3% FAQs
This communication is to provide you with a brief summary for how the 3% salary reduction for Classified employees will be implemented under the provisions and requirements of the negotiated labor agreement with the Washington Federation of State Employees. As you are aware, the District is mandated to administer the 3% salary reduction for classified employees who earn more than $2500 per month, effective July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013. Effective July 1, 2013 the 3% reduction will be restored back into classified salaries. The following are some key facts for both classified employees and their supervisors to keep in mind as we move through the new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2012:
You may also be aware, through communications from Chancellor Wakefield and campus meetings with your respective college presidents, that the District is fully committed to provide additional work and/or job-related training opportunities during off hours for classified employees who are interested in supplementing their salaries through these overtime activities. Chancellor Wakefield and I will be meeting with the Union Management Communications Committee (UMCC) in July to clarify those opportunities and explore others in a collaborative effort to support our classified employees throughout the year.
Again, we will continue to keep you informed on the status of these activities, and I encourage you to let me or your respective Human Resources Administrator know if your have additional questions, comments, or suggestions. Thank you!
Top Five Ranked Questions
Temporary Salary Reduction (TSR) leave is a separate type of leave. Only employees subject to the three (3%) compensation reduction will qualify to earn TSR.
It won’t. Your salary for your DRS retirement calculations will not include the 3% reduction.
For example, if you are a Program Coordinator at Step L, your normal annual salary is $38,556. With the 3% reduction your annual salary would be $37,399. If you retire 2012-13, DRS will use the normal, $38,556 rate, to calculate your retirement benefits.
Full-time classified employees that are subject to the 3% salary reduction will earn 5.2 hours per month as long as they have not exceeded (10) working days of leave without pay in a calendar month.
Compensatory time must be used before vacation leave or TSR unless by doing so the employee would exceed their maximum vacation leave. TSR leave must be used prior to using vacation unless by doing so the employee would exceed their maximum vacation leave.
If you accrue overtime during this period, your overtime pay will be calculated at your non-reduced rate.
For example, if your current (non- reduced) hourly rate is $15.00 your OT will be paid at $22.50 rather than $21.83.
If you separate from college employment during the salary reduction, your accrued vacation will get paid out at your normal (non-reduced) rate of pay. The salary reduction does not affect your use of accrued vacation during the year. The salary reduction does not affect vacation in any other way.
Supervisors/Managers will use the same method to track other leave balances as they do now through TLR. Like annual leave, TSR leave must be requested and approved prior to using it.
TSR leave will accrue through June 30, 2013 and is scheduled be used by July 1, 2013. (However, to allow for the use of accrued leave and to manage staff coverage employees may carry over 16 hours which has to be used by September 1, 2013).
Starting July 1, 2012 employees subject to the 3% salary reduction will accrue TSR leave at the end of each month. Employees will accrue TSR leave only during the period that the 3% salary reduction is in place.
Yes, if you were working 100% your salary would be $3,200. The reduction is taken off of your full time equivalent salary and since it is over $2,500 it would apply.
TSR leave is a separate type of leave and will not be included in the 240 hour maximum vacation leave.
Classified employees at less than 100% that are subject to the 3% salary reduction will earn a pro-rated amount of TSR leave based upon their percentage of time. Cyclic employees that are subject to the 3% salary reduction will earn TSR leave in proportion to the hours worked each month.
The salary reduction will not affect the amount you pay. Currently, the employee pays 15% of the cost of benefits, and we expect that percentage to be maintained. We do not yet know what the monthly cost will be to employees for calendar year 2013.
Yes. The new TSR leave will be displayed in Time & Leave Reporting.
No, TSR leave has no cash value.
No, there is nothing in the law or rule that allows TSR leave to be reinstated upon reemployment.
TSR counts as time worked toward the overtime calculation in a week. So, if the person takes TSR on Wednesday and then they work on Saturday, that is overtime.
Employees who qualify for shared leave must use all accrued TSR leave before receiving shared leave. No, TSR may not be donated as shared leave.