any person who is suspected of committing timesheet fraud will be reported to the Office of the Inspector General. Mains’l will not continue to employ or do business with an individual who has committed timesheet fraud.

• Keep your information up to date: It is your responsibility to inform the payroll department as soon as possible of any changes to:
  • Bank account information: Submit a revised direct deposit/payroll authorization form.
  • Your address: Submit an Employee Information Change Form.
  • Your e-mail that pay advices are sent to: Submit a revised direct deposit/payroll authorization form and an Employee Information Change Form.
  • The amount of withholdings you want to claim: Submit a revised W-4 Form.

Notification of changes to your direct deposit information must be submitted to the payroll department on a Payroll Direct Deposit Authorization Form no later than one week before payday. If an employee fails to submit a change one week before payroll, payroll deposits will be made to the account on file, if no account is on file a paper check will be issued.

If you observe different religious holiday’s than those provided by Mains’l, please contact your supervisor to discuss swapping your preferred religious holiday with one identified in this policy. The agreement to swap holidays should be documented and provided to HR for the employee’s file.

Holidays: Due to the variety of work environments and services that Mains’l provides, we have holiday pay practices that are different based on the type of work being performed.

• Twenty four (24) hour per day direct support services provided by Mains’l often require employees to work on national and religious holidays. The agency provides an incentive to facilitate the scheduling of holidays in 24 hour direct support services when staffing is required.
  • Non-exempt employees working in 24 hour support services, where Mains’l is required to provide staffing, are eligible to receive the benefit of time and one half pay. To receive this benefit the employee must enter the time worked under the Holiday pay code only when they work on the following holidays:

Whenever there are two premium pay rates for hours worked (i.e. overtime and holiday) only one premium pay rate is paid.

• ​Non-24 hour per day direct support services provided by Mains’l usually do not require employees to work on national and religious holidays. The reimbursement rates to pay for these services do not include funds to pay time and one half to employees. Employees working in non- 24 hour hourly services who work on a holiday as defined above will receive their regular pay rate and should NOT submit their time as Holiday pay. Use the pay code that is assigned to the service being provided.
• Office and management staff, including exempt (salaried) and non-exempt are usually not expected to work on holidays and are not eligible for time and one half pay. When the office is closed, full time (35-40 hour per week) nonexempt and exempt office and management staff will receive pay at their regular pay rate for the number of hours they would have been scheduled to work if the office was open. Part time office and management staff can take the day off, or work hours on a different day that the office is open. Here is the listing for Holiday Office Closures:

*The holiday will be observed on the nearest weekday if the holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday. 

• Day Services provided by Mains’l usually do not require to work holidays. The reimbursement rates to pay for these services do not include funds to pay time and one half to employees. Staff who work on a holiday will receive their regular pay rate and should NOT submit their time as Holiday pays. Use the pay code that is assigned to the service being provided. In addition, day services will receive regular pay for the following holidays but will not be open:

*The holiday will be observed on the nearest weekday if the holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday. 

• If you observe different religious holiday’s than those provided by Mains’l, please contact your supervisor to discuss swapping your preferred religious holiday with one identified in this policy. The agreement to swap holidays should be documented and provided to HR for the employees file.
• Logging case notes: When the person receiving services has unit-based or hour-based services, each employee working with that individual both, nonexempt (hourly) and exempt (salary), is responsible for completing a notes entry to record the amount of time spent on approved activities. These notes entries are completed for all direct care (billable) hours to provide legal documentation of the services being provided. The notes entry field is located:
  • In the timesheet system: When you choose a department number that requires a notes entry, it will appear on your screen. You can record your work activities online when you enter your hours worked.

Without an electronic notes entry, the hours cannot be billed. Employees who are required to complete a notes entry should do so each day they work and must submit no later than due date and time listed on the payroll calendar. The supervisor is required to review notes entries before approving the hours to be paid for that employee.

The following information applies to nonexempt employees only:

• Recording your work: It is your responsibility to submit an accurate and complete record of each time you work. We offer two ways to do so.
  • Online at dataplus.solanopro.com
  • Mobile phone app 

Both options for recording your work time create an official record called a timesheet. A permanent record of your timesheets is stored in the timesheet and reimbursement system.

It is the goal of Mains’l to train employees to successfully submit time records as part of their documentation responsibilities and to ensure employees are paid accurately. We expect all employees will enter their time as it is worked and ensure the data that is entered is accurate and fully complete before the due date and time.

In the event that time records are not completed within the established time frames or within the expectations required for billing and pay purposes, Mains’l expects that the supervisor and employee form and follow a plan to correct the performance issue. If you are struggling with time entry, ask questions or ask for help immediately.

Many of the services that Mains’l provides are billed in 15 minute units. So, our timesheet system will automatically enter the time in 15 minute units.                                                        

• Reviewing and approving timesheets: You are responsible for making sure the information you enter on your timesheet is accurate and entered on time. A user guide, online training, and on the job training are provided to teach you how enter timesheets. A payroll calendar is provided for each employee to ensure you know important dates. Your supervisor is responsible for reviewing and approving your timesheet before it is sent to payroll. The payroll calendar provides:
  • Dates included in each pay period
  • Dates and time your timesheet must be accurately completed by to ensure you are paid on time.
  • Pay dates
• Fixing timesheet errors: We understand that mistakes can happen. However, it is critical that if there is an error on your timesheet, it gets fixed right away. Your timesheet is used to pay you and may also be used to bill for the services you provided. If your timesheet is submitted with errors, it can cause billing and payroll errors.
  • If you make an error, it is your responsibility to communicate with your supervisor as soon as possible so any adjustments can be made. If your supervisor makes an error, it is your supervisor’s responsibility to work with the payroll department to correct the error. If there is a system error, Mains’l will work to correct the error as soon as possible.
• Unapproved work time: Non-exempt (hourly) employees are expected to only perform work as instructed by their manager/supervisor. It is your responsibility to ensure you work within the timeframe of your shift and/or assigned hours per week. You should not work any time that is not scheduled or requested of you unless you are given permission by your manager/supervisor before doing the work. Unapproved work is a performance issue that supervisors are expected to address with employees. Unapproved work time includes:
  • Starting work before your scheduled time,
  • Stopping work after your scheduled time,
  • Overtime that is not pre-approved by your manager/supervisor,
  • Working more than your allotted or assigned hours,
  • Doing work that is not based on the service needs of the person receiving services,
  • Working when you have been instructed not to.
• Off the clock: Non-exempt employees are not allowed to do “off-the-clock” work. “Off-the-clock” work means work you perform but fail to report on your timesheet. If you do work, you need to enter it on your timesheet. Please be sure to communicate with your supervisor if you are performing work that is not normally scheduled for you, will lead to overtime or will exceed your typical hours worked. Working unapproved hours is a performance issue. The following are not considered “off-the-clock work” and should not be entered on your timesheet:
  • Completing work related documentation, such as entering your timesheets, completing timesheet summaries, or mileage logs outside of your scheduled shift. Entry of time and related documentation should be completed at the end of each shift.
  • Being in the presence of the person you work with or at the work site after your work shift ends if you are no longer responsible for work duties.
  • Time spent with an individual you work with outside of work activities. For example, if you are a family member or close friend of the person you work with, it is expected that you will spend time with the person outside of work time.
• Overtime: Mains’l employees keep track of all hours they work and ensure they do not accidently go into overtime. Employees must first contact their supervisor to explain how many hours they have worked and receive approval before working overtime. Working unapproved overtime is a performance issue that supervisors are expected to address with employees.
  
  • Twenty four (24) hour per day direct support services receive overtime if they have worked any time over 40 hours in a workweek.
  • Non-24 hour per day direct support services and licensed facilities receive overtime if they have worked any time over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a work week.
  • Office and management staff receive overtime if they have worked any time over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a work week.

Non-exempt employees are paid overtime at the rate of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay. Overtime pay is based on actual hours worked. PTO, Sick, or any leave of absence is not considered hours worked. Overtime is not paid more than once for the same hours worked. Overtime is calculated to the nearest fifteen (15) minutes.

• Travel Time: Time spent driving during normal work hours is considered paid work time. When the time spent driving is with a person receiving services, the time is direct work time and should be entered under the pay code assigned for the type of service being provided. Time spent driving to and from work is considered commute time and is not paid time. Additionally, employees cannot enter Travel Time for trips made during the work day that are not required by Mains’l. This includes travel for personal meals, personal errands, and the commute to and from work.           
  • When Mains’l requires an employee to travel to more than one work site within the work day, the employee is paid at their primary pay rate for the amount of time required to travel to the next work site. The supervisor is responsible for informing the employee which department number to use when entering travel time. In general travel time is assigned to the department for which the employee is traveling on behalf of (department you are driving to the next location for) or the department that the employee primarily works in.
• Split Shift: A split shift is any two distinct work periods separated by more than a one-hour meal period. If there is more than one hour between shifts in the same workday, the employee must receive one hour’s pay at no less than the minimum wage rate for the time between shifts. If the hourly pay rate exceeds minimum wage, that dollar amount offsets the split shift and no additional pay is required. This means that the hour of split shift is only paid when the employee’s total hours worked for the day, plus one hour, would not equal to at least minimum wage per hour. 
  • Time paid for a one hour split shift does not count towards the calculation of overtime because it was not worked. It is not considered a split shift if an employee works overnight and returns in the evening for another overnight. To qualify as a split shift, the start of each shift must occur within the same work day.
• Day Light Savings: Twice a year during daylight savings time hourly employees working overnights will either gain an hour worked (fall backwards) or lose a hour worked (spring forward). Payroll will make the adjustment for the employee automatically.

The following information applies to exempt (salaried) employees only:

• Salary basis of compensation: Exempt employees receive a salary to compensate for all hours worked for Mains’l. The salary is a predetermined amount that is not subject to deductions for variations in the quality of the work you perform.
• Recording your time: Although exempt employees are not paid by the hour, all exempt employees are required to account for their time. This is important for a variety of reasons, but it is not for the purpose of paying an exempt employee other than on a salary basis. Exempt employees are required to document time worked if their time is used for billing purposes or as requested by their supervisor.               
• Workdays: The regular business workday for salaried employees varies based on position. A supervisor/manager may specify expectations. Mains’l generally expects that an exempt employee will work forty or more hours in each workweek. Exempt employees are required to meet attendance standards.
• On call time: Exempt employees who are assigned on-call duty or administrative cell phone duty do not receive additional pay for that duty.
• Pay for working direct care hours: Managers who are assigned direct care hours do not receive additional pay for that duty. Exempt employees must receive pre-approval from their director and must enter the time in the Timesheet System for the stipend to be approved and paid.
• Deductions: Mains'l is required by law to make certain deductions from your pay each pay period. This includes income and unemployment taxes, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) contributions (Social Security and Medicare), and any other deductions required under law or by court order for wage garnishments. The amount of your tax deductions will depend on your earnings and the number of exemptions you list on your federal Form W-4 and applicable state withholding form. You may also authorize voluntary deductions from your paycheck, including contributions for insurance premiums, retirement plans, spending accounts, or other services. Your deductions will be reflected in your wage statement.
  • The Company will not make deductions to your pay that are prohibited by federal, state, or local law. If you have any questions about deductions from your pay, contact your Manager. You will be reimbursed in full for any isolated, inadvertent, or improper deductions, as defined by law. If an error is found, you will receive an immediate adjustment, which will be paid no later than your next regular payday.
• Deductions from your salary: A deduction from salary results in a lower gross pay amount on an employee’s paycheck. Deductions will only be made in good faith and in compliance with applicable law. No manager or other employee has the authority to order any deductions from an exempt employee’s salary without the approval of the CEO or Corporate Director of Human Resources. Federal and state law limits the deductions that can be made from the salary of an exempt employee. Mains’l intends to fully comply with these limitations.
  • Allowable deductions from salary: The salary of an exempt employee may be reduced for any of the following reasons:
    • Full day absences for personal reasons.
    • Full day absences for sickness or disability (which absence may otherwise be paid through any sick time benefits available to the salaried employee, if any).
    • Full day suspensions for infractions of Mains’l policies and procedures.
    • Full day suspensions for violations of workplace safety rules of major significance.
    • To offset amounts received as payment for jury and witness fees or military pay.
    • The first or last week of employment in the event the employee works less than a full week.
    • Certain types of deductions such as the employee’s portion of health, dental or life insurance premiums; state, federal or local taxes, social security; or, voluntary contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan.
  • Un-allowable deductions from salary: In a work week in which an exempt employee performs any work, the exempt employee’s salary amount will not be reduced for any of the following reasons:
    • Absence because the facility is closed on a scheduled work day.
    • Absences for jury duty, attendance as a witness, or military leave in any week in which you have performed any work.
    • Any other deductions prohibited by state or federal law.
• Deductions from Paid Time Off (PTO) or Sick Time balances: A deduction from an employee’s PTO or sick time balance reduces the amount of an employee’s unused personal time off (“PTO”) or sick time off. It does not reduce the employee’s salary. Mains’l reduces an exempt employee’s PTO or Sick balance for full and half day absences. Exempt employees use the timesheet and reimbursement system to record deductions from the PTO or Sick Time account balances each payroll that time off is used by the established deadline. The information is then approved by your supervisor.

INTERNAL CONTROLS:

1. The Human Resources Department is responsible for researching and staying current on all federal and state rules and regulations regarding fair pay, timekeeping, and payroll including Fair Labor Standards and the Department of Labor.
2. The Payroll Department is responsible for researching and staying current on all federal and state taxes and IRS rules and regulations related to fair pay, timekeeping, and payroll.
3. Each state and or service Director is responsible for researching and staying current on all program rules and regulations related to fair pay, timekeeping, and payroll.