Getting the monthly, hourly and overtime payroll out the door during the winter storm took hard work from his team and a few nights bunking at the office for Director of Payroll Services Richard Gallardo.
“We normally would run payroll after 5 p.m. because the departments have until 5 p.m. to submit time for hourly and overtime pay,” he said. “I could see we were going to have a little chance to drive on Tuesday afternoon. I thought, ‘This is the perfect time to go into the office when it’s safe.’”
Gallardo’s power and Internet connection had already gone out a few times at his home, so he made the 15-minute trip to campus, and later decided he’d stay overnight to avoid dangerous road conditions. UT Health San Antonio Police offered him a room at a local hotel, but he declined and slept in his office.
“For the hourly and overtime, we gave people extra time in order to make sure we got all the hours in,” he said. “We wanted to make sure people weren’t left out from getting paid because their departments might not have had power.”
After the hourly and overtime payroll were finalized, the focus turned to the monthly payroll that had to be finalized by Thursday. With food and security provided by the police, Gallardo worked through Wednesday and spent the night again.
“Thursday morning came around we were able to finalize just on time like nothing had happened,” he said. “My bosses said when you are done you can go home, but it was snowing so hard I was waiting for a break. At 5 p.m. I decided it would be safer for me to stay.”
Gallardo said he appreciates the thanks he has received because of his efforts but insists anyone else in his role would have done the same thing.
“I was just doing my job,” he said. “There is no way I could have done it on time if it were not for the staff working from home and calling me and letting me call them.”