Top Cat: Professional Development Awards
Professional Development awards are handled separately from the cash awards paid directly to the employees through the payroll system. In order to ensure that the department is not reimbursed for more than the amount awarded to the employee, the department MSO should send a list of the professional development award recipients and amounts to their respective payroll processing department, Operations (Administrative Units) and APPO (Academic Units), to have them updated on EAWD in the payroll system. The Central Payroll Office will verify reimbursements against the information that is posted on the EAWD screen in PPS.
Professional Development Awards for training related to the employee’s job responsibilities are not taxable earnings if paid directly to the training entity or if refunded to the employee for his/her actual costs incurred. These non-taxable payments are to be paid through CAT Buy.
Instruction for Reimbursements
Departmental CAT Buy preparers:
· Process an order to pay the employee or the training entity (using the vendor code in the vendor database) using object code 3300.
· The department preparer then sends the appropriate documentation (invoice if paying directly to training entity or proof of payment and proof of completion if reimbursing the employee) to Accounts Payable, referencing the order number written on the document. If travel reimbursement is a part of the award, please note it as such.
· If the award is to be funded by the award assessment pool: CAT Buy preparer should include the names, title code and appointment representation code (e.g., CX, Uncovered) of the employees receiving the award in the comments section of the Post Authorization Notification (PAN). Please add Shylah Hamilton as copy recipient of the PAN.
Payroll Services will process journal entries to debit the award assessment pool, credit the department FAU and record the payment as an adjustment on the SAA Activity Reports.