PAYROLL HORROR

Diana_of_Themyscira · Oct 4, 2018

One (or all) of our supervisors messed up and didn't do our payroll (PP- 19) and we all ended up with $0 on our pay stubs. 3 days before the payday (Tuesday), they sent us messages on our scanners about the "damage" they have done and resolved to "fix" it. By fixing, they meant they would go around and ask individually if we want "cash advances" (which is technically wrong because it was NOT really advance but our actual pay). I was one of those who said YES to the "cash advance" ( I feel weird using the term, but hey, that's what they use... ?), I was going on a trip and didn't want to take money out of my savings account. They issued us postal money orders on Friday, with amounts close to 75% of our actual pay. Some of my co-workers said NO and said they'll be fine just having the lump sum on the next pay day. Tomorrow is the next pay and we were told we won't get our wages from the last pay period. They said it would take about two pay periods for the finance department to make the adjustments. ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE ! Everything is messed up - our insurance, car, mortgage payments ! Then our worry about how are we gonna get taxed, etc. Our steward contacted the DR and we're on the process of filing a class action grievance. I NEED ADVICE, INPUTS, REFERENCES CITATIONS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. THANKS, THANKS, THANKS !

Quivo · Oct 4, 2018

Well let me say what happened to me. Same thing, supervisor didnt put in payroll, everyone got a cash advance. Which was a money order, it took about 2 months for the actual pay amounts/deductions to show up in our checks.

Hopefully it doesn't take 2 months for those who didn't take the cash advance.

btdtret · Oct 5, 2018

WONDERing WOMAN -- When pay problems arise, contacting the Assistant District Representative and / or District Representative gets corrective actions started faster.

-- The USPS does not like negative press, so contacting the local media might help.

-- Local manglement does not like congressional personnel poking around the office and asking questions, so contacting your representatives could bring the desired results.

-- At least your manglement did offer "cash advances" per Section 23-3 of the F-101 handbook ( Field Accounting Procedures ).

-- Back in FEB 2018, the USPS OIG had an on-line article - "Having Problems With Your Time and Attendance Records? The OIG Wants To Hear From You." Visit the uspsoig.gov/blog web site and leave a comment detailing manglement's failure in processing payroll.

-- For the Class Action grievance, ensure "be made whole" is included in the wording.

-- Good luck.

Rt2mailman · Oct 5, 2018

For any carrier that didn't receive their check or pay was incorrect or didn't get anything as mentioned above, they should always ask for an advance, even if they don't "need" it. An advance pressures management to get the pay corrected and to get it right the first time. When you do get an advance never pay it back when you get the money, but 2 weeks later, as allowed, longer if possible. When a manager has to come to you and ask you to pay it back you can always say you forgot your check book etc., until they threaten you with a letter of demand. Theses techniques remind management not to screw with carrier pay and to get it right the first time.

EthelAnne · Oct 5, 2018

Yep--this happened in my office. Always take the "cash advance"--it takes forever to fix these screw ups, no matter what they say.

Howah44 · Oct 5, 2018

H T F does no one in the "district" office not catch that however many people had NO hours entered into the payroll system ???

This organization is full of over compensated morons who would never make it in the private industry.

I would go to the press (protect your id) and tell them what happened.

btdtret · Oct 5, 2018

Howah44 et al -- "H T F does no one in the "district" office not catch that however many people had NO hours entered into the payroll system ???"

-- Probably because they are in their cubicles thinking up the next "red plastic wire tie to put on LLV mirrors" or the next "LLV loading areas 1 through 6" or "the alert flag for POV's" idea.

Howah44 · Oct 5, 2018

Perhaps the desk inhabitants are revisiting the succesful "load leveling" fiasco & reminiscing about other PO money losing endeavors.

Crispcracker · Mar 9, 2019

Really my fiasco is ongoing, dates back to 2017. Usually just .80 hour or maybe 2 hours. Management could give a shit. They give lip service each time I bring it up. Now pay 2 of 2019 mysteriously my sick day and x day showed up as lwop.
Supv issued adj, immediately, never show d up, so I called my he help desk ( thankQ rural info.net for posting the number) spoke with a very nice person who let me know the adj had been cancelled. WTF. So I then quizzed her about my checks not adding up to my evaluated hours. She said I am right, I am being shorted, I it coming from my office.
So now who do I go to? United n will say been going on to long if I file, and rule untimely I bet. I guess the OIG

Shafted · Mar 9, 2019

EEO wakes these assholes up fast. Look your PM, or TACS supervisor in the face and say that you are calling the inspection service, AND filing an EEO over the deliberate pay issues.

Crispcracker · Mar 9, 2019

What is TACS?

Shafted · Mar 9, 2019

Time cards. ( Time and accounting )

Crispcracker · Mar 9, 2019

Our ofc has not a TACS
PM will do,

charlie · Mar 9, 2019

btdtret said:
WONDERing WOMAN -- When pay problems arise, contacting the Assistant District Representative and / or District Representative gets corrective actions started faster.

-- The USPS does not like negative press, so contacting the local media might help.

-- Local manglement does not like congressional personnel poking around the office and asking questions, so contacting your representatives could bring the desired results.

-- At least your manglement did offer "cash advances" per Section 23-3 of the F-101 handbook ( Field Accounting Procedures ).

-- Back in FEB 2018, the USPS OIG had an on-line article - "Having Problems With Your Time and Attendance Records? The OIG Wants To Hear From You." Visit the uspsoig.gov/blog web site and leave a comment detailing manglement's failure in processing payroll.

-- For the Class Action grievance, ensure "be made whole" is included in the wording.

-- Good luck.

..."Made whole.....interest penalty of 18% accrued daily.....AND...$500.00 damages for personal suffering..... Screw back with them so they NEVEr screw with you again. Don't let union jerks tell you you can't... You start the grievance and it is your words on the grievance which count. Pu them in.

Rt2mailman · Mar 9, 2019

Wrongful pay checks are never untimely grieved if grieved in the same year. File away as Charlie said above.

oi veh. · Mar 9, 2019

Crispcracker said:
Our ofc has not a TACS
PM will do,

Your PM/stupe uses TACS to enter your time.
TACS is not a person per se, it is a system.

If you duckduckgo "TACS usps", click the first result. You will be presented with a PDF of the supervisors training book.
The more you know...

Deer Smearer · Mar 9, 2019

Oi veh. said:
Your PM/stupe uses TACS to enter your time.
TACS is not a person per se, it is a system.

If you duckduckgo "TACS usps", click the first result. You will be presented with a PDF of the supervisors training book.
The more you know...

TACS- time and attendance collection.
4240 & 1234 - rural carrier & RCA time cards
8127 -Regular Rural Carrier Supplemental Payment
RWHT - RURAL Work hour tracking
RMMS or RMSS - Rural blah blah blah (can't remember ) replacing RWHT
1314 and 1314A - Rural Carrier Time Certificate.

There is like a dozen ways time entry can get screwed up.

The most likely is the RWHT ( being replaced by RMMS) That's where the 4240 and green card times are entered.

John Winger · Mar 9, 2019

WONDERing WOMAN said:
One (or all) of our supervisors messed up and didn't do our payroll (PP- 19) and we all ended up with $0 on our pay stubs. 3 days before the payday (Tuesday), they sent us messages on our scanners about the "damage" they have done and resolved to "fix" it. By fixing, they meant they would go around and ask individually if we want "cash advances" (which is technically wrong because it was NOT really advance but our actual pay). I was one of those who said YES to the "cash advance" ( I feel weird using the term, but hey, that's what they use... ?), I was going on a trip and didn't want to take money out of my savings account. They issued us postal money orders on Friday, with amounts close to 75% of our actual pay. Some of my co-workers said NO and said they'll be fine just having the lump sum on the next pay day. Tomorrow is the next pay and we were told we won't get our wages from the last pay period. They said it would take about two pay periods for the finance department to make the adjustments. ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE ! Everything is messed up - our insurance, car, mortgage payments ! Then our worry about how are we gonna get taxed, etc. Our steward contacted the DR and we're on the process of filing a class action grievance. I NEED ADVICE, INPUTS, REFERENCES CITATIONS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. THANKS, THANKS, THANKS !

No joke - I had to wait 10 months because our old PM was playing the RWHT game. Over $1600. My wife cried several times. I threatened to quit. The same thing happened to my coworker the PP before. She took the cash advance and the PO started garnishing her wages BEFORE she ever got the money she was owed. That issue has forever tainted the PO for me. I have issues with the union and the job, but the only reason I go to work is for the money. Do NOT bleep with my money.

oi veh. · Mar 9, 2019

Deer smearer said:
TACS- time and attendance collection.
4240 & 1234 - rural carrier & RCA time cards
8127 -Regular Rural Carrier Supplemental Payment
RWHT - RURAL Work hour tracking
RMMS or RMSS - Rural blah blah blah (can't remember ) replacing RWHT
1314 and 1314A - Rural Carrier Time Certificate.

There is like a dozen ways time entry can get screwed up.

The most likely is the RWHT ( being replaced by RMMS) That's where the 4240 and green card times are entered.

Thanks so much.

Our office(s) are still using TACS. Don't ask me how I know, because I'm not "supposed" to.

I'm quite aware of all the other forms and acroynms.

Crisp asked what TACS was. Shafted told him/her, I elaborated.

p.s. upon rereading Crisp's second comment, it looks like perhaps the "stupe" portion was omitted...

Diana_of_Themyscira · Apr 3, 2019

UPDATE on the PAYROLL HORROR :

We filed a grievance that went to Step 2. They were given just a warning - no penalty, no interest, no other consequences.
I got a money order the same day; the others got it the next pay day.