AR - Late paycheck brings trouble for state worker

By David Robinson

Donrey Little Rock Bureau

LITTLE ROCK -- Friday morning, after sending his girlfriend and their two children to an aunt's house for food, a state maintenance worker got on his bicycle and headed for the state building where a new computer and payroll system are headquartered.

With his paycheck a week late, Kiwan Dandridge recalled Wednesday, his cupboards and refrigerator were empty, his phone service was cut off and he had missed a chance at a car he wanted to buy. He said his stomach was so empty he feared he was in no condition to mow grass all day, so he missed work.

He was upset, and before he could get any answers about his check, the State Capitol Police were called when a state employee thought a bulge in his back waistband was suspicious.

Dandridge, 22, was not armed, and he remained calm when questioned by the police, according to a police report. He was told another paycheck would be sent to him.

"Everybody's so on edge," State Capitol Police Chief James Vandiver said Wednesday. "The guy went over there to ask questions. He overreacted, the people over there overreacted ... there was no threat or anything."

Dandridge's paycheck problem is related to the state's switch to a new computer system on July 1.

Tim Leathers, deputy director of the Department of Finance and Administration, said 690 employees were either paid late or got partial payments because of problems related to the computer switch.

Mike Kemp, spokesman for the Arkansas Administrative Statewide Information System (AASIS) office, which oversees the new computer system, said there have been no threats from employees who experienced problems with their checks.

By Monday, at least 31 state employees had yet to receive checks for the July 13 payday, said Kay Durnett, executive director of the State Employees Association Inc. On Wednesday, she said two of them had called to say they had been paid.

Dandridge said he got his original paycheck in the mail on Saturday. As of Wednesday, he said he had yet to receive the second check he was told he would get.

"If the first check hadn't showed up I still would have been more in debt," he said. "I still would have no money right to this day."

On Monday, he was written up for not notifying his supervisor he would miss work Friday.

"If I would have came I probably would have fell out in the hot sun," he said. "I didn't have no food in my stomach, no money to buy any food and I have a girlfriend and two kids. I had to send them over to their auntie's house where they could have something to eat. I know the job don't pay much but I still could have made some progress if my check would have came on time."

He said he could not call work Friday because he had no phone.

Durnett said she was working to have the disciplinary notice removed from Dandridge's file, but Bob Laman, director of State Building Services, said the notice would stay.

"It's real clear he didn't let us know what was going on at all," Laman said. "He could just as easily have stopped by here. We're five blocks apart (from the AASIS headquarters). He didn't follow the rules so that is not going to get pulled."

Laman said his agency was aware of the paycheck problem and was doing what it could to resolve it.

He said he hoped news reports about Dandridge would not be sensationalized because Dandridge is a "good employee and we want it to work out for him."

Durnett said she hopes the agency will have the compassion to consider the circumstances and remove the disciplinary notice.

"It is reprehensible that an employee of the state should be in that position," she said. "If he's mowing grass he's not a highly compensated individual, either."

Rex Nelson, spokesman for Gov. Mike Huckabee, said he could offer no comment and would let Laman speak for the governor.

"I just wouldn't feel comfortable commenting specifically on it," Nelson said.

He said, however, that the governor is "totally sympathetic" to situations like Dandridge's. He said the state has provided letters to help employees whose paycheck problems may have caused bills to go unpaid.

The letter from the Department of Finance and Administration, states, "We hope you can find it possible to waive any overdraft charges or late penalties the affected employees incurred as a result of the delay in receipt of their pay."

Kemp and Nelson emphasized that employees are working hard to resolve every problem.

The next payday is Friday.

Kemp said not all problems will have been cleared up.

"I expect there to be some challenges this payroll," he said.

http://www.nwaonline.net/www.nwaonline.net/272675746626382.bsp

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Answers

AK - More Paycheck Problems For State Workers

Story by Sonseeahray Tonsall Posted 7/30/01 10:07:11 AM

Managers of AASIS, the state's new computer system, had a bad case of deja vu over the weekend. They're dealing with a second round of problems associated with direct deposit paychecks issued through the system.

After state employees who bank at Regions and People's banks didn't get their money as expected on July 13, Mike Kemp of the state Department of Finance and Administration said, "We can ensure this will be the only time [this happens] because we will do whatever it takes...we'll adjust to make sure it never happens again."

It did not happen to employees who use Regions and People's banks˜ but it did happen to those who use Superior Federal Bank. 28-hundred state workers' paychecks were not deposited as scheduled. AASIS project manager Ron Hopper tells KARK News 4, "Some of the banks have account numbers that end in zero, and that messed them up."

Extra zeros keyed into electronic direct deposit files were what kept money from going into the right accounts two weeks ago. Superior Federal had the problem then, too, but was able to catch it in time.

"That was a mistake on my part," Hopper says, "Not ensuring that the staff downstairs was aware of Superior Federal. I assumed they knew about Superior Federal and they did not. So when that bank file is corrected, there will not be a problem."

Hopper and others say the much-criticized AASIS system has not failed. Hopper attributes most of the difficulty to employees still learning how to operate AASIS˜ a difficulty no one wants to hear about come next payday.

http://www.kark.com/karktv/news/story_tmp.asp?cmd=view&Storyid=1577

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001

AR - Lenders, utilities mindful of check problems

By TENA FURNISH-Blytheville Courier News

Financial institutions and utilities across the state, including local organizations, say they will extend courtesies to people who ran out of money because of late paychecks or delayed child support checks from the state.

Hundreds of state employees were late being paid or given short checks after the first two payrolls under Arkansas' new accounting system. The state child support office switched last month to a new computer system for processing checks. The office blamed a delay in payments on the switch and on thousands of new cases generated by a federal law that requires all support payments deducted from payroll checks to be sent to the state.

Gov. Mike Huckabee asked that utilities keep victims of the mix-ups connected and that banks waive fees from bounced checks. Local utilities and financial institutions are complying with the governor's request.

Entergy Customer Service Manager Jerry Carlton said his company will work with customers who are having problems due to the computer glitch.

"If a customer notifies us that they are involved in this problem, we will work with them any way we can," Carlton said. "I encourage people dealing with this to contact us so we can be aware of the situation and respond accordingly." Entergy Arkansas serves 640,000 electric customers.

Single mothers due child support checks are getting extensions to pay their bills, said Carmie Henry, vice president of governmental affairs for the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives. The co-op serves 375,000 customers in the state. He said state workers who demonstrate their problems are related to late checks will also be accommodated.

Mississippi County Electric Cooperative General Manager Larry Hellums said he has several customers locally that are being affected.

"We have made arrangements with them and made a notation on the computer that their payment will be late. Their utilities will not be disconnected nor will they be assessed any penalties," Hellums said. "We will wait on their payments just like they are having to wait on their checks."

Local financial institutions are also aware of the situation and willing to work with their customers, although they say they do not believe the problem is having much of an effect locally.

Northeast Arkansas Federal Credit Union President Dan Trevathan said he is not aware of any credit union members that have been affected but would work with them if the need arises.

"I am not aware that we have had any problems, but we would try to work with our members," he said. "It is not unusual for us to have to work with a payroll department that has made an error. The member would need to contact us, and we will be happy to work with them."

Other area financial institutions agree.

"It has not been a problem that I am aware of, but any request that we get we would handle on an individual basis," Jerry Sims, the chairman and CEO of First National Bank, said. "Our customers should contact us and let us know of the problem, so we can address the problem. It was the state's mistake, and the individual shouldn't have to suffer."

"We know of the situation, and we would try to accommodate our customers if they are having a problem, " Farmers Bank President Steve Bell said. He added that customers should make the bank aware of their situation.

Leslie Haber, state director of Service Employees International Union Local 100, said banks and utilities can save the state money in claims by showing some understanding.

Some workers are seeking money from the state to repay them for costs they've already had to bear. Seven state employees had, as of Wednesday, filed for compensation from the state Claims Commission, a panel that can authorize payment to compensate for problems caused by the state.

The Claims Commission has approved three claims - for a total of $2,268 - to pay costs of state workers harmed by not being paid on time. The other four claims were pending.

http://blythevillecn.com/display/inn_news/news02.txt

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001