We still await the implementation of the salary increases for excluded employees related to State Bargaining Units 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21. For the July 1, 2023 General Salary Increases (GSI) and Special Salary Adjustments (SSA) to take effect, CalHR must issue one or more “Pay Letters” to the State Controller’s Office (SCO).
While ACSS has pressed for more certainty on timing, CalHR could only confirm that they are working to meet the goal of issuing Pay Letters for GSIs and some SSAs in the 2023 calendar and tax year. To meet that stated goal, CalHR should be planning to issue Pay Letters no later than mid-November so salary adjustments can be reflected in the November pay period warrants received on December 1, 2023. (Earnings for the December 2023 pay period are paid in January, so they fall into the 2024 tax year.)
Following the Pay Letters, the SCO should be able to process retroactive GSI and most SSA pay to July 1, 2023 relatively quickly.
When the Pay Letters issue, ACSS will thoroughly review them to ensure all of the expected salary increases for excluded employees are included. We will also post the Pay Letters to the ACSS website so members can review the impact on their salaries and alert ACSS to any issues that may arise.
While the salary increases will not be included in the upcoming October pay warrant, the reduction in the employee contribution toward “OPEB” to pre-fund retiree health care should be reflected in the next pay warrant for excluded employees related to the nine bargaining units represented by SEIU Local 1000 (1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20 and 21.) The SCO has indicated it has implemented the new reduced employee contribution rate of 3% of salary (down from 3.5%) effective October 1, 2023.
CalHR recently issued three new Pay Letters for the various Health Care Facility Retention Payments. With those Pay Letters in place, departments are able to process the one-time payments for eligible employees. The first of the three Pay Letters was published on October 11, 2023 and some ACSS members have already reported receipt of their one-time payments.
Details and eligibility for the Health Care Facility Retention Payments are found in the following CalHR Pay Differentials:
- Pay Differential 465 – S19 and M19
- Pay Differential 466 – S13
- Pay Differential 467 – S16 and M16
- Pay Differential 468 – S01, S03, S04, S11, S14, S15, S17, S20, S21 M01, M03, M14, M17, and M21