Treasurer Says Payroll Error Made During Thanksgiving Weekend

This article has been corrected from its original form. See correction below:

Crawford County Treasurer Karen Sikes said a payroll error led to some employees being overpaid and underpaid or receiving no pay, along with three people no longer with the county being paid during Thanksgiving weekend.

The error was caught by the payroll clerk on Saturday, Nov. 26 and by Monday, Nov. 28, Sikes said she was able to correct it.

“It’s my fault and I’ll own up to that,” Sikes told commissioners Nov. 29.

Sikes said employees who are charged with overdraft fees should have it paid by the county, with proof that the payroll error was the cause.

“The county needs to make it whole,” she said.

The payroll batch that was submitted was for the second pay period of September instead of the second pay period of November.

Clerk John Martin said the county will ask the former employees who received money to return it, but if they don’t, would turn the issue over to the prosecuting attorney’s office.

Sikes said the issue caused confusion among some hourly employees, who were the ones affected by the error.

Some people thought they had received raises.

Sikes said she worked with Peoples Bank to correct the issue and that they were given suggestions for more internal controls.

Correction:

The payroll clerk uploads the payroll batch to the Peoples Bank website. Sikes goes to the website to transfer the money. Sikes found the wrong batch and used that one. The payroll clerk fixed it that Saturday and Sikes came in that Monday to do the reversal.

The email from the payroll clerk to the bank is in addition to the batch upload now, which is to help the bank double-check Sikes' portion of the transfer.