Approved Uses for the RPN (Reg Pay Not Worked) Time Reporting Code
The RPN Time Reporting Code has a strict and limited use. The only authorized reasons for its use are:
- Approved COVID related time off starting in March 2020 for eligible employees
- Must be reported with PAN pandemic tracking code for this use
- Time off related to the “For Cause Drug” policy
- Daylight savings during “spring forward”
- Administrative Leaves, typically less than 10 days in length
- This use of the code requires HR approval (HR Business Partner)
Any other use besides what is listed above is not authorized.
HR Contact Tool Reminder
Do you need to know who your assigned HR Pay Analyst is? You’re in luck! We have a tool for that.
Simply enter in the department ID to see who is listed as your Pay analyst, HR Business Partner, Timekeeper and backup Timekeeper.
Please contact your assigned pay analyst directly via email with questions about time reporting, pay policies, questions about paychecks and leave balance, etc.
If you see your assigned Pay Analyst is out of office you may send your inquiry to the whole team (HR-Payroll@med.umich.edu). Please send messages to the entire team only when necessary.
A Reminder to Set Up Delegate Approvers
It is a requirement to have authorized reported time in the system, before the Payroll Data Entry Deadline, for ALL regular employees with an active appointment.
To ensure time is reported and employees are paid accurately and on time, it is vital that Primary Approvers set up Delegate Approvers who will approve time in their absence. For guidance on creating and maintaining a Delegate Group, refer to the resource Delegate Groups: Creating and Maintaining.
Having assigned Delegate Approvers helps support compliance with the Payroll Controls Standard Practice Guide 518.01, which states:
“Each department is responsible for maintaining adequate internal controls for payroll related processes, which include an effective system of monitoring and oversight to ensure the accuracy and validity of its payroll……”
Case Study for Punch Time Entry
Recently, U-M Health Payroll received the following inquiry: How strict should our department be with employees punching exactly 30-minutes for their unpaid lunch break? Should we be concerned about a 31-minute lunch break?
To answer this question, we will first define a lunch break using the Lunch Periods Standard Practice Guide 201.31:
“Departmental lunch periods when unpaid are either thirty (30) minutes or sixty (60) minutes in duration and are scheduled by the department. When the lunch period is a paid part of the regularly scheduled workday, it shall not exceed twenty (20) minutes. In these cases, staff members are expected to eat their lunch as time and the work schedule permit.”
Lunch periods must be uninterrupted, in which the employee is relieved of all work responsibilities. If a lunch period is less than 30 minutes or is not an uninterrupted period of time where the employee is completely relieved of work duties, they must be paid.
In accordance with the Punch & WebClock Time Reporting Standards employees are to punch within 5 minutes and 59 seconds (5:59) of the start and end time of their lunch period. This is consistent with punches at the start and end of a scheduled work shift. In this manner, the duration of the lunch period should be close to 30 minutes but is not expected to be exact.
A sample scenario: An employee’s scheduled lunch period is 12:00 Noon to 12:30 PM. The ‘Out’ punch is expected to occur between 12:00 Noon and 12:05:59 PM, within 5 minutes 59 seconds of the noon lunch start time. The ‘In’ punch is expected between 12:30 PM and 12:35:59 PM, or within 5 minutes, 59 seconds of the lunch end time.
Time punched outside of the 5:59 window before and after the start and end times (lunch period or work shift) requires exception time to be reported on the timesheet for every 1/10 of an hour in accordance with the Tenths Chart. Each punch stands alone, meaning each punch time stamp is evaluated separately.
Additional Resource: Rest & Meal Periods (video)
Payroll Team Office Hours
Amanda Louks, Payroll Manager (or designee) will be available for “Office Hours” to meet with Timekeepers & Approvers once a week.
Office Hours Schedule:
- No Office Hours Next Week
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