Timesheet Signature Policy

In an effort to comply with guidelines directed by the State of Kansas, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and The University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Human Resources (HR) has established the following time sheet signature procedures. 

• All non-exempt employees must sign their time sheets.  No one may sign a timesheet for another employee.  However, if an employee is absent when the time sheet is due, the supervisor or designee must approve the time sheet and submit it to HR without the employee’s signature.  The employee must sign the time sheet as soon as he/she returns to work.
• Exempt employees must sign and/or confirm leave taken (sick, vacation, etc.) in writing.  It is critical exempt employees acknowledge (in writing) the leave recorded by the department.  This enables the University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita to accurately record the intent of the employee and ensures the employer’s records are accurate.  Signed leave request forms and e-mails are acceptable forms of documentation; however, the leave request/e-mail must be attached to the original time sheet(s).  Off campus employees may fax their signed time sheet to their department chair.  The department chair or designee then signs the faxed copy of the time sheet and forwards it to HR.  This practice will provide sufficient documentation to update payroll records, however, to avoid any ambiguity, HR requests the time sheet with the employee’s original signature also be forwarded to HR as soon as possible. 
• The immediate supervisor of exempt and non-exempt employees must approve and sign each time sheet.  HR recognizes associate deans/department chairs as faculty supervisors.  For example, if the department chair is the immediate supervisor of a faculty member, he/she must sign the faculty member’s time sheet.  In the event the supervisor’s signature cannot be obtained, the supervisor may delegate time sheet signature authority by drafting a letter  designating a specific individual or individuals to sign in his/her absence.  The original delegation letter should be kept in the department and a copy of the letter should be filed with the Compensation Coordinator in HR.  A new letter of delegation should be drafted each time a department change occurs (i.e. new department chair, new department administrator, etc.)  It is preferred to first attempt to secure the supervisor’s signature before signing in his/her absence.
• If an employee has signature authority for someone else, he/she should sign his/her name not the name of the delegator.  For example, if Dr. Smith gives Ms. Jones signature authority, Ms. Jones should sign her own name, not “Dr. Smith by Ms. Jones.”
• Signature stamps are not permissible for any signature on time sheets.

For information on timesheet codes, click here.

Last Modified: January 28, 2008