Identifying Number: Finding No. 2024-004 – Payroll Controls around Timesheets/Time and Effort Reports
Finding: Timesheets and time and effort reports used to track time spent on federal programs did not
have approval signatures by the employee’s supervisor.
Corrective Actions Taken or Planned:
Responsible Official: Jaime Cacciola, Director of Grants; Tim Pollak Director of Finance
Anticipated Completion Date: March 31, 2025
View of Responsible Individuals:
Timesheets will be reviewed bi-weekly for electronic signatures of supervisor/PI. Any missing signatures will require manual signature by PI. Our updated Time & Effort policy and procedures, includes the following:
Time & Effort Certification
On an annual basis, principal investigators (PIs) on federally funded awards must confirm that the salaries and wages of individuals charged to their respective projects are reasonable, allowable, properly allocated, and accurate based on the work performed.
Throughout the year, though, PIs must regularly review compensation reports to ensure that the final amounts charged to federal awards are reasonable, accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. This regular monitoring of payroll charges throughout the budget period is central to Hood’s compliance program.
The annual time and effort reports cover August 15th – August 14th and are released for review and signature after the fiscal year end close process is complete. Signed reports should be returned to the GRASP Office by August 31st.
Who Needs to Complete:
• All salaried employees working on the project should complete a report.
• Hourly employees and student workers are not required to complete a time and effort certification as their time is certified via time sheets. PIs must also review and certify all of their workers’ time sheets by providing a signature on the document.