TDD# 1-800-846-5277

 

STATE OF LOUISIANA

DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

 

July 17, 2007

 

General Circular No. 1705

 

To:                  Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

 

Subject:           Implementation of the General Pay Increase for State Employees

 

Issue Date:      July 17, 2007

 

This Circular cancels and supersedes General Circular 1701.  A change was made to the implementation of pay while on detail.

 

At its December 2006 pay hearing, the State Civil Service Commission approved an item under the authority of Civil Service Rule 6.3(c) granting classified employees a general pay increase contingent upon legislative funding.  House Bill 1 of the 2007 Legislative Session provides funding for this general increase in Fiscal Year 2007/2008. House Bill 1 has been passed by both houses of the legislature and is now awaiting Governor Blanco’s signature.  By signing House Bill 1 and then approving the December Civil Service Commission item, the Governor will be authorizing a $0.72 per hour general pay increase for classified employees. The Governor has indicated that she will approve this general increase with an effective date of July 1, 2007.  Employees may expect to see this raise reflected in their paychecks sometime in August.

 

At its July 18, 2007 meeting, the State Civil Service Commission will consider proposals to increase the maximums of all pay ranges.  If adopted by the Commission and approved by the Governor as proposed, these pay range increases will enable the greatest possible number of classified employees to receive the full benefit of the $0.72 per hour general increase.

 

The general pay increase will be implemented as follows.

 

• All classified employees, full-time, part-time and temporary, shall receive an increase of $0.72 to their hourly pay rate, up to, but not to exceed the new maximum of the range.

 

• Employees who are on detail to special duty shall receive the $0.72 adjustment to their permanent pay and the $0.72 adjustment to their detail pay.  When the detail is terminated, they will be returned to their permanent pay.

 

• Any employee whose salary is at or above the new maximum of their pay range shall not be eligible for the general increase. 

 

The Department of State Civil Service is working with the Division of Administration to determine the best method to execute this general increase for ISIS HR paid and non-paid agencies.  The Office of Information Services (OIS) and the Office of State Uniform Payroll (OSUP) have developed a plan to automate the pay increase for all classified employees whose information is contained in the ISIS HR system.  More specific information on how this will occur will be forthcoming in ISIS HR Quick Tips #21. 

 

Agencies that operate their own HRIS and payroll systems will need to make arrangements to insure the pay increase is granted to their employees in a timely fashion.

 

We anticipate that the Governor’s Office will issue an Executive Order addressing the pay of unclassified employees. 

 

We appreciate your patience as we work to implement this general increase for all employees.  If you have any questions, please contact your Assistance Coordinator at (225) 342-8274 or the Compensation Division at (225) 342-8083.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

s/Anne S. Soileau

Director