GeneralSalary and Wage Deductions
Section § 1150
This law defines several terms related to state employees and public agencies in California. A 'state employee' is anyone who gets paid through the state's payroll system. 'Public agency' covers a wide range of government entities like cities, counties, and districts. An 'employee organization' is a group recognized as representing employees in dealings with their employer. A 'bona fide association' is a group of current and former employees that doesn't engage in employer-employee negotiations. 'Deduction' means payroll deductions, excluding direct deposit through electronic transfer. 'Public employer' broadly includes the state, universities, and various government bodies, but specifically excludes public schools and community colleges when it comes to payroll deductions for employee organizations. These are governed by different sections of the Education Code.
Section § 1151
State employees in California can choose to have certain deductions taken from their paychecks. These can include payments for insurance premiums and employee benefits sponsored by state agencies, premiums for life insurance provided by the government, and contributions to credit unions. Employees can also authorize deductions for fees related to state government programs or for purchasing U.S. savings bonds. Charitable contributions, transport passes, and deposits into bank accounts are also eligible deductions. Furthermore, employees can choose to buy investment certificates from licensed industrial loan companies using these paycheck deductions.
Section § 1151.5
This law allows California state employees to have money deducted from their salaries or wages to pay for the support and care of their children, family, or former spouses if they have a legal duty to support them. A fee may be charged for this service.
Additionally, public agencies can create payroll deduction programs for specific purposes, such as supporting family or dependents, paying legal judgments, complying with court-ordered wage garnishment, or repaying loans to a commercial lender.
Section § 1152
This law allows employee organizations and legitimate associations to request that membership dues and fees be deducted directly from their members' salaries. Employers must comply with these requests. Organizations can also request deductions for other membership benefits, while associations are limited to dues and fees. If a member's dues aren't deducted, the Controller won't make deductions for any benefits.
Section § 1153
This law details how the Controller of California manages payroll deductions for state employees. The Controller can make, cancel, or change deductions when requested by authorized persons or organizations, using approved forms. Certifications are needed from those requesting deductions, ensuring they have authorization from the employee.
Liability is shifted from the state for any errors after a certain period, except for financial institutions, which have different reimbursement rules. Costs for services are determined and collected from the requester, with adjustments needing prior employee notification. Only recognized organizations are eligible for certain deductions.
The Controller can refuse deductions if impractical or non-compliant. Changes in deductions are processed promptly, with the Controller relying on information from employee organizations, which must handle their own requests and indemnify the Controller against claims. Transfers between benefit providers are allowed if terms remain substantially the same, with affected employees being notified.
Section § 1156
This law explains that eligible employees in California may choose to receive certain benefits instead of part of their salary through a flexible benefits program. An eligible employee generally includes supervisory, managerial, confidential employees, or certain state employees as defined by specific sections or the Constitution. The program is subject to federal regulations and eligibility requires proof of health insurance coverage. The Flexelect Benefit Fund is created to manage funds and administrative costs involved in these flexible benefit programs.
Section § 1156.1
This law allows eligible state employees in California to join the State Employees’ Pretax Parking Payroll Deduction Program. When they do, part of their pay, equal to parking costs, isn't counted as taxable income, thanks to tax regulations. The Department of Human Resources manages this program and the related fund, which uses this untaxed money for program purposes. Eligibility includes state employees, certain excluded employees, and some executive branch officers. The collected funds are placed in a special State Treasury fund that doesn't depend on yearly budget appropriations.
Section § 1157
This law allows employees of public agencies in California to authorize automatic deductions from their paychecks for various insurance premiums, such as life, health, or automobile liability insurance. They can also authorize deductions for payments to nonprofit membership organizations that cover medical, hospital, or legal services.
Additionally, county boards can permit employees to have deductions made for long-term care insurance premiums. It's important that these plans are approved by the agency's governing body, and any marketing materials must clarify that the retirement association, not the county, approves the long-term care insurance.
Section § 1157.1
This law allows employees of a public agency to have money deducted directly from their paychecks to pay for dues or services from certain associations. The associations must be made up only of employees from the same public agency, or employees from several public agencies if they all share the same payroll officer. Former employees can also be members if they joined while working at the agency and were members when they left.
Section § 1157.2
This law allows employees of public agencies to have money deducted from their salaries if they want to donate to charity. The governing body of the agency must approve and set up the rules for these deductions. The money can go directly to recognized charitable organizations or to a nonprofit that must, by its rules, donate the funds to charitable groups.
Section § 1157.3
This law allows employees and retired employees of a public employer to have money deducted from their paychecks or retirement allowances to pay for membership dues or participate in services provided by employee organizations. These organizations aim to improve employment conditions. Public employers must respect these deduction requests based on the terms set by the employee's authorization.
Section § 1157.4
This law allows employees of large counties (with over 20,000 employees) in California to have deductions from their paychecks for dues or services related to certain associations. These associations should consist only of the county employees (excluding city and county employees), or those employees from related public agencies. To qualify for dues deductions, an employee organization should have membership from at least 1% of the county's workforce unless it is a recognized majority representative organization.
Even if an employee organization had met the 1% requirement by April 30, 1973, and later falls below that threshold, it can still qualify for deductions. Additionally, employees are capped at having payroll deductions for no more than two organizations.
Section § 1157.5
This law allows employees, including retired ones, who work for a county with more than 20,000 employees (excluding city and county employees) to have money deducted from their paychecks or retirement checks. This money can then be used to pay membership dues or for services provided by a legitimate organization that represents county employees. The organization's goal must include improving working conditions and employee welfare.
Section § 1157.6
Retired employees from public agencies (excluding school districts) and their eligible surviving spouses can choose to have deductions taken from their retirement or survivor benefits to pay dues to associations made up entirely or partly of retired agency employees. However, this requires approval from the agency's governing body.
Section § 1157.7
This law allows employees of a large public agency (with more than 20,000 employees) to have their membership dues automatically deducted for joining an ethnic employee organization. The organization must have been operating before January 1, 1981, and should primarily represent ethnic minority employees in civil rights matters related to their employment. However, it cannot engage in negotiations with the agency over job scope issues.
Section § 1157.8
Public agency employees in California can choose to have money taken out of their pay for buying U.S. savings bonds. The finance offices of these agencies must handle these requests and set up special accounts to save the money needed to buy the bonds. The money collected in these accounts is considered trust funds, meaning it must be used specifically for this purpose.
Section § 1157.9
This law allows officers and employees of public agencies to arrange for their wages and salaries to be directly deposited into bank accounts, savings accounts, or credit unions in California. They can also choose to use their wages to buy investment or thrift certificates from state-licensed industrial loan companies. Public agency officials who handle finances, like auditors and treasurers, can approve and process these wage assignments.
Section § 1157.10
This law sets the rules for how payroll deductions work for state employees in public agencies not using the uniform payroll system. It requires the designated agency officer to manage these deductions.
The officer must handle requests to make, cancel, or change deductions, and he or she must use approved forms for these actions. They're also required to get certification from anyone requesting a deduction that they have the employee's permission in writing. Employee organizations don't have to show individual authorizations unless there's a dispute.
The law also mandates agreements from deduction recipients to protect the agency from any related liability. Costs for carrying out deduction services are determined by the agency and collected from the requester. Before deductions are made for employee organizations, the agency needs to ensure these are officially recognized.
Agencies can refuse deductions if they're impractical, and they must act on deduction requests by the month after receiving them. Employee organization deduction cancellations or changes must go through the organization, which will handle requests and indemnify the agency if issues arise. All deduction actions are final once completed by the agency.
Section § 1157.11
This law allows officers and employees of counties in California with populations over 8 million to have money deducted from their paychecks for buying certain securities, like bonds and notes. These securities can be issued by the county, joint powers authorities, public districts governed by the county, or nonprofit corporations helping the county with projects. The governing body of the county sets the terms for these deductions. The county's financial officers can handle these requests and set up special accounts to help employees save money for purchasing these securities, considering them trust funds.
Section § 1157.12
This law applies to public employers, not including the state, who manage payroll deductions for employee organizations. These employers must rely on certifications from the employee organizations stating they have authorization from employees for any payroll deductions. Copies of individual authorizations aren't required unless there's a dispute. The employee organization must cover any claims related to deductions.
If employees want to cancel or change deductions, they should contact the employee organization directly, not the employer. The public employer follows the organization's guidance on cancellations or changes, relying on the employee organization's information and must be indemnified by them against any claims related to reliance on their information. Deductions can only be revoked based on the employee’s written agreement.
Section § 1158
This section means that any laws stopping people from assigning, ordering, or controlling wages or salaries don't affect the powers granted in this particular article. In simpler terms, the specific powers outlined in this article are not limited by other wage-related laws.
Section § 1159
This law protects public employers, employee organizations, and their agents from being sued for collecting 'agency' or 'fair share' fees from public employees if those fees were collected legally before June 27, 2018. It doesn't apply to claims about these fees made after that date and doesn't suggest that any other financial remedies would be available otherwise.
The law applies to any related claims, whether they were made before or after this section was effective, and aims to clarify what was already established in state law. It ensures that past fees paid for union representation services, as permitted by state law, don't have to be refunded. It also helps maintain stability in labor relations after a significant Supreme Court decision regarding such fees.