October 27, 2023

CANCELLED -Transaction Specialists' Educational Forum-December 2023

Action Required by Department: Share the following information with all human resources personnel, payroll, and benefits specialist staff.

Description: The State Controller’s Office (SCO), Transaction Specialists’ Educational Forum for December 2023 has been cancelled. To access previous forum notes, visit the Transaction Specialists' Educational Forum webpage.

The next bi-monthly Transaction Specialists’ Educational Forum will be held on February 1, 2024. We will send out meeting details closer to the date.

If you have suggested topics for the February 2024 Transaction Specialists' Educational Forum, please submit them to TSEF@sco.ca.gov.

Population Affected: All HR Offices

Enroll in W-2 Paperless in Cal Employee Connect Today!

Action Required by Department: Share the following information with all department employees.

Description: Go W-2 Paperless today! Do not miss the opportunity to enroll in the new “W-2 Paperless” feature in your Cal Employee Connect (CEC) account.

CEC is the State Controller's web-based portal that allows you to view/print your paystubs and Form W-2s. Employees who opt-in to the new feature will be able to view and download current and previous years’ Form W-2s using any internet-connected device. It will also grant them earlier access to their Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement than employees who receive the printed version in the mail. The deadline to opt-in for the 2023 W-2 paperless statement is November 30, 2023.

In addition to the convenience of being able to download your W-2 earlier, this option also:

  • Reduces unnecessary paper usage
  • Minimizes the potential for your W-2 to be lost or stolen in the mail
  • Expedites filing of your tax returns

Simply log into your CEC account and opt-in to "W-2 Paperless" today!  When you log in, a box will appear prompting you to enroll in "W-2 Paperless". Just follow the steps to enroll in this optional program. If you choose not to enroll in the program, you will still receive your Form W-2 in the mail and will be able to view (but not download) your Form W-2 on the site. 

If you have questions or need assistance, or would like to share some feedback, please visit CEC Help & Feedback.

Population Affected: All Department Employees

Payroll Warrant Reminders

Action Required: Share the following information with all departmental human resources (HR) and accounting office employees.   

Description: See Payroll Warrant Reminder 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, departments should issue Payroll Warrants to employees on the actual issue date of the payments, not prior. In the event that an employee will not be present on the actual issue date, 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 November 2023 Payroll Warrants until October 31, 2023, as instructed by your Departmental Accounting Office.     
  • Encourage all employees to sign up for Direct Deposit.   
  • 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

Bargaining Unit 12 Special Salary Adjustment Mass Update Effective July 1, 2023

Action Required: Share the following information with all human resources (HR) office employees.

Description: In preparation for the Bargaining Unit (BU) 12 Special Salary Adjustment (SSA) Mass Update effective July 1, 2023, departments should refrain from keying Employment History (EH) transactions on November 2, 2023, for eligible employees. In addition, please review and correct any expired appointment expiration (Item 416) or separation expiration date (Item 645) for applicable employees prior to the mass update. Please refer to Personnel Action Manual (PAM) sections 2.54 and 2.86 for additional information.

Population Affected: All HR Offices

New California Leave Accounting System eLearning Available – CLAS Actions for Your Employee on Non-Industrial Disability Insurance 

Action Required: Share the following information with all human resources (HR) office employees.

Description: The State Controller's Office (SCO), Personnel and Payroll Services Division (PPSD) is excited to share the newest eLearning module for the California Leave Accounting System (CLAS). The CLAS Actions for Your Employee on Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI) eLearning is available to view on the following SCO websites: CLAS References and New eLearning Modules.

Please direct any questions to the CLAS Liaison at (916) 327-0756.

Population Affected: All HR Offices