Managing Salary and Pay

Pay frequency determines what time of the month a particular person's pay is processed. Use this chart to determine the appropriate rate code to enter on the payroll paperwork.

New York State increased the 2018 salary exemption threshold to $1,225 per week ($58,500 annually). Therefore, beginning December 31, 2018, administrative employees earning less than $1,225 per week will be eligible for overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours in a week. An employee must earn $1,125 per week to be exempt from overtime, regardless of the number of hours worked.

The New York State salary threshold does not apply to employees working in a bona fide “professional” capacity, including those employees who meet the FLSA definition of “learned professional,” “creative professional,” or teacher exemptions (e.g., certain positions administered by the Provost’s Office).

What does this mean for Columbia University?

The increased salary exemption threshold impacts Officers of the Libraries and Administration*

• Full-time Officers of the Libraries and Administration: Salary increases must be processed to bring the employee up to at least the minimum for their salary grade (e.g., GR 10 / GR 103 must earn at least $58,500).
   
• Part-time officers of the Libraries and Administration: Part-time officers who earn less than $1,125 per week ($58,500 annually) will be converted to the new Hourly Officer employment category.

What does this mean for full-time officers?

Full-time Officers of the Libraries and Administration should receive a salary increase effective January 1, 2019 that brings them to at least the minimum salary for their grade, which is above the updated New York State earnings threshold.

What does this mean for part-time officers?

Part-time Officers of the Libraries and Administration earning less than $1,125 per week will be moved to the bi-weekly payroll and will be classified as Hourly Officers beginning January 1, 2019. Hourly Officers are required to submit bi-weekly timesheets in accordance with their local department practice for timesheets and will be paid every other Friday beginning January 11, 2019.

This change to Hourly Officers will not affect the benefits that are available to part-time Officers of Administration.

Questions

• See Overtime FAQs
   
• Lenny Ruiz ([email protected]): general questions and administrative appointments on the CUIMC Campus
   
• Pete Panycia ([email protected]): general questions and administrative appointments on the Morningside Campus
   

^{*Officers of Administration working a 9, 10 or 11-month employment period may still be exempt from the overtime rule even though they earn less than $58,500 annually, as long as they earn at least $1,125 per week in any week in which they actually perform work. For example, a 10-month employee earning $48,750 annually will remain exempt provided they continue to meet the duties test because they earn more than $1,125/week for their 10-month assignment ($48,750/43.3 weeks = $1,125 per week).}

Columbia University provides a full array of benefits to its faculty and staff that is either fully or partially funded by the University, including benefit plan related expenses (medical, retirement, etc.).

To fund the Columbia-paid benefits, the University applies a fringe benefit rate to salaries as they are paid and charged in the labor accounting system. For complete information on the fringe rates, visit the Finance website.

The Pay Calendar is a campus specific chart listing of all fiscal year pay dates. The calendar also includes key dates and deadlines for electronic or paper transaction submissions and when the paychecks can be viewed by the employees online.

View Payroll Calendars

Electronic and Paperwork Due Dates

In order for a transaction to be processed in a specific pay period, please refer to the transaction processing dates on the payroll calendar. If the transaction is submitted or approved after the deadline, it will be processed in the next on-cycle payroll for that pay group.

Helpful Tips

Plan Ahead. Submit your electronic transactions or paperwork to your approver(s) with enough time for the approver(s) to review, approve, and deliver it to the HRPC (either electronically or via paper) by the due date.

Approvers: For electronic transactions, check the worklist and workflow status pages to determine the location of transactions. For paper transactions, you may contact your Final Approver to obtain the date that the paperwork was signed. The final approvers for each campus differ depending on the type of transaction. Reference the Workflow Job Aids for more information.

Notice of Acknowledgement of Pay Rate and Payday under Section 195 of New York State Labor Law

The New York State Department of Labor requires that all New York State employers provide written notice to employees about the terms and conditions of employment related to rate of pay, regular pay cycle and, for non-exempt employees, rate of overtime pay. These notices must be provided upon hire or rehire or when there are changes in pay rate and are available here. Employers are required to provide the form in the employee’s primary language. Current available languages are: English (default), Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Creole, Polish and Russian.  Departments should contact their HR Client Manager to obtain a form in a language other than English.

Forms:

• NYS DOL Law 195 Form Non-Exempt
• NYS DOL Law 195 Form Officers
• Casual Hire Form & NYS 195 

Information:

• NYS Labor Law 195(1): Cover Letter
• NYS Labor Law 195(1): FAQs for Academic Personnel  
• NYS Labor Law 195(1): Non-Academic FAQs

The law applies to the following employees: 

• All Academic personnel (excluding Student Officers and Postdoctoral Fellows)
• Officers of Administration (both regular and temporary)
• Union and Non-Union Support Staff (both regular and temporary)
• Casuals
• Work-Study

When to Provide the NYS 195 Form:

• The notice must be provided to all new employees as part of the new hire process, and a signed copy must be included with the new hire paperwork (either attached to the template-based hire or paper PAF).
• Upon change in appointment (e.g., from casual to support staff, from student officer to faculty or officer of research).
• Before a change in pay rate: when the salary changes for any reason (e.g., reappointments, changes in appointment, promotions/upgrades).
• Faculty and officers of research who are reappointed for periods of less than a year must receive a new wage notification for each reappointment.

The Time Entry Form is used in rare situations where time for an employee cannot be submitted via FFE or another approved time entry system. Use the time entry form when a new casual employee does not appear in FFE, although the Template-Based Hire electronic form/paperwork has been sent to the HRPC and the employee needs to be paid for their work. 

Go to Time Entry Form 

Verify that the form is complete, sign it, and route it to the appropriate approver. The final approver will route it to HRPC.

FFE Codes

• If there is an "X" in the box below, then use FFE for that transaction code.
• If there is a "TEF" in the box, please use the Time Entry Form for that transaction code.

The check address is the delivery location for an employee's paycheck; usually the location of the Departmental Administrator. The check sequence code indicates the employee's department and location where their paper check would be delivered.

While the majority of Columbia University employees are on direct deposit, there are employees who receive a paper paycheck and advice. In the interest of security and accountability, we do not send the paper paychecks and advices directly to employees at their office address or work location. Instead, we use a check address that is assigned to a department rather than an individual. Most employees in the same department will have the same check address.

Each department authorizes an individual, usually the departmental administrator, to receive and/or distribute checks and advices to employees. Additionally, the authorized department representative is the primary contact for the HRPC and Payroll departments in case of a missing check/advice or a reversal/reissue.

• To view employee check address in manager self-service: click on the check address link in the "additional information" section on the Employee Information page.
   
• To move an employee to a different check address: if an employee is transferred to a new department and administered by a new DA, the check address must be reviewed and updated when necessary on the PAF to transfer the employee.

The Check Sequence Code must be included on all Columbia hiring forms (electronic or paper) that you submit, including:

• Template-based hire
• Personnel action form (PAF)
• Nomination form
• Casual employment form
• Work-study form

Reference the Check Sequence Codes job aid for a complete listing.

• Check Address Form
• Check Sequence Code

Modify or Add a Check Address

The Check Address Form is used to request changes to a check address for the following reasons:

• Update an existing check address. If the DA or person distributing the checks leaves the department or changes their physical location, you must update the Check Address to include either the new DA’s name or the continuing DA’s new location. This will affect all employees using that Check Sequence Code.
   
• Request a new check address (very rare). In the case of a new building or department, you can request that a new Check Address be created. Your request will be reviewed. You will be contacted when a decision is made. Please note that very few of these requests are approved.

Columbia Addresses Overview

PAC requires three addresses for every employee that receives pay. The three addresses are home, office and check. Additionally, for non-resident aliens, a local mailing address is also required. Please refer to the chart below for further clarification of the different address types.

See Direct Deposit Employee page