What is a Semi-monthly Pay Period?

Each semi-monthly pay period includes whole work weeks (which run from 12:01 a.m. Sunday to 12:00 midnight Saturday), plus additional days from work weeks which may begin and end in different pay periods.

Notice that Semi-monthly Payroll #18 ends on Sunday, September 30, and that Semi-monthly Payroll #19 begins on Monday, October 1. The payroll periods do not always begin and end with the work week.

The standard work year consists of 2,080 work hours. For non-exempt employees, the Banner form PHAHOUR will default to 86.67 Regular (REG) hours, which is 1/24th of the 2,080 work hours in a standard year.

Non-exempt support staff employees who are called back to work from standby status or otherwise at a time not previously scheduled shall receive call-back pay at one and one-half the regular rate of pay for a minimum of 2 hours, or actual hours worked – whichever is greater.

Used when an employee’s regular hours must be reduced for a period.

Example:

 

Jessica Smith was scheduled to work 40 hours during a work week, but worked only 36 hours and had no available leave time or compensatory time.

 

There will be two earn records for Jessica when time is keyed.

REG 86.67 (which is the set default)

DOC -4 (to deduct 4 hours from Jessica’s semi-monthly pay)

Example:

 

The payroll period runs July 1 - 15. Payroll is keyed on July 6. Your student worker, Casey Chris, has actually worked 24 hours as of July 6. You may estimate the hours she should work for the days remaining in the pay period. You estimate that the student should work 20 hours in the remaining days in the pay period.

There will be two records when time is keyed:

REG 24

EST 20

If Casey actually works more, or less, than the 20 estimated hours, that adjustment will be made on the next payroll.

Non-exempt support staff employees who work all or part of a recognized University holiday period must be paid for the hours actually worked at a rate of one and one-half time the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Any hours worked by a non-exempt support staff employee during the holiday period over 40 hours per week are treated as overtime, but paid at two times the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Example:

 

The University was scheduled to close for the winter holiday. The last work day was Friday, and the holiday began on Monday. The University will be closed the entire week, Monday through Friday.

 

A non-exempt support staff employee, Chris Jenkins, had not worked any overtime during the pay period in which the holiday began.

 

On Sunday night before the holiday began, a fire seriously damaged the Wise Center, which houses the College of Veterinary Medicine. Chris works for the Physical Plant and was contacted to return to work to help repair damages.

 

During the holiday week, Chris worked:

HOT 13 hours at two times the employee’s regular rate of pay for the hours over 40 worked during the holiday week.

Pay when employees are required to be accessible, available, and able to report for duty if called.

Example:

 

Donna Langstrom is a full-time non-exempt employee in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She is scheduled to be "on call" every other weekend from 5:00 p.m. Friday until 5:00 p.m. Saturday. Being "on call" means that Donna will be available to return to work if called in.

 

Donna is paid $15 for each period she is "on call," whether or not she is called to return to work.

 

When semi-monthly payroll is keyed, Donna will have two time records (unless she has overtime hours or was called back to work).

Departments may pay non-exempt employees overtime, or grant compensatory time, for time actually worked beyond 40 hours during a work week. The pay period for the work week begins at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday and runs to 12:00 midnight the following Saturday.

Upon hiring, the unit head is responsible for communicating to employees whether their positions are non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay when hours worked exceed 40 per week, and whether the department pays overtime or grants compensatory time.

Overtime is based on time actually worked and calculated at the rate of one and one-half times the employee’s regular hourly rate for each hour worked beyond 40 hours during each work week.

The following are not counted as time worked in computing overtime.

See Example 2 under SST (Semi-monthly Straight Time).

Lyle actually worked 46 hours during this work week. Lyle did not work any other overtime during this pay period. When payroll is keyed, there will be 2 records for Lyle:

REG 86.67 (the default)

OVT 6 (paid at one and one-half times the regular rate of pay)

Note: When keying payroll, the system will automatically default to 86.67 REG hours for employees who are regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week.

Pay that was not received in a previous pay period.

Example:

 

Amy Jones, your student worker, left town on Thursday the week before spring break – without turning in her time sheet for the last two weeks. Payroll will be keyed on Friday or Monday; but, Amy is gone for the week. You will not be able to key Amy’s time for this pay period.

 

When you key payroll the next pay period, you will have 2 records for Amy.

REG Number of hours worked in the current pay period.

RTO Number of hours earned in a pervious pay period.

Used to record additional hours worked during a week when total hours actually worked do not exceed 40 hours per week and will be paid at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Example 1:

 

During one work week in the pay period, Mary Ivy worked as follows:

Although the total for the work week is 42, Mary was on personal leave for 8 hours, so she did not actually work 42 hours. The 2 additional hours will be paid as Semi-monthly Straight Time (SST).

There will be two earning records for Mary when time is keyed.

REG 86.67 hours (at the regular rate of pay)

SST 2 hours (at the regular rate of pay)

Example 2:

 

During a work week during the pay period, Eric Long took 1 day of personal leave, was off for 1 University holiday, and worked 10 hours each day for the remaining 3 days.

Eric actually worked 30 hours this week, not 46, because the personal leave and University holiday hours are not counted as

time worked in computing overtime.

• Used for non-recurring payments or any lump-sum payment.

• Processed for payment by completing a Request for Other University Employment Activity form.

• The completed, signed form is forwarded to the Department of Human Resources Management, Mail Stop 9603.

• Used to pay employee for unused hours of personal leave (up to 240) upon the employee’s separation from University employment.

• Verified by department and recorded on Employment Action Form submitted to process employee’s separation from employment.

• Leave balance is verified by Human Resources Management.

• Leave payout is processed by Payroll.

Note: The examples given are typical; however, they do not cover every situation.

Questions about appropriate earn codes and associated compensation should be directed to the Human Resource Generalist assigned to the employee’s department.

Call 662 325-3713.

Box 9603

MS State, MS 39762

http://www.hrm.msstate.edu