This Could Be Interesting

[klellingson]

Well, the Governor did it. He issued an Executive Order that cuts most state employees pay to the Federal Minimum Wage in the absence of a passed budget. Being a state employee, this will definitely affect me, although my credit union will probably loan me the difference, should the order actually take effect

Comments

[ali_qat]

The other thing to take into consideration, as I mentioned on Bruce Maiman's show Thursday: the Controller's (SCO) computer systesm, with which they process our timesheets and issue our checks, are programmed for a set dollar amount per month, per person, based on classification code. They are not set up to pay EVERYONE an hourly wage. In order to pay us all hourly wages, the SCO will have to bring in at least one programmer, that they have neither the money nor authority to contract for, to edit the programming to make us all hourly employees. It may be a simple change, or it may require many hours of programming.

I personally am not panicking. Yes, I'm cutting back on my spending this month just in case (which, BTW Mr. Governor, is hurtng the local economy), but like many long-term state employees, I have enough in the bank to tide me over until the legislature is done with all this fooolishness.

[klellingson]

I'm not particularly worried, both because of the Controller's stated position, and the fact that I have direct deposit with my credit union, since they will provide me a loan to cover the difference.

What concerns me more is how, if this is if fact done, is how the state will handle me and, probably, several others like me in the same boat. Namely, my deductions, other than taxes and retirement, are more than what I would gross if I was paid minimum wage. That would make life interesting.