PAX Centurion - September / October 2013

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • September/October 2013 • Page 25 BPD: Protect and improve our personal paystub information! By James Carnell, Pax Editor E ACHAND EVERY FRIDAY, our paystubs are dumped unceremoniously on the front desk at most area and district stations. (Put aside the disgrace in the fact that we haven’t had a raise in over four years and still await passage of a long-overdue arbitrator’s decision.) The fact is, our personal information, in this day and age of rampant identity theft, is being dumped by your uncaring department and city in front of anyone who could easily steal your private payroll information. Having recently been out injured for shoulder surgery, I noticed that MIS (medically incapacitated section) at HQ had the decency and the courtesy each week to mail my paystub via US mail. The technology DOES exist! If MIS can do this simple function for the officers under its auspices, then certainly, the BPD should be able to place each officer’s pay stub in an envelope and forward it to either the officer’s home OR (if they’re concerned about mailing costs) then send it to the various stations/units. At least then, prying eyes would not be able to see other officer’s personal financial informa- tion. Again, THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS! It’s called a mailing machine, and it automatically places a piece of paper in an envelope and then seals it! (BPD… Psst… it’s been around since the 70’s… don’t tell anyone that I let you know…). Yes, it can be done! But does our city want to? Furthermore, there is no reason on God’s earth that we should have to search through reams of detail and overtime records every week to find out exactly WHAT we have or have not been paid for. Take a look at your own paystub. Confused? Join the crowd. “Detail hours paid.” “Detail hours paid not worked?” (I’ve often wondered, is that some sort of a back-handed slap because our contract requires either a four or eight hour detail payment? Then why even make note of it? ) Notice that they can tell us how many sick days or personal days we have used, but they can’t list what detail or overtime we are being paid for. Seriously, the computer technology exists to place at the bottom of every employee’s paystub a brief compendium of exactly what de- tail or overtime you are being compensated for. IT CAN BE DONE! Computer technology exists, BPD! Every other person I know gets a pay stub that specifically lists what they’re being paid for and from what date. It’s not rocket science anymore, BPD! There is no reason why we have to spend hours searching for information from outdated detail/OT spreadsheets as to what we’re being paid for, and then fight- ing with payroll or the paid detail unit because of discrepancies. Then again, maybe I forgot… this is the BPD, isn’t it? THE LAW FIRM OF SCOTT D. GOLDBERG, P.C. Proudly Supports the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association As a police officer, you put your health and life on the line to protect the public.You need someone to protect you when you are injured. Attorney Scott Goldberg is proud to represent many members of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association for over 20 years. Since 1990,Attorney Goldberg has won and settled many cases for police men and women who were injured both on-duty and off,recovering financial compensation for them.You may be entitled to money for:lost detail and overtime pay that you would likely have earned had you not been injured,repayment for medical expenses,disability, and pain and suffering.You may be entitled to this money even if you received Leave with Pay - and in many cases you are not obligated to repay the city. If you, or someone you care about, have been injured or would like to protect yourself and your family from financial losses or hardship before you might be injured, contact Attorney Scott Goldberg for a free consultation by calling 617-227-1888 or emailing scott@goldberglawfirm.net . THE LAW FIRM OF SCOTT D. GOLDBERG, P.C . 52 TEMPLE PLACE, 4 TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02111 SCOTT D. GOLDBERG, ESQ, Representing Injured Police Officers Since 1990 Tel 617•227•1888 scott@goldberglawfirm.net Fax 617•227•2104 www.goldberglawfirm.net