Employee Handbook:

Time Charging Policy

  • Purpose This Time Charging Policy ensures that all employee time is recorded accurately, consistently, and in compliance with company, client, and regulatory requirements. Proper timekeeping is essential for billing clients, managing projects, and complying with labor laws.

  • Scope: This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and temporary staff who record time worked for Balboa I&M.

  • Time Charging Principles

    • Honesty and Accuracy: Employees must record actual time worked, to the nearest 15-minute increment, on a daily basis.

    • Timeliness: Time must be entered daily and submitted bi-weekly no later than the following Tuesday at 5 p.m.

    • Project/Task Codes: Time must be charged to the correct project, task, or internal account. Ask your supervisor if unsure.

    • Pre-Approval: All overtime, non-billable time, or time on special projects must be pre-approved by a supervisor.

    • No Pre-Charging or Backdating: Do not enter time in advance or recreate time long after it was worked.

  • Time Categories: Time must be recorded under the appropriate work code. If a work code is not provided, describe the work and a code will be assigned upon timesheet submission for future use.

  • Timekeeping System: Time and task codes must be recorded in the time tracking spreadsheet on Dropbox.

  • Overtime (OT): all OT must be approved by your supervisor. OT is approved by project not by the week. E.g. OT may be approved for an inspection at a facility but this doesn’t mean the employee can add OT hours doing unrelated computer work in his or her room.

  • Corrections

    • If a mistake is made on a submitted timesheet, it must be corrected by the employee or reported to the time administrator within 24 hours.

    • Supervisors are responsible for approving any corrections.

  • Audits and Compliance

    • Timesheets may be audited at any time by internal management or external auditors.

    • Falsifying time records is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

  • Roles & Responsibilities

    • Employees:

      • Record time daily.

      • Ensure time is accurate and complete.

      • Submit timesheets on schedule.

    • Supervisors:

      • Review and approve timesheets promptly.

      • Ensure proper charge codes are used.

      • Monitor compliance and address discrepancies.

    • Time Administrator/HR:

      • Maintain the timekeeping system.

      • Provide support and training.

      • Monitor policy compliance.

  • Disciplinary Action

    • Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action, including: Written warnings or Suspension or Termination of employment

  • Flex Time Policy: Balboa I&M offers a Flex Time benefit allowing hourly employees to bank extra hours worked and use them to offset approved time off.

  • Overview: Employees may bank extra hours worked and later apply those hours to make up for time off taken in the past or planned in the future. Flex time is not paid out as overtime or additional compensation.

  • Earning Flex Time

    • Standard Workweeks (Non-Travel)

      • Extra hours beyond 40 hours in a week are banked hour-for-hour (1 hour = 1 hour).

      • Flex time must be pre-approved by a supervisor.

    • Work Travel Weeks (Non-Sales, OT Authorized)

      • Required OT / Approved OT may be banked at 1.5x the hours worked (e.g., 4 hours OT = 6 hours banked).

      • If OT is not required but worked voluntarily, time is banked at a 1:1 rate.

    • Sales Travel

      • All hours worked while traveling for sales purposes are banked at a 1:1 rate.

Travel Policy:

  • Hotel Selection

    • Employees traveling for business must:

    • Choose reasonably priced hotels that are clean, safe, and convenient to the work site.

    • Stay within U.S. GSA lodging rate limits for the city/region. See www.gsa.gov.

    • Avoid luxury or premium hotels unless pre-approved in writing and within GSA limits.

    • Employees staying with friends or family will be reimbursed $50 per night.

  • Payment and Reimbursement

    • Use the company credit card whenever possible.

    • If using a personal card, retain an itemized receipt for reimbursement.

    • Submit receipts within 7 business days using the company's reimbursement form or system.

  • Non-Reimbursable Expenses

    • Room upgrades or premium views

    • In-room movies or entertainment

    • Alcohol or minibar purchases

    • Hotel spa, gym, or resort fees (unless mandatory and included in standard rate)

  • Per Diem and Meals Policy

    • Operations Travel & Field Work – Per Diem

      • Eligible employees may receive a daily GSA-based per diem for meals.

      • Use the Balboa Per Diem Spreadsheet for calculation and submission.

      • Hotel-provided breakfasts do not count as provided meals.

      • Deduct meals covered by other employees or included in events.

    • Sales Travel – Actual Meal Reimbursement

      • Not eligible for per diem.

      • May expense actual meal costs with itemized receipts.

      • Alcohol is reimbursable only during client meals and must be moderate.

    • General Guidelines for All Travel Meals

      • Excessive or unrelated meal charges are not reimbursed.

      • Group meals should be expensed by one employee with attendees listed.

      • Submit expenses or per diem claims within 7 business days post-travel.

    • Example Use Case: Field Travel Scenario: An employee travels to Texas for a 3-day site visit.

      • Hotel includes breakfast.

      • One dinner is paid by the project manager on a company card.

      • All other meals are independent.

      • Steps:

        • Use the Balboa Per Diem Spreadsheet.

        • Lookup Texas’s GSA daily per diem (e.g., $68/day).

        • For each day:

        • Do not deduct for hotel breakfast.

        • Deduct $26 for the company-paid dinner.

        • Final per diem: $42 for that day.

        • Submit spreadsheet and reimbursement form within 7 days.