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

MEMORANDUM NO. 2007-26

July 19, 2007

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

Effective June 22, 2007 wage increases have been authorized for all managers who meet the criteria outlined in DAS Official Memorandum No. 07-04 dated July 16, 2007. Additionally, this document specifies Performance Assessment and Recognition System (PARS) bonuses are also authorized. The wage increases will appear in the paycheck dated August 3, 2007 provided transactions have been entered into Core-CT by 7:00 p.m. July 24, 2007. Because the payment will be retroactive one pay period, agency payroll offices should obtain information from the spreadsheets that accompanied DAS Official Memorandum No. 07-04 as these spreadsheets are formulated to calculate the retroactive payment.

NOTE: Durational Project Managers, Transitional Managers, Customer Service Program Developers and Executive Assistants with no prior permanent, classified service in a qualifying job class are not eligible for the PARS/AI increase. However, employees in these titles who do have prior permanent, classified service in a qualifying job class are eligible for the PARS/AI increase.

I. ELIGIBILITY

1. PARS for fiscal year 2006-2007 is for eligible managers employed the equivalent of six months or more during fiscal year 2006-2007 by the effective date.

2. Managers who have left state service for any reason prior to the effective date are not eligible to receive a PARS payment.

3. New managers hired between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2007 are not eligible for a 2006-2007 PARS payment or a PARS bonus. However, they are eligible to receive a 1.5% (Phase-In) pay increase effective December 21, 2007.

4. Employees who were promoted to manager between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2007 are not eligible for a 2006-2007 PARS payment or a PARS bonus. If they had a previous annual increment date of January, they are eligible to receive a 1.5% (Phase-In) pay increase effective June 22, 2007 and a 1.5% (Phase-In) pay increase effective December 21, 2007. If they had a previous annual increment date of July, they are eligible to receive a 3% (Phase-In) pay increase effective June 22, 2007.

II. METHOD OF PAYMENT

Approved increases may be built into salaries for:

1. Managerial personnel whose salary is at or below the maximum position rate in agencies participating in the PARS program.

2. Managers on the MP and MD Pay Plans (and certain individuals in the VR Pay Plan) in agencies which have not participated in the PARS program may be eligible for annual increases up to the maximum position rate of their salary. (Note: This increase applies up to maximum position rate. Lump sum payments and bonuses are not available to managers in non-participating agencies or to Executive Assistants or other employees specified in Item No.1221-E.

Approved increases may be made as a lump sum payment for:

3. A manager (in a PARS-participating agency) who is at the maximum of his/her salary group is eligible for a lump sum payment of 3.0% of maximum position rate for performance rated as "Meets or Exceeds Expectations". A performance recognition award may be added to this amount for exceptional performance.

III. PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION AWARD BONUS PAYMENTS

A. Detailed guidelines contained in the Department of Administrative Services Memorandum No. 07-04 dated July 16, 2007 include the following requirements for performance bonuses only available to participating PARS managers:

1. There are no minimum or maximum bonus award amounts. Agencies can determine both the number and size of Performance Recognition Awards bonuses within the agency pool of dollars so long as the agency awards bonus pool is not exceeded. The Commissioner of Administrative Services must approve PARS bonus payments greater than $750 for agencies with only one manager.

2. Bonus payments are to be made in one lump sum.

3. Managers who transfer from one Executive Branch agency to another Executive Branch agency during the rating year or prior to payout receive PARS salary increases and/or lump sum payments from the employing agency at the time of payout provided both agencies participate in the PARS program. Bonus awards are paid by the receiving agency.

B. Coding

The same expenditure coding should be used for a bonus payment as that charged for the employee's regular salary.

IV. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

The PARS payments must be entered manually at the proper time as follows:

A. Payment of Built-In Increases

DAS has issued instructions for how to process pay rate change actions in Core-CT. Please refer to the FAQs accompanying the DAS Memorandum No. 07-04 entitled "Salary Increases for Non-Bargaining Unit Employees in Executive Branch Agencies."

B. Lump Sum Payments

The portion of a manager's PARS salary increase that will exceed the maximum of their salary range effective June 22, 2007 must be paid as a lump sum.

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

Agencies must use the following codes when entering the lump sum in Core-CT:

Via Timesheet: Time Reporting Code, XMISP

Via Additional Pay: Earnings Code, MPS

C. Payment of Bonuses

Agencies must use the following codes when entering the Performance Recognition Award bonuses in Core-CT:

Via Timesheet: Time Reporting Code, XMERA

Via Additional Pay: Earnings Code, MER

V. GENERAL

Questions may be directed to:

PARS Inquires: Department of Administrative Services,
HR Business Rules and Central Audit Unit
Calculations, Lisa.Chasse@CT.Gov or Pauline.Mahoney@CT.Gov;
Eligibility Issues, Shari.Grzyb@CT.Gov or Heather.Tweeddale@CT.Gov;
PARS Program, Martin.Anderson@CT.Gov;

Payroll Procedures: Office of the State Comptroller
Payroll Services Division, (860) 702-3463;
Payroll Services Division, (860) 702-3451;

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

NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER

NW:CH

Return to Index of 2007 Comptroller's Memoranda
Return to Index of Comptroller's Memoranda
Return to Comptroller's Home Page