TSC Sends A Crucial Reminder To All Teachers
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has sent a crucial reminder to all teachers across the country.
TSC Director of Finance, Cheptumo Ayabei has reminded teachers that it is prudent for any teacher who by any chance receives erroneous payment to inform the Commission immediately.
He has warned teachers against using any overpaid monies and urged teachers to leave the overpaid monies in the account and immediately inform their employer.
According to Ayabei getting an overpayment does not mean time to sit and celebrate because the consequences can be severe.
He reminded teachers that salary overpayment or undeserved pay will be recovered from such teachers no matter how long it may take and may be painful if recovery is made at the moment when you need money most.
A salary overpayment usually involves serving employees including teachers and the secretariat or those who have exited service. Undeserved pay is usually recovered on payroll or out of payroll.
Overpayments on payroll occur due to delays in adjusting hardship and house allowance codes after transfers or absenteeism and desertion of duty, wrong salary points, irregular promotions, discipline issues and misdirection of pay.
On the other hand, salary overpayments outside payroll refer to claims against staff who have exited the service. In thus situation it is more difficult to recover the overpayment.
The process of recovery of these claims involves; identification, recording and issuing demand letters to the individual former teachers or the next of kin where the exit was occasioned by death.
Most significantly, the Commission identifies salary pay points for teachers as avenues through which recoveries can be reliably made.
Overpayments can also be redeemed through physical debt, the Director of Pensions and sanctions.
In some instances, recoveries may be deemed as write-offs.
The Commission has adopted various strategies to guard against the risk of overpayments.
For instance, recoveries on payroll are done on check off basis for staff on the payroll.
Where the amount recoverable is huge, the period for recoveries takes longer.
However, if the amount is small the recovery period takes a short time.
“The directorate remains relentless in its efforts to resolve all outstanding cases of overpayments. In the current Performance Contracting (PC) 2021-2022, the directorate has made a commitment to implement 100 per cent policy on the management of salary overpayments,” said Ayabei.
He says the directorate has cascaded the prevention measures to the County Directors by having them included in performance contracts.
Ayabei further urged all teachers and staff to familiarise themselves with the policy on the management of salary overpayments available on the TSC website.
Some of the unique features of the policy include: ability to pinpoint an officer whose acts or omissions led to salary overpayment, and also incidents of underpayment which is rectified through salary arrears.
