In 2013 we bargained the Bank Time program. After bargaining the company had 3 months to get the program implemented. It was during this time that the company approached us and said their current payroll system would not recognize how the Bank Time was credited for hours worked. It was explained to us that it was too expensive to reprogram the payroll system so our members would receive the credited service for the bank time hours when you used them.
For example:
When you work 8 hours overtime you get 8 hours credited to your total for vacation time and pension time. For bank time you would get 0 hours of credited time when you worked the overtime, but would get 12 hours when you used it (as you get to take 12 hours off when banking 8 hours). that was a pay system error, however it benefited our members and was too expensive for the company to change it – mainly because for years and years everyone worked well over 2000 hours each year and it never made much of a difference.
We have now been informed yesterday, that the new payroll system that began last September has corrected this and you will receive the credited service when you work the overtime, regardless if you take the cash or bank it. That means you get no credited service when you use the bank time as it has already been counted. The issue just came to light as last week was our first mandatory Saturday in years.
The new payroll system does in fact credit the bank time program correctly, but it would have been nice to know prior to last Saturday so everyone could make an informed decision about last week’s mandatory Saturday. It wasn’t until people saw their paystubs that we found out this was even changed.