Completing Time and Effort for Federally Funded Staff
If your New Year’s resolution was less paperwork, we do not have good news for you today. Do you have staff whose salary is funded by federal grant funds? January is the time of year to collect time and effort documentation. Time and effort is generally done semi-annually at the end of each semester (required every six months), but there are exceptions. Please read on to determine the best course of action for your situation.
The purpose of time and effort documentation is for the employee and supervisor to “attest” that the work performed during the previous six months was for the duties on the job description* (federal) that was signed at the start of the year, and no other type of work was paid for by the federal funds. The Semi-annual Certification form is the most common form, and it becomes part of time and effort documentation that is frequently asked for by auditors.
The CSS team assists our partner schools with time and effort including providing forms and electronic distribution with our HR services!
Types of Time and Effort
There are three types of documentation depending on if the employee is paid 100% from the grant, split funded, or has an inconsistent schedule on federal grant time.
- 100% paid by the federal grant all the time – use a Semi-annual certification form. See pages 4-5 of most recent TEA Time and Effort Manual
- Split funded (aka multiple cost objectives) – MAY use substitute system of time and effort if you are on the approved by TEA list, and employee follows a consistent split of time on their weekly schedule (ex. Always 50/50 split, etc.). If not approved, you must use a PAR.
See TEA Substitute System Website – click here
- PAR – employee time on the federal grant always varies and is inconsistent. Keep a daily log of time and adjust paycheck each month according to the amount of time (%) spent working on the grant job. (CSS has template forms for our partner schools).
Time and effort should always be done after the work is performed, and the forms should be dated as such. Be on the alert to collect it should any staff resign or leave early (the supervisor should sign it if you are unable to obtain the employee signature)!
CSS will remind you again in May since T & E is required twice a year!
What about LASO funded staff?
LASO is tricky because it has both State and Federal funded programs within it. The State funded programs do not require time and effort, but the Federal programs do. Specifically, the programs that start with fund code 211 are subject to time and effort. Your NOGA will indicate the fund source.
Time and effort is required for any position paid whole or in part by ANY federal grant including all Title funds, IDEA, Carl Perkins, School Improvement, or any grant governed by EDGAR. When in doubt, collect it! The bottom line is, whoever gave the grant doesn’t want the personnel they are funding doing other jobs/work that are not allowed from the grant intent.
*Reminder! Federal job descriptions should have the fund source and percent funded on the job description that the employee and supervisor signs at the start of the job. This lets the employee know that their salary, or part of it, is coming from a grant fund, and they are only to perform grant duties. The signed job description is part of time and effort documentation.
Need help?
Please contact Charter School Success: