Paychecks will go out early

State will process year's final payroll checks early in case of computer problems

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The last state payroll of the year will be run two or three days early to erase worries that any turn-of-the-millennium computer glitches will hold up paychecks, according to State Auditor Max Maxfield.

The state's new $2 million payroll system is certified to work on Jan. 1, 2000. As a double safeguard, the system will be tested this fall, according to Maxfield.

But Maxfield said he expects a lot of work through the office at year's end and running the payroll early will also avoid clogging the system.

Those of Wyoming's 10,000 state employees and pay-receiving institutional residents who have direct deposit will be able to know before the holiday that their pay is in the bank, he said.

Converting to the electronic payroll system has been time-consuming ever since Maxfield took office in January.

"It was baptism by fire," he said Wednesday. "It's a huge, huge job."

The new system was half installed when he came into office and his staff told him a re-evaluation was needed before going any further. The March date for switching over proved too ambitious, he said.

The system cost $1.7 million and another $200,000 to $300,000 came from the governor's office since the money wasn't in his agency's budget, he said.

"I had a little bit of advanced warning that this was going to be our major focus in January," he said.

About 85 percent of 8,500 state employees have their pay deposited directly to their banks, he said.

The Department of Transportation, which once had its own, separate payroll system, joined the state system about two years ago. The auditor's office does not handle payroll for the University of Wyoming or the state's community colleges, according to Maxfield.

The agency also issues 700,000 warrants a year to pay various state agency bills and Maxfield's staff is also working to ensure those checks are issued on time.

Copyright 1999 Associated Press

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), July 24, 1999

Answers

they will know their money is in the bank before the holiday. Great! But will they be able to get to it? I think we will see long lines at ATMs even in the middle of the night.

Taz...who likens bankers right up there with lawyers and used car salesment.

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 25, 1999.

I requested that my employer (division of State of Texas) do the very same thing. No response. We will be paid for November on Dec. 1st and for December on "the first working day in January". *sigh*

-- Mommacares (harringtondesignX@earthlink.net), July 25, 1999.