The DAS Family and Medical Leave Entitlements manual will soon be re-issued with a change to the formula for calculating Reduced Schedule Leave for Bonding (which is Chapter 17 of the manual).  The revised calculation corrects an error in the formula and impacts Steps 3 & 4 of the formula which will now factor in the days NOT worked rather than the days worked.  Anyone who is utilizing a reduced schedule for bonding leave should review the revised calculation as it may impact the benefit that was granted.  The revised formula for steps 3 & 4 are below:

3^rd- Determine what percentage of the work

Just a personal note: as someone who went to Sandy Hook Elementary School as a child and graduated from Newtown HS, I can't help but comment on the Newtown High School football team which won the Class LL State Championship on 12/14/2019...the 7th anniversary of the school shooting.  Some of those football players attended SHS at the time of the tragedy and for them to win the Championship on the final play of the game on the same date 7 years later was so moving and so perfect.  Congrats NHS!!!

Friday December 20th, all employees who are not on the Top Step of their salary grade will "move up" one step.  Those on the Top Step of their salary grade will receive a Top Step Payment of 2.5%.  For those who don't "math", there is a table near the back of the blue A&R Contract book which calculates the Top Step Payment that you will receive; use the 6/21/2019 table.  Since these are awarded on the first day of the payperiod, they won't be reflected in your paycheck until January 16, 2020. 

A couple of caveats: the Step increase requires a minimum "Good or Better" service rating from September 2019.  The Top Step Payment does not have that requirement, it is now part of the annual salary (based upon a language change we made in the recent contract negotiations).  ACTs/CCTs in a 2 year training class have seperate language, they will move to Salary Grade 15 Step 5 upon completion of 1 year of satisfactory service.

View the current Wage Charts

View the Top Step Payment Table

When we approved the SEBAC 2017 agreement, many in the legislature did not believe that the projected savings from that agreement were real and publicly ambushed the agreement with claims that collective bargaining was rigged and the associated budget savings were false.  As a result, the legislature tasked the Comptroller's Office withcompiling a report to validate (or invalidate) the expected savings from SEBAC 2017.  The Comptroller's Office released the SEBAC Savings Report on 12/10/19.  The SEBAC Savings Report  verified that not only were the projected savings real and acheived, but they exceeded expectations. The expected savings were $700 million in FY18 and $900 million in FY19 for a total 2-year savings of $1.6 billion; ultimately, the savings amounted to $1.7 billion for the 2-year budget cycle, exceeding expectations by over $100 million.  View the report for a breakdown of the savings.

With winter weather again upon us we want to remind members how to conduct themselves in accordance with the contract.  Contract provisions regarding delayed openings and shift cancellations are as follows:

• If you have scheduled PL, VAC or sick leave during the time of a shift cancellation, you are no longer required to burn the PL, VAC or sick leave if your shift (or any portion thereof) is canceled.
  • Accruals will still be charged if you had leave scheduled for the entire week.

• Essential employees -  If you are required to work during a shift cancellation (full or partial), in addition to your

The Retirement Commission approved changes to the "factors" associated with the pension benefit payment options.  These changes were based on a periodic review and analysis of the actual experience of the retirement fund which led to a revision of the actuarial "factors"; this is the first revision since 2009. These changes will take effect for any SERS retiree on or after 1/1/2020 (this will not impact current retirees).

The "factors" impact the reduction to your pension if you elect to continue your pension to a survivor upon your death.  If you choose to continue pension payments to a