[US] Payroll glitch leaves hundreds of San Francisco teachers unpaid

[US] Payroll glitch leaves hundreds of San Francisco teachers unpaid
15 Mar 2022

Following a problematic rollout of a new payroll processing system in the new year, hundreds of San Francisco public school employees have been underpaid, mispaid, or not paid at all, Mission Local reports.

Both the district and the teachers’ union have confirmed that the number of affected employees runs into hundreds. The teachers’ union is threatening a class-action lawsuit against the San Francisco Unified School District, based upon non-payment of workers. It says they are now entitled to full payment with interest. 

“I don’t see any evidence that they’re fixing the system,” Natalie Hrizi - United Educators San Francisco’s vice president of substitutes - said, “And they are not moving quickly enough to address individual issues.” 

Ms Hrizi failed to receive a monthly paycheque of around $6,000. She was subsequently sent an off-cycle cheque to make up for the non-payment but says the funds never made it into her account because “they were not verified. Whatever account the district paid me from, my bank could not get the funds out.” 

Teachers with more complicated classifications, such as substitutes with dual assignments and multiple pay rates or even pay periods, appear to be more susceptible to payment errors. Teachers who are on leave or involved in more esoteric programs are also experiencing problems. 

San Francisco Unified School District employees reportedly received an email from Deputy Superintendent Myong Leigh on March 2, explaining that the problems stemmed from the January implementation of the EMPowerSF system and that workers who were not properly compensated need to be patient. 

“While the majority of our employees are getting correct and timely payments, a lack of payment and/or response for those who are not can be catastrophic,” Mr Leigh’s email said. “For system-related errors, this is inexcusable; and we recognise the urgency of resolving each and every pay-related issue. Every staff member will be paid the money they are owed.” 

The question now is when will these issues be resolved. Mr Leigh’s email noted that “the number of people who can fix issues is limited, and we are trying to train more as quickly as possible. We have moved 10 more people from other duties across various departments to support the Payroll, Salaries, Leaves and Benefits departments … ”

Though there is a wider awareness of the problems now, the teachers’ union has accused the district of rolling out a ‘buggy program’ with insufficient support. At in-person sessions last week, Ms Hrizi said some affected teachers waited hours to speak to a district representative and those people were unable to decipher what went wrong with the EMPowerSF system. 

Its problems are reportedly extensive, complicated and multifaceted. 

Mission Local spoke to one teacher who received an auto-payment of around $5,500 for January without a problem yet only one month later he was shocked to be compensated $30 for the entire month. 

Other teachers have reported miscalculations around myriad deductions, benefits or leave programs, or money intended for one location being mistakenly sent to another. One substitute teacher complained to the union that her monthly salary was, instead, deposited into her retirement account. This money cannot be easily recovered and she received no payment for the month. 

Another teacher told Mission Local that she has received compensation for her regular hours, but has not been paid since December for additional Saturday COVID recovery service classes she teaches.

“I had to borrow money,” she said. “I have overdraft fees. It’s really embarrassing.”

A district paraeducator reportedly told Mission Local that she has missed four of her last five paycheques, and hasn’t received one since January. She is nearly $5,000 out of pocket.

“My partner is also a teacher. We don’t make enough to live a comfortable life. We’ve been late on rent multiple times,” she said. “I have migraines. It’s just lots of stress.”

District spokeswoman Laura Dudnick said that EMPowerSF replaced an archaic prior system that had been in place for 17 years. 

“In the process of shifting from antiquated systems and processes to new ways of working, issues came up that have impacted payments for some employees,” Ms Dudnick wrote. “The majority of the district’s nearly 10,000 employees have gotten accurate paychecks on time since the transition, but some have not. This is inexcusable and should not have happened. It is SFUSD’s responsibility to pay its employees accurately and on time. We deeply apologize to every employee who has experienced a delay.”

The apology has been noted but the teachers union is asking for better. Ms Hrizi said that the glitchy EMPowerSF system was rolled out too hastily; she says the union pushed back on district plans to inaugurate it in August 2021. “They moved it to January and it’s still a big mess.” 

Ms Hrizi said a class-action suit against the district may be launched as soon as this month. “Legally, when you are not paid by your employer, you are entitled to three-to-10 per cent interest on the pay you are owed,” she said. “We are moving ahead with the lawsuit at this point because they have not promised funds to folks who are due them.” 


Source: Mission Local

(Quotes via original reporting)

Following a problematic rollout of a new payroll processing system in the new year, hundreds of San Francisco public school employees have been underpaid, mispaid, or not paid at all, Mission Local reports.

Both the district and the teachers’ union have confirmed that the number of affected employees runs into hundreds. The teachers’ union is threatening a class-action lawsuit against the San Francisco Unified School District, based upon non-payment of workers. It says they are now entitled to full payment with interest. 

“I don’t see any evidence that they’re fixing the system,” Natalie Hrizi - United Educators San Francisco’s vice president of substitutes - said, “And they are not moving quickly enough to address individual issues.” 

Ms Hrizi failed to receive a monthly paycheque of around $6,000. She was subsequently sent an off-cycle cheque to make up for the non-payment but says the funds never made it into her account because “they were not verified. Whatever account the district paid me from, my bank could not get the funds out.” 

Teachers with more complicated classifications, such as substitutes with dual assignments and multiple pay rates or even pay periods, appear to be more susceptible to payment errors. Teachers who are on leave or involved in more esoteric programs are also experiencing problems. 

San Francisco Unified School District employees reportedly received an email from Deputy Superintendent Myong Leigh on March 2, explaining that the problems stemmed from the January implementation of the EMPowerSF system and that workers who were not properly compensated need to be patient. 

“While the majority of our employees are getting correct and timely payments, a lack of payment and/or response for those who are not can be catastrophic,” Mr Leigh’s email said. “For system-related errors, this is inexcusable; and we recognise the urgency of resolving each and every pay-related issue. Every staff member will be paid the money they are owed.” 

The question now is when will these issues be resolved. Mr Leigh’s email noted that “the number of people who can fix issues is limited, and we are trying to train more as quickly as possible. We have moved 10 more people from other duties across various departments to support the Payroll, Salaries, Leaves and Benefits departments … ”

Though there is a wider awareness of the problems now, the teachers’ union has accused the district of rolling out a ‘buggy program’ with insufficient support. At in-person sessions last week, Ms Hrizi said some affected teachers waited hours to speak to a district representative and those people were unable to decipher what went wrong with the EMPowerSF system. 

Its problems are reportedly extensive, complicated and multifaceted. 

Mission Local spoke to one teacher who received an auto-payment of around $5,500 for January without a problem yet only one month later he was shocked to be compensated $30 for the entire month. 

Other teachers have reported miscalculations around myriad deductions, benefits or leave programs, or money intended for one location being mistakenly sent to another. One substitute teacher complained to the union that her monthly salary was, instead, deposited into her retirement account. This money cannot be easily recovered and she received no payment for the month. 

Another teacher told Mission Local that she has received compensation for her regular hours, but has not been paid since December for additional Saturday COVID recovery service classes she teaches.

“I had to borrow money,” she said. “I have overdraft fees. It’s really embarrassing.”

A district paraeducator reportedly told Mission Local that she has missed four of her last five paycheques, and hasn’t received one since January. She is nearly $5,000 out of pocket.

“My partner is also a teacher. We don’t make enough to live a comfortable life. We’ve been late on rent multiple times,” she said. “I have migraines. It’s just lots of stress.”

District spokeswoman Laura Dudnick said that EMPowerSF replaced an archaic prior system that had been in place for 17 years. 

“In the process of shifting from antiquated systems and processes to new ways of working, issues came up that have impacted payments for some employees,” Ms Dudnick wrote. “The majority of the district’s nearly 10,000 employees have gotten accurate paychecks on time since the transition, but some have not. This is inexcusable and should not have happened. It is SFUSD’s responsibility to pay its employees accurately and on time. We deeply apologize to every employee who has experienced a delay.”

The apology has been noted but the teachers union is asking for better. Ms Hrizi said that the glitchy EMPowerSF system was rolled out too hastily; she says the union pushed back on district plans to inaugurate it in August 2021. “They moved it to January and it’s still a big mess.” 

Ms Hrizi said a class-action suit against the district may be launched as soon as this month. “Legally, when you are not paid by your employer, you are entitled to three-to-10 per cent interest on the pay you are owed,” she said. “We are moving ahead with the lawsuit at this point because they have not promised funds to folks who are due them.” 


Source: Mission Local

(Quotes via original reporting)