leave and earnings To: "Carolyn A Casteel, Writer-Editor, Atlanta, GA" cc: "Steven D Craigg, Supvy. Hydrologist (Geol), Atlanta, GA" , "Gregory C Mayer, Hydrologist, GW Spec, Atlanta, GA" , "Charles N Joiner, Hydrologic Technician, Atlanta, GA" , "Caryl J Wipperfurth, Cartographer, Atlanta, GA" , "Robert E Faye, Reg GW Spec, Norcross, GA" cc: "AO - All Administrative Officers" cc: "Alice A Sabatini, Administrative Officer, Reston, VA" cc: "Catherine L Hill, ACH/Operations, Reston, VA" Subject: Re: leave and earnings In-reply-to: <199606031533.LAA12594@operqvarsa.er.usgs.GOV> Date: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 13:52:53 -0400 From: "Alice A Sabatini, Administrative Officer, Reston, VA" Cathy Hill asked that I respond to your message. I have taken the liberty of copying my response to all AOs because the question is of general interest. The following reflects my understanding of the decision. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) provides the payroll service for all bureaus in the Department of the Interior. It is the BOR personnel that made the decision to change the method of mailing employee leave and earnings statements. I do not believe that anyone in the USGS was consulted before the decision was made. One of the reasons for the change was to eliminate the recent delays in distributing leave and earning statements to employees. Both the leave and earning statements and the preprinted time and attendance reports are generated automatically by the payroll system (PAYPERS). The previous distribution pattern required that these two documents, generated at different times, be held and distributed together causing delays if one of the documents was not generated on schedule. At the end of FY 1995, we began experiencing routine delays in the distribution of our leave and earnings statements with many offices failing to receive them until after the pay date. In some instances, they were received almost a week late. It is my understanding that contractors have always been used for these jobs. The change was also made in anticipation of the implementation of the new payroll system (FPPS). Most bureaus will begin recording and submitting time and attendance information in a paperless format. WRD will begin the implementation of a paperless system in FY 1997. This will eliminate the need to generate and mail the time and attendance reports to offices. The change in mailing leave and earning statements was probably made to coincide with the renewal of the contracts; a possible explaination as to why that change preceded the implementation of paperless processes. The change did coincide with the change in the statement format, however. As with many changes, it is difficult to understand all of the reasons when you are not part of the decision making process. I am sure that BOR examined the costs before making the decision. > ------- Forwarded Message > Got a question for you...why are leave and earning statements now being > mailed to individual employees at home address--each requiring a 32-cent > stamp? If you figure about 4,000 USGS employees x 32 cents is about > $1,280 per pay period times 26 pay periods--totaling about $33,280 in > postage alone per year. Statements are not even shipped bulk rate! > > I spoke with the unit in Denver that processes the leave and earning > statements and was advised that the new procedure also requires an > outside contractor just to stuff envelopes. Previously, the statements > were "batched" and mailed to a cost center in one envelope and > distributed by district staff. The old procedure did not require outside > contractors. Yet another increased cost to the USGS. > > About 4,000 individual statements also increases the possibility of a > breach in security of personal information being delivered to someone > other than the employee. We all have received the mail of our neighbors > or someone else on occasion. I really do not want the postman to deliver > my statement to my neighbor. > > ?? Why the change? Did a problem exist? If so, is this the answer? > > CAC > > > ------- End of Forwarded Message >