On that first day of paycheck problems, Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins told The Dallas Morning News, “We apologize that the update to our Kronos system left some people unpaid, and we don’t expect it will happen again.”
It did happen again. And has continued to happen for several pay periods.
Initially, according to sources, some employees affected by the software error were notified there might be a problem with their May 13 paycheck a day or two in advance. In those cases, they were also told any missing amount would be paid on the following paycheck, although that has yet to happen. Others found out that their paychecks were light only when they saw the amount in their bank accounts after the checks had been directly deposited.
“It’s been an absolute fiasco, in every sense of the word,” says one current full-time county employee, who requested anonymity out of fear of retribution. “When this first started, one of the higher-ups told a bunch of people that ‘it’s all under control,’ but it clearly hasn’t been. It’s been a big problem.”
A reported 201 people have been affected by the error. Some employees have not been paid at all, while some say they have received only the same amount of pay they received on the check before May 13, which has resulted in a great deal of mandated overtime hours not being paid properly. Each of the county employees the Observer spoke to said the May 13 paycheck was the first time they experienced any problems with being paid accurately and on-time.
“It’s been an absolute fiasco, in every sense of the word.” - Anonymous Dallas County Employee
tweet this
The payroll errors extend beyond just dollar amounts. Problems regarding vacation pay and vacation time accrual have created headaches the entire summer, when many families make plans that require vacation requests to be approved by a superior who relies on the Kronos system for an accurate report of employee vacation hours. On July 6, WFAA reported that “one county employee received a court summons for failing to make child support payments which should've been automatically deducted from his paycheck.”
The Department of Labor has recently opened an investigation into the matter. A spokesman for the department confirmed there is an ongoing investigation but was unable to discuss the matter further. Dallas County Auditor Darryl Thomas, who oversees payroll, did not return our call for comment.
When reached for comment and presented with questions, Lewis Jenkins’ office provided the Observer with a statement that has been given to other media outlets. The judge said, “Obviously it’s important that all are paid fully and on time. Dallas County is working to fix this issue and will cooperate fully with the Department of Labor.”
As one incorrect check has turned into several, the added frustration of searching for answers has repeatedly added insult to injury in a number of cases.
“I’ve sent several emails to the payroll email address we were given, but I have yet to receive a single response,” said the full-time county employee, who is now missing more than $2,000 in mandated overtime pay. "We’ve sent emails, and we’ve made calls, and no one gets a reply. And some have even physically gone to the records building and have been treated with disdain and disrespect.”
In a July 7 email to Dallas County Administration, Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown wrote in part, “While it is understandable that implementing a new system may result in challenges, the magnitude of such has seriously affected the livelihood of many employees of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.”
A full-time county correctional employee, who also requested anonymity out of fear of retribution, says she has experienced the disrespect her colleague speaks of.
“When you think of how big Dallas County is, it just blows my mind that this is happening,” said the correctional employee. “I only found out something was wrong when I looked at my bank account and noticed the May 13 check was the same amount as the check before it, even though it should’ve had more money.”
The correctional employee explained that on multiple pay periods since the May 13 check, she has worked more mandated overtime hours than she did during the period covered by that last correctly paid check. The discrepancy has amounted to a great deal of missed overtime pay, which is 1.5 times her standard rate of pay. The correctional employee noted that while her essential bills have been covered so far, other expenses, including substantial medical-related payments, have not been addressed as she had originally budgeted prior to the software errors.
On June 1, she received an email response from audit manager Lavonda Haynes stating that the pay would hopefully be made up on the June 9 check or June 23 check, but that didn’t happen. That email was the only answer she said she has received over the course of several calls and emails. A few weeks ago, the correctional employee had grown tired of not receiving any replies to her many attempts at communication with the payroll department.
“When you think of how big Dallas County is, it just blows my mind that this is happening.” – Anonymous Dallas County correctional employee
tweet this
“We were given an email address to use for questions,” she said, “but I hadn't even been able to get anyone in payroll to answer the phone, so I didn't feel good about my chances of getting a reply to another email. I thought I’d do better by going to the records building and talking to someone face-to-face, but that ended up becoming a whole situation, and I still didn’t get any real answers, let alone a check.”
She said she stood in line with other county employees who were seeking answers and, maybe, a check for their missing wages. When she was told by the payroll employee that no one would be getting checks that day, she asked to speak to that employee’s supervisor. After a heated discussion, the correctional employee said, the supervisor agreed to cut her a check for some, but not all, of her outstanding wages. The supervisor said the correctional employee would have to pick up the missing amount from the treasurer’s office later, after the employee’s shift had started.
According to the correctional employee, a few hours after she had been told she would receive a check for her missing money, she reported to the treasurer’s office, as did some of the other county employees she had seen earlier that day at the payroll office.
The correctional employee said that the county audit employee at the treasurer’s office reacted negatively to the group's arrival, having expected only one employee. A few minutes later, the correctional employee and the two others were told that no checks would be provided after all. Things got heated again.
As the audit employee’s supervisor came out to inform the group that no checks would be provided at that time, two marshals and three security guards appeared in what the correctional employee called “an intimidation tactic” before she left the building. A call to Haynes regarding the incident was not returned.
The entire experience left the correctional employee feeling humiliated.
“We were treated worse than inmates,” she said. “I thought I was going to get fired based on how I was treated, just for trying to get my full pay.”
The missing money owed to the county employees is a big enough problem on its own. But going weeks and months with barely any acknowledgement or responsiveness on the problem has only made things worse.
“I tried their rules,” the correctional employee said. “I’ve called but there’s no answer. I’ve emailed, but I don’t get a reply. There’s been no empathy. Not even an ‘I’m sorry.’”
