Employees in Company always forgetting to submit their time - in UTAH

[UTCOMPANY94]

I am in charge of paying out employees in my company. I spend many hours every payday trying to get all employees timesheets. I send an email. Then I walk around to every individual and ask for their timesheets. This happens every payday. It slows down the pay process.
Can the company not pay the employees who do not submit their time, and require them to wait until the next payperiod? We pay biweekly.
I don't want to resort to this, but feel that he larger our company gets, the more difficult it will become to walk to every station and require time.

P.S. The main individuals are hourly employees.

Thanks.

[mlane58]

Originally Posted by UTCOMPANY94

I am in charge of paying out employees in my company. I spend many hours every payday trying to get all employees timesheets. I send an email. Then I walk around to every individual and ask for their timesheets. This happens every payday. It slows down the pay process.
Can the company not pay the employees who do not submit their time, and require them to wait until the next payperiod? We pay biweekly.
I don't want to resort to this, but feel that he larger our company gets, the more difficult it will become to walk to every station and require time.

P.S. The main individuals are hourly employees.

Thanks.

Absolutely not, that would be a violation of the law. You can however take corrective action against them for not following policy and procedure.

[ElleMD]

No, you can't not pay someone. There is a school of thought out there that if you threaten to not pay, folks will sit up and take notice. Since you can't make good on your threat, it won't take very long before employees realize it is meaningless and you lose all credibility.

The problem with hand holding is that once employees figure out you will tolerate this, there is no incentive to change. I would use whatever communication system you currently have in place to let everyone know now that life as far as timesheets go is about to change. Give them the deadline, send one general reminder, maybe post some signs in common areas as a reminder too, then let there be consequences.

Two things I've tried that have worked:
1. If you don't get the timesheet, pay all known hours worked out of PTO. I'd assume no OT unless it is obvious that they did, even then I'd estimate low. Or course I'd correct this once I got the actual timesheet but it did make employees take notice. The DOL doesn't care whether you take it from the leave bank or just pay it so long as the employee gets a check. Employees sure mind seeing a hit to their vacation bank.

2. If a lot of your employees have direct deposit, you can discontinue it that pay period and instead cut them a manual check on payday. They still get paid on time. They get their full funds, but having to go to the bank to cash their check is inconvenient. If direct deposit is only available to those who turn time sheets in on time, suddenly you start getting them on time.

Ideally you'd also have a way to hold managers accountable for their employees or a way to hold employees accountable as you would for any other reports or documents they must complete. It is a requirement of the employer and part of their job, every bit as much as their regular duties. This takes the buy in of top management though and a culture that relies on personal and supervisor accountability. The thing is, if you have that, you probably don't have a problem getting timesheets in.

[Pattymd]

No, you can't. You need upper management to support you in holding the supervisors/managers responsible for making sure their employees' time sheets get approved and turned in on time.

A couple of suggestions I've seen have been to turn off direct deposit for that payroll or charge his entire pay period to vacation, then give the check to the VP or somebody and make the employee go to him to get his check and explain why he didn't turn in his time sheet.

[mlane58]

Originally Posted by Pattymd

No, you can't. You need upper management to support you in holding the supervisors/managers responsible for making sure their employees' time sheets get approved and turned in on time.

A couple of suggestions I've seen have been to turn off direct deposit for that payroll or charge his entire pay period to vacation, then give the check to the VP or somebody and make the employee go to him to get his check and explain why he didn't turn in his time sheet.

Nice touch Patty, I like that idea

[UTCOMPANY94]

Thanks everyone!! I will try your suggestions