The University has a clearly communicated and company-wide policy that prohibits improper pay deductions from exempt employees' salaries. In general, exempt employees' salaries are not subject to reduction because of variations in the quality of work performed or the quantity of work performed. While seven exceptions to this rule exist under federal law (see the University’s Human Resources Office if you have any questions about the general rule or the exceptions to the general rule), in general, an exempt employee will receive his or her full salary for any week in which the employee performs any work. Of course, exempt employees need not be paid for any workweek in which they perform no work. Subject to the provisions set forth above, deductions from an exempt employee’s salary will not be made for time when work is not available if the employee is ready, willing, and able to work. As a general rule, if an employee who performs work for the University during the course of a week is absent at other times during the week when such absences are occasioned by the University or by the operating requirements of the business, the employee will be paid his or her full salary.
The University does not have an actual practice of making improper deductions from the salaries of exempt employees and strictly prohibits such a practice. It is the University’s strong desire to pay each employee, exempt or non-exempt, the proper and appropriate pay. If an exempt employee believes that his salary has been improperly reduced, a complaint mechanism exists for employee complaints. First, the employee should contact the University’s Director of Human Resources. If the matter has not been resolved to the employee’s satisfaction, the employee may contact the Vice President of Finance and Business. The decision of the University’s Vice President of Finance and Business will be final in matters regarding allegations of improper deductions of the salaries of exempt employees. Any employee who is found to have been subject to improper deductions will be reimbursed by the University no later than the payday following the date that the determination of the improper deduction was first made. The University will make good-faith efforts to ensure compliance with the rules concerning deductions from the salaries of exempt employees in the future. Employees who believe that such efforts are not being made are urged to contact the University’s Director of Human Resources.