Pay Freeze

[Sh0rtbUs]

My entire course hasnt been paid yet, and we‘re going on our 4th week (been several ‘pay days‘ past) and apparently the reason is some guys havent handed in their blood type. Im not trying to stir the pot here and get something going, Im patiently awaiting it to be sorted out, but when can the Army freeze ones pay over something such as this? Is this scenario common?

It‘s a pain, but when i DO get paid..its gonna be a nice wad of cash

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Never heard of it getting held up for that! Sounds like a bogus excuse. The two don‘t tie in. Mind, most of the people here can tell you that the Reserve pay system sucks. It‘s one of those things you live with in the Reserves. If you have a good pay clerk, you‘re all set. If they really don‘t care, you‘ll have to push it up top to the Colonel, through the chain. Most times it‘s some sort of glitch, either computer or personnel. (If your mother was to call her Member of Parliment, complaining her son wasn‘t getting paid, it may jog them into action). Just make sure that you check your pay statement when you get it and everything is correct, they have a habit of overpaying, a little at a time, then jerking it all back at once.

 

[slickguy1986]

I tend to agree with recceguy, because I have been in over a year and for the first five months I did not say what my blood type was: I was still paid.

Shortbus, what likely is happening is you are going to be paid by cheque, my first few pay periods were by check which took a couple of weeks to filter down. Have patience, if $$ doesn‘t start filtering down maybe you will have to send a memo up the Chain and through your course staff.

Make sure, you mention to your Section Cmdr you‘re having pay problems - maybe s/he can sort it out.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

thanx for that. Im definatly checking my pay statements more carefully when i get them

 

[Gayson]

ShortBus, you recruit for Qyrang?

I am.

It took 4 months to get paid, due to paper work problems at ottawa or something.

I believe the blood type is needed primarily for your dog tags, which should have no effect on your pay?

 

[Spr.Earl]

It‘s sound‘s like some one has not done the paper work in the pay office or your Unit‘s have not passed on your pay doc.‘s
The excuse of "no blood type" is crap!!

Have any of gone to the pay office?
Go and enquire,you are entitled to.
Bug them untill you get paid.

 

[Phillman]

I‘ve been in over a year and still don‘t know what my blood type is, and this has not affected my pay. If you are going to be getting cheques, then just be patient. On my first course I didnt see a penny for the first while then I seemed to be handed a cheque everytime someone on the course staff walked by.

 

[Righty]

I started on Feb 7.... Didn‘t get paid until Mar 15

 

[GhostRecce]

yeah i didnt know my blood type when i first got in and i still got paid. i‘d be a little upset at this mainly because some people need money for bills etc. i know i would

 

[bossi]

Grrr ... must ... control ... fist ... of ... death ...
(IMHO, the "blood type" excuse is either somebody incredibly stupid trying to make noises that sound like intelligent speech, or somebody incredibly stupid proving just that - the pay system and the medical records are NOT so closely intertwined that somebody‘s ELSE‘s missing blood type would interfere with your pay cheque ... grrr ...).

Once upon a time, recruit courses were invited by their NCO‘s to donate blood (at a nearby civilian blood clinic, not in the parking lot behind the armoury ...) - a civic-minded contribution to the local community, the local newspapers were normally quite happy to publish a photo of all the fresh new recruits lined up to serve their country albeit in a novel way, and a cheap way to find out everybody‘s blood type. Anybody that didn‘t want to donate was NOT forced to do so, and everybody went home happy.

Having said all of the above, I‘ve heard horror stories of recruits waiting anywhere between one and four months for their first pay cheque (or direct deposit, which is more automatic once your banking details are in the system, but again ... "cut-off" dates are the modern day manifestation of the "gremlins" that plague computerised payrolls ...)
Hang in there.

 

[Bulvyn]

I think in part it‘s to see how you will react to not getting paid. To see if you are in it for the money or if you just want to learn. It‘s somewhat of a test just like everything else. Many of the horrifyingly stupid things that go on are tests. Don‘t get me wrong, they all arent.

I joined in Dec and didn‘t get paid until Feb. I heard through the grape vine that they were testing to see how recruits would act. As far as I know this is only done for reserves. I could be wrong however.

Everything I just mentioned is heresay and could quite possibly be a load of crap. I am only mentioning what I heard and what makes the most sense.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

well..Im certainly not in it for the money...but it would be nice to pay my dad back his 200 bucks that he lent me for bus fare to get to the Armouries.

Im just gonna stick it out and wait... I‘ve got all the time in the world (unfortunatly, my disgruntled father doesnt) Pte. Gayson, Im just a homely recruit for now.

 

[chrisf]

I got my first pay through means of an actual physical cheque... though it took some 3 months to get to me (Apparently, there was another person with the same last name and initials as myself in another unit in the area, and it went to her first).

 

[Dara]

What a load of crock. Don‘t kill me, I am Air, but also a RMS Clk. I don‘t think the pay system between the two elements, army and air are that different. When we first load you in RPSR, which is the system we use to pay our mbrs, we need your SIN and Svc Number, once your validated, which usually takes a day, we can enter your information and get you in the system. During the month there are due dates for when the the Class A sheets should be handed in. Rule of thumb is if you hand in your sheets the first part of the month, you‘ll get paid end of the month. There are specific cut off dates that we get from RPSR though, which my unit actually publishes in the Routine Orders. Once a month there is a cut off for Class B, if you miss that, you can be paid contingency, at least on the air side and still get paid on pay day right into your account. I don‘t know what kind of bull their trying to give you, but blood type has nothing to do with it. Plus, if there is a legitimate reason, like not getting paid for 4 months, you can ask for that contingency payment through your chain.

 

[RCA]

There was a time when it was well-known that the two things you didn‘t screw around was a sodliers‘ food and his pay. Times have changed. The give-a-**** factor seems to be a lot lower, and I don‘t give a **** is taking over.

Rumour control - no unit/crse would withhold mbrs pay to see their reaction, and if for some very strange reason its true, someone should swing for that gross violation. You parade, you have already earned and are entitlled. When first joining, you have to be entered with the proper details onthe RPSR system. If its near the middle or end of the month, you‘ll miss the cut off date but will make the next one (which within the next 15 days, not month ( so you will have to wait a month not two)like it use to be. The same applies for summer taskings, if it starts just after a cut off date, there will be almost a month‘s wait for the first pay - take note so there are no surprises.

The blood type thing sounds like someone is too lazy and not looking after the troops. Your chain should be handling it and if not, they are not doing thier jobs either.

 

[Danjanou]

Ok let me get this straight. You and others on your course haven't been paid and some idiot has given you a pile of bovine excrement that it has to do with not having blood types?

Please is there some Snr NCO or Officer involved with this course lurking on the forum who has seen this, and is now having a â Å“chatâ ? with whatever numpty pulled this stunt.

As Dara, RCA and others have said there is a system, sure it is often slow and inefficient but it should work and this is one thing one does not screw around with. Start using the chain of command to have this dealt with, now.

Ok war story time, so bear with me here. About 12-13 or so years ago there was a similar incident in a certain Toronto unit (no names no pack drill) They didn't have a Fin Clk, but the ad hoc system of admin clerks and what not somehow made it work. Then they got a shiny new Fin Officer trained and everything that transferred in. Well all of a sudden pay came to a screaching halt.

Now that's not a big thing for those with civy careers hey it's just beer money in the mess. But a lot of Militia, students and the like, need that cheque, and can't afford any delays. Now this particular officer and I'm not dissing females, officers, or fin types here, had a bit of an attitude. To her Reserve duty was more of a social thing. She didn't need her monthly cheque and couldn't really comprehend the fact others did.

Anyway, an unnamed CSM was advised that several of his troops hadn't been paid and in a couple of cases for some time, (1-2 months, said CSM had been away for a month on pers leave). He paid a social visit to the Finance Office and politely enquired as to what the problem was.

When he got a rather dismissive answer from a rather insincere 2/Lt, he politely enquired as to why prior to her arrival there didn't seem to be any pay problems.

The Fin Officer in question pointed out that the adhoc system the semi-trained clerks had been using was not the correct manner to do things and she had put a stop to it. As to delays in the poor (literally) soldiers pay, there was nothing, she or for that matter the CSM could do about it.

The CSM, smiled, saluted and returned to his hovel, er office and made a couple of phone calls. Then he had a wee chat with his OC and the RSM, they in turn had a wee chat with the CO. The CO was advised that the CSM had checked into things and the said unpaid soldiers, there were about a dozen, including one just recently back from a peacekeeping tour, had an appointment at a local City of Toronto Welfare office the next morning.

It appears that they may be eligible for welfare pending pay under Ontario law. Interviews had been set up and they would of course need to show up in uniform with supporting documentation. It also appeared that someone may have (not the CSM of course) called CITY TV and the Toronto Sun who in turn may have been interested in events happening the next morning.

Well the upshot is that the CO had another wee chat with his Fin Officer, and mysteriously some cheques were sent via courier to the armouries rather quickly.

Drastic measures perhaps, but effective. The moral of the story never mess with a soldier's pay and never play poker with a CSM.

 

[Marauder]

Just to share horror stories, I'm still waiting to get paid for my participation at Stalwart and the set up for the five days before it started, and my travel claim is still being held up. So I called today, learned that I should have been payed yesterday, but for some gremlin reason wasn't. I need the cash (apartment hunting, living at my fiancee's parents place for now), so they agree to see what can be done. I call back later in the afternoon and learn that I will get paid tomorrow. The kicker is, when I asked how much, they gave me a number way more than what I should be paid for Stalwart and the setup, which I told the clerk, and she told me "No problem, just bring in a check next week after we learn how much we have to deduct back from you" :grrr: And someone in Pet fucked up by not signing where they should have signed or some other lameass excuse on my travel claim, so God knows when I'll get that. On top of all this, they already fucked up my pay while I was in Pet back in June. I've always tried to play nice with the clerks, never hassled them or screamed at them when my pay got screwed up before, but this last little "incident" is really trying my damn nerves. The one time I have needed my pay to be non-FUBAR, and here we are. The worst part is, I probably can't even complain, because the accountability will just be shifted around endlessly. Chances are there's a synergistic fuck up between Pet, the local BOR, AND the clowns up at Brigade, but it still pisses me off non-the-less. Oh well, FIDO I suppose.

 

[Raptor]

I think in part it's to see how you will react to not getting paid. To see if you are in it for the money or if you just want to learn. It's somewhat of a test just like everything else. Many of the horrifyingly stupid things that go on are tests. Don't get me wrong, they all arent.

I joined in Dec and didn't get paid until Feb. I heard through the grape vine that they were testing to see how recruits would act. As far as I know this is only done for reserves. I could be wrong however.

Everything I just mentioned is heresay and could quite possibly be a load of crap. I am only mentioning what I heard and what makes the most sense.

No...they dont "TEST" recruits by not paying them.  Not paying somebody for work done is illegal unless there is a valid reason.  Besides...course staff have enough to worry about and things to test recruits on instead of worrying about low moral due to lack of pay.  You have to realize that recruits (even though they are on course) need money to get essentials like boot polish, toiletries and haircuts...if they are not getting paid then the course staff have to deal with pay advances.

I was in the reserves for 6 years (a Mcpl for 4) and have tought on many recruit courses.  Not once did I ever hear (even rumours) about pay being with-held for any reason.  lol...if staff wanted to test recruit, all they need to do is give no opportunity for them to spend their pay.

 

[Highland Laddie]

My entire course hasnt been paid yet, and we're going on our 4th week (been several 'pay days' past) and apparently the reason is some guys havent handed in their blood type. Im not trying to stir the pot here and get something going, Im patiently awaiting it to be sorted out, but when can the Army freeze ones pay over something such as this? Is this scenario common?

It's a pain, but when i DO get paid..its gonna be a nice wad of cash  

Well, many others have addressed this issue, but I have another potential solution. Talk to your chain of command about the situation, and if nothing improves have everyone on course who is experiencing a pay problem submit a redress of grievance. Those babies can be pushed ALL the way up the chain of command until the issue is resolved. Trust me, if multiple redress of grievances hit the Brigade Comd's or COS's desk, the "stuff" will seriously start to fly and the problem will be resolved ASAP (PBI may be able to share a COS perspective on this).

IMHO, someone is being lazy, or not doing their job, or both. If this happened to my troops, there would be a very quick "motivational" talk with the individual about sorting out the problem ASAP. Definitely bring this issue up with your Course WO & Course O (through your chain of command, of course). Platoon Commander's hour was specifically created to deal with issues like this.

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.

 

[ackland]

My entire course hasn't been paid yet, and we're going on our 4th week (been several 'pay days' past) and apparently the reason is some guys haventhaven'td in their blood type. Im notI'mrying to stir the pot here and get something going, Im patI'mntly awaiting it to be sorted out, but when can the Army freeze ones pay over something such as this? Is this scenario common?

It's a pain, but when i DO get paid..its gonna be a nice wad of cash  

I am livng with someone from your unit and tells me all the time of the pay issues at your unit. trust me your last pay person was a lazy f***. She was experiencing all sorts of pay problems and has been in for 5 years. Now you have a new pay Sgtwho is supossedly much better, but the problems still are occuring.Follow the greivence path. that's my 2 cents.