Incorrect timesheets - paycheck

I am hoping you all can help. In one department, 4 out of 13 employees continuously hand in incorrect time sheets (all are non-exempt). Is it legal to (since we have a deadline as to when time sheets are due so that one can be paid) withhold their paycheck until the next pay so that their time sheets are correct? The supervisor shouldn't have to keep tracking them down to get them to do them correctly. Our policy states that if a timesheet is not handed in by a certain time, they will not be paid, that they will receive their pay the next time period. (We are paid every two weeks).
Thanks

Comments

  • 7 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • You need to pay them, but discipline them for not following policy/procedure.
  • I would pay them according to the information they provide. Any correctiongs should be handled on the following paycheck. If they are "shorted" in their pay, explain that they are paid according to this information and corrections will be on the next paycheck. It should only take once or twice before this practice stops. If they are overpaid, remove the overpayment from the next check as well. It is not your responsibility, or that of the payroll person, to run these employees down to get correct information but do NOT withhold their entire check due to this.
  • Ditto to Linda's response.
  • My company strives to have accurate timesheets....our yearend bonuses are tied to the accuracy of them. That is our incentive, but we do have those that slip up. In those cases we don't hold payroll for anything. If the error shorts the employee, we make it up in the next payroll. If it benefits the employee, we deduct it the next pay.
  • I agree with Linda. What I do is pay them according to their timesheets, if they are incorrect I make the adjustment on the next regular pay cycle. I have people in our hospital who do not write days down, extra calls, etc., my response to them is: "How am I suppose to pay you for time you did not write down, I am not a babysitter." I do, however, re-do their check if it is my error, not theirs. Most times, however, it is the employees error, not mine, so I very rarely re-run a check.
    Hope this helps.
  • Agree totally with Linda. Pay off the time sheets and make the corrections on next pay period. If they don't turn in a time sheet, I would just pay them for the straight time. It will only take a time or two not to get their entire paycheck for them to start following procedures. It will make your life sheer hell to run people down every payday and make payroll take twice as long.


  • I would pay them what they list as hours worked and make the correction on the next pay check. I would then call them in and inform them that they have falsified a company document, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Falsification of a company document will lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. You must get it across to them that the State and Federal goverments look at these in legal issues and they must be accurate.
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