As an hourly MIT employee—whether you are support staff, service staff, or a student—you must complete your online time sheet in order to be paid.
Specify employment category and timeframe

When you log in to Atlas, click on "Time and Vacation Entry" in the left-hand menu. Choose the option for "Time Sheet Entry" and follow the link for your employment category (support staff, service staff, or student). The electronic time sheet will prompt you to fill out the applicable fields for the current pay period. Note that the time sheet system is generally not available during midweek payroll processing (typically from 5:00 pm Monday to 3:00 pm Tuesday).

You also may report hours for pay periods up to six months in the past by selecting a different week from the dropdown menu. If you are support or service staff, you may report hours for pay periods up to four weeks into the future using the same dropdown feature.

To report or change a time sheet that is more than six months past, your Time Approver or Time Administrator must email a request to VPF’s payroll staff with the following information:

  • your name and MIT ID
  • HR Organization Unit submitting the request
  • date and type of hours (work, vacation, sick) and shift (if applicable) associated with the request
  • total number of hours that should have been reported
  • a brief explanation of why the correct hours were not reported earlier
Note attendance, absence, shift, and position(s)

If you are support or service staff, your time sheet will prompt you to enter an "Attendance/Absence" type for each day of your workweek (the default type is “work”). If your position is "shift eligible", you can use the dropdown menu to specify the appropriate shift (the default type is “day”). You also will see an option to add a line to report more than one attendance/absence/shift type, if applicable.

If you are service staff, you have the option of noting on your time sheet any hours you worked temporarily in a position other than your regular position. Use the dropdown menu item "Temp Codes".

If you are a student, you are not eligible for the attendance/absence/shift options. Your time sheet will not contain these information fields. Instead, you must specify the "position" you worked on each day of your workweek from the dropdown menu on your sheet.

Indicate position(s) and hours worked

If you are support or service staff, you must report the number of hours with each attendance/absence type or Temp Code. You can report any partial hour in increments of 15 minutes.

If you are a student, report your hours for the position you worked, including any partial hours in increments of 15 minutes.

Enter comments to approver

You have the option of entering comments to your Time Approver on your time sheet to explain any nonstandard aspects of the hours you are reporting on your sheet.

Save time sheet for approval

When you have completed and saved your time sheet, it is automatically submitted to your Time Approver. Note that you can edit your time sheet after saving it but only up to the point when it is approved. After that point, only your Time Approver can make edits (with the consent of your Supervisor).

If you close your browser by clicking the red “X,” your time sheet will lock. To avoid having your time sheet lock, click the “Close” button at the top right corner of the time sheet window. If you unintentionally lock your time sheet , the system will automatically unlock your time sheet after 20 minutes. 

The Details

Specify employment category and timeframe

When you log in to Atlas, click on "Time and Vacation Entry" in the left-hand menu. Choose the option for "Time Sheet Entry" and follow the link for your employment category (support staff, service staff, or student). The electronic time sheet will prompt you to fill out the applicable fields for the current pay period. Note that the time sheet system is generally not available during midweek payroll processing (typically from 5:00 pm Monday to 3:00 pm Tuesday).

You also may report hours for pay periods up to six months in the past by selecting a different week from the dropdown menu. If you are support or service staff, you may report hours for pay periods up to four weeks into the future using the same dropdown feature.

To report or change a time sheet that is more than six months past, your Time Approver or Time Administrator must email a request to VPF’s payroll staff with the following information:

  • your name and MIT ID
  • HR Organization Unit submitting the request
  • date and type of hours (work, vacation, sick) and shift (if applicable) associated with the request
  • total number of hours that should have been reported
  • a brief explanation of why the correct hours were not reported earlier
Note attendance, absence, shift, and position(s)

If you are support or service staff, your time sheet will prompt you to enter an "Attendance/Absence" type for each day of your workweek (the default type is “work”). If your position is "shift eligible", you can use the dropdown menu to specify the appropriate shift (the default type is “day”). You also will see an option to add a line to report more than one attendance/absence/shift type, if applicable.

If you are service staff, you have the option of noting on your time sheet any hours you worked temporarily in a position other than your regular position. Use the dropdown menu item "Temp Codes".

If you are a student, you are not eligible for the attendance/absence/shift options. Your time sheet will not contain these information fields. Instead, you must specify the "position" you worked on each day of your workweek from the dropdown menu on your sheet.

Indicate position(s) and hours worked

If you are support or service staff, you must report the number of hours with each attendance/absence type or Temp Code. You can report any partial hour in increments of 15 minutes.

If you are a student, report your hours for the position you worked, including any partial hours in increments of 15 minutes.

Enter comments to approver

You have the option of entering comments to your Time Approver on your time sheet to explain any nonstandard aspects of the hours you are reporting on your sheet.

Save time sheet for approval

When you have completed and saved your time sheet, it is automatically submitted to your Time Approver. Note that you can edit your time sheet after saving it but only up to the point when it is approved. After that point, only your Time Approver can make edits (with the consent of your Supervisor).

If you close your browser by clicking the red “X,” your time sheet will lock. To avoid having your time sheet lock, click the “Close” button at the top right corner of the time sheet window. If you unintentionally lock your time sheet , the system will automatically unlock your time sheet after 20 minutes. 

Did You Know?

You can customize your direct deposit preferences online to add an additional account.
Research and teaching assistant stipends are considered earned income and are subject to income tax withholding requirements.
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