Information for Student Employees

---

Employee Handbook

Please see the Employee Handbook for any questions you may have. 

---

Logging Work Time

It may sound like a lot at first, but logging hours is an easy process once you learn. However, it is important not to rush when you are entering and reviewing your time, in order to prevent errors and further issues. 

 

Logging Time into TopNet

Step 1: Log in to TopNet

• Navigate to TopNet using your WKU email.
• (https://topnet.wku.edu)

Step 2: Navigate to "Timesheet"

• Navigate to "Employee Services". (This should be the third tab down.)
• Once you are on the "Employee Services" page, click on "Timesheet". (This should be the first link on the list.)

Step 3: Navigate to "Enter Time"

• Once you click the "Timesheet" link, you will be directed to your employee dashboard, which will show your latest pay stub date and other pay information.
• On the right side of the page, there is a column that says "My Activities". Click the gray button labeled "Enter Time". 

Step 4: Start time sheet

• After clicking "Enter Time", you will be directed to a page with the title "Timesheet". Navigate to the "Start Timesheet" button on this page.

Step 5: Log your hours worked

• The timesheet will display one week at a time. The pay period start and end date is also displayed near the top left corner of the page. To log your hours, click each date individually, and type in the number of hours you worked in the "Hours" box below the calendar row.
• After typing in the number of hours worked, click the "Save" button on the bottom right of the screen. Repeat for each day you worked.
• Hours worked must be logged in incriments of 0.25. For example, if a student works for an hours and fifteen minutes, they will type "1.25" in the "hours" box.  If they work one and a half hours, they will type "1.5" in the "hours" box.

Step 6: Preview

• Once you have entered your hours worked on the timesheet, click the "Preview" button. This is located beside the "Save" button.
• Review the information and your logged hours. Ensure this information is correct.

Step 7: Check and Submit

• After reviewing and ensuring your hours and information are correct, check the box at the bottom of the page. Checking this box means you have reviewed your hours and information and are correct, and you are responsible for any errors or changes made using your student ID.
• If you need to go back and fix or change something before submitting, you may hit the "Return" button and do so. Once you have checked the box, you may click "Submit" at the bottom right corner of the page.

---

Logging Time on Paper Time Sheet

You do not necessarily have to follow these steps in this exact order. As long as all the information is accurate and in the right spots, you can go in whichever order is easiest for you. 

 

Where to Get Paper Time Sheets

You can find physical time sheets in the department office. The Physics and Astronomy department office is located in Room 2009 on the second floor of Kelly Thompson Hall. These are located in a red folder labeled "Time Sheets" on the wall beside the 2009B doorway. If you have trouble finding it, or if there are no more left, ask the office assistant or a supervisor. Office hours are 8:00AM to 4:30PM. 

 

Step 1: Pay Period Start and End Date

• At the top of the page, there is a box that says "Report for Biweekly Payroll Period Beginning _________________ and Ending _________________". Write the beginning date of the payroll period in the first blank and the payroll period end date in the second blank.
• If you are unsure of the payroll period dates, you can refer to your employee time sheet on TopNet, which displays the payroll period and end date in the top left corner of the page.
• Additionally, write the start date of the pay period on the "Monday" box of the first row, and the end date of the pay period in the "Sunday" box of the bottom row. 

Step 2: Student and Employee Information

• Above the calendar rows, there are three blank lines for you to write your student and employee information.
• Write your first and last name on the "Student Name" line, your nine-digit WKU ID number for "WKU ID", and your department or unit name for "Department/Unit". 

Step 3: Logging Time

• Just like logging time on TopNet, write the number of hours your worked each day individually in each "Total" box, which is the smaller box at the bottom right corner of each larger box of the calendar row.
• Remember to log your hours in increments of 0.25.
• Do not write anything in the boxes for days you did not work. A blank box indicates that you did not work that day, so it is not necessary to put "N/A" or a mark for the days you do not work.

Step 4: Logging Tasks

• For each day worked, write a brief description of what you did that day.
• A description can be as little as two words, depending on the task. This helps to keep track of completed and incompleted tasks and helps for accountability. Some examples of task descriptions include but are not limited to: shredding papers, printing copies, putting mailings together, updating a webpage, making social media posts for the department, etc. 

Step 5: Total Hours

• At the top right corner of the page, there is a chart that says "TOTAL" with the labels "reg. Hrs." and "Hrs.>40" on the top. In the "Reg. Hrs." column, write the total number of hours worked for each week. For example, if an employee works for an hour on each Monday and Wednesday, two and a half hours on each Tuesday and Thursday, and works for four and a half hours on Friday, they would write "11.5" in the total number of regular hours for that week. 
• *Overtime hours are any hours actually workedover 40 hours during the official work week. (Staying thirty minutes later than normal does not count as overtime.) Only time over forty hours should be logged as overtime in the "Hrs.>40" box. Do not put anything in this box if you do not officially work overtime.*

Step 6: Signature and Date

• Finally, sign your first and last name on the "Employee Signature" line at the bottom left corner of the paper. Signing your name indicates that you have reviewed your hours and information and ensured they are correct, and you are responsible for any errors or changes made using your student ID.
• Write the date beside your signature.
• Leave the "Supervisor Signature" line blank.
• Please see the example time sheet below to see how the sheet should be filled out. 

Step 7: Turn in the Paper Time Sheet

• Once you have reviewed and completed your time sheet, turn it in to your supervisor. 

 

Example Time Sheet

                      This is an example of a completed time sheet. Please refer to it if you need a reminder of what a traditional                                                paper time sheet should look like. 

 

Reminders for Paper Time Sheet

• You can find time sheets in the Physics and Astronomy Department Office, which is located in room 2009 on the second floor of Kelly Thompson Hall. These time sheets should be located behind the office assistant's desk beside the doorway of room 2009B, inside a red folder labeled "Time Sheets". If this folder is empty, ask the office assistant to make more copies if possible. Office hours are 8:00AM to 4:30PM. 

• Hours must be logged in increments of 0.25 (quarter hours)

  • Example: If a student works for an hour and forty-five minutes, they will write 1.75 hours on their time sheet for that day. If an employee works for two hours and fifteen minutes, they will write 2.25 hours on their time sheet. 

• Handwriting must be legible. If writing is difficult to read, it may cause confusion and errors on payroll, so please ensure that your writing is easy to read. 

• Ensure that you fill out all required information on the form before turning it in. This keeps the process running smoothly and prevents errors or delays.

• Overtime hours are any hours actually workedover 40 hours during the official work week. (Staying thirty minutes later than normal does not count as overtime.) Only time over forty hours should be logged as overtime in the "Hrs.>40" box. Do not put anything in this box if you do not officially work overtime.

 

If you have any additional questions, please contact your supervisor or refer to the Employee Handbook.