Effective August 1, 2009, the State Controller's Office (SCO) will require all employees paid through the SCO payroll system to be paid by Direct Deposit, unless exempted by the State Controller. Attached is the Policy pertaining to mandatory Direct Deposit and a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
This Mandatory Direct Deposit Policy is intended to maximize the utilization of electronic payments and to minimize the number of paper warrants (checks) issued by the State, thereby obtaining efficiencies for the State and providing employees with a reliable and efficient manner of receiving their pay.
If an employee is unable to secure an account at an eligible financial institution, or if he or she believes participation in Direct Deposit will result in extreme hardship, the employee may request an exemption using the exemption request form (see enclosures). Exemptions will only be granted at the discretion of the State Controller based on the evidence provided by the employee. If any employee desires to submit a “Direct Deposit Personal Exemption Request Form,” it should be submitted through your agency prior to the SCO within 30 days of hire or appointment. Existing employees should submit requests to the SCO as soon as possible, but no later than September 1, 2009. The SCO will respond to each submitted exemption request within 15 business days of receipt.
The State Controller may allow a business exemption for Direct Deposit to accommodate an individual agency or the SCO special business needs including, but not necessarily limited to, reissued warrants, corrected payments, employees not eligible for Direct Deposit. If you have employees that you would like to have exempted for business reasons from the Mandatory Direct Deposit Policy, please send a written request stating the employee’s name and the reason for the exemption. Please send the request to the State Controller’s Office, Attention: Division of Statewide Payroll.
Please note that beginning September 4, 2009, all paper warrants (checks) will be mailed directly to employees from the SCO instead of being delivered to the agency for distribution. Paper warrants (checks) will be mailed by SCO on payday. Therefore, it is important that all employees’ mailing addresses be entered into the payroll system correctly. Distribution of checks for a business exemption shall be determined by the State Controller.
Your assistance is requested in implementing this Policy. Implementation will vary by agency, depending upon the nature of the employees and the number of current employees receiving a paper warrant (check). The support and coordination from your agency regarding Direct Deposit during the past few months has been greatly appreciated. In fact, the percentage of employees on Direct Deposit has increased 8% since this was initially announced in the spring. All of this success is due to you and your staff’s work in educating and informing your employees.
Questions concerning this policy may be addressed to the DSP Helpdesk (208) 334-2394 or by e-mail dsphelp@sco.idaho.gov.
Thank you for your assistance with this implementation. |