Pay and Leave During the Shutdown MEMORANDUM To: USGS Employees From: Kathleen B. Rutledge Acting Chief, Office of Human Resources Subject: Pay and Leave During the Shutdown In the aftermath of the shutdown and the blizzard that closed down offices on the East Coast, many of you have questions about pay and leave issues. We are working closely with the Payroll staff to restore order and return to normal pay procedures as quickly as possible. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of timekeepers and contractors who worked diligently to process time and attendance data under extremely tight deadlines, and to the continued oversight of Virginia Miles of the Office of Personnel, who walked to the Reston offices in the crippling snow storm, all 8,700 USGS employees should receive their January 18 paychecks on time. As you know, the furlough affected pay for the second week of pay period 9601 (December 10-23) and all of pay period 9602 (December 24-January 6). The legislation which returned us to work provided retroactive pay for the entire period of the furlough. This means that from the time employees were sent home on December 18 through January 6, all employees are to be considered in a duty status. Scheduled absences from duty during the furlough are to be charged as excused absence (administrative leave). Because of initial confusion about the legislation, timekeepers were instructed to charge leave to employees scheduled to be absent during the furlough period. This is incorrect--NO LEAVE IS TO BE CHARGED FOR THE PERIOD OF THE FURLOUGH. To correct the records for those employees who were charged annual or sick leave, other paid leave, compensatory time off, or credit hours from December 16, 1995, through January 5, 1996, timekeepers must submit corrected time and attendance sheets to the Payroll Office. Those hours of absence from duty (leave or other absence) charged to the employee should be changed to administrative leave (Hours Code 060). All other hours should have been coded as duty time (Hours Code 010) and do not need to be corrected. Employees with use-or-lose leave who had scheduled leave during the period of the furlough will forfeit that leave. The Department of the Interior is reviewing its policy on leave restoration to decide whether such forfeited leave is eligible for restoration, and we will communicate information on that policy as well as procedures for requesting restoration in a separate memorandum. We are also trying to determine whether leave lost during the furlough can be donated under the leave share program; we do not yet have an answer for that question. Attached are some questions and answers addressing areas of concern about pay. If you have other questions, please check with your timekeeper, or call the Payroll Hotline at 303-969-7732. If you wish to respond to this memo, please direct your replies to me (KRutledg@WPOSMTPGW.er.usgs.gov) rather than to the individual who transmits this information. We appreciate your patience during these chaotic times, and we will do everything we can to address your concerns. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT PAY DURING THE FURLOUGH 1. Q: When will I receive my Leave and Earnings Statement and any additional pay I am owed for Pay Period 9601 (December 10-23, 1995)? A: Pay Period 9601 pay was calculated at the end of the week of January 8, 1996. You should receive your Leave and Earnings Statements during the week of January 22, depending on your office's distribution procedures. Any net pay due you after your advance payments and normal deductions are accounted for should be disbursed by the Department of the Treasury during the week of January 16. If you have your check sent directly to the bank, you should have these funds in your account by mid-week. If you receive a hard copy check, you should receive it during the latter part of the week. 2. Q: My advance payments totaled more than my normal net pay. Will I be billed for the difference? A: Yes. Although the amount held back for Pay Period 9601 from your normal gross earnings should have been sufficient to cover most, if not all, REQUIRED DEDUCTIONS such as income tax, retirement, health and life insurance, and Thrift Savings Plan, the dollars held back may NOT have been sufficient to cover DISCRETIONARY WITHHOLDINGS such as regular savings allotments, other allotments, bonds, charitable contributions, additional tax withholdings and Thrift Savings Plan loan payments. The Payroll Office will not go back and recoup these discretionary withholdings. However, required deductions must be covered. If your advance paycheck did not cover your required deductions (resulting in a larger than normal net paycheck), you will be billed directly for money you owe to the Government for these deductions. Your options for repaying this money will include payroll deduction or personal check. If you were on Leave Without Pay and received a paycheck, you will be billed for an erroneous payment. 3. Q: Will my Thrift Savings Plan deductions be taken out of my paycheck? A: The dollars held back from your normal gross earnings should cover your Thrift Savings Plan deductions, and these should be deposited into your account early in the week of January 16. Please check your Leave and Earnings Statement to confirm that deductions were taken. If your deductions were not processed, you should contact your servicing personnel office for assistance in arranging for retroactive deductions. 4. Q: What if I miss a Thrift Savings Plan loan payment? A: The Thrift Board may notify you directly to be sure that you are aware that you have missed a payment. Please do not send the Thrift Board or its recordkeeper a check to make up the payment. The Thrift Board will automatically extend the repayment period with no additional interest. 5. Q: What should I do if my allotment for my mortgage payment, car payment or other loan payment is not deducted, since that is considered a discretionary withholding? A: You need to make individual payment arrangements with your creditors. We sent some sample language provided by the Office of Personnel Management by e-mail on January 5, and you might find this helpful. If your check is sent to a financial institution which normally takes allotments, you should check with that institution to see if allotments were taken before you pay the bills yourself. 6. Q: What if I need to have more State or Federal income tax withheld to cover my normal withholdings for Pay Period 9601? A: You can request a one-time extra tax deduction by submitting a written request to the Payroll Office specifying the dollar amount (whole dollars only) you wish to have withheld. You may also submit a Form W-4 specifying the amount and stating clearly that this is a one-time withholding. 7. Q: What if my normal deduction for child support, alimony, or garnishment is not taken? A: It is your responsibility to make these payments directly from the net pay you have been provided. 8. Q: How will I know which deductions have been taken and which have not? A: REVIEW YOUR LEAVE AND EARNINGS STATEMENTS CAREFULLY! If you need assistance in interpreting your statement, see your timekeeper or your supervisor. If you find errors that need to be corrected, they will work directly with the Payroll Office to make the corrections on your behalf. 9. Q: Will I receive another advance in pay for Pay Period 9602 (December 24, 1995-January 6, 1996)? A: Pay Period 9602 was processed on time. Electronic payments should reach employee bank accounts on the official pay date of January 18, 1996. If your check is mailed directly to you, you should expect a delay of a few days. Leave and Earnings Statements for Pay Period 9602 should be distributed during the week of January 22. 10. Q: When should I expect corrections for Pay Periods 9601 and 9602 to be reflected in my Leave and Earnings Statements? A: It may take several pay periods for all corrections to be reflected in your Leave and Earnings Statements. You should continue to review these statements each pay period until corrections have been made. Please be patient. 11. Q: Will my taxes for 1995 be affected by the furlough? A: No. The money you receive for the period of furlough will be paid in the 1996 tax year. All taxable income from your USGS job for 1995 should have been paid before the furlough began, and your 1995 W-2s will be unaffected by the furlough. 12. Q: I was on annual leave on December 18 when employees were sent home. Will I be charged leave for the entire day, or just part of the day? A: You should be charged leave for the period of time from the usual start of your work day to the time when your fellow employees were sent home. Your absence after the time we were sent home should be charged to administrative leave (Hours Code 060). (Supervisors and timekeepers should be aware that the amount of leave charged may vary depending on the employee's usual work schedule and when employees in a given location were sent home). 13. Q: Can I call the Payroll Hotline if I have further questions? A: Yes, call 303-969-7732. The Payroll Office has added extra staff and telephone lines, and information specific to you will be readily available.