Welcome to this week’s CASE Files, part of our commitment to keep you up-to-date on our work to increase your salary, improve and protect your benefits, and aggressively represent your professional interests in every forum where they are at stake.
CASE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ UPDATE
Governor Authorizes Informal Time Off (ITO). Governor Newsom has continued the historic tradition of authorizing up to four (4) hours of Holiday ITO for all employees, based on time base. If you do not use your ITO during the holiday season, you may keep it until the end of the Fiscal Year. You can read more about Holiday ITO in the CalHR Manual here.
Bar Dues Reminders. Be on the lookout for information from your employer about bar dues payment processes, which can vary from department to department. The maximum the State will reimburse is $463 of the default $510 indicated on your State Bar dues form. The State does not cover the $2 contribution for the Elimination of Bias option; the $45 contribution for the Legal Services Assistance option, or optional donations for items like the Justice Gap Fund or California Supreme Court Historical Society. If you are directly paying your dues, make sure to opt-out of those items unless you would like to pay for them out-of-pocket. The State also will not cover late payment penalties unless they are responsible for the late payment.
For employees not required to be State Bar members as a condition of employment, your department pay provide reimbursement for dues or 2 additional Professional Development Days (PDDs).
For more details, check out the CalHR Manual section on dues payment, or contact CASE.
Specialty and Local Bar Dues Reimbursement Rate Increase. The new MOU includes increased reimbursement rates for specialty and local bar dues. The State will now reimburse members for up to $200, rather than $100, annually, for Unit 2 employees where State Bar Membership is required as a condition of employment. Fees for more than one specialty or local bar membership can be reimbursed if the total reimbursement does not exceed $200. This change became effective November 1, 2022.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
News Headlines. Recent media reports of interest to Unit 2 legal professionals:
- Can an employer stop medical treatment authorized for a worker’s injury? – Human Resources Director
- Retiring Top Justice Says California Bar Needs Housecleaning – Bloomberg
- California, others ask court to temporarily stop $4 bln Albertsons dividend payment – Reuters
CALPERS CORNER
Retiree Seat Runoff Election. A runoff election for the CalPERS Board’s retiree seat ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday and, as of CASE Files’ deadline, the results have not been announced. The runoff followed a primary election in which no candidate received a majority of the votes cast: Yvonne Walker received 54,865 votes, or 49.81%, Randall Cheek received 28,445 votes, or 25.83%, and Tim Behrens received 26,830 votes, or 24.36%. Since no one received a majority of the votes cast in the primary election, a runoff election was held between Walker and Cheek – the top two candidates who received the most votes. Only retired CalPERS members could vote in either election.
REMINDERS
Check Your CalConnect Account for Retroactive GSI Payment. CalHR and the State Controller issued the documents required to process the 2022 2.5% general salary increase for the period from July, 2022 to October, 2022, and prospectively to your pay warrants from now on. You can review the CalHR letter here and the SCO letter here. Many members have now seen the retroactive pay post to their CalConnect account. The time it takes your financial institution to process the payment, if you receive direct deposits, may vary. You also should have seen two more transactions last week: an additional supplemental warrant reflecting the 2.5% GSI for time worked in November, and your regular pay warrant.
As a reminder: typically, when retroactive payments are provided, tax withholding is higher on that lump-sum check than on your normal warrant. CASE does not control the amount of withholding – SCO determines that amount. Your tax preparer can provide additional information or advice. Financial Wellness guidance and resources are also available via EAP.
Excessive Outsourcing at Your Department? Let CASE Know. State departments are required to notify CASE when they outsource work that can and should be performed by Unit 2 employees – but they don’t always do so in a timely manner. If you see your department outsourcing Unit 2 work, let us know! You can use the new email address outsidelegalcounsel@calattorneys.org to let us know what’s going on. Not every instance of outsourcing is impermissible, but CASE is committed to vigilantly monitoring state outsourcing to protect your job and career development opportunities.