Early paychecks for Thanksgiving not on the menu at state level

by Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

he longtime practice of issuing paychecks to University employees on the Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving has come to end, according to Juan A. Jarrett, assistant vice chancellor for Human Resources.

     In a memo distributed to deans, directors and department heads on Nov. 6, Jarrett said the state Comptroller's Office and the state Treasurer's Office notified the University that paychecks will be unavailable for release prior to Friday, Nov. 23 for the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. No other explanation was cited.

     All paychecks, including student payroll checks, will be distributed through normal channels and all direct deposit accounts will be credited on Nov. 23, according to the memo.

     Jarrett told the Chronicle that campus officials particularly regret that the change will inconvenience students who need the cash for the holiday break. "Maybe someday we'll get the state to understand the difference with student payroll," he said.