STATE OF CONNECTICUT |
||
NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER |
OFFICE OF
THE STATE COMPTROLLER 55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775 |
MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER |
INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM
May 19, 2003
To: | All Affected Agencies |
Attention: | Chief Administrative and Fiscal Officers, Business Managers, and Payroll and Personnel Officers |
Subject: | Public Act 03-3 Concerning Military Leave - Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Liberty Shield |
I. AUTHORITY
Effective immediately, the recently passed subject State legislation provides for additional benefits and compensation for certain full-time State employees of the executive, legislative and judicial branches who are called to active military service in the armed forces of any state or the United States armed forces for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Liberty Shield, a related emergency operation, or a military operation whose mission was substantially changed as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001, or federal action authorized by the Governor in support of the federal Department of Homeland Security's Operation Liberty Shield, military operations that are authorized by the President of the United States that entail military action against Iraq, or federal action or state action authorized by the Governor to combat terrorism within the United States for the period of eligible call-up. Covered State employees are as follows:
The following additional benefits and compensation are to be provided to employees (as defined above), who are supporting subject conflict.
II. PART PAY CONDITIONS
A. Eligibility
The following conditions must be met for an employee to qualify for part pay:
B. Certification
The Office of the Comptroller will certify to each employing agency the total military compensation to be used to calculate the difference between total military compensation and the employee's base pay in his/her primary State position. This
amount will represent the equivalent bi-weekly military compensation and will be sent to the payroll unit by the Comptroller's Policy Services Division.
State agencies are directed to use only those amounts certified by the Comptroller to calculate part pay.
If any agency receives copies of military compensation data, Leave and Earnings Statements or certification of pay by the employee or their designated representative, please forward to:
Office of the State Comptroller
Policy Services Division
55 Elm Street Room 219
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
C. Reconciliation
When the employee returns from military leave, a reconciliation must be made between the amount of "part pay" paid to the employee and the amount due.
Take the following steps to perform this reconciliation:
III. PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS
A. The following mandatory deductions must be made from the employee's "part pay":
B. All other voluntary deductions may be taken from an employee's "part pay" if sufficient monies remain to pay these deductions.
C. Dues and Fees
The following employee bargaining units have employees who are on military leave for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Liberty Shield, a related emergency operation, or a military operation whose mission was substantially changed as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001, or federal action or state action authorized by the Governor in support of the federal Department of Homeland Security's Operation Liberty Shield, military operations that are authorized by the President of the United States that entail military action against Iraq, or federal action or state action authorized by the Governor to combat terrorism within the United States, and have waived the deduction of dues and fees from the "part pay".
NP-1 | State Police |
NP-2 | CEUI |
NP-3 | AFSCME, Council 4, Locals 196, 318, 355, 478, 538, 562, 610 & 704 |
NP-4 | AFSCME, Council 4, Locals 387, 391 & 1565 |
NP-5 | Protective Services |
NP-6/P-1 | Health Care Professionals |
P-2 | AFSMCE, Council 4, Locals 269, 714, & 2663 |
P-3A | CSEA |
P-3B | CSEA |
P-4 | CSEA |
Criminal Justice Inspectors
Vo-Tech Faculty
If you have employees eligible for "part pay" in bargaining units not listed, please contact the Comptroller's Office, Policy Services Division, at the telephone number listed in Section VII of this memorandum to determine if dues or fees should be withheld from the employee's "part pay".
IV. RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS AND DEDUCTIONS
The following lump sum payments are subject to mandatory deductions only; i.e., withholding tax, social security tax, retirement contributions, and garnishments.
In addition, retroactive deductions for health and life insurance must be made. The agency payroll staff must calculate the retroactive amounts due (employer and employee shares) and override the Payroll System table amounts for these deductions with the retroactive amount.
V. PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
A. Health Insurance Including Medical and Dental Coverage
Comptroller's Memorandum No. 2001-65 advises agencies with active military personnel to contact the Comptroller's Office. Upon receipt of such notification, the Comptroller's Office will mail a letter to affected employees and/or their families regarding Public Act 03-3. This letter advises that the employees personnel or payroll office should be contacted to arrange continued health and life insurance coverage and if the employee wishes deductions to continue for supplemental benefits. This letter also advises that the employee may be entitled to reimbursement of any COBRA premium they may have paid for continuation of health insurance benefits.
NOTE: If an employee does not arrange to continue health insurance coverage, such coverage must be terminated in accordance with standard procedures. A COBRA notice must be issued to the employee and to any covered dependents whose coverage is terminated. These procedures must be followed even if the health insurance programs available through the military cover the employee and/or their dependents.
The following actions should be taken to continue or to reinstate health insurance benefits:
B. Group Life Insurance
In accordance with the provisions of the State of Connecticut Group Life Insurance Policy, employees on military leave without pay are granted the opportunity to maintain coverage for a period of one year, provided they continue to remit premiums during the leave. Premiums must be made two months in advance and submitted by the fifteenth (15th) of the month preceding the two month period to their Agency Payroll/Personnel Officer.
If the military leave lasts less than one year and all required premium payments are made during such leave, an employee must resume payroll deductions immediately upon return to work in order to maintain continuity of coverage. Failure to do so will require evidence of insurability approved by the contracted insurance company if the employee wishes to rejoin at a later date.
If the military leave continues beyond one year, coverage will be terminated on the first anniversary of the date that the leave began. Coverage may be reinstated without evidence of insurability upon the employee's return to work, to the extent that:
For additional information, refer to the Group Life Insurance Summary Plan Description under the heading "Leave of Absence".
The State of Connecticut Group Life Insurance Policy does not contain an exclusion for death due to acts of war.
C. Retirement
Documentation related to "part pay" episodes must be provided to the Retirement & Benefit Services Division to ensure that such information is retained on the impacted employee's retirement record. This includes any calculation worksheets utilized to determine the "part pay" due such employee or any retroactive payments linked to this circumstance.
Any appropriate contributions for the member's specific system and plan membership should be deducted from the member's part pay. Then, if eligible, the employee may apply, upon return from military leave, to purchase full retirement credit for his/her qualifying military service provided he/she returns within ninety (90) days of honorable discharge. The cost will be based on the individual employee's plan requirements.
D. State of Connecticut 403(b) Program and Deferred Compensation (?457)
In 2003, the maximum annual contribution limit for the State of Connecticut 403(b) Program and Deferred Compensation (?457) Plan is the lesser of $12,000 or 100% of gross salary. Refer to Comptroller's Memoranda 2002-08 and 2002-08a for further information concerning contribution limits.
Additional contributions to the 403(b) and 457 plans may be allowed under catch-up rules.
In either case, gross salary should be calculated using the "part pay" amount only. The amount of military pay the employee is receiving may not be included.
The provisions of the 403(b) Program and Deferred Compensation (?457) Plan provide that employees that return to work subsequent to service in the uniformed services of the United States may make up contribution amounts they otherwise would have made had they remained continuously employed by the State of Connecticut.
Employees should contact their financial service organization for further information.
E. Earned Time Accrual
The employee may choose to exhaust his/her earned time (exclusive of accrued sick leave) prior to going on leave without pay status. However, the employee is not eligible to be paid for earned time and the "part pay" for the same period.
Upon return to State service, the employee may have his/her vacation time restored by repaying the Salaries and Wages paid for earned time used. The amount of repayment would be calculated by deducting out the "part pay" entitlement.
VI. PAYROLL PROCEDURES
Entering the "Part Pay", Retroactive "Part Pay" Amounts and Retroactive 30-Day Military Leave Entitlements for Non-permanent Employees on the Bi-Weekly Payroll:
1. On-Line: Screen 047 or 190; R1; amount; D/OE 1C.
2. Remote Job Entry: ZT Transaction; Same as above.
VII. QUESTIONS
Please address your questions concerning this memorandum as follows:
Payroll Procedures: Office of the State Comptroller;
On-Line: Payroll Services Division, (860) 702-3463
Remote Job Entry: Payroll Services Division, (860) 702-3458
Memorandum Interpretation and Dues & Fees Waiver:
Office of the State Comptroller; Policy Services Division, (860) 702-3440
Employee Benefits:
Office of the State Comptroller; Retirement and Benefits Services Division, Employee Benefits Unit, (860) 702-3543
Retirement Issues:
Office of the State Comptroller; Retirement and Benefits Services Division, Retirement Credit Purchases Unit, (860) 702-3511
Contractual Issues: Agency Personnel Officer
Agencies are directed to distribute this memorandum to all of the affected satellite payroll personnel units.
NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER
NW:CG
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