SAO New Employee Onboarding

Welcome to the State Accounting Office of Georgia!

We are excited that you are joining SAO! Our mission is to be the trusted provider of enterprise resources for the State of Georgia. Thank you for assuming the responsibility of helping us realize this mission. We look forward to seeing you grow and develop into an outstanding employee who contributes to our overall success. We hope that you will find your work to be rewarding, challenging, and meaningful.

At SAO, we value integrity, accountability, reliability, and excellence in customer service. These values will also be the keys to your success. We will expect your very best each day, and you should expect the same from your co-workers and managers.

You will likely have many questions during your first few days and weeks as a new employee. We have designed this online onboarding to answer some of the most important questions you might have and provide additional information to get you started towards becoming a productive member of the team.

Again, welcome! We’re glad you’re with us.

Gerlda B. Hines
State Accounting Officer

Instructions

Welcome to employee onboarding for new and transferring employees. This site provides the essential information, contacts, and forms that you will need to begin working at the State Accounting Office (SAO). Your onboarding starts here and will continue with on-site onboarding and training.

To get started, please follow the Book Navigation on the right side of the onboarding site. Please make sure you open each item under Book Navigation, read the content on each respective page, and complete all forms unless directed otherwise. Please print, complete as directed, and bring all forms with you to the new employee onboarding session.

Reminders:

When you follow a link to a policy or to a form, you may also use the back browser button to get back to the onboarding site.
Links to policy statements and employment forms will appear as a unique link to specific information.
To access most of the employment forms, you will use Microsoft® Word or Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™. If you do not have the Adobe program on your computer, you can download a free copy of the software by clicking on the button below.

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission

Establish statewide accounting and reporting standards and practices.
Operate and improve statewide financial and human capital management systems.
Prepare the state's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR, formerly CAFR); the annual audited financial statement for the entire state entity.
Provide statewide financial information on interim basis.
Train state accounting and payroll personnel in new policies, procedures, and standards.
Improve accountability, efficiencies, and internal controls.

Vision

The vision of SAO is to be a trusted provider of enterprise business solutions.

Values

Integrity - Do the right thing.
Accountability - Take ownership.
Reliability - Do what you say you will do.
Service Excellence - Exceed customer expectations.

At-Will Employment

All SAO employees, full-time or part-time, are hired as at-will employees. At-will employment means that the SAO can separate an employee from employment at any time, for no reason or for any reason, except an illegal reason. It also means an employee is free to resign at any time for no reason or for any reason.

When an employee makes a decision to resign from at-will employment, it is preferable, but not required, that the employee give sufficient notice; a two-week notice is the generally accepted professional standard.

Personal Data Sheet

All new employees of SAO are required to complete a Personal Data Sheet. This form, along with other personnel records, are maintained in the Office of Human Resources. Employees have the right to review their personnel records.

Personal Data Sheet

Employment Eligibility and I-9 Form

The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that all new employees provide documents which establish identity and employment eligibility. Employees must also complete an I-9 form.

Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 Form

I-9 Form Instructions

Important Notice:
Bring the appropriate identification documents with you on your first day with SAO. The list of acceptable documents can be found on page 4 of the above I-9 form.

There is a strict time limit (within the first 3 days of employment) during which you must present your identification documents. Accordingly, it is strongly advised that you make sure you are able to access/retrieve the necessary identification documents as soon as possible after you have accepted your SAO job offer.

Tax Forms

All new employees should complete and sign the Federal W-4 and State G-4 tax forms. The forms will be effective with the first paycheck. If you do not provide Human Resources with the completed W-4 and G-4 forms, taxes will be withheld at the maximum tax rate.

Federal W-4 form

Georgia G-4 form

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is required for all State Accounting Office employees, with limited exceptions.

Direct Deposit Notification Form

Policies

Each employee of the State Accounting Office is required to comply with all SAO internal policies, as well as the rules of the State Personnel Board.

The next few pages introduce several key policies/rules and include an acknowledgement form. Please review each policy and print and sign each acknowledgement form and bring the acknowledgement forms with you to the new employee onboarding session.

Policy Acknowledgement Form (print and sign)

Anti-Harassment

In order to provide a productive and pleasant working environment, it is important that employees of the State Accounting Office endeavor to maintain a workplace characterized by mutual respect. Accordingly, discrimination and harassment of any type, including sexual harassment, will not be tolerated in our workplace.

Read the Anti-Harassment Policy

Leave and Attendance

An employee’s presence on the job is important to SAO; the organization’s success depends upon everyone’s contribution. For this reason, all employees are expected to report to work as scheduled, on time and prepared to start work.

Read the Leave and Attendance Policy

Dress Code

The State Accounting Office strives to be known as an agency where employees enjoy their work environment while creating extraordinary results. We also would like our office to be a place where open communication occurs comfortably across all levels.

To help meet these goals, the State Accounting Office has adopted a Business Casual Dress Policy as our dress standard Monday through Thursday for all employees. A Business Casual Dress Policy requires that staff use good judgment in the selection of clothing to wear to work to maintain a professional atmosphere and proper image to our various customers.

Read the Dress Code

Code of Ethics

All employees of SAO are expected to maintain and exercise the highest moral and ethical standards in carrying out their responsibilities and functions. Employees must conduct themselves in a manner that prevents all forms of impropriety, placement of self-interest above public interest, partiality, prejudice, threats, favoritism, and undue influence.

The Governor's executive order establishes a Code of Ethics for the executive branch and all state employees. Please read the Code of Ethics and print and complete the accompanying Attestation form.

Read the Code of Ethics

Attestation

Acceptable Use and Monitoring

SAO information technology resources are provided to authorized users to facilitate the efficient and effective performance of their duties and are to be used to conduct official state business. Users of state information technology resources shall assume NO expectation of personal privacy outside protections provided by the Privacy Act or 1974, HIPAA, and/or other federal, state, or local regulations.

It is the responsibility of users to ensure that such resources are not misused. Please review the attached policy and ask any questions you may have during orientation.

Read the Acceptable Use Policy

Equal Employment Opportunity

SAO is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and therefore, will not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, creed, national origin, age or disability or any other legally protected category.

Read the SAO Equal Employment Opportunity policy .

Drug-Free Workplace

The State prohibits the manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of alcohol, illegal drugs, unauthorized drugs, inhalants, or other controlled substances during an employee’s working hours or while on State premises or worksites. Employees violating the Rule are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

State Personnel Board Rules for a Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace

Standards of Conduct

Read Standards of Conduct Policy

Office Hours and Work Schedules

The official office hours for the State Accounting Office (SAO) are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. SAO managers shall ensure that the SAO is appropriately staffed during these official work hours. Although not all SAO employees will be assigned to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. work schedules, SAO managers typically ensure adequate staffing/coverage during the official SAO office hours by staggering employee work schedules.

Employee work schedules will be assigned based on the needs of the agency and the division or work unit to which an employee is assigned. Managers will work with new employees to determine their specific work hours; however, managers are authorized to assign employees’ work schedules even if the schedules are not the same as requested. Work schedules are subject to change based on business considerations including, but not limited to, staffing, workloads, changed/new job responsibilities, employee punctuality or attendance issues, and organizational changes. Lunch/meal breaks are unpaid, non-work time and should be reflected as such on employee time sheets.

Confidentiality

SAO employees have access and work with information concerning our customers, employees and vendors that must be kept confidential.

The attached policy outlines your responsibility as an employee and provides guidance on how to appropriately handle this information.

Read the Confidentiality Policy

Loyalty Oath

The State of Georgia requires "all persons who are employed by and are on the payroll of the State of Georgia, or its departments or agencies" to take a loyalty oath. If a person does not sign the oath, the act then instructs that "(the person) be taken from the payroll and not be permitted to receive any payment from the State."

The loyalty oath will be retained in each employee’s personnel file.

Print and complete oath but do not sign the oath until the new employee onboarding session.

State of Georgia Loyalty Oath

Performance Management

Performance management is an important part of ensuring your employment at SAO is successful. We participate in the State of Georgia Performance Management process and provide continuous performance feedback throughout the year, both formally and informally, to all employees, culminating in a formal performance review at the end of the performance year.

Parking

SAO employees have multiple parking options available near the office. Parking facilities for the state offices are managed by the Georgia Building Authority. Parking is available to state employees in the Pete Hackney parking deck for $20 per month. Daily parking is also available in the Pete Hackney parking deck for $10 per day.

Employees also have the option to be placed on a waiting list for monthly parking at the Butler parking deck and the 90 Central parking deck, which are both located in close proximity to the office.

You may enroll in monthly parking when you pick up your building access badge after your on-site employee onboarding session.

Badges

All SAO employees must have a building access badges made by the Georgia Building Authority to access our office. You are required to wear your badge in a visible location each day you are at work.

Under normal circumstances, badges will be issued within three days of the start date.

Retirement Plan

The State of Georgia provides a comprehensive retirement plan to all full-time benefits eligible employees through the Employee Retirees System (ERS). Retirement plan participation is mandatory for all eligible employee.

More information on the retirement plans available will be given during new hire orientation. Additional information can also be found on the ERS website at www.ers.ga.gov.

GSEPS Automatic Enrollment Acknowledgement Form
Print and complete.

Employee Benefits

The State of Georgia provides a wide range of benefits to full-time eligible employees. These include:

Medical – multiple medical plan providers with a variety of plans to suit individual needs
Flexible – additional benefits outside of health:
- Dental
- Vision
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Legal
- Employee Assistance Program

More information on available benefits will be provided during the new employee onboarding session.

Additional information can also be found on the Team Georgia website at team.georgia.gov/my-benefits/.

Leave

The State of Georgia provides different types of paid time off for eligible employees. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Annual – provided to use for vacations or other personal reasons
Sick – provided to use for medical needs for employee and/or immediate family members
Education Support – provided to use for activities directly related to student achievement and academic support in Georgia
Paid Parental Leave – provided to use for eligible qualifying life events (e.g., the birth of the employee’s child)

More information regarding all the leave options available to you will be provided during the new employee onboarding session. Additional information can also be found here: State Personnel Board Rule 478-1-.16 - Absence From Work.

Holidays

Full-time state employees are eligible for 13 paid holidays annually. The state holidays are authorized by the state legislature; and each year, the Governor announces the specific dates for each holiday.

2025 State Holidays

2026 State Holidays

More information

Additional Required Forms for New Employees

In addition to the other forms that you have completed and printed while proceeding through the Book Navigation of the new employee onboarding site, please also print and complete the following required forms.

Please bring all new employee onboarding forms, completed as directed, to the onsite new employee onboarding session.

If you have any questions, contact:

Human Resources Manager
404-463-8280