(A) Payroll.
(1) All non-exempt employees are required to clock in and out each day they are on duty.
(2) Time cards require the employee’s signature.
(3) Time cards must be signed by the employee’s supervisor.
(3) All employee, exempt and non-exempt, are required to log PTO, holidays and vacation days taken.
(B) Pay corrections. The town takes all reasonable steps to ensure that employees receive the correct amount of pay and that employees are paid promptly on the scheduled payday. In several roles, shift differential, special assignment pays, clothing allowances, longevity and other distributions vary. It is recommended that each employee carefully review each bi-weekly pay stub to ensure that the correct compensation has been received. If there is an error in the amount of pay, the employee should promptly bring the discrepancy to the attention the Clerk-Treasurer’s office so that corrections may be made as quickly as possible.
(C) Pay deductions.
(1) The law requires that the town make certain deductions from every employee’s compensation. Among these are applicable federal, state, and local income taxes. The town also must deduct Social Security taxes on each civilian employee’s earnings up to a specified limit that is called the Social Security “wage base.” The town matches the amount of Social Security taxes paid by each employee with the exception of exempt public safety roles.
(2) The town offers programs and benefits beyond those required by law. Eligible employees may voluntarily authorize deductions from their paychecks to cover the costs of participation in these programs such as accident or hospital insurance programs and similar.
(3) Pay setoffs are pay deductions taken by the town, usually to help pay off a debt or obligation to town or others. If an employee has questions concerning why deductions were made from their paycheck or how they were calculated, they should contact the Clerk-Treasurer’s office.
(D) Payroll complaint procedure.
(1) Per I.C. 36-5-2-8, the Clerk-Treasurer is responsible for the management and administration of payroll. Therefore, employees who believe their pay has been improperly reduced should immediately contact the Clerk-Treasurer’s office. The Clerk Treasurer’s office will investigate the employee’s concern and determine whether an inadvertent improper deduction has been made. If the deduction was in fact improper, the town will reimburse the employee as promptly as possible. The town complies with all applicable laws concerning the payment of wages and will correct any inadvertent improper deduction, should it occur and monitor the situation to ensure no further issues arise.
(2) An employee’s exempt or nonexempt classification may be changed only upon written notification by the Town Council. In addition to the above, each employee will belong one of the following employment categories:
(a) Regular full-time employees are those who are not in a temporary or introductory status and who are regularly scheduled to work a full-time 40 hour per week/public safety full-time schedule. Employees in this category may be eligible for the town’s benefits package, subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations of each benefit program. Refer to each benefit policy for eligibility requirements.
(b) Temporary/seasonal employees are those who are hired as interim replacements, to temporarily supplement the work force, or to assist in the completion of a specific project. Employment assignments in this category are of a limited duration. Employment beyond any initially stated period does not in any way imply a change in employment status. Temporary employees retain that status unless and until notified of a change. While temporary employees receive all legally mandated benefits, they are ineligible for any of the town’s other benefit programs. When specific temporary/seasonal employee matters are not explicitly stated in this subchapter, department policies will prevail.
(E) Overtime.
(1) Overtime pay is only paid on over 40 hours physically worked in one workweek.
(2) The superintendent and/or Town Council must approve all overtime. In some cases, emergency overtime may be scheduled to finish a job or to make it safe until it can be finished.
(3) The town reserves the right to require employees to work overtime when necessary. Refusal of overtime will be viewed as insubordination.
(4) Any employee may be required to work in excess of the normal workday or workweek to meet operational demands.
(5) Overtime will be paid under the guidelines set out by the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) and paid accordingly. Eligibility for overtime shall be based upon all hours in “active pay status.”
(6) Benefit hours such as holidays, vacation, sick, or personal days cannot be used in the calculation of over time.
(F) Flex time.
(1) The town shall utilize “time-off” or flexible hours in order to avoid having employees work in excess of 40 hours in a workweek.
(2) The supervisor must approve flex time scheduling.
(3) The supervisor should make every effort to ensure that employees utilize flex time so as to not work overtime.
(4) Flex time must be taken within a pay period.
(5) Flex time will not be used in a work week where an employee is called out for an emergency.
(6) Flex time is paid as time for time.
(7) Example: If an employee works four hours overtime in a day, then the employee may be required to take off four hours on another day within that workweek, thus keeping his or her hours worked at 40 hours for that week.