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Position Classification System
Overtime
Probationary Review
Annual Merit Review
Payroll Procedures
The objectives of Boston College's compensation system are to attract and retain qualified individuals and to motivate them to perform at a high level. To accomplish these goals, the Department of Human Resources will periodically assess the relevant external markets for various occupational groups and establish pay practices for Boston College that reflect a competitive position in those markets. On an individual basis, salaries will reflect qualifications, skills, performance, and competitiveness with the appropriate job market.
Most jobs are classified using an internal ranking structure. Each job is assigned to a grade level which corresponds to a salary range comprised of a minimum, midpoint, and maximum value. These ranges are reviewed annually and are adjusted to reflect movement in the relevant external markets. The updated salary ranges are distributed to all University departments during the annual merit review process. Copies of current ranges and position descriptions are available to all employees at the Department of Human Resources upon request.
Position Classification System
The Boston College wage and salary plan utilizes a classification system in
which each job is ranked based on an evaluation using information provided in
a position description. The analysis of a job considers requirements such as
knowledge of the area, problem-solving ability, organizational breadth, accountability,
training, and experience. Based on the results of this evaluation, each position
is classified at the appropriate salary grade level.
A supervisor, or an employee following consultation with the superior, may request re-evaluation of a position by contacting a member of the Compensation staff in the Department of Human Resources. A Position Description Questionnaire will be sent to the supervisor or employee for completion and return to Human Resources for evaluation.
Exempt/Nonexempt Classification
The Fair Labor Standards Act designates certain workers as eligible for overtime
compensation. The following terminology is used to distinguish workers who may
receive overtime pay from those who may not:
- Exempt: refers to those employees whose duties and responsibilities make them exempt from overtime compensation as defined by the Act. At Boston College, nearly all exempt employees are on the monthly payroll.
- Nonexempt: refers to those employees whose work, as defined by the Act, makes them eligible for overtime compensation. At Boston College, nonexempt employees are on the weekly or hourly payroll.
Eligibility for Extra Hours/Overtime
Nonexempt staff are eligible for payment for extra hours worked at the request
of the supervisor at times when workloads or unusual circumstances make it necessary.
Whenever possible, the extra hours will be offset by allowing the employee an
equivalent number of hours off during the same pay period so that the total
hours worked will not exceed 40 in a week. "Compensatory time" for
extra/overtime hours is not permitted to be carried over to subsequent weeks.
Extra hours worked between 35 and 40 per week are compensated at the regular
hourly rate; overtime hours beyond 40 in a week are compensated at one and one-half
times the regular rate.
Holidays and Emergency Closings
When a nonexempt employee works on a holiday, he/she will receive holiday pay
at the regular rate, plus overtime pay at one and one-half times the regular
rate for all hours worked. This guideline applies regardless of the number of
hours the employee works during the work week in which the holiday occurs. Essential
employees (as designated by management) who work during a University-declared
emergency closing or early release will be similarly compensated.
Whenever possible, compensation for work performed on a holiday or during an emergency closing will be made through the provision of compensatory time, at one and one-half times the hours worked, within a reasonable period and preferably during the same week.
Submission of Overtime Hours
Overtime must be recorded on an overtime sheet, signed by the employee and the
authorizing supervisor, and submitted to the Department of Human Resources on
the Friday of the week in which the overtime is worked, or on the following
Monday if the overtime occurred on Friday or Saturday. When a holiday occurs
at the end of the week, the time slip must be submitted on the last work day
of that week.
Probationary Review
The performance of new employees is reviewed at the end of the official probationary
period, that is, after six months of employment for exempt employees and four
months of employment for nonexempt employees. Probationary reviews provide an
opportunity for the supervisor and the employee to determine the appropriateness
of continued employment for the employee and to discuss performance and areas
for further development.
Exempt employees hired between December 1 and May 31 and nonexempt employees hired between February 1 and May 31 are not eligible for the annual merit review. Instead, they are eligible for a salary increment in conjunction with their probationary review.
Annual Merit Review
All employees are eligible for a merit review on an annual basis. Exceptions
may include those hired into temporary, externally funded positions and those
who have not completed the new hire probationary period as described in the
"Probationary Review" section in this handbook.
The purpose of the merit review is to provide an opportunity for employee and supervisor to discuss the employee's performance over the past year in the context of the employee's position responsibilities and the objectives of the department or work unit. The annual merit review is an opportunity to provide salary increments which reward good performance. The increments reflect recent economic conditions and the market, subject to the availability of University resources.
Supervisors are expected to complete a written performance appraisal for each of their employees, in concert with the University's Performance Management system, and to schedule time to discuss the appraisal with the employee. Each employee is provided an opportunity to respond to the appraisal in writing. The supervisor's appraisal and the employee's response both become a permanent part of the employee's personnel file in the Department of Human Resources.
Payroll Procedures
The Human Resources Service Center is responsible for processing and distributing
all paychecks. Questions concerning salary or wages, tax deductions, and the
procedures described in this section should be directed to the HR Service Center
in More Hall, Room 370.
Payroll and Tax Forms (This section last
updated online: June 29, 2001)
New employees must fill out, upon hire, all appropriate payroll, personal data,
and tax forms. These forms and instructions
are available online at http://www.bc.edu/hrsc. The forms may be completed at
the HR Service Center on or before the first day of work. Pay cannot be processed
unless all the necessary forms have been completed, including the I-9 Form described
below.
Employment Eligibility Verification
Form (I-9) (This section last updated online: June 29, 2001)
All new employees are subject to the requirements of the Immigration Reform
and Control Act of 1986 which stipulates that only American citizens, permanent
resident aliens, and aliens who are authorized to work in the United States
may be hired. Therefore, each new employee must provide evidence of identity
and work eligibility as a condition of employment. The I-9 form satisfying this
requirement must be completed at the HR Service Center within the first three
days of work.
Employees who are not United States citizens must provide the HR Service Center with a copy of their visa and Social Security card. If an individual does not have a Social Security number, he/she must apply for one and provide a copy of the application to the HR Service Center when the I-9 form is completed.
Pay Period
(This section last updated online: June 29, 2001)
Members of the professional/administrative staff are paid in the middle of the
month (usually the 16th) for that calendar month. New employees who begin working
in the middle of a month, and who miss that month's pay cycle, will be paid
in full on the next monthly pay cycle.
All other employees are paid on the last working day of each week for work performed the previous week. For employees who must report time worked in order to receive pay, their hours worked each week must be submitted to the HR Service Center by 10 a.m. on Friday for payment the following Friday. When a holiday occurs at the end of a week, the hours must be submitted on the last working day of that week. For employees who use the KRONOS Time Collection System, time must be approved by the work department and transmitted to the HR Service Center Time Keeper by noon on Monday following the work week.
Pay Distribution
(This section last updated online: June 29, 2001)
The required method of pay distribution at Boston College is Direct Deposit
to an employee's checking or savings account. Virtually any bank or credit union
may be used. New Employees must complete a Direct Deposit authorization (part
of the Personal Data Form (http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/hvp/hrsc/personal_data_form.html))
and submit it to the HR Service Center in More Hall, Room 370. For checking
accounts, a voided check must be included with the authorization form; for savings
accounts, a Direct Deposit for Savings Form (http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/hvp/hrsc/savings.html)
completed by a bank representative will be required.
Currently, pay advices for employees on the weekly payroll are picked up and distributed by building or department representatives on each payday. Pay advices for employees on the monthly payroll are mailed to their home addresses. [Note: on-line pay advices are expected to replace paper advices in a program to be phased in over time.]
Employees are responsible for verifying that direct deposit amounts have been credited to their accounts on payday.
Payroll Deductions
Pay advices indicate gross earnings, net earnings, and all deductions. Required
payroll deductions include federal income tax, state income tax, Social Security
(OASDI) and Medicare (HI) taxes. Voluntary deductions may be arranged on an
individual basis.