The A&R website has been upgraded to a new platform, while this upgrade was necessary due to the "end of life" for our prior platform, the transition has created some broken links and missing content.  This will be something we will have to fix over time as we do not know the full impact of the losses here and we will attempt to correct the site as we discover what is missing.  As well, there are some new features to the platform, so you may also see us test out some new things as we go along.

-6/29/23

If you are thinking that it is time for you to run for local office but aren't sure how to go about it?  Let the CT AFL-CIO help you out (as a member of A&R, you are a member of the AFL-CIO as well).

The CT AFL-CIO hosts a training session for union members called: Path to Power which will guide you through the process of running for local office.

This year's session will be held on April 22nd in New Britain and it is free (certain restrictions apply if you have already declared candidacy).  Follow this link to register!

-5/2/23

Tier IV Retirement Contribution Increase: we are aware that the Comptroller's Office has released guidance to the agencies in preparation for an increase to employee contributions into the Tier IV Defined Benefit portion of their pension plan.  This increase is a one-year increase of 2% and is expected to begin on July 1, 2023 (July 2023 - June 2024). The increase is in response to the pension fund not meeting its goal of a 6.9% investment-on-return.  We acknowledge that the SEBAC agreement governing Tier IV pensions includes this concept of "risk-sharing".  Risk-sharing was included

UPDATE: 2/27/23 9:15PM

The Governor has released a statement (posted here) closing all state office buildings and he is directing "all Level 2 state employees who are able to telework shall telework for the duration of the related closures"...THIS IS NOT THE TELEWORK POLICY...so we will re-iterate your actual rights and the proper way to approach the office closing:

If you were normally scheduled to telework on Tuesday 2/28/23 you are expected to telework as normal.  Under the terms of the Telework Agreement Section 8.3.2, if you were expected to be in the office on 2/28/23 then you cannot be compelled to telework.  The language from the Agreement reads as follows, it is the final sentence that is key:

8.3. LATE OPENING, EARLY DISMISSAL, AGENCY CLOSURE

8.3.1.If a situation arises at the teleworker ís official duty station that interferes with the ability of non-teleworking employees to work at the official duty station (e.g. power failure, weather conditions, lack of heat in the office building; etc.) while the teleworker is working at his /her telework location, the teleworker is not excused from duty for this period of time as he/she would not be affected by these conditions.

8.3.2.In addition, teleworkers may be requested to telework on non-telework days as operational needs dictate or in the event of an emergency (e.g. power outage, flooding/water damage at official duty station etc.). Acceptance of such request shall be at the option of the employee.

Posted Earlier on 2/27/23

We are posting this information in anticipation of the winter weather event expected Monday night into Tuesday, February 27/28.

A reminder to those who are scheduled to telecommute during a major winter weather event does not automatically impact your work day. As a general rule, if you have the capability to telework and you were pre-scheduled to telework during the weather event, you should do so, regardless of the impact the weather event has on office operations.

• If you are scheduled to telework, telework, regardless of the weather event's impact on office operations
  • If you are scheduled to telework, and circumstances prevent you from teleworking (ie: loss of power), notify your agency as soon as practicable
     
• If you are scheduled to work in-office on the day of a weather event, act safely:
  • Up to one of hour of lateness due to hazardous driving conditions shall not be charged provided that you arrive within an hour of the start of your shift
  • Up to a total of 2.5 hours may be excused in exceptional circumstances (due to severity of conditions; however, your delayed arrival may be compared with that of other employees faced with similar circumstances)
  • If you are late in excess of 2.5 hours (or more than 1 hour late and absent exceptional circumstances), you must opt to either make up the excess time or charge your leave balances
  • If there is a Governor declared late opening, report to work at the Governor declared start time
  • You cannot be compelled by management to telework if you were scheduled in office
    • management may ask you to telework on such a day
    • acceptance of such a request is at your option

Consider it this way: shift cancellations, late openings, and early dismissal decisions are largely made with safety in mind to keep us off of the roads during hazardous conditions.  Those hazardous conditions will not be encountered by telecommuters.  Thus, if you are scheduled to telework, telework.......

We also want to remind those deemed "essential" for snow storms (and thus required to leave your home to report to work during a Governor's closing of the offices) qualify for compensatory time. [Appendix A of contract; Agreement on Final Telework Policy, section 8]

Click here for LATE OPENING/EARLY RELEASE NOTIFICATIONS

-UPDATE 4/27/23:  The "Look-up" portal may be delayed until the first week of May as the underlying data set is still be reviewed

The Comptroller's Office has created a portal for employees to review their pandemic pay award (the portal may be available as early as Monday 4/24/23).

Link to the Look-up Portal

If you plug in your information and do not get a result, then you are not scheduled to receive a Pandemic Pay award.  Payment is expected in the June 15 paycheck.

To Qualify for an Award: 
The timeframe for determining whether you receive an award is all hours worked outside of the

TELEWORK DECISIONS AND APPEALS

Telework Decisions should have been released at this point.  If you are going to file an appeal then do not delay; a delay in filing the appeal will move you further down the list for review.
Here are the 3 basic scenarios and what you should do:

• If you were denied your telework request of 80% or less Telework, please ensure that you quickly file your appeal using this link.  Continue to TW at the level deemed acceptable (or the TW schedule you had last year [whichever is better])
• If you requested to increase your Telework but have not receieved a response from the agency, then treat that as a denial and quickly file your appeal using the same link as above.  While your appeal is pending, continue to do your current Telework schedule.
• If you requested the same amount of telework but have not received a response from the agency, simply keep doing your current TW schedule and there is no need to file an appeal.

NEW (AND MUCH IMPROVED) AFAO JOB SPEC
Anyone in the "Fiscal" series knows that we have had an issue with the "Associate Fiscal Admin Officer" job spec for quite some time; mainly that this job title should have been an Advanced Working Level/Lead title but was instead used as a Supervisory title...after several years of pressing this issue, it has finally been changed!  View the new (and improved) AFAO job spec.

This is huge for anyone in the Fiscal job series.  The gist of the change is that the AFAO title no longer requires supervisory responsibility; it is now a working lead/advanced working level position as it should have been.  This will now allow many FAOs to progress to the AFAO title where their responsibilities are vast even if they do not have staff to supervise. 

VACATION ACCRUAL RATE FOR THOSE WITH PRIOR STATE SERVICE
Under our new contract, there was a change to Article 12 Section 7 which now grants credit for prior state service towards determining your vacation accrual rate.  If you have prior State Service and that time was pensionable, it will count towards determining when you move up to the next level for vacation accrual (Note: if you are already earning 13.33hrs/mo then this change will not impact you, you are already at the top accrual rate).  However, and this is big: it is the responsibility of each individual to notify HR that they have prior state service.  While our hope was to have this process automated, this was not possible.  Therefore,  if you have prior, pensionable time in State Service and are accruing at less than 13.33hrs/month, then it is your responsibility to notify HR so they can identify the records and make the adjustment to your vacation rate, if appropriate.  This will only be retro-active to the June 1, 2022 accruals, it will not be an adjustment to your accrual rate prior to June 1, 2022.

STEPS AND TOP STEP PAYMENTS
The December 30^th Step Increase/Top Step Payment will be reflected in this week's paycheck.  To find your new rate or TSP, folllow this link.  Those on the AR2 payplan will recieve a 3% Annual Increment.  Those who were first hired after July 1, 2022 were (most likely) not eligible for a Step Increase on December 30.  Those in 2-year training classes receive their increment on their 1 year anniversary rather than the schedule for permanent employees.

TELECOMMUTING AND WINTER WEATHER
A reminder to those on telecommuting schedules that major winter weather events do not automatically impact your work day.  As a general rule, if you have the capability to telework during the weather event, you should do so, regardless of the impact the weather event has on office operations.  Consider it this way: shift cancellations, late openings, and early dismissals decisions are  usually made with safety in mind to keep us off of the roads during hazardous conditions.  Those hazardous conditions will not be encountered by telecommuters.  We also want to remind those deemed "essential" for snow storms (and thus required to leave your home to report to work during a Governor's closing of the offices) qualify for compensatory time.
[Appendix A of contract; Agreement on Final Telework Policy, section 8]