Working On a Holiday

Johnson School
Cornell University

Working On a Holiday

(See also Johnson School Holiday Policy)

Holiday Pay is applicable only to Permanent Full- or Part-Time benefits eligible employees who work on a University Holiday. It does not apply to students or temporary employees without benefits.

If you work for the Johnson School's commencement, you may choose one of the options below. This information is not applicable if you volunteer to work at the University's Commencement Ceremony. **On commencement, you can only be paid for the hours you actually work - you will not receive pay for remaining hours in the standard work day, if any.**

Nonexempt Holiday Pay only applies to the days identified by the University as Holidays. For example, the weekend days over Winter Break are not University Holidays and employees cannot receive Holiday Pay if they work on these days.

Cornell University gives departments three options for paying for holidays worked by nonexempt staff. The only difference among the three is in combination of actual pay and/or compensatory time off. Total pay for hours worked on a holiday always equals to two and one-half times an employee's regular hourly wage.

Nonexempt staff who are required to work on a holiday will be paid in accordance with one of the following three options:

Option 1 - Comp Time at Straight Time:
Hours worked by nonexempt staff on a holiday will be paid:

At one and one half times (1.5) the regular rate for hours actually worked, and
The regular rate will be paid for the balance of the hours, if any, not worked on the holiday.
In addition, the nonexempt staff member will receive compensatory time off equal to the number of hours worked on the holiday, not to exceed the staff member's standard workday.

COLTS: To enter this option in COLTS:

First enter the actual hours worked under Holiday Worked 1.5.
If you did not work the entire day, the remaining hours should be entered under Holiday Leave Pay.
The compensatory time hours should be entered by your Payroll Representative under Comp Time Earned (NOT Comp Time Taken) in COLTS. All holiday compensatory time must be taken within the fiscal year in which it is earned. Departments are responsible for maintaining compensatory time records for nonexempt staff who have worked on a University holiday. All compensatory time must be used by June 30 of each year or it is forfeited. When Comp Time is used, enter hours in COLTS under Comp Time Taken.

To access the option Holiday Worked 1.5 in COLTS:

In the Main Leave Tab, click on the Select Button located in the upper right hand side of the screen and select the In/Out Tab.
Click the box next to the Holiday Worked 1.5 code then click Done.
Upon returning to the Main In/Out Tab, use the drop down menu located in the upper left corner of the screen to choose Holiday Worked 1.5. It normally reads Reg.
A blank time card will appear and this is where you should enter the hours you actually worked on the holiday. Do not enter any regular hours you worked, rather enter these hours under the Reg time card.

To access the option Comp Time Earned in COLTS:

In the Main Leave Tab, click on the Select Button and select the Leave Tab
Click the box next to Comp Time Earned then click Done.
Upon returning to the Main Leave Tab enter the number of hours in the Comp Time Earned category.

EXAMPLE 1: If you worked your regular work day of 7.8 hours on the Holiday, using Option 1, you would be paid at one and one half times (1.5) your regular rate for 7.8 hours and receive 7.8 hours in compensatory time.

EXAMPLE 2: If you worked 5.0 hours on the Holiday, using Option 1, you would be paid at one and one half times (1.5) your regular rate for 5.0 hours and receive 5.0 hours in compensatory time. For the remaining 2.8 hours in the regular workday, you would be paid at your regular rate (record in COLTS under Holiday Leave Pay) and receive no compensatory time.

Option 2 - Comp Time plus Premium:
Upon mutual agreement between the staff member and the supervisor, the nonexempt staff member may be paid:

At the regular rate of pay for the holiday, and
Receive compensatory time off equal to one and one half times (1.5) the number of hours actually worked on the holiday.

COLTS: Any hours worked on the Holiday would be entered under Holiday Worked Straight and the remainder of the hours (up to 7.8 hours per day) under Holiday Leave Pay.

The compensatory time hours should be entered under Comp Time Earned 1.5 (Not Comp Time Taken) in COLTS. All holiday compensatory time must be taken within the fiscal year in which it is earned. Departments are responsible for maintaining compensatory time records for nonexempt staff who have worked on a University holiday. All compensatory time must be used by June 30 of each year or it is forfeited. When Comp Time is used, enter the hours in COLTS under Comp Time Taken.

To access the option Holiday Worked Straight in COLTS:

In the Main Leave Tab, click on the Select Button located in the upper right hand side of the screen and select the In/Out Tab.

Click the box next to the Holiday Worked Straight then click Done.

Upon returning to the Main In/Out Tab, use the drop down menu located in the upper left corner of the screen to choose Holiday Worked Straight. It normally reads Reg.

A blank time card will appear and this is where you should enter the hours you actually worked on the holiday. Do not enter any regular hours you worked, rather enter these hours under the Reg time card.

To access the option Comp Time Earned 1.5 in COLTS:

In the Main Leave Tab, click on the Select Button and select the Leave Tab
Click the box next to Comp Time Earned 1.5 then click Done.
Upon returning to the Main Leave Tab enter the number of hours in the Comp Time Earned category.

EXAMPLE 1: If you worked your regular work day of 7.8 hours on the Holiday, using Option 2, you would be paid at your regular rate for 7.8 hours and receive 11.7 hours of compensatory time (7.8 hours worked x 1.5 = 11.7 hours).

EXAMPLE 2: If you worked 5.0 hours on the Holiday, using Option 2, you would be paid at your regular rate 7.8 hours (5.0 hours worked plus 2.8 hours to equal a regular work day) and receive 7.5 hours of compensatory time (5.0 hours worked x 1.5 = 7.5 hours).

Option 3 - All Cash (No Comp Time):
At the discretion of the department, the nonexempt staff member may be paid:

Two and one half times (2.5) the regular rate for hours ACTUALLY WORKED on the holiday, and
The regular rate for the balance of the hours remaining in a standard workday, if any, not worked on the holiday.

Compensatory time is not available for Option 3.

COLTS: For hours worked on the holiday you would enter the hours under Holiday Worked 2.5. The remaining hours not worked for the day would then be put under Holiday Leave Pay.

To access the option Holiday Worked 2.5 in COLTS:

In the Main Leave Tab, click on the Select Button located in the upper right hand side of the screen and select the In/Out Tab.

Click the box next to the Holiday Worked 2.5 then click Done.

Upon returning to the Main In/Out Tab, use the drop down menu located in the upper left corner of the screen to choose Holiday Worked 2.5 . It normally reads Reg.

A blank time card will appear and this is where you should enter the hours you worked on the holiday. Do not enter any regular hours you worked, rather enter these hours under the Reg time card.

Note: Under Option 3, only TIME WORKED on the holiday is used to calculate overtime. While an employee, using this option, will be paid 2.5 times their regular rate for 1 hour worked, only 1 hour will be used in computing overtime. Thus, you should only enter the hours you actually worked - COLTS will calculate the overtime.

EXAMPLE 1: If you worked your regular work day of 7.8 hours on the Holiday, using Option 3, you would be paid at two and one half times (2.5) your regular rate for 7.8 hours.

EXAMPLE 2: If you worked 5.0 hours on the Holiday, using Option 3, you would be paid at two and one half times (2.5) your regular rate for 5.0 hours and at your regular rate for 2.8 hours to equal a regular work day of 7.8 hours.

For additional information, please visit TimeAwayFromWorkweb.htm.

Last Modified: March 27, 2007