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Administrative Procedures 4000 - Personnel
Administrative Procedure 4175 - Retroactive Wage Payments

Administrative Procedure 4175 - Retroactive Wage Payments

I. Purpose

To provide procedures that set a time frame in which Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) will provide issuance of retroactive wage payments.

II. Policy

The Board of Education is committed to providing systemic oversight and evaluation of schools and offices to ensure transparency, efficiency, improved resource allocation and accountability within the school system. (Board Policy 0118)

III. Definitions

The following definition applies to the content of this Administrative Procedure.

Retroactive Pay: A delayed wage payment for work already performed but not compensated at the appropriate rate.

The amount of retroactive pay which is paid to the employee is based upon the difference between what the employee was paid from the effective date of the pay increase and what the employee should have been paid had the increase been in effect on the effective date. These wage payments may include base salary or hourly pay, stipends, differentials and/or extended learning pay. These wage payments only apply to wages paid by the Prince George’s County Board of Education and not salaries paid by the Maryland State Department of Education or any other entity

IV. Procedures

  1. An employee who is pursuing retroactive pay must submit the following information in writing on the Compensation/Salary Inquiry Form (attached) to the Compensation and Classification Office: name, EIN, date, bargaining unit, and detailed summary of the requested inquiry.
  2. Upon receipt of the salary inquiry request, the Compensation and Classification Office will investigate the salary inquiry and determine whether an employee is eligible for retroactive pay.
  3. Retroactive pay for an individual will not be granted beyond the beginning of the current fiscal year. Exceptions to the time frame will be considered in instances where PGCPS has identified an internal irregularity that was not the result of an employee’s action or inaction. In these instances, retro pay for an individual may not be granted beyond three years prior to the beginning of the current fiscal year, without approval of the Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Retro pay cases that have been previously resolved are ineligible for this exception.
  4. The employee will be notified of the outcome of the salary correction or inquiry by the Department of Human Resources.
  5. If retroactive pay is granted, Payroll Services will receive a copy of the Personnel Action Sheet Form and calculate the adjustment to the employee’s actual pay for the time period in question. Payroll Services will include the pay adjustment on the employee’s regular check biweekly pay, typically within two pay periods of the salary inquiry determination.
  6. When retroactive wages are due to an employee based upon the submission of additional documentation (i.e., official transcripts, verification of employment), the retroactive wages will be issued effective at the start of the pay period in which the documents were received by the Department of Human Resources.
  7. If during a review of a retro pay salary inquiry it is determined that an employee has received an overpayment:
    1. An investigation and due process hearing will be conducted to determine whether or not there was a violation of Board Policy 0109 (Fraud, Waste and Abuse) and Administrative Procedure 2200 (Fraud, Waste, Abuse and Whistleblower Protection); and
    2. The Payroll Services Department will notify the employee regarding options for repayment of the overdue amounts.

V. Monitoring and Compliance

  1. The Office of Compensation and Classification will review and investigate each salary inquiry received and will notify the employee of the findings via email for tracking and accountability purposes.
  2. A sample set of salary inquiries will be selected annually for self-audit to ensure the procedures set forth herein were followed. Retroactive wage payments which are not in compliance with this Administrative Procedure will be reported to the Director of Employee and Labor Relations so that it can be identified where additional training and/or guidelines are needed.

VI. Related Policies and Procedures

VII. Maintenance and Update of these Procedures

These procedures originate with the Division of Human Resources and will be updated as needed.

VIII. Cancellations and Supersedures

This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 4175, dated October 31, 2019.

IX. Effective Date

Last Revised: October 19, 2020

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