Payroll

There are several steps you must follow to insure you are paid for your efforts as an America Reads & Counts tutor.

    1. Submit all required documentation to the Student Employment office.
            • I-9 and required forms of identification (new tutors only)
            • W-4 (new tutors only)
    2. Electronically sign the Employment Contract through Corsair Jobs.
    3. Attend Tutor Orientation. You will not be able to be paid until you attend this session.
    4. Sign in and out at your site each time you tutor.
    5. Enter your time on HR Direct every day you tutor and submit it weekly.

Sign-In Sheets

Sign-in sheets/time sheets serve as the official record of the time you spend at the site and are used to verify your HR Direct entries and time logs. For this reason, tutors are required to fill out all of the information requested in order to receive credit for being at the site. If time entered on HR Direct does not match the sign-in sheets/time sheets, that entry will not be approved.​

HR Direct

In order to be compensated for your hours, you must log them in HR Direct.

      • You are a bi-weekly employee which means you are paid every two weeks on a schedule set by the University.
      • HR Direct can be found when you click on the QuickLaunch tab.
      • In HR Direct, select the 'Report Time' button.
      • The time sheet for the current week will be displayed. You can navigate to other weeks by selecting 'Previous Week' or 'Next Week'.
      • Fill out your time sheet and SUBMIT it.
      • If you need to explain your time entry, please type your message in the Comment section. It is available after you submit your timesheet.

HR Direct submissions are due no later than 11:59 PM on Saturdays.

Extra Hours Opportunities

While we make every effort to schedule you with enough hours to complete your work-study award or service hours requirement, it may not happen due to unforeseen circumstances. To reduce the impact of these cancellations, we offer extra hours opportunities - service events that are related to literacy, leadership, and community building and meant to enhance the skills you bring to your work as a tutor. These opportunities are provided as a privilege and can be revoked if they are abused.​

Falsification of Hours

Any falsification of hours will be documented and result in immediate termination. Actions taken by the program regarding this policy reflect the guidelines enforced by the University and federal law.

Falsification includes, but is not limited to:

      • hours logged for tutoring when tutor was absent.
      • hours logged for meetings/events that did not occur or were not attended.

Payroll FAQs

I have not completed my paperwork. Can I start working?

No, at the very least, you must electronically sign your employment contract before you can start working. There may be a delay in receiving payment for your work since access to HR Direct is not provided until the Payroll office has processed your hiring.

I do not have HR Direct on my QuickLaunch OR I can't log in to HR Direct OR HR Direct kicks me out OR HR Direct won't let me enter time OR what is wrong with HR Direct. What should I do?

The Payroll Office needs to process your hiring to enter you in the HR Direct system and give you access. As a result, some tutors may not have access to HR Direct during the first few weeks of work. Once you are in the system, you will receive an email indicating you have access to HR Direct.

I received an email indicating I have access to HR Direct, but when I try to log on the site gives me a 'secure access error'. What should I do?

Contact the Program Coordinator and let her know you are experiencing a 'secure access error'. She will need your student ID number and username in order to have CITS fix the issue.

When are my HR Direct entries due?

The deadline for HR Direct is 11:59 PM on Saturdays. You must enter your hours by the deadline to get paid on time; however, you can enter your hours on HR Direct at any time before the deadline as long as all the hours have been completed.

How do I get paid for training?

You will not be paid for training unless and until you start working. If you no longer have access to that week, you need to request a Payroll correction form.

When will I be paid?

If you meet the deadline for submitting your time on HR Direct, you will be paid on payday (every other Friday). Funds are distributed via direct deposit early Friday morning. If you are receiving a physical check, the paycheck is mailed on Friday.

I couldn't enter my time by the deadline and submitted them "late". Will I still be paid?

Yes. You will always be paid for your work (assuming you have money in your award). The "deadline" is the time by which entries need to be submitted for a check to be ready on payday. Your entries must be uploaded into HR Direct for our office to approve before it is processed by Payroll. If you miss the "deadline", enter your hours as soon as possible thereafter. Your check will be delayed by one pay cycle, but you will be paid. Do not add hours to the next week. This is grounds for dismissal.

I have Direct Deposit. When will I start getting checks, and when will my checks be deposited to my account each pay period?

If you submitted the form at least five days prior to the pay date and the information on the Direct Deposit form is accurate and accepted by your bank, your checks should be deposited in your account early Friday morning on paydays.

I don't have Direct Deposit. When and where can I pick up my checks?

UMass Dartmouth requires all employees to sign up for Direct Deposit. If you do not have a bank account, then the University offers a Global Cash Card. Similar to Direct Deposit, your paycheck is deposited on the card for immediate use.

Can I enter my time late on HR Direct and still be paid on time?

It depends. Deadlines are set to ensure time is approved early enough to be processed for payment. Sometimes we will be able to approve time a little bit late and your late entries will make it through. Other times, it won't. We will process entries as quickly as possible, but we do not have the power to issue paychecks, extend deadlines, etc. The sooner you enter your time after the deadline, the better chance you have of getting paid on time.

But I'm dead broke. I desperately need that paycheck. Can't you make an exception one time?

It's not that we won't -- we can't.

I forgot to enter my time on HR Direct. What can I do?

If you realize you have not entered your hours, log in to HR Direct and attempt to enter your time on that date(s) you worked. If you no cannot enter time, you will need to request a Payroll Correction form. Do not add hours to the next week. This is grounds for dismissal.

Are there any penalties for entering time late on HR Direct?

Unless it becomes a regular occurrence, there are no penalties imposed by us, but there is an intrinsic penalty. When you enter time late, it delays when you receive your pay. All hours are issued in one check. Because taxes are calculated and withheld based on the total of each paycheck, the amount of taxes withheld from that check will be greater than the total that would have been withheld in two separate checks.

If the hours are submitted through a Payroll Correction form, it also delays payment. The extent of the delay depends on when the Payroll Correction form is submitted. Please make every effort to avoid this, as it places an unnecessary burden of time on both you and us.

I forgot to enter time on HR Direct for the last Pay Period. Can I just enter all those hours on this pay period?

No. All time must be entered on the exact date the work was done. You can never enter time on a date if work wasn't done on that date. If the hours go back more than one (1) pay period, you will need to request a Payroll Correction form.

Can I forecast my hours (enter my time before I work)?

It is not recommended. In the past, students have entered their hours for the entire week and, for unforeseen circumstances, they did not work those hours. Students are responsible for removing these hours and oftentimes they forget.

Half of my federal work study is awarded for the Fall semester, half for the Spring. Does this limit the amount I can earn in a semester?

No. You are not penalized for going under or over half of your allotment in the first semester. All we care about is that you not exceed your allotment for the entire academic year.

How do I request a Payroll Correction form?

Email the Program Coordinator with the dates you worked but were unable to enter. You will need to include the amount of hours and the site(s) where you worked.