Pay Freeze

[Sh0rtbUs]

I did eventuaklly get paid, but your right, the regiment has some major issues with pay. pretty much every pay day that comes around, I go to the bank to check how badly my pay has been messed up. its so common that I've gotten used to it, but what if I were reg force? Paying bills has got to be an issue if you cant rely on a pay cheque...

 

[ackland]

Problems on the scale that we see them in the reserve rarely occurs in the regs. They have a bit more dedicated staff then most reserve OR's. The way that The RPSR works for us is different. We don't get paid 24/7 unless on class B and even that contract needs to be started. The regs get paid from day one and only get the IPC's adjusted as they go up in rank nad TI. That is the simplified version.

 

[jfladeroute]

As for the Reserve pay system, they have been talking about fixing it since I enrolled as a troop in the early 1990's......    Out.

It's facile to blame these issues on the RPSR; I am currently responsible for running a Garrison Orderly Room where, in the last three years, we have had exactly four problems with pay.

Of those, two were soldiers switching to long-term Class C contracts, and the error was caused by the Regular Force ASU. Both of the two involving the RPSR could be traced to an individual FTSO not returning paysheets for input by the cut-off date for pay. Not one problem was an actual RPSR issue. I would go so far as to state categorically that anyone blaming the "pay system" is merely attempting to cover up for the errors of individuals.

The "blood type" excuse is patently untrue - the only item of administration that is delayed by an unknown blood type is the ordering of dog tags. We have a lot of pers in that situation as the recruit medicals no longer cover routine blood typing - every one of them, however, is being paid.

 

[Arctic Acorn]

Gawd, who hasn't had at least one pay issue with the RPSR...

Let this be a lesson to the more junior members out there. Personal observation here, but I've seen instances where some poor sod is being jerked aorund by the system, and they're afraid to say anything because they feel that they're not entitled, or that they're being 'tested' in some way.

Don't get me wrong, they're certainly a time and place for FIDO, but pay issues are not one of them. Be aware that if you signed the paysheet, and you did the time, you are entitled to pay for that day. Granted, there are mistakes sometimes, but that money is yours. If you can't get paid on the pay date, you can request a contingency payment. I'm not the only one who uses my reserve pay for more than just beer money.

Anyway, please keep in mind that you have alternatives. Don't be scared to use the chain of command to make sure that you get what you're due...it's their job to make sure that you're 'fed and watered', as it were. They can't help you if you don't tell them. Remember troops, memos are your friend!

 

[jfladeroute]

Gawd, who hasn't had at least one pay issue with the RPSR...

You're missing the point. The issue is not with the RPSR itself; the program works very well in and of itself. There are pay issues, granted - but those are caused by individuals failing to do their jobs properly.  If the people do their jobs, soldiers get paid effectively and efficiently. Remember that there is a significant chain of events required before RPSR even comes into play - the member must sign in, the paysheets must make it to the authorizing officer, the authorizing officer must get it to the pay clerk, the pay clerk must enter the data, the authorizing officer must confirm the payment amounts... and then the RPSR can schedule the deposit. A break at any stage of that chain can cause problems.

I've yet to see a pay problem that did not come down to a single individual not doing their job, although it's easier to blame the RPSR (understandably, because the alternative is to admit both fallibility and responsibility. People in general aren't very good at that). Blaming the program has become the 21st century equivalent of "the dog ate my homework".  :

I do, however, agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your statements.  It is the right of every soldier to demand accountability from the system.

 

[Arctic Acorn]

Thats a fair cop, so... I'll amend by saying that most reservists have had pay problems at one point or another.

However, please don't take offence by me (or anyone else) bemoaning "The RPSR" when they don't get their hard earned swag every two weeks.   For us non-administrative/finance types, the whole process is a black box. We insert a signed pay sheet into one end of the box, and money comes out the other side in regular, bi-monthly intervals. That box is called 'The RPSR" to us (which is spelled out right on the top of every pay statement). There is a significant chain that gets people paid, but my point here is that no one sees it, no one explains it to the members, and as such it doesn't exist in the perceptions of the non-admin troopies. When there's a problem, folks don't blame an individual, they blame the whole process. As I'm sure you're aware, most members never really see the work that goes into making sure that they are paid on time. No one cares when things are running smoothly, but watch the fur fly when someone doesn't get paid! I know quite a few finance types, and it never fails to get their backs up when that happens. In fact, they get pretty bloody defensive about it. As an intelligence operator, I can totally relate to that. People can only remember our mistakes, but no one remembers/cares when we do things right.


Here's an idea...In appreciation for all the hard work done by overworked unit admin staffs everywhere to ensure that common soldier gets their due, lets make Monday, 20 September "Hug A Clerk Day".  

Come on Lads/Lasses, who's with me!

 

[jfladeroute]

Thats a fair cop, so... I'll amend by saying that most reservists have had pay problems at one point or another.

Well, I can admit that I've had pay problems - but that was back in the bad old days of manual checks.

Your point about the mystery inherent in the RPSR is well taken, but that is exactly why it is important to never accept "it's an RPSR problem" as an explanation. It's also why it is important for admin types to follow the same basic after action review process that we do operationally. When my OR fails, I want to know where that failure occurred, and why. Accepting that there are pure mistakes, there are also systemic failures that can be addressed. For example, when that FTSO missed his deadline for the second time, we put in place a system whereby the pay clerk broadcast a "last call" message to all unit FTS the day prior to the deadline. He hasn't missed one since.

The bottom line is that one should never simply accept what has become an all-too common excuse. Shrugging and blaming the RPSR will do nothing to prevent the problem from recurring. Making people responsible for their actions, or lack thereof, will.

Here's an idea...In appreciation for all the hard work done by overworked unit admin staffs everywhere to ensure that common soldier gets their due, lets make Monday, 20 September "Hug A Clerk Day". 
Come on Lads/Lasses, who's with me!

I'm not entirely sure my clerks would thank you for that.  :-\ Thankfully, we're stood down Monday, so I shan't have to risk my SHARP certification.

 

[Acorn]

Just a point to try to show our Militia siblings that it isn't a problem unique to their pay system:

The whole thing is computer driven, and thus "garbage in - garbage out" comes into play. The brain-keyboard interface is the weak point regardless of the system. I'm hoping my own pay woes, two months old and completely unecesssary (IMO), will be sorted come the next month. They are totally related to SU-generated errors.

I'd like to note that the SU can't bear all of the blame. The e-mail driven system seems to have way too many holes in it.

In any case, I've had pay problems pop up through my whole career - 20+ reg and 4+ res. The only helpful words I can offer are: "it eventually sorts itself out." Not much help when you have to pay the bills.

Acorn