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

MEMORANDUM NO. 95 - 50

August 18, 1995

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

The following guidelines have been established by my office to provide State agencies with a written policy and procedures when requesting payroll advances from Central Payroll's petty cash fund.

A petty cash check will be issued for the following reasons:

•  An employee was overpaid (resulting in a check cancellation)
• An employee received no paycheck due to agency oversight
• An underpayment of regular gross
• D/OE 05 (second pay) not paid in error
• Settlement of a union contract or grievance subject to interest and penalties if not paid by a specified date
• An erroneous payroll deduction (resulting in a check cancellation)

Central Payroll will not process any requests for the following reasons:

• To pay any other earnings (other than those already specified above) not paid in error. This includes overtime, holiday, premium, longevity, etc.
•  To replace lost checks or those involved in forgery
•  Early release or substitute of a regular paycheck due to hardship
•  If petty cash request form is not complete with detailed information, including a clear and detailed reason for the request.

If a petty cash check is being requested as the result of a check cancellation, the COP-9 package must be attached to the request form in order to ensure an accurate recovery process.

In the event that a stop payment must be made on the petty cash check (due to the loss of the petty cash check), the agency must contact the Central Payroll Division, at 566-4386. This account is not maintained by the Treasury, and their cash management section cannot assist you in resolving the problem.

Should your agency discover that they have requested a petty cash check for an employee in error, you must contact Central Payroll at 566-4386 immediately to ensure the recovery process is stopped in a timely manner avoiding a payroll error on the next pay cycle. Central Payroll staff will advise you on the proper procedure for returning the check at that time.

Any agency requesting three or more petty cash checks on any given pay cycle, must contact Central Payroll prior to delivering the requests for payment. This process will help Central Payroll staff identify widespread problems, ensure that adequate funds are available to pay all employees and serve your agency in a timely and efficient manner.

Any agency's failure to adhere to these guidelines will delay the prompt processing of those checks being requested and may result in their not being issued at all. Repeated payroll errors or constant requests for petty cash every pay cycle may result in Central Payroll's requiring additional training for the Agency's payroll personnel, or a recommendation for an audit of agency procedures in an effort to work together in resolving problems the agency may have.

Instructions for properly completing a petty cash request form may be found in your payroll manual. Contact Central Payroll if you require assistance.

The Central Payroll Division and my office may review these guidelines and change policies as necessary.

Nancy Wyman
State Comptroller

Back to Comptroller's Home Page
Back to Index of Comptroller's Memoranda