Tompkins County Administrative Policy Manual

Effective: June 28, 1988 04-07

Most Recent Revision: June 15, 1993

Objective: To provide direction for release of paychecks

Reference: County Administrator and County Director of Finance

Policy of the Board of Representatives:

1. Payroll check pickup times and arrangements are under the discretion of the Finance Office. Under normal circumstances, checks will be available for general distribution at 10:00 a.m. on the specified pay date. Every effort will be made to adhere to this time, but circumstances may prevent this from occurring.

2. Payroll checks will be batched and distributed by department to a representative designated in writing by the department head.

3. Sheriff's Department first shift checks will be available for pick up in accordance with the Agreement between the County of Tompkins and the Tompkins County Deputy Sheriffs' Association.

4. On those occasions when an employee will not be at their normal work place on payday, individual checks will be available no sooner than 3:00 p.m. on the day prior and will be pulled for pick-up upon a written request from the employee's department head, or representative designated by the department head.

5. Paychecks subject to verification will be held in the Finance Office until authorization has been received by either the Director of Finance or the Personnel Department that the payroll information is correct and/or the time card has been accepted as accurate.

6. Paychecks will be released to other than the employee only upon receipt of a written note from the employee authorizing such release and specifying to whom the paycheck shall be released. The written authorization note must be forwarded to the Finance Office. In absence of such written authorization, the paycheck must either be locked in a secure location by the department head or returned to the Finance Office for safe-keeping until the employee returns to work. If the employee's absence is for an undetermined period or instructions for check issuance are not known, the check must be returned to the Finance Office for proper distribution.