Overview: Time and Leave Reporting

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Requirements for Reporting Time and Leave

All Stanford staff members (part-time and full-time) are required to report time (hours worked) and/or leave (time off) each pay period.

This includes:

  • Exempt employees who report leave taken
  • Non-exempt employees who report hours worked and/or leave taken
  • Temporary, casual, or student employees who report hours worked

This does NOT apply to:

  • Faculty, postdoctoral students, graduate students receiving assistantships, and students on financial aid / stipends (unless they are working in a separately paid part-time position).
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Pay Periods and Pay Dates

Hours worked and/or leave (time off) is reported for the following pay periods:

  • Beginning the 1st and ending the 15th of the month
  • Beginning the 16th and ending the last day of the month

Pay dates are the 7th and the 22nd of each month, or the nearest preceding business day if the pay date falls on a weekend or holiday.

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Time Reporting Methods Used at Stanford

Time and leave reporting methods are determined by each school or department. The most common method used to report time and/or leave taken is the Kronos online timecard application. Other methods are mentioned below. Ask your supervisor which method is used in your school or department.

Kronos Online Timecard
The University's primary system of recording time and/or leave taken is the Kronos [link to About Kronos] online timecard application. Using Kronos:
  • Staff members enter time and/or leave records online for each pay period
  • Staff members electronically approve their own timecard upon completion
  • Supervisors and/or department / school Time and Leave Administrators review and approve employee time and leave records
  • Payroll is run based on the approved records

See Reporting Time Worked and Leave in Kronos and Reporting Leave in Kronos for more information on how to use Kronos.

Time Clocks

Some departments use a time clock for employees to enter "In" and "Out" times. You must have an active University ID card [link to SUNet ID site] to use a time clock. Employees "swipe" the ID card through the time clock when they report to work and when they leave work. Kelly - How does the time clock information get sent to Payroll? For assistance using the time clock, reference Time Clock Basic Function Keys [link].

Local Manual Process

A very few departments use a paper form or rely on email for employees to report hours worked and/or leave taken. Typically paper forms or emails are submitted for approval and then entered into Kronos by the departments Time and Leave Administrator. Payroll is run based on the approved records entered into Kronos.

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Reporting Time Worked and Leave in Kronos

(For Non-Exempt, Temporary, Casual Employees, and Student Workers)

Federal and state laws require non-exempt employees to keep an accurate daily record of hours actually worked, including actual start and stop times. Any overtime worked must be pre-approved.

If you are a leave eligible employee, Stanford policy requires that you also record leave (time off). To confirm whether or not you accrue leave, please ask your supervisor.

For an overview of policies related to vacation, sick leave, overtime, working during university holidays and closures, etc., please review Policy Notes: Time and Leave Reporting [link].

Viewing Leave Accruals
There are two ways to view accrued leave balances:

For help reporting time worked and leave (including viewing accruals) using the Kronos online timecard application, review:

  • Quick Steps: Enter Hours Worked and Leave in Kronos [link]
  • Quick Steps: Review and Approve Online Kronos Timecard (for Supervisors)[link]
  • Enter Hours Worked in Kronos Online Tutorial [link]
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Reporting Leave in Kronos

(For Exempt Employees)

Exempt employees are not required to report time worked. Exempt employees are required to report leave (time off). Leave is normally reported as follows:

  • Vacation is reported in four-hour increments
  • Sick leave, floating holiday, and personal time off (PTO) may be reported in hourly increments

For an overview of policies related to vacation, sick leave, personal time off, etc., please review Policy Notes: Time and Leave Reporting [link].

Viewing Leave Accruals
There are two ways to view accrued leave balances:

For help reporting leave or viewing accruals using the Kronos online timecard application, review:

  • Quick Steps: Enter Leave in Kronos [link]
  • Quick Steps: Review and Approve Online Kronos Timecard (for Supervisors)[link]
  • Enter Leave in Kronos Online Tutorial [link]
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