2.05 – Pay Practices & Mileage/Expense Reimbursement

Pay Periods

For purposes of computing pay, the standard work week begins on Saturday at 12:00 a.m. and continues through the next Friday at 11:59 p.m.  A payroll period will consist of two designated, consecutive standard work weeks.

Flexibility

Due to the nature of providing care, employee work schedules are tentative and are subject to change at the discretion of management based on individual service needs.  Employees are required to cooperatively change shifts, days, hours, and locations, and work overtime or double shifts as needed to provide coverage for individuals.  Employees are expected to share in overtime and holiday hours.  Due to the nature of the business, it may be necessary to have a last-minute extension of work hours.  Unless listed as an expectation under the attendance policy, employees cannot refuse to work these extensions.  Failure to provide the required scheduling flexibility may result in corrective action. 

When working “awake” hours only, all attempts will be made to ensure that employees do not work over 16 consecutive hours in any continuous 24 hour period.  When working a combination of “sleep” and “awake” hours, all attempts will be made to ensure that employees do not work over 20 consecutive hours in any continuous 24 hour period.

Timekeeping

Accurately recording, signing off, and timely submitting all hours worked through electronic systems is the responsibility of each employee.  Failure to do so may result in change or delay in pay. 

Due to the nature of our business, any fraudulent submission (employee submitting any time not worked or not on location in homes) may be considered Medicaid fraud and result in termination.  The supervisor will review and certify/approve all recorded work hours.  Work hours are subject to change pending time verification of actual hours worked.  Management also reserves the right to correct any incorrect recordings on-time records based on actual verified hours worked. 

Breaks & Lunches

As required by law, nonexempt employees will continue to be paid while performing work-related duties during a break.  No employee will take his or her lunch break at the beginning or end of the assigned shift without prior approval. 

At Park West, no breaks will be permitted during established mealtimes and during mandatory coverage.  Employees are permitted to leave the premises only after receiving approval from their immediate supervisor/designee.  Within SCL, breaks and meal periods might not be able to be taken due to coverage and the individual ISP.  Within ADS, staff/participant ratios dictate when employees are able to take a break or meal period.

Overtime

The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes employee eligibility for overtime.  Exempt employees include those who meet the definition of executive, professional, or administrative personnel under the act.  Overtime for exempt employees will not be compensated.  Overtime for non-exempt employees will be paid at a rate of one- and one-half times the employee’s base rate of pay.  All overtime hours require supervisory pre-approval. Overtime pay is based on hours actually worked in excess of 40 hours in any standard workweek.  If an employee’s timesheet shows 48 hours of which eight hours were paid time off (vacation, sick, etc.) the employee would be not eligible for any overtime pay.  Non-exempt employees who work additional hours on the same workweek that they have an approved paid day off may collect payment for both the paid time off and the extra hours at straight time.  Any hours actually worked over 40 would be paid at time and one half in addition to the approved time off.

Admin Employees Assisting with Direct Care

Hourly employees: Non-Direct Care (office staff) may volunteer to help with coverage in apartments/locations.  For this work, they will be paid at their regular rate of pay, including overtime as applicable.

Salaried employees: Salaried employees are subject to the classifications as hourly employees for “paid” and “unpaid” volunteer time.  Salaried employees who are assisting with a Open Door sponsored event would not be paid extra for their time.  However, they may use rescheduled time (taking time off on a different day to compensate for the extra hours worked).  Salaried employees may also assist with coverage in apartments/locations. For this work, they will be paid a flat hourly rate of $15.00. Overtime is paid at the time-and-a-half rate of $22.50 per hour.

Paychecks

All employees are paid bi-weekly.  Each paycheck will include earnings for all hours documented and approved throughout the previous payroll period.  Unless otherwise announced, pay is distributed via direct deposit to the employee’s designated bank account(s) on Friday.  In the event that a regularly scheduled payday fall on a day office is closed, such as a holiday, employees will receive their pay on the last day of the workweek before the regularly scheduled pay date.

Pay Corrections

Open Door takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that employees receive the correct amount of pay in each paycheck.  In the unlikely event that there is an error in the employee’s pay, the employee is responsible for promptly (by 12pm on Friday payday) submitting a Payroll Inquiry form on Open Door Online Employee Hub so that corrections can be made as quickly as administratively reasonable by the Accounting Department.  The Accounting Department will provide a response to Payroll Inquiry.  Any error in pay due to staff not submitting accurate or complete timekeeping records or failure to submit payroll inquiry may result in a delay in payroll.

Pay Rate Changes

Employees may be eligible for a pay rate review at the discretion of management or when being promoted, transferred, or reclassified.  These changes must be submitted by the Director, Associate Director, or Finance Director through the salary change form.

Shift Differential

At the agency’s discretion, a shift differential may be paid for designated hours of work, specific work locations, or during specified time periods.

Expense Reimbursement

Open Door reimburses employees for mileage incurred by the employee in the employee’s personal vehicle for work-related purposes as well as for certain expenses the employee may incur such as the purchase of supplies, employee meals, etc. All reimbursements are subject to review and approval by the Accounting Department and subject to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) limitations and restrictions.

Employee Mileage Reimbursement

Reimbursable Mileage

Travel must occur in the employee’s vehicle and not a company-owned vehicle within the course of doing business for Open Door. For example, traveling to a work location from another work location or travel to and/or from the employee’s work location if the location is considered temporary and outside of the employee’s metropolitan area (i.e. from Columbus to Cleveland).

The employee must complete the “Employee Mileage & Expense Reimbursement” form (or established and designated electronic billing submission form for their specific department) and will be submitted to Accounting Department within 30 days of the mileage occurring. The employee will be reimbursed $0.56 per mile (effective 9/1/2023).  The employee will receive reimbursement as a direct deposit separate from the employee’s bi-weekly paycheck.

Non-Reimbursable Mileage

Travel in a company-owned vehicle; travel to and/or from the employee’s home to the employee’s typical work location; travel the employee intends to claim on his or her annual IRS tax return for reimbursement other than to claim the difference between Open Door reimbursement rate and the IRS reimbursement rate; travel for which the employee is claiming a fuel expense reimbursement for the trip(s)

Employee Expense Reimbursement

Reimbursable Expenses

• Fuel expense, if approved in advance by the department administrator
• Employee meals or lodging during travel, if approved in advance by the department administrator as per the established IRS guidelines pertaining to per diem expenses
• Training supplies, or snacks/meals for a training session or meeting, if approved in advance by the department administrator

Non-Reimbursable Expenses

• Fuel expense, if the employee has already claimed mileage reimbursement for the trip(s)
• Traffic violations, except where noted in Transportation Operating Procedures
• Expenses for which the employee is authorized to use the company credit card
• Expenses for which the employee claimed reimbursement on his or her annual tax return

Procedures

The employee must complete the “Employee Mileage & Expense Reimbursement” form (or other established and designated form for a specific department) and attach original receipts, invoices, or other proof of purchase and submit it to the Accounting Department within 30 days of the expense occurring. The employee will receive reimbursement as a direct deposit separate from the employee’s bi-weekly paycheck.

Last Revised: 8/1/2023