As we near the holiday season, it is time to review procedures regarding time entry during the November and December breaks. Hourly (non-exempt) employees must use specific holiday pay codes to record time during the designated breaks; exempt (salaried) employees do not have use special codes.
The 2014 holiday schedule is:
Thanksgiving Break: 12:01 a.m. Thursday, November 27, through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, November 29
December Break: 5:01 p.m. Friday, December 19 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, January 1 (the College reopens Friday, January 2, 2015)
Hourly Employees: There are two hourly employees pay codes – Holiday Pay and Holiday Premium Pay – that are used only during the designated holiday periods:
- Holiday Pay (HOL): a benefit that is provided by Middlebury College to keep benefit-eligible employees’ pay whole without having to use CTO during designated holiday periods. It is not intended to provide extra pay: HOL, which pays at an employee’s regular hourly rate, is to be entered for normally scheduled hours by non-exempt benefit eligible employees on days during the specified holiday break periods whether or not they work. For the Thanksgiving break, up to two days may be entered, for the December break, up to nine days may be used. Employees who work variable or flexible schedules should coordinate entry of HOL with their supervisor to determine the appropriate number of HOL hours.
- Holiday Pay Premium (HPP): a benefit that pays eligible non-exempt employees extra for working during the designated holiday periods. HPP, which pays at time-and-a-half the employee’s base hourly rate, is to be used by all eligible employees for hours worked during the specified holiday break periods. A limited number of part-time non-benefit eligible employees (such as those who work at the Snow Bow, as the Snow Bowl is open for regular business during the December) break are not eligible for HPP. Please speak with your supervisor or Human Resources if you have questions regarding your status or eligibility for HPP.
Exempt Employees: the Holiday Pay code will be automatically entered for regularly scheduled time; no additional action is required.
For both hourly and exempt employees, standard pay codes (Regular, CTO, etc.) should be used for any time off before the start of the breaks and/or after 11:59 p.m. on last day of the breaks.
Who Worked on a Holiday
Hourly benefit-eligible staff: Enter Holiday Pay for any normally scheduled hours AND Enter Holiday Pay
Premium for hours actually worked.*
Hourly non-benefit-eligible staff: Enter Holiday Pay Premium for hours actually worked.*
Hourly non-benefit-eligible staff in positions designated as ineligible for HPP: Enter Regular for hours
actually worked.*
Salaried, exempt staff: No action.
* Remember to enter hours on the correct shift.
Who Did Not Work on a Holiday
Hourly benefit-eligible staff: Enter Holiday Pay for any normally scheduled hours.
Hourly non-benefit-eligible staff: No action.
Hourly non-benefit-eligible staff in positions designated as ineligible for HPP: No action.
Salaried, exempt staff: No action. Holiday Pay code will default in during payroll.
FAQs
Q: I understand that holiday pay is for benefit eligible staff. However, I had coordinated with my supervisor and indeed worked during Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving. Can I enter the hours normally in this case?
A: Worked hours during the holiday breaks should be entered as Holiday Pay Premium (HPP) by all non-exempt staff, whether or not they are benefits-eligible. The only exception would be Snow Bowl non-benefits eligible employees, since the Snow Bowl is not closed during the December break.
Q: I am a benefits-eligible hourly employee who normally works Tues-Sat; how would I enter time for the Thanksgiving break if I am off Thursday and Friday, then work Saturday? Would I get three days of holiday pay?
A: You would have to use CTO for one of the three days (the maximum holiday pay benefit is two days for the Thanksgiving break) if you were off all three days. If you work on Saturday, you would enter holiday pay premium for the hours if you work, but it wouldn’t be necessary to enter CTO since you would receive the maximum two days of holiday pay for Thursday and Friday.
Q: I normally work Sunday through Thursday; how would I enter my hours for the Thanksgiving break?
A: You would enter holiday time for Thursday, nothing for Friday and Saturday, and regular time for Sunday, assuming you work that day.
Please contact Human Resources if you have additional questions regarding time entry of HOL or HPP.