District outlines stabilization plan after Empower SF payroll rollout caused widespread pay problems

District technology and operations staff provided a detailed update on the Empower SF payroll implementation at the board’s June 28 meeting, describing the extent of payroll and data issues, current mitigation steps and a multi‑month stabilization plan.

Chief implementation and technology staff reported that the district saw roughly 1,000 employees experience pay issues at the program’s peak, and that case counts had since declined though hundreds of employees still had open issues. Staff said they have run in-person clinics that served several hundred employees, launched phone support and are revising ticketing workflows to surface and resolve systemic defects faster. The district also posted user-facing videos on how to read the new pay statements and is arranging additional training for summer and fall.

To accelerate fixes and to provide capacity while internal teams are built up, staff proposed an amendment to the district’s contract with external systems partner Infosys and signaled plans for a program assessment and financial audit. The district also said it will make a public dashboard of open issues and resolution progress and provide more direct financial supports such as counseling, a loan program under development, and a partnership for one‑on‑one financial coaching (pending a consent item).

Board members and public commenters stressed the emotional and financial strain on employees, asked for more clarity on projected costs for ongoing consultant support, and urged the district to prioritize tax and retirement (403(b)) corrections in addition to net‑pay fixes. Staff committed to follow-up briefings with cost forecasts and to provide the board with a stabilization timeline and regular public metrics.