Responses to the Agency's proposal of eliminating the paper-based
version of the Statement of Earnings and Leave (SEL)
April 22, 2005

1. For what it's worth, I'm against going to automated SELs only.  I find the paper versions more convenient -- all I have to do is open an envelope. I think employees will be less likely to check their SELs for mistakes if they have to take the time to go to a website.


2. Regarding the paperless SEL, I have a few thoughts. For 2 years I have been dependent upon the snail mail version (& a source in our OFM) as I have not yet been successful in getting a PIN issued despite numerous requests. I've given up asking and hope that this time they will manage to issue it along with everyone else's! I'm moving to a post which I understand is technically challenged. Believe it or not, in the 21st century, USAID employees are still serving in places where internet is not always available or reliable. Currently, my home system has been down for the past month and ISP is less than responsive. Conclusion: I believe in saving trees and this approach may be hugely successful for those who have reliable, instant internet access, but it hasn't worked for me so far.....


3. I'm an AFSA member, and writing to register my belief that it would not be a good idea to rely solely upon the NFC website for employees to receive their SELs. It isn't just the comfort of having a hard copy of an SEL - it is the permanence. A website can be hacked into, or made inaccessible due to technical difficulties or, as in Nepal, the government shutting down internet access. Over time, older data can be made unavailable to access by its provider simply because it does not want to store such large volumes and make it available online. For example, if an employee relies upon the website for his/her records, it might be difficult for that employee to use the site to dispute incorrect Agency data (e.g., service computation dates) years later if they did not have the foresight to print it out biweekly years earlier. In short - while it might save the Agency OE costs for printing and mailing to, I think that it takes away power from the employee and could make them vulnerable. If the Agency really wants to push this, I would suggest a compromise: that the Agency institute an "opt out" mechanism much like creditors use with sharing your information. If you want to keep getting SELs in the mail, you do nothing.  But if you want to go online and take the chance of data corruption or unavailability, you opt out of getting them by mail.


4. I just wanted to drop you a line about the end of paper SELs. We do not do on-line banking and avoid using the internet to pay bills or place orders because they are so easily compromised here. I would hate to lose the paper trail and the security that the hard copy provides. I don't know if other posts have this problem.


5. I recommend that we do both, as some folks might be remiss in downloading their own hard copy or electronic copy from NFC in a timely manner (how long will the SELs be kept in the system?) and thus not have a permanent record. This form of redundancy is useful, not burdensome. If we find in a year's time that folks don't need hard copies, then mailings can be done away with. However, I believe, at a minimum we should do both for a year or so. 


6. I am in favor of continuing paper copy being mailed. I do not see the reason for discontinuing this. Almost everyone will still print it off the NFC website anyway. Mass mailing is typically done by blue-collar (lower paid) staff while there is preponderance of Gov't SEL recipients earning higher/substantially higher salary who will end up using work time to access, download and print SEL. Even considering postage, continuing mailing SEL is more economical. Also, when few times I printed SEL of NFC website, the entire page image didn't make it to printed copy. That's my opinion.


7. Seems like SELs on line would work, but it would help me to get a reminder to go to the site and print mine out. Having a copy in my desk has been extremely valuable to me in keeping my timekeeper and me un-tangled, and I'd hate to be in a situation where I couldn't easily refer to them. Thanks.   


8. I'd vote for retaining them. Not everyone has a computer at home to access them at your home computer. In such a case, employees will have to take time from work to print them from your computer at work. What about employees who don't have a desk top? Are there any in the RRB or overseas? If so, those employees will need access to a computer to print their SELs, if they will no longer receive them by mail.


9. Normally I access the NFC website, but there have been times when I couldn't get in or didn't have internet access for extended periods. During those times the paper statements were appreciated.  Perhaps we could implement an opt-out program-it would provide cost savings and yet give employees flexibility in accessing their LES.


10. Electronic SELs? Sure, why not? They're available even before the money makes it into our accounts, unlike the paper versions.


11. I would rather get the SEL in paper form. I think relying on the internet is problematic because one may forget to check it on a regular basis and then by the time you realize there is a problem it could be so out of hand that it's even more difficult to fix. At least with the paper version, one is always reminded to look at it and check that everything is on track.


12. I'm in favor of continuing paper SELs. I'm at my computer screen way to much the way it is. Overseas, I'll likely have to do it at the office, with a potentially slow internet hook up, if any, at home (remember Kenya !!).  And at the office, we tend to let personal stuff like this take a back seat, so the chances of looking at it and catching errors go WAY up if it is electronic only.


13. I appreciate getting the paper SELs and don't believe that it's in anyone's interest to have NFC stop sending them out in paper form to employees. On the one hand, when you get a paper copy you can quickly check its accuracy and file it away. If it's only available on line, people will have to remember to access the system and print it out. Some won't and payroll errors will not get detected in a timely manner and may not get corrected at all. Those that do get it online will spend 10 minutes accessing the website, downloading the PDF form, and printing it out. They'll do that during work hours, so the government loses out there, and the cost of printing the documents (paper/toner) is probably just as much as the costs of having them printed centrally by the NFC. In essence, you have one government agency trying to unload costs onto another government agency and the employee and the government as a whole will be worse off for it.