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PGCPS payroll director details core payroll controls, flags W-2 delivery issues
Summary
Director Delfeta Waite told the committee the payroll office supports about 22,000 employees with a roughly 25-person team, explained six core conditions required before payroll close to avoid errors, and acknowledged employee difficulties obtaining W-2s remotely and postal delivery problems.
Delfeta Waite, director of Payroll Services for Prince George's County Public Schools, told the Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee on June 17 that the payroll team supports about 22,000 employees and that payroll accuracy depends on six core conditions being met before each payroll close: timely transactions (hires, job changes, separations), accurate time and leave entries with manager approvals, correct employee demographic and assignment data, validated payment and bank information, defined internal controls and audit trails, and cross-functional coordination.
Waite emphasized the district's biweekly payroll cadence and the consequences of missed deadlines: "If they're missed, then that's going to force us into doing manual calculations, manual corrections outside or after the payroll is completed." She described operational steps (time entry and approvals, weekend validation, payroll calculation, NACHA/check file creation and disbursement) and the work needed when exceptions arise, including off-cycle checks and retroactive corrections.
Waite listed recurring challenges the office confronts: late timecards, system hiccups, duplicate or negative payments, missing pay rates, and garnishment processing. She described several planned improvements: an "earn vs pay" automation tool to reduce manual retro calculations and a customer-service platform (Instant IQ) to track and resolve payroll inquiries.
On W-2 access and delivery, Waite acknowledged employee frustration. She explained that many employees elect electronic W-2s, while paper W-2s are mailed and rely on the postal service. Security changes moved W-2 access into Oracle Self-Service (requiring VPN access from a PGCPS building), which has limited remote accessibility for some staff. Waite offered on-site printing assistance and secure email delivery as alternatives.
Note on numeric reporting: Waite said the office is a team of 25 and also stated in the presentation that the team "process[es] over 580 individual payments every single year." Given the larger figure for employees supported (about 22,000), the committee may want a clarified accounting of the 580 figure (possible transcription or phrasing inconsistency) when the department follows up.
Vice Chair Brown thanked the payroll team for the work and pressed for simpler W-2 access; Waite agreed to assist employees who need printed or securely emailed copies.
