November 29, 2021
PPSD Register – November 2021
Action Required by Department: Share the following information with all departmental human resources (HR) office employees.
Description: The State Controller's Office (SCO), Personnel and Payroll Services Division (PPSD) is excited to share the November 2021 edition of their monthly newsletter, The PPSD Register. This issue features an article about the progress of the California State Payroll Project (CSPS) project. The newsletter is published as another resource to support HR offices in meeting their employees' personnel and payroll needs.
Population Affected: All HR Offices
Contacts:
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Email acasupport@sco.ca.gov
Cal Employee Connect Feedback Email connectfeedback@sco.ca.gov
Cal Employee Connect Email connecthelp@sco.ca.gov
California Leave Accounting System (CLAS) Email: Clas@sco.ca.gov
ConnectHR Email: connecthrhelp@sco.ca.gov
CS Escalation Email (HR Supervisors and Managers) PPSDOps@sco.ca.gov
HR Suggestions Email (All HR Staff) PPSDHRSuggestions@sco.ca.gov
Management Information Retrieval System (MIRS) Email PPSDmirs@sco.ca.gov
Statewide Customer Contact Center (916) 372-7200
SCO Key Initiatives:
Cal Employee Connect Project
California State Payroll System Project
Payroll Warrant Reminders
Action Required by Department: Share the following information with all departmental human resources (HR) and accounting office employees.
Description: See Payroll Warrant Reminders below:
Payroll Warrants that are mailed should not be folded. Please place them in an envelope that is large enough to accommodate the warrant size.
Departments should not release Payroll Warrants to employees early. Please refer to the CalHR Human Resources Manual, Timely Payment of Wages - Section 1703 and the State Administrative Manual (SAM) - Section 8580.2 for specific guidelines.
Please do not release the December 2021 Payroll Warrants until December 1, 2021, as instructed by your Departmental Accounting Office.
Encourage all employees to sign up for Direct Deposit. To assist departments in this effort, the Personnel and Payroll Services Division has created a Direct Deposit Communication Toolkit.
When mailing Payroll Warrants, include a Direct Deposit Enrollment Authorization (STD.699) in the envelope to encourage enrollment.
The approved retention schedule for personnel and payroll services requires retention of earnings statements (CD39As) for two months. With the implementation of Cal Employee Connect and suspension of direct deposit advice (DDA) printing by SCO, departments are encouraged to review their internal retention policies and appropriately handle or dispose of undelivered DDAs, as necessary. Please refer to the State Administrative Manual, Section 1615 and the Records Retention Handbook for more information.
Population Affected: All HR Offices and Accounting Offices
Contacts:
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Email acasupport@sco.ca.gov
Cal Employee Connect Feedback Email connectfeedback@sco.ca.gov
Cal Employee Connect Email connecthelp@sco.ca.gov
California Leave Accounting System (CLAS) Email: Clas@sco.ca.gov
ConnectHR Email: connecthrhelp@sco.ca.gov
CS Escalation Email (HR Supervisors and Managers) PPSDOps@sco.ca.gov
HR Suggestions Email (All HR Staff) PPSDHRSuggestions@sco.ca.gov
Management Information Retrieval System (MIRS) Email PPSDmirs@sco.ca.gov
Statewide Customer Contact Center (916) 372-7200
SCO Key Initiatives:
Cal Employee Connect Project
California State Payroll System Project
Description: The 2021-2022 season of lump sum separations with deferrals has arrived. The Personnel and Payroll Operations Bureau (PPOB) would like to share the following reminders as a tool to assist with completing lump sum separation documentation. The reminders are based on common lump sum documentation errors from the 2020-2021 peak season.
PPOB is also requesting that all separation PARs with an effective date of November 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 are submitted on a flow basis. This is critical to ensure timely processing of the lump sum payments and deferrals while avoiding penalty fees assessed by CalHR.
Lump Sum Separation Pay Contribution Election Form
Error #1: The election form is missing.
Error #2: The election form is not signed at least 5 workdays prior to separation.
The Savings Plus Lump Sum Separation Pay Contribution Election Form (Election Form) must be signed, dated, and officially submitted by the employee at least five workdays (Monday through Friday, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays) prior to the separation effective date. No changes will be accepted after the five day threshold has passed.
Traditional Catch-Up Approval Letter
Error: The Traditional Catch-Up Approval Letter is missing.
Employees must submit the Traditional Catch-Up Approval Letter to their HR office with their completed Election Form at least five workdays prior to their separation effective date. The Catch-Up amount(s) must be included in the 457(b) amount(s) entered in Section II B on the Election Form. The HR office must then submit the Traditional Catch-Up Approval Letter to SCO with the PAR and the completed Election Form (which together are called a PAR package) for processing.
PAR Documentation
Error #1: Time to be paid in PAR item 606 exceeds the time possible based on the separation effective date.
Error #2: Information printed on the PAR is illegible.
Error #3: Authorized signature is required but not provided.
Please verify time possible for the pay period using a Std. 640 pay period calendar.
Print legibly on the PAR, as keying and computation errors often result from illegible writing, and those errors may significantly impact the time it takes for SCO to process the transaction.
Be sure to sign and date the PAR and include a phone number and contact person.
Payroll Documentation
Error #1: All lump sum time is reported on the first PAR.
Error #2: Not enough lump sum time is reported to pay/contribute/defer the amount requested.
If deferring any leave balance into the next tax year:
On the 1st PAR (1st tax year) complete Item 620 (lump sum vacation) with time needed to process EE’s request for the 1st tax year. (Note: Complete Item 625 (lump sum extra) ONLY after all time in Item 620 is used and more time is needed to cover the EE’s request (sample).
On the 2nd PAR (2nd tax year) enter the TOTAL accrued leave in Items 620 and 625 (this TOTAL will reflect what is to be paid out across both tax years) (sample).
If not deferring any leave balance into the next tax year, enter in Items 620 and 625 with the TOTAL accrued leave.
Communication/Contact
PPOB will attempt to contact the agency specialist or alternate contact regarding PAR errors. However, if PPOB does not receive a response by close of business (COB) the following working day, the separation request will be cancelled.
ConnectHR Upload Requirement
In the dropdown menu, select CS Audits - Separation PAR Package (Lump Sum).
Upload one PAR package per SSN – do not combine PAR packages for multiple SSNs in an upload.
A complete PAR package includes each of the following:
Cover Sheet
PAR
Election Form
and Catch-Up Form (if applicable)
Population Affected: All HR Offices.
Contacts:
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Email acasupport@sco.ca.gov
Cal Employee Connect Feedback Email connectfeedback@sco.ca.gov
Cal Employee Connect Email connecthelp@sco.ca.gov
California Leave Accounting System (CLAS) Email Clas@sco.ca.gov
ConnectHR Email connecthrhelp@sco.ca.gov
CS Escalation Email (HR Supervisors and Managers) PPSDOps@sco.ca.gov
HR Suggestions Email (All HR Staff) PPSDHRSuggestions@sco.ca.gov
Management Information Retrieval System (MIRS) Email ppsdmirs@sco.ca.gov
Statewide Customer Contact Center (916) 372-7200
SCO Key Initiatives:
Cal Employee Connect Project
California State Payroll System Project