STATE OF CONNECTICUT
NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER	OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER 55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775	MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

MEMORANDUM NO. 2009-18

June 03, 2009

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

I. AUTHORITY

The memorandum of understanding between the State of Connecticut and the Social and Human Services (P-2) bargaining unit which extends the collective bargaining agreement through June 30, 2012.

II. COMPENSATION (Article 31)

A. General Wage Increases (Section 1)
General wage increases will be effective as follows:

 

Effective Date	Increase
July 1, 2009	0%
July 2, 2010	2.5% of Base Salary
July 1, 2011	2.5% of Base Salary

 

B. Annual Increments and Lump Sum Payments for Maximum Step Employees (Section 2)
Employees will continue to be eligible for and receive annual increments. There will be no annual increment paid in contract year 2009-2010. The annual increments for contact years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 will be delayed three months.

 

Contract Year	Payable
2009-2010	No AI or Lump Sum Payment
2010-2011 (delayed 3 months)	October 2010/April 2011
2011-2012 (delayed 3 months)	October 2011/April 2012

 

Employees at the maximum step of the salary schedule as of the annual increment effective dates will receive a $750 lump sum payment when the annual increment would have applied. In contract year 2009-2010 there will be no lump sum payment made to employees at maximum step. In contract years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 the lump sum will be delayed three months.

 

C. Night Shift Differential (Section 4)
The night shift differential will remain at eighty cents ($.80) per hour.

 

D. Weekend Differential (Section 5)
The weekend differential will remain at fifty-five cents ($.55) per hour.

 

E. In Charge Premium (Section 5)
Any bargaining unit employee at Connecticut Juvenile Training School, who is assigned to work in the capacity of Duty Officer, or at the Central Operations Post, on a holiday or a weekend, shall receive an "in charge" premium of ten percent (10%) of his/her hourly rate of pay for all hours worked on such assignments.

 

F. Commission on Deaf and Hearing Impaired
Refer to Supplemental Letter of Agreement for information regarding certified part-time permanent interpreters of the Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired.

 

III. TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS (Article 39)

An employee who is required to travel on employer business will be reimbursed for meals at the following rates:

 

Breakfast	$7.50
Lunch*	$9.00
Dinner	$20.00

 

*An employee who is involved in transporting a client/resident during the lunch period and who must stop for lunch with the client resident will be reimbursed according to the above rates for the cost of his /her lunch. Otherwise, lunch reimbursement is applicable only to out-of-state travel or when authorized in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations issued by the Commissioner of Administrative Services.

 

Taxes on meals will be fully reimbursed. Gratuities shall be reimbursed to a maximum of fifteen percent (15%) of the allowable meal maximum.

 

An employee who is required to remain away from home overnight in order to perform the duties of his/her position, will be reimbursed for lodging expenses above the specified rate if lodging cannot be obtained at the lower rate and advanced approval is obtained. Advanced approval is not necessary in emergency situations.

 

Mileage reimbursement will be at the U. S. General Services Administration rate, currently 55 cents per mile. Such rate will be adjusted upward or downward within 30 days of any adjustment made by the GSA.

 

Employees required to utilize a personal vehicle for fifty percent (50%) of the assigned monthly workdays will be paid a daily auto usage fee of $4.50 for each day of required usage. This fee will be in addition to the mileage reimbursement.

 

IV. CLIENT FRAUD SECURITY FUND (Article 41 Section 7)

The State shall reimburse each employee for the cost of the Client Fraud Security Fund.

 

V. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT (Article 45)

Any employee who has completed six months of service and is continuing his/her education in a job related area, or in an area that will assist the employee in upward mobility or promotional opportunities, shall be eligible for reimbursement of a maximum of eighteen (18) credits or the equivalent per year.

 

The State will allocate for tuition reimbursement each contract year the following:

 

2009-2010	$260,000
2010-2011	$260,000
2011-2012	$260,000

 

Unexpended funds from one contract year will carry over into the following contract year. The tuition reimbursement fund will expire on June 30, 2012. Applications for tuition reimbursement that are submitted and approved within the final six months of the agreement may be paid with any remaining available funds up to three months following the expiration of the agreement.

 

The maximum reimbursement rate for credit courses at accredited institutions is $135 per credit hour for undergraduate courses and $220 per credit hour for graduate courses. For other courses or programs there is a fifty percent (50%) tuition reimbursement to a maximum of $57.50 per credit for undergraduate courses and $72.50 per credit for graduate courses.

 

Tuition reimbursement for external degree programs and for courses offered at non-accredited institutions or non-credit courses shall be subject to prior approval by the Personnel Development section of the Department of Administrative Services. Non-credit courses will be converted to an equivalent number of credits for the purpose of computing reimbursement. For example, six to fifteen hours of non-credit classroom time will be considered the equivalent of one credit. For external degree programs, the enrollment fee and the examination fee for up to six examinations per year will be covered by tuition reimbursement.

 

VI. CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP FUNDS (Article 46)

The State will allocate for attendance by P-2 employees with more than six (6) months of service at professional seminars, workshops or conferences the following:

 

2009-2010	$100,000
2010-2011	$100,000
2011-2012	$100,000

 

Each employee with more than six months of service will be entitled to a maximum of $500 reimbursement per contract year from this fund toward the cost of fees, travel, food and lodging related to attendance at such events. This entitlement may be combined once in any two year period.

 

An employee may use a previous year's unused entitlement for $1,000 provided prior year funds were rolled over and available.

 

Funds not reserved for seminars, workshops or conferences by March 1 of each year may be transferred to the P-2 tuition reimbursement program upon request of the Union. Funds committed for workshops/conferences in one contract year will carry over to the next contract year.

 

VII. STANDBY PROGRAM (Article 47)

The Standby Program is within the Department of Children and Families.

 

A Home and Office premium annual payment of $500 will be paid to those workers assigned to the full time primary standby function and who have performed such function for a full year. Individuals who have completed less than a full year of primary standby work will be entitled to a pro-rata payment based on the number of months of service. The premium will be paid on a semi-annual basis of $250.

 

Compensation for backup standby workers will be at the rate of $1.50 per hour for hours of standby assignment when the regional office is closed during the week, on weekends and on non-premium holidays. Compensation for backup standby workers will be at the rate of $3.00 per hour for the twenty-four hour shift where the beginning of the shift falls on New Year's Day (January 1), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas (December 25).

 

Refer to the contract for additional on-call/standby status for P-2 employees.

 

VIII. FURLOUGH DAYS

There will be mandatory furlough days for all members of the P-2 bargaining unit with part-time employees serving furlough days based on proportionally on their scheduled hours of work. There will be one furlough day before June 1, 2009, three furlough days between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 and three furlough days between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. Please refer to the Memorandum of Agreement between the State of Connecticut and Social and Human Services P-2 bargaining unit for specific details. Core-CT has issued furlough day processing instructions in the HR Daily Mails dated May 19, 2009 and May 21, 2009.

 

IX. DURATION

The duration of the agreement will be extended to June 30, 2012.

 

X. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

 

A. General Wage Increase

Effective Date	Pay Period	Check Date
July 2, 2010	07/02/10 - 07/15/10	07/30/10
July 1, 2011	07/01/11 - 07/14/11	07/29/11

 

B. Annual Increments and Lump Sum Payments for Maximum Step Employees

Effective Date	Pay Period	Check Date
October 2010 (delayed 3 months)	10/08/10 - 10/21/10	11/05/10
April 2011 (delayed 3 months)	04/08/11 - 04/21/11	05/06/11
October 2011 (delayed 3 months)	10/07/11 - 10/20/11	11/04/11
April 2012 (delayed 3 months)	04/06/12 - 04/19/12	05/04/12

 

XI. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

 

A. Implementation of General Wage Increase
New pay plans will be implemented centrally with the new hourly rate and bi-weekly salary effective with the pay period, at the proper time.

 

B. Annual Increments
Annual increments will be entered centrally at the proper time for agencies.

 

C. Payment of Lump Sum(s)

 

1. On the Timesheet Page: Amount; or Time Reporting Code XMISP.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code MPS.

 

These lump sum payments are subject to mandatory deductions; i.e., federal withholding and state income tax annualized, social security tax, retirement contributions, and garnishments (if applicable).

 

D. Night Shift Differential

 

1. On the Timesheet Page: Hours; Shift 1; Account 50180 or Hours; Shift 2 (Time and a Half); Account 50180 or Amount; Shift 3; Account 50180.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Hours or Amount; Earnings Code SD1 (Shift 1); Account 50180 or Hours or Amount; Earnings Code SD2 (Shift 2); Account 50180 or Amount; Earnings Code SD3 (Shift 3); Account 50180.

 

E. Weekend Differential

 

1. On the Timesheet Page: Hours; Shift 1; Account 50180 or Hours; Shift 2 (Time and a Half); Account 50180 or Amount; Shift 3; Account 50180.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Hours or Amount; Earnings Code SD1 (Shift 1); Account 50180 or Hours or Amount; Earnings Code SD2 (Shift 2); Account 50180 or Amount; Earnings Code SD3 (Shift 3); Account 50180.

 

F. Daily Auto Usage Fee

 

1. On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XAUTA.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code AUT.

 

G. Home and Office Premium

 

1. On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XHOMA

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code HOM

 

H. Standby

1. On the Timesheet Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XOCXA.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code OSA.

 

3. On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XOCCH.

 

4. On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code OSA.

 

5. On the Timesheet Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XOCDH.

 

6. On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code OC3.

 

I. In Charge Pay Amount

 

1. On the Timesheet Page: Time Reporting Code XINCA.

 

2. On the Additional Pay Page: Amount Earnings Code, INC.

XII. GENERAL

 

Questions may be directed as follows:

 

Contract Issues: Agency Personnel Officers;

 

Payroll Procedures: Office of the State Comptroller, Payroll Services Division,
(860) 702-3463;

 

Tuition Reimbursement: Office of the State Comptroller, Fiscal Policy Division, (860) 702-3344;

 

Memorandum Interpretation: Office of the State Comptroller, Fiscal Policy Division, (860) 702-3440.

NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER

NW:ED

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