* Press release…
On her first day in office, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza instructed her staff to issue a directive prioritizing social services, education, and public safety payments ahead of employee bonuses.
“I know first-hand how hard state employees work,” Mendoza said. “But I know there are group homes for people with disabilities; rape crisis centers; caregivers for the poor and elderly and other worthy programs likewise waiting to be paid by the state and it’s hard to justify leap-frogging millions of dollars in employee bonuses over those bills.”
This fulfills a campaign pledge Mendoza made during her campaign for the office of comptroller. The previous administration had argued they could not separate out employee bonuses from regular pay. Mendoza was able to implement the change in her first day.
Payroll Bulletin 2-16, distributed to state agencies Wednesday, explains that employee bonus requests should be submitted separately from regular pay forms for state employees from now on.
This will allow the office to group those bonuses along with vendors, state legislators and top elected officials, including the Comptroller, whose payments are subject to delay due to insufficient funds because the state has not passed a balanced budget.
“When we learned through news reports in October, that as social service agencies were cutting programs because of delays in state payments, the Comptroller, at the direction of the Governor, was giving out nearly $4 million in bonuses to mainly top management staff in the heat of the election, I found that unconscionable,” Mendoza said.
The new rule will also bring needed transparency to the practice of granting bonuses, allowing the public to know who is on the receiving end of such awards.
“This is a necessary step to ensure accountability and transparency in government and should’ve been in place before now,” Mendoza said.
The state’s current backlog of bills stands at $10.4 billion and growing.
The nearly $4 million in bonuses reported in October were on top of employees’ regular salaries. Regular salary payments to employees will continue uninterrupted.
Good move. Munger’s protestations were never really believable.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
1) Why are the “bonuses” and “raises” even allowable under the court order?
2) Yes, I’m confident that Munger was sandbagging on a lot of things. Rauner will have to be a little more circumspect when trying to play games with (managing) the impasse non-budget.
- shytown - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
Very good move. This is what happens when the comp’s office is no longer beholden to the Rauner admin.
- A Jack - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:12 pm:
I agree, very good move for only her first week in office.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:12 pm:
Munger had looked befuddled when Mendoza schooled her during one of the editorial board interviews on the importance of directives in prioritizing payments. Excellent work!
- Mal - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:18 pm:
And OW thought Munger was good and Mendoza inept.
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:19 pm:
Is it really a “good move” that State employees continue to be used as political pawns by both parties? I’d wager that a State employees would simply like to work/do their jobs, be timely paid and be done with this nonsense.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:22 pm:
Bonuses are different than legislators pay.
Bonuses are not withholding actual pay.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
Oh boy is this great!
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
Well ‘JT’; looks like state employees weren’t getting that $1000 anyway.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
That’s why we elected you.
- Postbot 6000 - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:28 pm:
Lots of anger against state workers around here all of the sudden.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:29 pm:
===Lots of anger against state workers around here all of the sudden. ===
Meh.
Bonuses are different from salaries. They’re optional.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:33 pm:
Good move? Unbelievable. This is nothing more than more politics and it’s just sad.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:35 pm:
===This is nothing more than more politics and it’s just sad===
It is politics, for sure. She promised to do it in the campaign. Munger said it was impossible. So, when she figured out how to do it she should then do it. Campaigns should mean something.
- Deft Wing - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:36 pm:
Good move.
Now, let’s see if she keeps her repeated promise to pay Legislators last (”I can, and I will”).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGpa9ub2qtA
- Regular democrat - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:36 pm:
How this guy Rauner sleeps at night is beyond me. I have never seen anyone in politics so tone deaf in my entire life. I hope our new Comptroller spends every day of the next two years exposing this guy. Also i guess nobody has a calendar in his office. Today is Dec 7 and this guy decides hey lets have a ceremony announcing your electric bill going up.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:38 pm:
===Now, let’s see if she keeps her repeated promise to pay Legislators last (”I can, and I will”).===
It’s unconstitutional. I hope we can have a Comptroller that will follow the constitution and respect the oath.
Ugh.
- A guy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:41 pm:
Still think it’s time to cease fooling with anyone’s paycheck. Anyone.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:44 pm:
==Still think it’s time to cease fooling with anyone’s paycheck.==
Amen. Playing with paychecks isn’t a game.
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:45 pm:
Salary…bonuses…raises…they’re all part of employees’ wages and, thus, should be timely paid. At least that’s the way I look at it. Others might disagree….
- Blue Bayou - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:45 pm:
For all you small business owners who are on here complaining about the business climate, your worries are over.
Trump has named the co-founder and former CEO of World Wrestling as head of the Small Business Association.
Congrats!
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:48 pm:
By the way, the bulletin references all bonuses, not just non-union bonuses. We’ll see how she implements it for union contracts. Those contracts don’t say how fast they have to be paid so she could also delay those as well.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:53 pm:
This is a move that is fair for both employees and taxpayers.
- Roman - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:55 pm:
Pretty sure we’re gonna hear a lot about these bonuses and who got them in the coming months. They are an investigative reporter/opposition reseacher’s dream.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:06 pm:
== Pretty sure we’re gonna hear a lot about these bonuses and who got them in the coming months. They are an investigative reporter/opposition reseacher’s dream. ==
Going to be interesting to see how many politicians’ family members and other politically connected people made the list. Whichever reporter decides to dig it out should not only report the bonus and relationship, but also the current salary and party affiliation. Would make for interesting reading over the dinner table.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:11 pm:
1). Bonuses aren’t salary, they can wait.
2) the bonuses are for managers, they have an ownership stake in this.
3).if the lawmakers succeed in their case, Rauner’s managers will still be waiting for their bonuses. Kinda funny.
4). Like many readers, would love to know who got the bonuses and what performance metrics they were based on. Perhaps the IPI and BGA are already investigating?
- Roman - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:13 pm:
RNUG, exactly what I was thinking.
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:16 pm:
==Still think it’s time to cease fooling with anyone’s paycheck.==
I think the bonuses might qualify as “fooling with paychecks.” The Gov is using bonuses to buy loyalty (his own people and AFSCME workers); there is also the distinct possibility that Rauner is hiding the actual pay of some of his “superstars” by using large “bonuses” on top of the reported base pay. This is especially disturbing when the state budget is on the rocks. It seems odd to hand out extra money when we can’t pay the regular bills.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:17 pm:
Bonuses?!? seriously people, if you are one of the folks who thinks you are getting hosed because your bonus did not come through, there are lots and lots of places in government that do not function with a bonus.
In fact, Gov. Rauner, do away with all bonuses. for the love of god. social services are suffering. just end the bonuses. besides, Sus won’t pay them anyway!
- Menard Guy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:22 pm:
An important lesson you learn in the military. You never mess with a soldier’s pay or his sleep.
- Raising Kane - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:29 pm:
Rich Miller you are ridiculous!
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:51 pm:
Has anyone told John Terranova about this yet? Lol.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 7:16 pm:
When the government doesn’t meet its obligations and pay its bills, it’s fooling with lot’s of people’s paychecks.
- Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 7:21 pm:
At what point do we quit robbing Peter to pay Paul?
- Rabid - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 7:50 pm:
This is the job you have chosen. Pay negotiated wages, who got their bonuses cashed already?
- Whatever - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 7:55 pm:
==In fact, Gov. Rauner, do away with all bonuses. for the love of god. social services are suffering. just end the bonuses. besides, Sus won’t pay them anyway!==
What? Almost 2 years into an administration that insists merit comp is a non-negotiable requirement for union employees, and it finally gets around to adopting a regulation last summer allowing bonuses to its so-called merit comp employees (in lieu of repealing the Quinn regulation prohibiting pay raises for merit comp employees), and only last month announced bonuses, and you want to get rid of them? Merit comp is going to save this state, along with property tax freezes and right-to work.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:03 pm:
Mendoza should withhold all state employee amounts over $35k. She should pay them up to $35k, every penny after that goes to the critical social services. She campaigned that social services would go first, now she should do it.
- joe - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:04 pm:
State workers would rather just have their backpay thats still owed to them!!
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:14 pm:
Very happy with this.
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:30 pm:
Honeybear, if you were a merit comp employee in line for a bonus, would you still be “very happy about this”? Perhaps you would be…dunno….
- Yiddishcowboy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:34 pm:
@Justme: Hopefully, it’s “just you” that feels the way you do about the $35K “payment cap.” Not sure how you selected that figure, but oh, well….
- Illinoised - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:47 pm:
Good news.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 8:58 pm:
Yiddish - it’s about three times the poverty rate (I think). I’m willing to bet after Munger instituted that policy we would have a budget in about a month.
I’ve lost my job twice three times in the past five years due to budget cuts and managed to live each time on an unemployment salary of around $18k a year, so it can be done.
- Property of IDOC - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 9:06 pm:
Great choice Susana!
The boneses were only bait anyway.
I intended to tell him to route mine to Honeybear’s office asap!
I had to drive throughEast St. the other day, and they NEED it!
- DHSJim - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 9:50 pm:
As a State worker, I’m totally fine with this. Let’s use that money to serve our communities, especially those in our community most in need. Besides, everyone knows the $1000 bonus is a Rauner ploy to buy loyalty with State workers to agree to his awful union busting terms.
- What about travel pay? - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:58 pm:
I haven’t been reimbursed for my travel expenses that took place in Jan. Of 2016. Has Mendoza made any statements on the order of those payments?
- skeptic - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 1:52 am:
The Rauner “merit” bonuses were nothing more than Rauner rewarding cronies. Good riddance.
- lost in the weeds - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 3:56 am:
Bonuses don’t improve work performance.
http://www.businessinsider.com/money-bonus-not-motivational-2016-11
- Ex Spsa - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 7:25 am:
Hope the reporter looks at the ones who didn’t get the bonus with exceptional in the categories and bases or lack thereof for no overall exceptional and no bonus.
- deeznuts - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 7:30 am:
I wonder by trying to implement the Govs final and offering tempting bonuses that if state employees accept the bonus are they accepting the rest of his demands?
- MAMA - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 1:06 pm:
Can someone tell me how many state workers verses Rauner’s top administrators got the nearly $4 million in bonuses?
Thanks
- MAMA - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 1:09 pm:
I forgot to welcome Susana Mendoza, Illinois Comptroller. Susana Mendoza welcome to Springfield, IL and your new job as our State Comptroller.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 1:17 pm:
=- RNUG - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:06 pm: =
RNUG, this would be a good job for you. It would keep you would getting bored during your retirement years.
I have one question for you, Will those lucky people who got a “bonus” be able to count it toward their retirement?
- MAMA - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 1:23 pm:
“Campaigns should mean something.”
Rich, I agree with you, but I’m afraid those days of campaign promises actually coming to fruition are over.
I’m happy Susana Mendoza means what she says & acts on it - very rare. However, there are some campaign promises that should never see the light of day.
- walker - Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 2:27 pm:
Figured how to do what Munger called “impossible” in one day.
Now let’s see if sorting out the FLSA-covered employees from the others, is equally “impossible.”