FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General FAQ
Q: What are the benefits to contracting?
In SIS' fifteen years of experience in working with Consultants, the reasons we hear most often related to why people prefer contracting to full-time employment are as follows:
- Better compensation;
- Desire to incorporate;
- Ability to work on a variety of state-of-the-art technology projects;
- Ability to remain current on the change in state-of-the-art technology;
- Ability to schedule more vacation or relaxation time between contracts.
Q: Will you work with consultants who work as 1099s?
SIS will work with Consultants who are Incorporated (with a Federal Tax I.D. # and Insurance) or we will hire you as our temporary service employee (W-2).
Q: How much does it cost to Incorporate?
Typically, it costs a one-time expense of approximately $1000; and, in order to maintain corporate status, it costs approximately $800 per year for filing fees. We suggest that you seek the advice of a tax attorney if you are interested in incorporating.
Q: What is your overall submittal process?
- Discuss and commit Consultant to the contract;
- Reformat Consultant's resume to SIS' standard;
- Interview Consultant (discuss contract and re-commit Consultant to the assignment, term, and rate);
- Check Consultant's references;
- Submit resume to Client (SIS submits only one resume per position unless Client requests otherwise);
- Set up Client/Consultant interview;
- Close the deal with Client and Consultant.
Q: What happens when the contract ends? Will you have another contract for me?
It is a top priority with the entire SIS organization to retain our Consultants. From the time a Consultant is placed on a contract, the SIS Account Manager is in contact with the Client Manager and the Consultant to ensure expectations are being met. We have a biweekly Project Status reporting system in place in which the Consultant can give feedback to the SIS Account Manager as to the status of the project deliverables and schedule. This process allows SIS to identify any problem areas and to work with the Client and/or the Consultant as required. Additionally, it provides SIS with a way to measure the performance strengths and weaknesses of every Consultant.
As your contract is ending, we at SIS are first to know of your availability date. Typically, we will know of your availability two to three weeks prior to the contract ending date. The SIS Account Manager notifies the entire SIS Account Management and Technical Recruiting teams of your availability and technical skill set. You now become our top priority to market to our Client Firms.
Q: What benefits do you offer?
For detailed information about benefits offered to our consultants, please go to our Consultant Benefits Page.
Q: What is the best method to send my resume?
The preferred way is to Email your resume in MS Word, plain ASCII text or RTF formats to resumes@sisinc.com.
Q: Do you offer Per Diem?
SIS provides expense reimbursement assistance to W2 Consultants who will be working in a metropolitan area which is a minimum of 50 miles (one way) from their primary residence, and as a result will be incurring duplicate living expenses. This program is in lieu of paying "Per Diem" which we choose not to do because of the complexities and IRS regulations associated with reconciling "per day" expense reimbursement to our hourly pay rate compensation plan.
The Reimbursed Business Expense program allows Consultants the opportunity to designate a portion of his/her pay rate to cover duplicate living expenses. Acceptable expenses include:
- Hotel, Motel, or Rent
- Car Rental, Mileage, Airline Tickets
- Laundry/Dry Cleaning
- Telephone
- Meals
This portion of the Consultant's pay rate is paid as an expense reimbursement.
Payroll FAQ
Q: When is payday?
SIS processes employee consultant payroll on a semi-monthly cycle;
pay days are on the 21st for the period of the 1st thru the 15th
and the 7th of the following month for the period of the 16th
thru the end of the month.
Complete one timesheet for each semi-monthly period. Upon receipt
of client approval submit to SIS for processing according to the
schedule. If the timesheet is not received by the due date and
time, payment will be delayed until the next semi-monthly pay
period.
Q: When is my timesheet due?
A timesheet schedule is available in the Job Central/Consultant
Central section of the SIS WebSite (www.sisinc.com) and it is
also included in your sign up packet. If you are unsure of the
timesheet due date contact your SIS account representative or
payroll department.
Q: If I am eligible for the San Francisco Sick Leave Benefit, What Are the Guidelines?
Following are the guidelines to report sick leave:
- Call your Account Manger (AM) as soon as you know that you will not be able to work.
- Send an e-mail to timesheets@sisinc.com (and cc your AM). SIS will respond to your email and provide your accrued sick leave balance along with a timesheet to report your sick leave.
- Fill in and submit the SIS timesheet for the hours you were out only. Sick leave can only be claimed during the payroll cycle that you were out and can not be deferred to a later payroll period.
You will be compensated subject to and up to your accrued hours.
Q: What if I can't get a manager signature
on my timesheet?
If you know the client manager will not be available for signature,
contact your SIS account representative as soon as possible. Often
an alternate can be assigned for approval or a fax or Email approval
can be obtained.
It is important to remember that payroll can not be processed
without a client approved timesheet.
Q: Why didn't I receive my paycheck?
Several situations can cause delay or non-receipt of compensation.
- Timesheet received after the timesheet due date and time
- Name not printed or illegible on timesheet
- Hours not added correctly (see next questions)
- Timesheet was faxed improperly (back/blank side received)
- Address change
Your check will be mailed directly from our payroll service
provider. Please allow five working days for United States Postal
service delivery. Contact the payroll department to place a stop
payment. A manual check will be issued for replacement. Direct
deposit is not available for replacement checks.
Q: Why can payment be delayed if the hours
are incorrect?
Q: Why can't SIS staff change the timesheet?
The timesheet is a legal document. The client is authorizing
S.I.S. to pay you and bill them the hours approved on the timesheet.
S.I.S. personnel are not authorized to alter the document.
The client must first authorize changes and/or corrections. Obtaining
this authorization may result in delays.
Q: What if there is an error on my paycheck?
Contact the SIS payroll department. The staff will review your
records and make necessary adjustments. If the payroll personnel
are not available, leave a detailed voice mail message. Include
a phone number where you can be reached during business hours.
Q: Why hasn't my bank received my Direct Deposit?
Banks require a 10-day pre-notification period, so direct deposit takes two payroll cycles to become effective after you've submitted your direct deposit authorization.
The receiving bank has not updated daily ACH deposit. Contact the ACH Department of your bank.
The Federal Reserve Bank allows for 48 hours to transfer funds to receiving banks. In some instances the 48-hour rule applies. Funds will be deposited the next business day. SIS does not have an option to expedite fund transfer after the initial payroll transmission.
Q: How do I change my tax filing status?
Complete a new Form W4 and submit to the payroll department.
Q: How do I change my name?
Notify your SIS account representative AND complete a new Form W4. If changing your name is due to a change in marital status, review Form W4 and check off the marital box that applies. This is a good time to update withholding status. Send the Form W4 to the Walnut Creek office. Forms are available at all SIS locations.
Contact the Social Security Administration and apply for a new card.
Q: Why haven't 401(K) contributions been deducted?
401(K) contributions are subject to an annual limit regulated
by the IRS. When the annual limit is met, deductions are automatically
discontinued. Please check with our HR Department for the current
years annual limit. Review the year to date (YTD) pre-tax contribution
on the paycheck stub.
Q: Can I have my paycheck deposited to more than one account?
Yes, a specified amount can be deposited to a second checking or savings account. Complete a new direct deposit authorization form and submit to the payroll department. Forms are available at all SIS locations.
Q: Why are the hours worked the last days
of December not included on the year end tax statement Form W2?
Hours worked during the last period of December (16th - 31st)
are PAID the next tax year in January. Compensation and taxes
are reported to the State Franchise Tax Board and Internal Revenue
Service as first quarter earnings (year of the funds transfer
or date of check).
Q: Does Direct Deposit stay in effect with
each new contract?
A new direct deposit form is not required for each new contract
or after a lapse in employment. The direct deposit remains active
until you cancel it. Upon return of employment the pre-note status
is waived and the first paycheck is direct deposit (EFT). If inactive
for more than six months or have changed banks, complete a new
direct deposit authorization form.
Incorporated FAQ
Q: When do I get paid?
SIS processes incorporated invoices/payments on a semi-monthly cycle. The semi-monthly payroll periods are as follows:
Period One: Hours worked the 1st of the month through and including the 15th are paid on the 7th of the following month.
Period Two: Hours worked the 16th of the month through the last day of the month are paid on the 21st of the following month.
Complete one timesheet for each period. Upon receipt of client approval submit your timesheet and invoice to SIS for processing, according to the schedule. If your timesheet and invoice are not received by the due date, payment will be processed in the following period.
Q: When is my timesheet and invoice due?
A schedule is included in the contract sign-up packet and is also published at the beginning of each new year. If you are unsure of the due date, contact your SIS account representative, the Accounting Department or the SIS web site at sisinc.com. Remember to submit one approved timesheet and invoice at the end of each period.
Q: What if I can't get a manager signature on my timesheet before it is due?
If you know the client manager will not be available for signature, contact your SIS account representative as soon as possible. Often an alternate can be assigned for approval or a fax or email approval can be obtained. It is important to remember that invoices cannot be processed without client approved timesheets.
Q: How do I submit my timesheet and invoice?
Fax your approved timesheet, along with your invoice, to the SIS
Accounting Department (925) 465-7411 by the due dates.
If you prefer, you may email your invoice to timesheets@sisinc.com. You also have the option to have your manager send your approved timesheet via email to timesheets@sisinc.com. Your manager simply needs to type the word "approved" in the body of the email and attach the approved timesheet.
View a Sample Invoice
Q: How do I know that you have received my timesheet and invoice?
To verify that your timesheet and invoice was received by SIS, contact our Accounting Department (see contact information at the end of this document). All emailed invoices will receive a reply confirming receipt.
Q: Do I need to mail in my original timesheet and invoice?
Unless requested to do so, you do not need to mail in your original timesheet and invoice. A clear fax copy will usually suffice.
Q: Why didn't I receive my check?
Several situations can cause delay or non-receipt of compensation.
- Your timesheet and invoice were received after the due date.
- Your name was not printed or was illegible on timesheet.
- Your hours were not added correctly.
- "Hold for Pick Up" was indicated on timesheet (check was not mailed).
- Your timesheet was faxed improperly (back/blank side received).
- Your address change was not reported to the Accounting dept.
Please allow five working days for US mail delivery. Contact the Accounting Department to place a stop payment, if you suspect that your check is lost. A manual check will be issued for replacement.
Q: Why can payment be delayed if the hours are incorrect?
Q: Why can't SIS staff change the timesheet?
The timesheet is a legal document. The client is authorizing SIS to pay you and bill them the hours approved on the timesheet. SIS personnel are not authorized to alter the document. The client must first authorize changes and/or corrections. Obtaining this authorization may result in delays.
Q: What if there is an error on my check?
Contact the SIS Accounting Department. The staff will review your records and make any necessary adjustments. If the accounting personnel are not available, leave a detailed voice mail message. Include a phone number where you can be reached during business hours.
Q: Why can't my check be a Direct Deposit to my bank?
The option for direct deposit is only available through our payroll system. Incorporated consultant checks must be processed through our accounts payable process.
Q: Can I request overnight delivery of my check?
Yes, one time or continued express mail service is available. To initiate express mail service, call the Accounting Department prior to the timesheet and invoice due date. A processing fee of $20.00 will be deducted for each overnight delivery.
Q: Why do you need my social security number, if I am incorporated?
Some clients require that the consultant's social security number be included on certain documents to serve as an identification number. If you are asked to provide your social security number, it is for this reason and not for tax reporting purposes.
Accounting Department, Contact information:
Systems Integration Solutions, Inc.
2185 North California Boulevard
Suite 425
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: (800) 244-4990
Fax: (925) 465-7411
Email: timesheets@sisinc.com
Expense Report FAQ
Q: When is my expense report due?
Your expense report is due within 5 business days from the end of the period. If you turn your expense report in late, it will be included in the following period. See your SIS account representative for a schedule of the due dates.
Q: When is the end of the period?
SIS operates on a semi-monthly cycle. There are two periods a month, 24 annually. The semi-monthly periods are as follows:
Period One: For expenses from the 1st of the month through and including the 15th of the month; paid on the last day of the month.
Period Two: For expenses from the 16th of the month through the last day of the month; paid on the 15th of the following month.
Q: May I combine 2 or more periods on one expense report?
For a variety of reasons it is important to submit a separate expense report for each period. Expense reports that combine more than one period should be submitted only upon request of the client.
Q: What items may I include on my expense report?
The items that may be included on your expense report are dependent upon the client and the specific project that you are working on. Also, some clients set a predetermined limit that may be claimed for any one item. See your SIS account representative for the specific expenses that you may claim and any limits that may be associated with your expenses.
Q: How do I get my expense report approved?
Generally, your client manager must approve and sign your expense report. However, on some projects, approval of an expense report is obtained by SIS. See your SIS account representative regarding your specific project.
Q: What if I can't get a manager signature on my expense report?
If you know your client manager will not be available for signature, contact your SIS account representative as soon as possible. Often an alternate client contact can be assigned, or a fax or email approval can be obtained. It is important to remember that your expense reimbursement can not be processed without client approval of your expense report.
Q: Do I need receipts for the items on my expense report?
Except for mileage, all items on your expense report should be supported by a receipt. Some clients may not require receipts for small amounts. See your SIS account representative regarding your specific project.
Q: How do I submit my expense report?
Fax your completed and approved expense report, along with your
receipts, to the SIS accounting department (925) 465-7411.
Q: How do I know that you have received my expense report?
To verify that your expense report has been received by SIS, call our accounting department at (800) 244-4990.
Q: Do I need to mail in my original expense report and receipts?
Unless requested to do so, you do not need to mail in your original expense report and receipts. A clear fax copy will usually suffice.
Q: Why is the amount of my check less than the total of my expense report?
There are several reasons your expense check may be less than your submitted expense report amount:
- You may have claimed an item that is not reimbursable by the client
- You may have exceeded a predetermined limit that the client will reimburse
- You may be missing receipts for some items that you have claimed
- There may be a calculation error on your expense report spreadsheet
You will be notified if your expense report has been adjusted.
Q: Why didn't I receive my expense check?
There are several situations that can cause delay or non-receipt of reimbursement:
- Your expense report was received after the 5 day deadline
- Your name was not on your expense report
- Your expense report was not approved by the client
- Your change of address was not reported or updated
- You were missing receipts for the items that you claimed
- There was a technical problem associated with the fax transmission
If you follow the procedure outlined by your SIS representative, you should not have any problem receiving your expense reimbursement.
Q: Why can't my expense reimbursement be a Direct Deposit to my bank?
The option for direct deposit is only available through our payroll system. Your expense reimbursement is not processed through payroll.
Q: Why does it take so long to receive my expense reimbursement?
After you submit your expense report it is audited item by item. At this time you will be contacted if there is a problem with your report (missing receipts, etc.). After the 5 workday deadline, client approvals are obtained (where applicable). All expense reimbursement checks are processed at the same time. This process can take up to an additional 5 workdays. Including time for the U.S. Postal service, you may not receive your expense reimbursement for 2 to 3 weeks.
Q: Can I have my expense check express mailed?
Yes, one time or continued express mail service is available. To initiate express mail service, call the SIS accounting department at the time that you submit your expense report. A processing fee of $20 will be deducted from your reimbursement for each express mailed expense reimbursement check.
Q: How can I get a blank copy and an example expense report?
Blank expense reports are available on an Excel spreadsheet, as well as paper. Example expense reports are also available. See your SIS account representative regarding the report that you should use for your specific project.
