District Employees to Receive Bi-Weekly Pay Checks Beginning July 1, 2005

On July 1, 2005 Broward County School District employees will see a difference in their paychecks.

The District is converting to a bi-weekly payroll system that will provide multiple benefits to both the District and its employees. The change will enable the District to standardize employee work schedules and pay dates and offer employees who work less than a 241-day calendar the option of receiving paychecks year-round.

To facilitate the change, the Employee Relations and Payroll Departments and the SAP Customer Support Team conducted trainings for all onsite Payroll Contacts. Please read the "Payroll Change Q & A" article below and if you have additional questions, see your onsite Payroll Contact or Union Steward.

Employees are also encouraged to visit the Payroll Consolidation Project Web site for further information.

Internet: www.broward.k12.fl.us/hrms/payroll.htm

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Life-saving Defibrillators in All Facilities by End of School Year
An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable medical unit designed to administer an electric shock to a person who is in cardiac arrest. The survival rate of a person who goes into cardiac arrest with an AED unit available to them is much higher than that of someone where the unit is not accessible and they must wait for rescue personnel to arrive.

The District's goal is to place at least one of these units in each of its facilities by the end of the 2004/2005 school year. Phase I of the program began in 2001 through a partnership with Broward County Fire Rescue, the American Heart Association and the Broward County School Board. In order to have an AED unit placed at a facility, two persons at that location must be certified in Coronary Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) (a School Board policy requirement) and use of the AED equipment.

Initially, the District placed units at worksites where high numbers of adults are employed or would be likely to visit (e.g., the K.C. Wright Building and area superintendent offices). Since then, however, AED units have been placed at various facilities around the District and the North Area is the first area to have an AED unit in every school.

According to Safety Department Director Jerry Graziose, the Broward County Schools program is serving as a model for other school districts, businesses and organizations and has been recognized accordingly in national news articles. The initiative is a joint effort between the Safety and Health Education Services departments. Those interested in signing-up for training should contact Caridad Christian in Health Education Services at 754-321-2270. Any questions about the defibrillator may be directed to Debbie Mateovic in the Safety Department at 754-321-4200.

Payroll Change Q & A

What are the benefits of the District's change to a bi-weekly payroll?
• Improve the efficiency for processing and running payrolls
• Reduce payroll exceptions caused by calendar changes
• Standardize employee work schedules and pay dates
• Enable eligible employees to choose year round payroll option
• Enhance employee financial planning

Will this change impact me?
All salaried employees will be affected by this change. Under the new system, Maintenance and Transportation Department employees, already paid on a bi-weekly basis, will have their workweek start on Monday and end on Sunday. Their pay dates will also change from Wednesday to Friday. Depending on their job and calendar, other hourly employees may also be impacted by a change in their standardized work schedules and pay dates.

What is a Payroll Area and how does that impact employee payroll?
A payroll area is a term used to describe groups of employees who are paid at the same time each month. Under the current payroll system, the District has seven payroll areas, which means that every month, onsite payroll contacts and the District's Payroll Department must deal with payroll and its related processes several times. Effective July 1, 2005, the number of payroll areas will be reduced to two, streamlining the payroll process and all the tasks associated with issuing paychecks.

Depending on the type of employee and calendar, all employees will be assigned to either the AA or BB Payroll Area.
AA = Includes most instructional staff, paraprofessionals and substitute teachers totaling approximately 24,000 people
BB = Includes most non-instructional staff and 241-day instructional employees totaling approximately 16,000 peopleThe two payroll areas will be paid on alternate Fridays.

Note: As in the past, holidays, Teacher Planning Days and emergency closings may affect scheduled pay dates.

What is the difference between being paid semi-monthly and bi-weekly?
Currently, all salaried employees are paid semi-monthly receiving a total of 24 equalized paychecks (i.e. 2 x 12 months = 24 paychecks) for their contract salary. Effective July 1, 2005, all salaried employees will be paid their annual contract salary in equal bi-weekly checks within their board approved calendar. The number of paychecks each employee will receive will be based on their board-approved calendar. Examples of standard calendars are:
261-day calendar = 26 checks
244-day calendar = 26 checks
241-day calendar= 26 checks
216-day calendar = 24 checks
201-day calendar = 23 checks
196-day calendar = 22 checks
186-day calendar = 21 checks

Note: The number of paychecks is subject to change, based on board approved calendars each year.

Can I receive checks year-round?
Salaried employees working less than a 241-day calendar will have the option to pro-rate their contract salary payments over a 12-month period. Employees electing the Year Round Option must establish Direct Deposit with a financial institution of their choice by April 15, 2005. Eligible employees will make their selection via Employee Self Service (ESS) during the Payroll Option Selection Period from May 2 - 13, 2005.