Human Resources

Q1. Why are we moving weekly paid casual staff to monthly pay?

A. There are a number of effects on Payroll processing which have arisen from the new Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) requirements on employers.  In particular, the introduction of Real Time Information has the greatest effect where, from April 2013, employers are obligated to report PAYE information to HMRC every time we pay an employee at the time we pay them.  This change also aligns us to other Universities across the UK and large employers in the area who no longer operate weekly payrolls.

Q2. When is the last weekly payday?

A. The last weekly payroll will be made in tax week 52 of the 2012/2013 tax year.  Pay day will be Tuesday 2 April 2013.

Q3. Will I be issued with a new casual contract?

A. For most casual workers, there is no requirement to issue a new letter of engagement as the Terms of Engagement do not specify the frequency of payment.  However, all Student Ambassadors will be issued with a new set of Terms of Engagement as their current Terms of Engagement do indicate a weekly payment schedule.

Q4. Will all new casual workers be monthly paid?

A. Yes.  With effect from 29 April 2013, all newly appointed casual workers will be paid monthly.

Q5. When will I receive my pay for hours worked and what are the cut-off dates for submitting my timesheets?

A. Staff will be paid on the penultimate working day (Monday to Friday) of the month, this means the last but one day of the month excluding weekends. Below is a table which details the pay dates between April 2013 and December 2013:

 Please note, if you are a Student Ambassador, you will be required to submit your time sheets to the Student Ambassador Management team at least 72 hours (3 working days) before these dates, due to the additional processing required.

Q6. At what point in the month will I receive my payslip?

A. You will normally receive your payslip the day before ‘pay day’ (see schedule above in Q5).  Employers have an obligation to provide a detailed written pay statement (payslip) on or before ‘pay day’.  The obligation can be in either electronic form or hard copy (paper form).  At present the University is only able to offer a hard copy payslip.

Q7. Where will my payslip be sent?

A. For CBE casual staff your payslip will be sent to your relevant Manager/Supervisor for distribution internally. For other casual staff your payslip will be sent to your preferred destination e.g. Faculty/School/Directorate or your home address.  If you are a ‘leaver’ in the month then your payslip, along with your P45, will be sent to your home address at the end of the month.

Q8. What happens if my pay is incorrect?

A: If you are over or under paid then adjustments can only be made at the next pay date.  As there will be a month between pay dates you will have to wait longer for these adjustments.  It is therefore important that you submit accurate timesheets and flag any possible errors to your manager/supervisor.  You should also ensure that you keep accurate records of all hours claimed so that you can easily check that your pay is correct when you receive your payslip.

Q9. My earnings are currently below the threshold for national insurance, when I am paid monthly will I have to pay NI?

A. National Insurance will be evaluated on a monthly basis.  If your weekly earnings currently fall below the NI threshold then you will not have to pay NI when you move to monthly pay.  However, working additional hours will increase your earnings and may therefore take you above the NI threshold.  For other casuals who may be used to submitting casual  timesheets, and for individual managers submitting payment requests on an infrequent basis (perhaps half a dozen at a time), it would be advisable to submit these on a more frequent basis where possible, adhering to the cut off dates above (see Q5). 

Q10. What about working tax credits and other benefits I am currently entitled to – will they be affected?

A. It is only the frequency of your pay that is changing.  As with any change to your circumstances, you should contact the HMRC if you wish to discuss your personal situation.  Benefits are generally calculated on your annual earnings so the change to pay frequency should not impact on your benefits.

Q11. I have a Court Attachment of Earnings Order (CAEO) which is deducted from my weekly pay

A. If you have a CAEO then the move to monthly pay may affect you, though it is more likely to affect staff with a CAEO who work full time hours.  You may have to pay an increased amount back to the Council and the reason for the increase is that the University is required to make deductions based on percentage earnings tables sent to us by the relevant Borough Council.

If you are required to increase your contributions against the CAEO, your overall debt will not increase and you will not end up paying more than you would have done but you will pay off the debt quicker.  The % levels are set by the Council and are not something which the University can change.  If you do have to pay higher contributions and are concerned please contact the relevant Borough Council.

Q12. What is the Payroll cut-off date?

A. Pay cut-off is the date by which a timesheet/payment request must be submitted to be included in the upcoming pay.  For CB&E staff the cut-off date refers to the hours worked up this date for which you will be paid.  From time to time these dates may change due to an early pay day.  Any changes will be noted on the Payroll web page and communicated to mangers etc where applicable.

Q13. What is the deadline on the cut-off date to submit my timesheet/payment submission?

A. The deadline is 10.00 am on the cut-off date.

Q14. What happens if I miss the payroll cut-off date – can I have an advance?

A. No.  All payments (e.g. hours on timesheets, payment submissions, ProTime hours) which miss the payroll cut-off date, regardless of fault, will be processed the following month.  The onus to submit accurate and timely information in time for processing will be on the individual and the managers/supervisors.

Q15. Can I claim for hours worked in advance?

A. No.  You will only be paid for hours actually worked or work completed.

Q16. Will I be paid any compensation for the change to the pay frequency?