AUSTIN, Texas — A temporary summer camp employee with Austin's Parks and Recreation Department said the City has not paid her and others the $500 bonus they were promised.
"I shouldn't be advocating for money that I earned," said the temp summer camp counselor.
She wants to stay anonymous because of fears of backlash but said human resources has given her the runaround about when the check will come.
"I qualified for it," she said. "I worked. Why haven't I been paid what you put in writing?"
Emails show that on May 12, employees were told they would get a $500 end-of-summer bonus for working 20 hours a week.
On Sept. 6, she was told she qualified for the bonus and should expect it either Sept. 16 or 30.
"I was working in triple-digit weather," she said. "I worked for it. My time is not free. My bosses have yet to get a clear answer from HR as to when we would be paid out."
She said this was not the first pay issue during her 10-week temporary job.
"I was paid 13 hours less than what I actually worked," she said.
She said she did not get the rest of that paycheck until more than a month later.
"Yeah, I'm not the only one," she said.
In a statement, the City blamed "an extreme influx of applications from the department's extensive hiring campaign" and said "37 employees got paid late, but affected workers got an extra $150 bonus."
In her case, she said she did not receive that bonus. Despite that, she just wants the $500 she was promised.
"If you want to retain employees, then pay them accordingly," she said.
KVUE spoke with another employee who said she also did not receive her bonus. She said it has been tough because when you make $16 an hour, a $500 bonus makes a difference.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department released the following statement on Thursday:
"Over the course of the summer 2022 hiring season, the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) utilized bonus payouts to attract and retain temporary employees. As of the last pay period, approximately 970 individuals, over multiple PARD divisions, successfully received the payout(s). The PARD Human Resources team and Corporate Human Resources Department (HRD) have worked collaboratively to identify approximately 125 temporary team members who are scheduled to be paid on Oct. 14, 2022. The delayed timing of the last round of bonuses is primarily due to factors such as ongoing confirmation of bonus eligibility, Attorney General review and payroll processing timelines."
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