STATE EMPLOYEES START TO GET THEIR BACK WAGES

Distribution process begins for back wages owed to certain state workers 

August 8, 2019

SPRINGFIELD — Some state agencies have begun to send out vouchers for back pay withheld by the previous administration. State agencies have been calculating the amounts owed to each employee, and the first few checks and electronic deposits are coming through. 

A little less than $5 million of the expected $300 million to $400 million owed to employees has been submitted in recent weeks.  

Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza has directed that back wages should be paid as they are submitted to her office from various state agencies so state employees don’t have to wait any longer for payments owed to them. 

“The hard-working women and men of Illinois state government, who investigate child abuse, keep the state’s interstates safe, guard state prisoners and keep Illinois running, all have had to wait years for the raises they won in contract negotiations and then had to go to court to get a former governor to pay,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “As soon as these vouchers land in our office, we will quickly get the checks and electronic payments out to employees.” 

It is important to note that the Illinois Office of Comptroller is dependent on each state agency to submit payroll vouchers to the office for processing back-wage payments to its employees or former employees. In an effort to provide timely updates to state employees, the Comptroller’s office will be posting each payroll as it comes into the office for processing.  

It is quite possible employees may receive incremental, partial payments of back wages if their agency calculates one year of unpaid raises at a time. Employees with questions about when their agencies will submit vouchers to the Comptroller’s office for processing are encouraged to contact their state agency.  

State employees are encouraged to check with their state agency first to verify that a back-wage payment has been issued. For a listing of state agency contact information, go to illinoiscomptroller.gov/about/contact-us/agency-contact-information. 

To date, the Comptroller’s office has processed back-wage payments from the following agencies: