FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday to continue using a payroll system that lists benefit leave such as sick time and vacation time on employees’ paycheck stubs.

Commissioners Gary McGrane of Jay and Fred Hardy of New Sharon voted for it; Commissioner Meldon Gilmore of Freeman Township against.

The vote came after objections from county employees who don’t want that type of information listed on their paycheck stubs. They consider it, to some degree, a privacy violation.

The county went with a new payroll provider in late December, and the new system lists vacation days, sick days and what time was earned and what time was used during that pay period, county Deputy Clerk/Deputy Treasurer Charisse Keach said.

Currently only nonunion employees’ pay stubs have the information listed. The union’s new contracts to replace those that expired Dec. 31, are still being negotiated but once they are finalized those employees will have that information listed on their check stubs as well, according to commissioners.

Sheriff Chief Deputy Raymond Meldrum presented a paper with 25 signatures of dispatchers and deputies who protest the information being listed.

Probably 90 percent of the people don’t want that done in the first place, Meldrum said. The system that has been in place works fine, he said.

Currently, he keeps records of the time employees work, vacation time, sick time and other time earned or used on a computer in his office, he said. He submits a summary of the information on paper to the treasurer, who then processes payroll and submits it to the payroll company.

Meldrum also noted some errors that have taken place since the onset of the program for nonunion employees. Employees also receive a hard copy of their accrued time under the former system, he said.

“It’s not something we want to happen,” he said.

One of the concerns is that the information on the stub could be used against employees if they were applying for a loan or a job, he said. In addition, the system does not always give an accurate balance, he said.

Meldrum considers the new process micromanaging what is already in place.

Commission Chairman Gary McGrane of Jay said the idea is to centralize the information, keep an accurate total of each employee’s personal leave and show them what they have for benefits.

He believes it would also make it easier on department heads and free up some time to do something else, he said.

Meldrum said that he would still need to continue collecting the information and keep it on his computer.

County Clerk Julie Magoon said she checked with the county’s attorney and there is nothing that prohibits personal leave time on paycheck stubs.

“I don’t particularly want it on my paycheck,” Sheriff’s Department Office Manager Penny Camfferman said. If you go for a loan and they ask for payroll information, she said, that information is listed right on there.

Sometimes if there is an inaccuracy, it takes time to fix, she said.

“I don’t want to have to fight for my vacation time,” Camfferman said, or any other time she earned.

“I don’t have any objections to considering employees’ preference,” Hardy said. Years ago, he said, everything was kept by hand but now they are in a time where they can provide that information to employees.

McGrane also said there are confidentiality practices in place to prevent the information from being shared with others.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Sheriff Lt. Niles Yeaton in support of employees’ efforts.

Gilmore agreed.

Yeaton asked if the county could save money by doing its own payroll.

McGrane said they checked into and it would cost much more.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link