Help Guide to Payroll, Benefits, & Human Resources

Help Guide to Problem Solving with Payroll, Benefits and Human Resources in BUSD from the Berkeley Federation of Teachers

GENERAL GUIDELINES

  • It is best to contact all of these departments using email. If you choose to contact these offices by phone or in person ALWAYS follow up with an email that summarizes what was discussed and decided.

  • All BUSD emails are firstlast@berkeley.net. For example, glendalygascotrios@berkeley.net.

  • Be sure to KEEP A COPY of any correspondence or forms you turn in to any of these offices. When submitting documents to BUSD, we recommend that you deliver ALL DOCUMENTS to BUSD as a scan into an email.

  • Information about the ESCAPE Employee Portal coming soon!

PAYROLL

If you suspect an error (i.e. incorrect stipend amount, incorrect calculation, incorrect deductions, TSA, Section 125, retirement, etc.,) please contact your payroll specialist:

1) Contact your Payroll Specialist:

For Last names Alpha A-L, please email deannawoods@berkeley.net

510-644-6436

For Last names Alpha M-Z, please email stephanielinner@berkeley.net

510-644-6067

2) If you report your paycheck problem to your payroll specialist listed above and receive no response in a few days or the problem continues unresolved, email Payroll and Benefits Manager Jozlyn Shirley at jozlynshirley@berkeley.net and include:  

            a) Your name and school site

            b) A short written description of the problem

            c) The date(s) you contacted your Payroll Specialist and their response.

3) If your underpayment remains unresolved, please contact BFT at president@berkeleyteachers.org with the same information listed above in #2. Contractually, the District has 5 days to correct an underpayment.

BENEFITS

The Benefits office handles all matters related to medical, dental and visual (VSP) insurance, in addition to the life insurance all BUSD employees receive and the Employee Assistance Program.  If you believe your benefits deductions are incorrect on your paycheck, or you have a question about your benefits you should email benefits@berkeley.net

If you do not get a reply to your email and resolution to your question or concern please send an email to the Payroll and Benefits Manager, Jozlyn Shirley at jozlynshirley@berkeley.net with a cc to  president@berkeleyteachers.org. If you talk to a Benefits Specialist in person, be sure to follow up with an email summarizing the discussion.   

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

If you have a question or concern regarding Workers’ Compensation Insurance you should contact Senior Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Michelle Payton at riskmanagement@berkeley.net.  If you talk to Michelle Payton in person, be sure to follow up with an email summarizing the discussion. You can also find Workers’ Compensation procedures information on the BUSD website. If you do not get a reply to your email, please contact Assistant Superintendent of  Business Services Pauline Follansbee. Please cc BFT.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Contact Glendaly Gascot-Rios, Director of Human Resources, at glendalygascotrios@berkeley.net if you have a question or concern about:

  • Your FTE

  • Your status (Temporary, Probationary I, Probationary II, etc.)

  • Resigning

  • Your step and column

  • Your Employee Information Verification form

  • Submitting transcripts for new courses you have completed

  • Moving over a column on the salary schedule

  • Whether you were placed correctly on the salary schedule when you were hired

Leave of Absence Requests:

If you are requesting a leave of absence, including medical or child-rearing leaves, you should fill out a Leave of Absence Request form through InformedK12. If you have any questions, please email Lona Kelly at lonakelly@berkeley.net. You can find an FAQ about Leaves of Absences HERE.

Sick Leave Balance

If you have a question about your sick leave balance you should email Valerie McClain at valeriemcclain@berkeley.net. If you do not get resolution to your question please email Glendaly Gascot-Rios, Director of Human Resources, with a cc to BFT. Adult School Teachers should contact Mildred Scherr for all sick leave balance questions.You should be able to see your leave balances through the Employee Portal starting on August 31st. Leave balances printed on your paystub are usually about a month behind. 

Incorrect Step and Column

If you believe your Step and Column is incorrect, please contact Betty James at bettyjames@berkeley.net. You should also be able to see your step and column through the Employee Portal.

STRS Service Credit and/or Contributions

If you have a question related to STRS you should contact Human Resources Senior Technician, Nestor Aliga at nestoraliga@berkeley.net. Some reporting issues may also need to be researched by the Payroll Manager, Jozlyn Shirley, jozlynshirley@berkeley.net. 

Change of Address, Phone and Name

To report any changes to your demographics (address, name, emergency contact, phone number, etc.), you will now be able to do that through the employee portal. You can also submit changes to payroll for your withholdings and other changes. 

Turning in transcripts and inservice credits

Send official transcripts to transcripts@berkeley.net by July 1st or by November 1st and inform HR of the completed courses here. Submit your certificated inservice credits through Informed K-12. More information about salary advancement can be found here.

 

 

Updated 8/1/22