Policies for Faculty
Chapter 4 Compensation Procedures
4.1 Direct Deposit
Approved May 14, 2014
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville offers direct deposit for employees, student workers and graduate assistants. All employees are encouraged to take advantage of direct deposit by completing the Direct Deposit Authorization Form. For more information and FAQ’s, please visit Payroll.
4.2 Hours of Work
Approved January 1, 1985
Approved and Revised May 14, 2014
The administrative work week of the University shall start at 12:00 midnight, Sunday. In departments where around-the-clock operations are required, the scheduled work days within the administrative work week will be adjusted to provide for more than the regular five-day operation. The basic office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
4.3 Pay Dates
Approved May 14, 2014
The University has scheduled pay dates for employees. Faculty are generally paid semi-monthly on the 16th and last business day of the month.For a schedule of current year pay dates, please visit Payroll.
4.4 Safe Harbor
Approved December 14, 2016
If an employee believes that their wages have been subject to any improper deductions or that pay does not accurately reflect all hours worked, the employee should promptly report concerns to their immediate supervisor. If a supervisor is unavailable or if an employee believes it would be inappropriate to contact his/her supervisor (or if the employee has not received a prompt and fully acceptable reply from their supervisor within three business days), the employee should immediately contact the Payroll Department. If the employee has not received a satisfactory response within five business days after reporting their concern to the Payroll Department, the employee may contact the Director, Office of Human Resources.
Every report will be fully investigated and corrective action will be taken. The University will not allow any form of retaliation against individuals who report alleged violations of this policy or who cooperate in the University’s investigation of such reports.
4.5 Salary Deferral
Approved May 14, 2014
Employees who work less than a full 12-month employment contract may elect to participate in salary deferral. Salary deferral is a process that defers a portion of salary during a contract period and pays the deferred compensation during the break period. An employee may elect to receive compensation over a twelve (12) month period (paid over 24 semimonthly payrolls) instead of the contract employment period (9, 10, or 11 months). In compliance with IRS code the defer pay election must be made and received by Payroll before the employee starts working. For more information on salary deferral, please visit Payroll.
4.6 Wage Assignments, Garnishments, and Child Support
Approved May 14, 2014
The Payroll Department may receive court orders for garnishments, bankruptcy withholdings, and/or child support. A garnishment is an order that directs the University to withhold money from an employee’s paycheck and to forward that money to the court or garnishing agency for payment of a debt owed. SIUE must comply with all court orders and withhold the appropriate deduction from an employee’s pay. The amount typically required for withholding is 25% of gross earnings less deductions required by law. If an order of withholding is issued by a court of law, the employee will receive a notice from the agency or court that wages will soon be garnished. When Payroll receives such an order, it will contact the employee and inform him/her of the upcoming deduction. The employee will see the deduction amount withheld on his/her pay stub. If an employee has a concern with a withholding, he/she should discuss the issue with the agency or the court. Payroll may not stop an order and must comply with the law by withholding the required amount. Garnishments that may appear as payroll deductions may include but are not limited to:
- Child support and support in arrears;
- Spousal support and support in arrears;
- Chapter 13 Bankruptcy;
- Credit Garnishments;
- Tax Levies;
- Defaulted Student Loans.
In some cases employees may agree to a voluntary payroll withholding to satisfy a debt owed to the Internal Revenue Service or for state or federal taxes. Employees will need to provide information and authorize Payroll to establish a voluntary payroll withholding when this is necessary. Only federal and state taxes and state agencies are accepted by the University for Voluntary Payroll Withholdings. SIUE is unable to honor any employee requests for voluntary wage assignments for other purposes. The State Collection Act of 1986 requires State of Illinois agencies to submit names of debtors to the Comptroller’s Offset System when a debt becomes past due. Once a name is received, the Illinois Comptroller Offset System adds that name to an Offset list and directs a state employer to withhold certain amounts in order to satisfy an outstanding debt to the affected State of Illinois agency. If an employee owes an unpaid or past due debt to any state agency, he/she may appear on the Comptroller’s Offset System list. Wages may be garnished to recover funds owed to the state agency. In the event of such an occurrence, the employee will receive a notice from the agency that the debt was turned over to the Offset System. When Payroll is notified that an existing employee is on the Offset list, it will contact the employee and inform him/her of the upcoming deduction. The employee will see the deduction amount withheld on his/her pay stub. Under Illinois law, SIUE is a state agency employer and is thereby required to comply with the Offset System by deducting a set amount from all payrolls and all affected employees, student workers, and graduate assistants in order to repay the State of Illinois. The amount withheld is remitted to the Illinois Bureau which applies the payment to the debt. If an employee believes this offset is in error, he/she should contact the Illinois Comptroller’s Office. Please be advised that the University has no authority to remove an employee’s name from the offset list, nor may the University contact the Comptroller on behalf of an employee to discuss the debt. There may be other repayment options available to an employee through the state agency to which the debt is owed. Such information can be provided by the Illinois Comptroller’s office.
