MANOR, Texas — Employees with Manor ISD were left frustrated after their paychecks were delayed this week.
Some employees said their paychecks were meant to go out on Oct. 15, but were pushed back a day. The delay led to unpaid bills, late fees, and insufficient funds for some who rely on the scheduled check.
One employee who wanted their identity concealed – out of fear of retaliation – said there was a lack of transparency and communication as some staff members had learned about the incident through talk on social media. The employee did note the district is currently on Fall Break.
“There is a part of accountability that the district expects from us, and there should be a part of accountability that we should expect from the district,” said the anonymous employee. “Taking the extra step, showing that you care about your employees and making sure that we’re okay doing this this time. Maybe it’s not difficult or [a] difficult time for some, but from those who live paycheck to paycheck, this is significant.”
In an email sent to staff, Manor ISD Superintendent Robert Sormani said that if employees were left with late fees or other charges connected to the payroll issue, the district would reach out to banks to resolve it.
The district would also be conducting a thorough investigation into its payroll system. According to an email obtained by KVUE about the mishap, the delay was due to a “technical difficulty.”
Employees who haven’t been paid were encouraged to reach out to the district’s payroll department.
KVUE reached out to Manor ISD, which provided the following statement:
“Due to human error and the holiday on Monday, there was an unexpected delay in processing payments that were scheduled for October 15. As soon as we were made aware of the issue and a potential delay, we immediately collaborated with our banking partners to resolve the issue, but unfortunately, the payments were processed one day later than scheduled.
We understand how important it is for our staff to have consistent and reliable pay, and we are committed to preventing this from happening again. We also plan to support any staff members who may have incurred overdraft fees or other challenges due to this error, and encourage them to contact our payroll department if they are still having issues with payment.
We thank our staff for their patience and understanding as we work to make things right and serve them better.”