Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 17a - Social and Human Services and Resources › 306 - Community Services Policy Manual for Title III Programs of the Older Americans Act › Manual of Fiscal Policies for Title III Programs of the Older Americans Act › Section 17a-306-26 - Personnel policies

Current through July 10, 2024
This section sets forth those fiscal-related policies
				  pertaining to personnel, fringe benefits and travel reimbursement.
(a)
Clearance of Key Area Agency on
				Aging Personnel
The Board of Directors of the area agency on aging shall have
				  the authority to hire and otherwise supervise the activities of the area agency
				  on aging Executive Director. Any replacements to an area agency on aging
				  Executive Director vacancy shall be hired using a job description developed in
				  conjunction with the Connecticut Department on Aging.
(b)
Biennial Survey of Salaries of
				Certain Employees
Once every two years, the area agency on aging shall conduct,
				  have conducted or obtain data from a survey of the comparability of Fair Labor
				  Standards Act exempt position holders in the local labor market. This survey
				  data should be obtained from comparable human service organizations, with the
				  approximate same number of employees and funding level in the local geographic
				  area. This survey should especially seek to obtain salary data from counterpart
				  human service organizations such as the welfare agency, community action
				  agency, JTPA-funded agency, local health and welfare agency, etc. The results
				  of this salary survey should be used in periodically adjusting the agency's
				  salaries and be maintained on file.
(c)
Area Agency on Aging Compliance
				with the Federal Hatch Act
5 U.S.C. 1501-1508 relates to prohibitions on state or local
				  government employees from influencing elections and taking part in political
				  campaigns. Nonpartisan candidates and persons who exercise no functions in
				  connection with the activity as well as individuals employed by an educational
				  or research institute are exempt. As nonprofit organizations, area agency
				  employees are also exempt from the Hatch Act.
(d)
Taking Security Deposits and Making
				Payments on Behalf of Clients
Unless an area agency on aging has an approved program for
				  such purposes and any such security deposits and payments are explicitly
				  covered under the agency's fidelity bond coverage, all officers, employees,
				  volunteers and agents shall be precluded from taking security deposits or from
				  making payments on behalf of participants of programs funded under the Older
				  Americans Act. In situations where such programs are provided for and
				  explicitly covered under the agency's fidelity bond coverage, adequate
				  safeguards shall be set in place and periodically policed.
(e)
Reimbursement for Overtime Premium
				for Professionals
For Fair Labor Standards Act-exempt personnel, nothing higher
				  than straight time at the regular rate of pay in the form of pay or
				  compensatory time in lieu of pay shall be paid for overtime. For nonexempt
				  personnel, a premium of 50% of the regular rate of pay shall be paid with the
				  prior approval of the Connecticut Department on Aging with the exception of
				  emergencies. In cases where approval cannot be obtained, an area agency on
				  aging must use its own funds to cover such extra costs.
(f)
Area Agency on Aging Out-of State
				Travel
Provided the costs for out-of-state travel are taken from the
				  travel line item of the area agency on aging budget, area agencies on aging are
				  not required to obtain prior approval from the Connecticut Department on Aging.
				  In situations where funding is budgeted in other than the "travel" line item,
				  it will be necessary to obtain prior written approval for out-of-state
				  travel.
(g)
Ceilings
				on Per Diem Rates for Travel in Continental United States
Area agencies on aging shall adopt uniform travel regulations
				  adhering to reimbursement for expenses incurred on authorized agency travel not
				  to exceed the daily reimbursement rate established for comparable personnel
				  employed by the State of Connecticut.
(h)
Support for Labor
				Distribution
(1) Charges to awards for
				salaries and wages, whether treated as direct costs or indirect costs, will be
				based on documented payrolls approved by a responsible supervisory official of
				the area agency on aging. The distribution of time worked must be supported by
				personnel activity reports.
(2)
				Labor distribution reports should be prepared and controlled according to the
				following minimum standards:
(A) Employees,
				including subcontracted employees, performing in-house work are responsible for
				preparing their own timecards/timesheets.
(i)
				Employees must be provided clear instructions of the work to be performed and
				the grant to be charged.
(ii)
				Timecards/timesheets must be prepared in ink.
(iii) Timecards/timesheets must be filled out
				as work is performed, but no less often than daily.
(iv) All hours worked must be recorded on the
				timecards/timesheets.
(B) Timecards/timesheets must be signed by
				employees and the supervisor only after they are filled out.
(C) Corrections are to be made by cross-out
				and new entry, with no erasures or whiteouts.
(i) Corrections are to be initialed by the
				employee and supervisor.
(ii) An
				explanation must be provided for corrections.
(D) Distribution and collection of timecards
				and/or timesheets must be controlled.
(i)
				Only one card is to be prepared per employee per period.
(ii) Timecards/timesheets must be turned in
				to a designated timekeeping office or collected by an authorized
				person.
(E)
				Responsibility for distribution and collection of timecards/timesheets should
				be segregated from that for:
(i) Preparation
				and approval of time and attendance records.
(ii) Preparation and distribution of the
				payroll.
(iii) Monitoring
				performance to budgets.
(F) New employees must be fully indoctrinated
				on proper timecard/timesheet procedures. Employees must be made aware of their
				independent responsibility for accurate timecard/timesheet
				preparation.
(G) Periodic internal
				reviews are to be performed of the timekeeping system to assure compliance with
				system controls.
(H) Overtime hours
				are to be approved in advance and justification provided.
(I) A list of supervisors authorized to
				approve timecards/timesheets is to be maintained along with signature cards
				kept on file by the timekeeping office.