Notices for the classified sabbatical and cash payment options are sent to eligible employees in November. Eligibility criteria varies between union contracts. Please consult your union contract if you have questions about this benefit.
Carryover of Unused Vacation for Classified Employees
Represented are allowed to carry over up to 40 hours of vacation without requesting approval. If an employee wishes to carry over more than 40 hours, the supervisor must approve the carryover. Any vacation carried over must be used prior to June 30, 2011 or it is lost. Personal and holidays may not be carried over into 2011.
Classified Staff (including LTEs) are paid on a bi-weekly basis, every other Thursday. Pay periods consist of a two-week period starting on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday of the following week.
Paychecks will be direct deposited into your financial institution of choice through the direct deposit form completed and on file in the Human Resources Office.
How do pre-tax deductions affect my taxable income?
Pre-tax deductions such as parking, health, dental and life insurances lower your taxable wage for income tax and FICA (social security and medicare). The pre-tax insurance deductions fall under the Internal Revenue Code Section 125. The pre-tax parking deductions fall under the Internal Revenue Code Section 132.
Tax Shelter Annuities (TSA) and Deferred Compensation (WDC) deductions only reduce the federal and state taxable wages (income tax).
Deductions
State and federal taxes will be deducted from your pay based on earnings and the number of exemptions you have claimed on the W-4 form provided upon employment. Social Security will also be deducted.
All insurance premiums are deducted on the first check of each month, except for State Group Life (SGL) Insurance. SGL premiums are deducted on the second check of each month.
Union dues, Parking, Employee Reimbursement Account (ERA) and Tax Shelter deductions are taken every check.
Shift Differentials
If you work between 6:00pm and 6:00am, you will be eligible to receive night differential compensation, in addition to your normal pay rate for those hours. Weekend differential compensation will be paid for all hours worked between 12:01am, Saturday, to 12:00 midnight, Sunday. Consult Human Resources for current rates.
Overtime
Although it is policy that overtime be kept to a minimum, certain emergency situations, rush seasons and peak work-load periods may require such work in your department. All overtime work must be approved prior to the date it is worked.
Under federal law, most classified employees must receive overtime compensation. These employees are called "non-exempt" for overtime pay purposes and are eligible for pay or time off at the rate of time-and-one-half for hours in pay status in excess of 40 hours per week.
Employees in executive, administrative and professional positions are generally "exempt" from federal overtime pay compensation. There are certain situations where exempt personnel can receive overtime compensation. Some exempt positions may also be represented by a union with its own contractual provisions for overtime pay.
Annual Pay Adjustments
Annual pay adjustments are made to your salary at the beginning of the fiscal year (approximately July), or shortly after a new union contract is ratified. These adjustments are based on the pay plan approved by the legislature. Prior to approval, pay adjustments for union-represented employees are negotiated between the Office of State Employment Relations (OSER) and the unions. Non-represented employee pay adjustments are recommended directly to the legislature by OSER.
For more information regarding pay adjustments, visit the OSER website ( http://oser.state.wi.us/index.asp ) or contact your union directly.
