DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — More than two dozen people hired as summer employees in DeKalb County haven't received a paycheck more than a month after they began working.
The county is now promising those who have completed a necessary hiring process though, will receive their first paycheck by Friday.
At least some of the people were hired to work at the splash pad in the county's Exchange Park.
"It is a really great park, the kids can come, it is free. However, although it is free, the employees would like to get paid," said Marcia Teemer who began working at the splash pad in late May.
Teemer said she took the job to make extra cash to support her family, but so far she hasn't received a single dollar.
"We are headed into the third pay cycle and again no one has been paid," Teemer said. "So you have college students, you have retired people who are working for the summer. The most vulnerable population and they haven't been paid."
Teemer shared with 11Alive e-mails she sent in June to a manager in the county's Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department, as well as the county's CEO.
In her e-mails, she described the issue and inquired about the status of paychecks for herself and her co-workers.
The first e-mail is dated June 20 and then she followed up on June 23, after receiving no response, according to Teemer.
She said she then received a call from a county manager.
"They let me know that there is a glitch in the system and I told them, 'Okay, cool no problem. We understand there are glitches in the system. However, cut paper checks, and then everybody is fine', they can get it fixed."
Teemer said at one point county officials promised her a paycheck by last Friday. She became even more frustrated when she and her co-workers were asked to repeat a new employee process, that Teemer claims, they had already completed.
"We re-did all of the paperwork, the hiring process, the drug testing. Everything," Teemer said. "Again we were told we were going to get paid on July 1, which was last Friday, again no paychecks."
Tuesday afternoon, DeKalb County sent 11Alive a statement in which it apologized for an inconvenience to the employees.
In the statement, it cited a manager hiring 26 summer employees but failing to make sure each completed the application process.
According to the county, the employees began working and were most likely unaware of there being an issue.
In late June though, the county's Human Resources Department learned of new hires that hadn't completed the application process.
As of Tuesday, a majority of the new hires have had their application process completed and will be paid according to the county by Friday, July 8 at the latest. The remaining employees will be paid once they complete the necessary application process.
Below is the county's full statement:
A midlevel manager in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs hired approximately 26 summer workers but failed to ensure they completed the application process.
On June 28, Human Resources became aware of the unauthorized hires and advised that those with incomplete applications should be sent home immediately and could not be paid until the application process was completed.
As of today, 15 of the 26 individuals have now completed the hiring process and have been cleared to return to work. These employees will be paid via direct deposit or mailed a check no later than July 8.
The applications for the remaining 11 individuals are still pending completion. These individuals will be paid once they complete their applications.
DeKalb County apologizes to the employees for any inconveniences.