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

MEMORANDUM NO. 2005-12

April 21, 2005

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

I. AUTHORITY

The arbitration award between the State of Connecticut and the Administrative and Residual (P-5) bargaining unit, for the period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2007, was ratified by the Legislature on April 20, 2005.

II. COMPENSATION (Article 24)

A. General Wage Increases (Section One)

General wage increases will be effective as follows:

B. Annual Increments and Lump Sum Payments

There are no annual increments or lump sum payments for the 2003-2004 contract year. Annual increments and 2.5% lump sum payments will be delayed three months for the 2004 - 2005 contract year. Annual increments and 2.5% lump sum payments will be delayed three months for the 2005-2006 contract year and paid accordingly in the pay periods which include October 1, 2005 and April 1, 2006.

For the 2006-2007 contract year annual increments and 2.5% lump sum payments will be paid the first pay period following July 1, 2006 or January 1, 2007, as applicable.

C. Longevity (Section Three)

Employees will continue to be eligible for longevity payments for the life of the contract in accordance with existing practice.

D. Shift and Weekend Differential (Section Four)

Shift Differential

1. The night shift differential will be sixty-five cents ($0.65) per hour.

Effective June 24, 2005 the shift differential will be seventy cents ($0.70) per hour. Effective June 23, 2006 the night shift differential will be seventy-five cents ($0.75) per hour.

Applicable changes will be made centrally at the proper time.

2. Those employees who have selected an alternative work schedule will not receive shift differential for any hours within the bandwidth hours of Alternative Work Schedule.

3. Employees at or below Salary Grade 18 will be eligible for shift differential. Effective June 24, 2005 the salary eligibility for shift differential will be Salary Grade 24 and below.

Weekend Differential

1. Weekend differential will be paid for working a full shift with the majority of shift hours falling on the weekend.

2. Weekend differential will be paid only for employees working in seven day operations and only for hours worked.

3. The weekend differential will be forty cents ($0.40) per hour.

Effective June 24, 2005 the weekend differential will be forty-five cents ($0.45) per hour.

Effective June 23, 2006 the weekend differential will be fifty cents ($0.50) per hour.

4. Employees at or below Salary Grade 18 will be eligible for the weekend differential. Effective June 24, 2005 the salary eligibility for weekend differential will be Salary Grade 24 or below.

E. Tuition Reimbursement (Section Six)

The State will allocate for tuition reimbursement the following:

Unused funds from one contract year will be carried forward into the following contract year. Unused funds at the expiration of the contract term will lapse.

The State will honor reimbursement claims submitted by unit employees for the contract years of 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, if such claims meet the contractual standards, and to the extent that the aggregate of such claims will not exceed the permissible limitations.

Tuition reimbursement will be equal to seventy-five percent (75%) of the per credit rate for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. Reimbursement will not exceed the actual cost of each course.

F. Licensing Fees (Section Seven)

An employee whose job specification requires a professional license or certification as a condition of employment and who uses such license for State business will be reimbursed for the cost of such license or certification.

G. Safety Shoes (Section Nine)

Employees who are required on a daily basis to wear safety shoes will receive an annual allowance of $70.00.

H. On-Call/Standby Pay (Section Ten)

For those employees, who are by managerial direction, assigned on-call/standby status and must be available for service and must respond if contacted, a sum of $1.00 per hour will be paid for each hour so assigned. Effective July 1, 2005, the rate will be increased to $1.25 per hour and for holiday on-call/standby the rate will be $2.00 per hour. Notwithstanding the duration of any on-call/standby assignment, compensation will not exceed $100 per employee per week. Effective July 1, 2005, the maximum compensation per employee per week will be $175.

I. Home Office Premium (Section Twelve)

On or about December 1 of each contract year, employees in the following classifications who are expected to use their home to conduct State business, will receive $225.00: Department of Agriculture - Inspector - Dairy, or Department of Agriculture - Inspector - Poultry and Livestock.

These payments are to be proportionately reduced for those employees who use their home to conduct State business for less than a full year, measured from July 1 to June 30.

J. Home Garaging (Section Thirteen)

Any employee who is required by the State to garage a State vehicle at his/her home and whose gross income is reported to be increased by the provision of an employer provided vehicle pursuant to Federal Public Law 99-44 will receive a $200 annual payment on or about January 15 of each contract year. Eligibility for the annual payment will be limited to those employees who are required to home garage a vehicle for an aggregate of ten (10) months or more between November 1 and October 31. Those employees who are required to home garage a vehicle for an aggregate of four (4) months but less than ten (10) months between November 1 and October 31 will receive a one hundred ($100) annual payment on or about January 15 of each contract year.

IV. TRAVEL EXPENSES AND REIMBURSEMENT (Article 25)

A. Mileage Reimbursement (Section Two)

Mileage will be paid at the current rate of forty and one-half (40.5) cents per mile as of March 4, 2005. The mileage rate will be readjusted within thirty (30) days of readjustment by the U.S. General Services Administration.

B. Auto Usage Fees (Section Five)

Employees required to utilize a personal vehicle for fifty percent (50%) of the assigned monthly work days will be paid a daily auto usage fee equal to $3.50 for each work day of required availability or $4.50 for each day of required usage, for each work day such month which will be in addition to the mileage reimbursement. Said usage will be evaluated and paid on a monthly basis upon presentation of travel expense reimbursement.

C. Out of State Travel (Section Ten)

Effective upon legislative approval (April 20, 2005), an employee who is required to travel overnight and out of state on State business for a period of two (2) or more consecutive days will receive a $10.00 lump sum undocumented reimbursement for each day or partial day of the business trip, but will not receive any payment for the return day if the travel ends prior to 7:00 am on that day.

Premium City Supplement - The premium city supplement will be $6.00. In the 2005-2006 contract year the supplement will be increased to $8.00 per day.

D. Travel Advance (Section Eleven)

The travel advance amount remains at $200.

E. Meal Reimbursement Rates (Section Thirteen)

F. Other Business Related Expenses (Section Sixteen)

Employees shall be fully reimbursed for all other business related expenses, including but not limited to telephones, telegrams, tolls, parking charges, and ground transportation, so long as they were incurred in the conduct of State business and to the extent that such charges exceed twenty five dollars ($25.00), verified by receipts. Employees shall be reimbursed for gratuities to hotel/motel maids at the rate of up to one dollar ($1.00) per night for stays of three (3) or more consecutive nights.

V. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL LEAVE (Article 31)

Professional leave is defined as leave to attend seminars, classes, lectures, workshops, conventions, or other related activities in aid of the development, maintenance or exchange of professional skills, techniques or experiences which clearly relate to an employee's primary job assignment or logical career progression.

Employees may request and, subject to the conditions outlined in the contract, will be granted up to ten days leave with pay per contract term for professional development.

Professional Development and Conference Fund (Section Six)

The State will allocate to the Professional Development and Conference Fund the following:

Any unexpended funds which exist at the end of any contract year shall roll over for use in the next succeeding year. All funds remaining at the end of the contract shall revert to the State unless the parties agree otherwise.

VI. MISCELLANEOUS (Article 38)

A. Military Leave (Section Six)

A full-time permanent employee who is a member of the armed forces of the State or any reserve component of the armed forces of the United States will be entitled to military leave with pay for required field training, provided such leave does not exceed two (2) calendar weeks in a calendar year, in addition to up to seven (7) days of military leave for weekend drills. Additionally, any such employee who is ordered to active duty as a result of an unscheduled emergency (natural disaster or civil disorder) will be entitled to military leave with pay not to exceed thirty (30) calendar days in a calendar year. During such leave the employee's position shall be held, and the employee shall be credited with such time for seniority purposes. Other requests for military leave may be approved without pay. Nothing in this Article shall be construed to prevent an employee from attending ordered military training while on regularly scheduled vacation.

B. Hazardous Duty (Section Seven)

The hourly pay differential which was established for certain designated job assignments or working conditions in the Department of Correction will continue under the criteria and standards for payment established in prior agreements. The hourly pay differential rate will be fifty-five cents ($0.55) per hour.

VII. RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS

For the pay periods June 25, 2004 through April 28, 2005 agency staff must calculate any retroactive payments. Checks dated May 13, 2005 should reflect updated additional compensation; e.g., shift differentials, overtime, etc., for the particular bi-weekly pay period.

Payments will be separately identified and subject to mandatory deductions only; i.e., federal withholding tax and state income tax annualized, social security tax, retirement contributions, and garnishments (if applicable).

A. Retroactive General Wage Increase

B. Retroactive Annual Increments and Lump Sum Payments at Maximum Step

VIII. SCHEDULED PAYMENT DATES

A. General Wage Increase

The general wage increase will be made centrally at the proper time.

Agency staff must review the Salary Change Mass Update by Plan/Pay Group Report and the Inactive and Transferred Employees Report.

B. Annual Increments

Annual Increments will be entered centrally at the proper time as follows:

C. Lump Sum Payments for Maximum Step Employees

Agencies must process these lump sum payments manually and follow the effective dates and pay periods of annual increments as indicated in Section VIII.B.

IX. PAYROLL PROCEDURES

A. Payment of Retroactive Salary Increases and Retroactive Annual Increments and Retroactive Lump Sums

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XRTRA

On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code RTR

B. 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.

C. Payment of Lump Sum - (Maximum Step)

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XMERA

On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code MER

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. Shift Differential

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Hours; Shift 1; Account 50180 or

Hours; Shift 2 (Time and a Half); Account 50180 or

Amount; Shift 3; Account 50180

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. Shoe Allowance

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount; Time Reporting Code XSHUA

On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code SHU

F. On-Call/Standby Pay

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XOCBH

On the Additional Pay Page: Units; Earnings Code OCA

G. Home and Office Premium

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount, Time Reporting Code XHOMA

On the Additional Pay Page: Amount, Earnings Code HOM.

H. Auto Usage Fee

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Amount, Time Reporting Code XAUTA

On the Additional Pay Page: Amount, Earnings Code AUT

I. Hazardous Duty

On the Weekly Elapsed Time Page: Units; Time Reporting Code XHDCH

On the Additional Pay Page: Amount; Earnings Code HDA

J. Tuition Reimbursement - Union Fund

Agencies may submit tuition reimbursement claims for contract years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. All pre-approved tuition reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Comptroller's Office, Fiscal Policy Division, Tuition and Travel Unit, on a PERT-1 Form, Application for Tuition Reimbursement. A receipt of payment and a copy of grades for courses taken should be attached to the PERT-1 form.

Tuition reimbursement requests without proper back-up documentation will be returned.

Please see Memorandum No. 2003-27 dated June 27, 2003 and Memorandum No. 2003-47 dated October 15, 2003 for additional procedures. These two memoranda can be found on the Office of the State Comptroller website at www.osc.state.ct.us.

Note: Reimbursements cannot be made until the release of funding by the Office of Policy and Management. In the past, this funding was not made available to coincide with the implementation date of the contract provision. Please expect delays in reimbursements at the beginning of contract years.

K. Conference Reimbursement - Union Fund

Employees must complete Travel Authorization (CO-112) Form and submit to appropriate agency personnel for processing. Prior Union approval must accompany the CO-112. The authorized CO-112 and back-up materials must be sent to the Comptroller's Office, Fiscal Policy Division, Tuition and Travel Unit, for review and approval. 

After attending the conference, the employee must submit the reimbursement request on an Employee Payroll Reimbursement Form, CO-17XP-PR to the Comptroller's Office, Tuition and Travel Unit. Appropriate receipts must be attached to the CO-17XP-PR.

Agencies may now submit any pre-approved reimbursement request, for conferences approved and attended between July 1, 2003 and the present. Submit these requests on the CO-17XP-PR, with back-up material to the Comptroller's Office, Fiscal Policy Division, Tuition and Travel Unit.

X. GENERAL

Questions may be directed as follows:

NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER

NW:CH

Return to Index of 2005 Comptroller's Memoranda
Return to Index of Comptroller's Memoranda
Return to Comptroller's Home Page