Purpose

To inform agencies of raise eligibility and automatic processing, and to provide agencies with the procedures for reporting certain salary increases and retroactive adjustments.

Eligible Employees

Unclassified Employees in Bargaining Units T8, TC, GA, and AJ in Departments 70XX0 and 70XX1

Effective Date

Effective August 1, 2000 and August 1, 2001, check and/or advice dated August 22, 2002

Background and Eligibility Criteria

Pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement between the City University of New York and The Professional Staff Congress for the term August 1, 2000 through October 31, 2002, employees who are active, on a paid leave, or on a leave without pay, on or after the effective date of an increase, are eligible for a rate or salary increase, as defined below.

Salary Increase Effective August 1, 2000

Except as noted below, all full-time staff are eligible for a 4% increase (compounded and rounded to the nearest dollar).

1. Increase the stipend for the Distinguished Professor, Visiting Distinguished Professor and the University Professor by 4%.
2. All other employees receiving a Remuneration or Recruitment Initiative Incentive are eligible to have the 4% increase added to their base salary rate only.
   Employees in the Research Associate Title or Medical Series Titles Eligibility Rules:
   1.  Employees active on both 7/31/00 and 8/1/00, or appointed after 7/31/00 at the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate -- 4% increase.
   2. Employees appointed between 8/1/00 and 8/1/01 at a rate above the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate, but less than the 8/1/00 minimum salary rate -- 8/1/00 minimum salary rate, effective the date of appointment.  
   3. Employees appointed between 8/1/00 and 8/1/01 at a rate above the new 8/1/00 minimum salary rate -- not eligible for an increase in salary.
   4. Employees who received adjustments to salary after 8/1/00 -- adjustment amount should not be increased by 4%.

All part-time staff are eligible for a 4% increase, rounded to the nearest cent except for Continuing Education Teachers with the following eligibility rules.

1. Employees active as a CET on 7/31/00 and 8/1/00 -- 4% increase.
2. Employees not active as a CET on 7/31/00, but became active as a CET between 8/1/00 and 8/1/01, and were appointed at a rate equal to the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate -- 8/1/00 minimum salary rate, effective the date of the appointment.
3. Employees not active as a CET on 7/31/00, but became active as a CET between 8/1/00 and 8/1/01, and were appointed at a rate above the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate, but less than the new 8/1/00 minimum salary rate -- 8/1/00 minimum salary rate. 
   Exception: If the employee's PaySR record reflects previous service, at any time, as a CET (regardless of college), the employee is eligible for a 4% increase, effective the date of appointment.
4. Employees not active as a CET on 7/31/00, but became active as a CET between 8/1/00 and 8/1/01, and appointed at a rate equal to or above the new 8/1/00 minimum -- not eligible for an increase in salary. 
   Exception: If the employee's PaySR record reflects previous service as a CET (regardless of college), the employee is eligible for a 4% increase, effective the date of the appointment.
5. Employees with rate adjustments after 8/1/00, but before 8/1/01 -- adjustment amount can not be increased by 4%.
6. Employees not active as a CET between 7/31/00 and 8/1/01, but became active as a CET after 8/1/01 -- the eligibility criteria for Salary Increases Effective 8/1/01 below.

Salary Increases Effective August 1, 2001

Except as noted below all full-time employees in a title having steps on the Salary Schedule are eligible for an increase (compounded and rounded to the nearest dollar) AND:

1. Whose 8/1/01 salary rates are less than the last step on the Schedule are eligible for a 3% increase. OR
2. Whose salaries are at the last step are eligible for a 3.8% increase except for employees in the titles Assistant Registrar, Lecturer, Lecturer Doctoral, Graduate Assistant, and Assistant to Higher Education Officer -- eligible for a 5.77% increase.
   Employees in the College Lab Technician title series are eligible for the following increases:

   College Lab Technician	$3600
   Senior College Lab Technician	$3400
   Chief College Lab Technician	$3200

Increase the stipend for the Distinguished Professor, Visiting Distinguished Professor, and University Professor by 4%.

Note: All other employees receiving a Remuneration or Recruitment Retention Initiative are eligible to have the 3% increase added to their base salary rate only.

Research Associate title and Medical Series Titles Eligibility Rules:

1. Employees active on both 7/31/01 and 8/1/01 -- 3% increase.
2. Employees appointed after 7/31/01 at a rate below the new 8/1/01 minimum salary rate -- 8/1/01 minimum salary, effective the date of appointment.
3. Employees appointed after 7/31/01 at a rate above the new 8/1/01 minimum salary rate-- not eligible for an increase.
4. Employees with adjustments to their salary after 8/1/01 -- adjustment amount can not be adjusted by the amount of the increase.

All part-time staff are eligible for a 3% increase, compounded, and rounded to the nearest cent, except for Continuing Education Teachers with the following eligibility rules:

1. Employees active as a CET on 7/31/01 and 8/1/01 -- 3% increase.
2. Employees not active as a CET on 7/31/01, but appointed as a CET on or after 8/1/01, at a salary equal to the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate -- 8/1/01 minimum salary rate, effective the date of appointment.
3. Employees not active as a CET on 7/31/01, but appointed as a CET on or after 8/1/01, at a salary above the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate, but below the new 8/1/01 salary rate -- 8/1/01 minimum salary.
   Exception: If the employee's PaySR record reflects previous service as a CET (regardless of college), the employee is eligible for both the 4% and 3% increases, compounded, effective the date of the appointment.
4. Employees not active as a CET on 7/31/01, but appointed as a CET on or after 8/1/01, at a salary equal to or above the new 8/1/01 minimum salary rate -- not eligible for an increase.
   Exception: If the employee's PaySR record reflects previous service as a CET (regardless of college), the employee is eligible for both the 4% and 3% increases, compounded, effective the date of the appointment.
5. Employees who received adjustments to salary after 8/1/01 -- the adjustment amount can not be increased by the 3%.

OSC Actions Automatic Raise Processing

Hourly and Salaried Employees with Salary Steps on Schedule

OSC will automatically process salary increases for employees who are active, on leave, or on leave with or without pay. OSC will apply salary increases for hourly and salaried employees who are on step on the Salary Schedule using the step-to-step method.

1. If an employee's salary is on a step of the 10/99 Salary Schedule as of 8/1/00 -- OSC will increase the salary to the corresponding step of the 8/1/00 Salary Schedule by inserting a row on the Job Data panel effective 8/01/00.
2. If an employee's salary is on a step of the 8/1/00 Salary Schedule as of 8/1/01 -- OSC will increase the salary to the corresponding step of the 8/1/01 Salary Schedule by inserting a row on the Job Data panel effective 8/1/01.
3. Employees who are not active or on leave on the effective date of an increase, but became active after 8/1/00 or 8/1/01, will receive the automatic increase as of the effective date of appointment, provided their salary is "on step".
4. All Job Data rows subsequent to the effective date of an increase will be updated automatically regardless of the employee's status.

Continuing Education Teachers (CET) in Job Code 016038

OSC will automatically process salary increases for CET's who meet the following criteria.

8/1/00 Salary Increases

1. Active on 7/31/00 and 8/1/00 and salary is at or above 10/1/99 minimum -- 4 percent increase, effective 8/1/00.
2. Became active on or after 8/1/00, but before 8/1/01 and
   1. Salary equal to the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate - 4 percent increase, effective the date of the appointment.
   2. Salary above the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate, and less than the 8/1/00 minimum salary - 8/1/00 minimum salary rate.*
   3. Appointed above the 8/1/00 minimum salary rate - will not receive an automatic increase.

If the employee's PaySR record reflects previous service, as a CET (regardless of college), -- 4% increase, compounded, effective the date of the appointment.

8/1/01 Salary Increases

1. Active on 7/31/01 -- 3 % increase, effective 8/1/01.
2. Became active after 7/31/01 and:
   1. Salary is at the 10/1/99 minimum rate - 8/1/01 minimum salary rate.
   2.  Above the 10/1/99 minimum salary rate but less than the 8/1/01 minimum salary - 8/1/01 minimum salary rate.**
   3. Appointed above the 8/1/01 minimum salary rate - will not receive an automatic increase.**
      ** If the employee's PaySR record reflects previous service as a CET (regardless of college) -- 4% increase, compounded, effective the date of the appointment.

Contract Pay Employees (Pay Basis Code AJT) excluding CET Titles

1. OSC will total contract earnings for checks dated 9/21/00 through 5/31/01 and increase that total by 4% to determine the amount of adjustment for this period, and
   1. Insert the adjustment amount into the Time Entry panel using earn code, AJR.
2. OSC will total contract earnings for checks dated 9/20/01 through 5/30/02 and increase that total by 4% to determine the amount of adjustment for this period, and
   1. Add this adjustment to the total contract earnings for this period.
   2. The resulting contract earnings amount will be increased by 3%.
   3. Insert the adjustment amount into the Time Entry panel using earn code, AJR.
      Exception: OSC will not automatically process adjustments if a check was returned on an AC 230 at anytime between 9/21/00 and 5/31/01 and between 9/20/01 and 5/30/02.

Agency Responsibility for Salary Increases and Adjustments Not Processed Automatically

Employees Whose Pay Basis Code is ANN or HRY

OSC will not automatically process the following employees. Agencies must submit increases for these employees:

Employees in the following titles:

• Research Associate
• Full-time Medical Series Titles
• Full-time Law School Titles
• Einstein Professor

Employees in the following dual titles are eligible to have their base salary increased:

• HEO/Asst Admin
• Prof/Asst Admin
• Assoc Prof/Asst Admin

Continuing Education Teachers (Pay Basis Code HRY)

Due to the complexity of the eligibility criteria and automatic processing, and to avoid overpayment of salary increases to employees in the title Continuing Education Teacher (job code=016038) having an HRY pay basis code, OSC strongly advises that agencies DO NOT report the increases in salary until AFTER automatic processing is completed for the check dated 8/22/02 and they have reviewed the NHRP549 report to determine who:

1. Did not receive an automatic increase.
2. Received an automatic increase, but the raise processing was stopped based on pre-defined exceptional raise criteria.

Contract Pay Employees (Pay Basis Code AJT)

The agency must submit the appropriate retroactive adjustments for the following contract pay employees using the earn code AJR:

• Employees on contract pay for summer session(s) 2000, 2001, and 2002:
  • Summer Session 2000 -- adjust the earnings for the actual hours worked on or after 8/1/00, using the eligibility criteria for the 8/1/00 increase
  • Summer Session 2001 -- adjust the earnings for hours actually worked prior to 8/1/01, using the eligibility criteria for the 8/1/00 increase; and adjust the earnings for hours actually worked on or after 8/1/01, using the eligibility criteria for both the 8/1/00 and the 8/1/01 increases
  • Summer Session 2002 -- adjust the earnings for the entire summer session, based on the eligibility criteria for both the 8/1/00 and 8/1/01 increases.
• Continuing Education Teachers paid on contract pay: The agency must determine the appropriate increases for raise eligible employees and adjust contract pay earnings accordingly for the fall and spring academic years from 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 and check dates between 9/21/00 to 5/31/01 or 9/20/01 to 5/30/02.
• Any employee who was paid on contract pay for the Fall and/or Spring semesters and who had a check returned on an AC230 between 9/21/00 and 5/31/01 and between 9/20/01 and 5/30/02: The agency must determine the appropriate adjustments for raise eligible employees.

Agency Procedures for Reporting Salary Increases

Report the Action of Pay Rt Chg and Reason of SIC (Sal Incr) on the Job Action Request panel. If applicable, request a Pay Rt Chg for all Job Data rows appearing on an employee's Job Data record that will not be increased as part of the automatic process.

Note: Hourly employees who appear on the NHRP 549 and are no longer working in an agency should be terminated.

Automatic Retroactive Adjustments

The following is a list of all earn codes that will be automatically adjusted and the respective retroactive earn code:

Earn Code	Retro Earn Code
LSJ	RLA
LT1	RL1
RGS	RRS
SLS	RSP
RGH	RRH

Eligible employees who have worked in more than one agency since the effective date of the increases - All retroactive adjustments will be paid in the most current agency, provided the employee was paid by all agencies using the same Empl Record #.

Eligible employees who have worked in more than one agency and have been paid from more than one Empl Record # since the effective date of the increases -- The retroactive adjustment for earnings in each Empl Record # will be paid in the most current agency under each Empl Record #.

Adjustments for Miscellaneous Earn Codes

The agency must calculate and submit retroactive adjustments for the following miscellaneous earnings that will not be adjusted automatically:

ADJ	LTO
AJT	RGO
AOT	SLO

In certain cases the system will not accurately calculate an earnings adjustment. Therefore, agencies should review the Retro Pay Review and Update Panel when any of the following conditions exist to determine if additional adjustments in earnings are required:   If an adjustment results in an overpayment to the employee, the agency must notify the employee before distribution of the 8/22/02 paycheck and recover the overpayment amount in a subsequent check.

1. RGS previously reported as a negative amount 
   Agencies must calculate the retroactive adjustment for all RGS earnings submitted as a negative amount and report the adjustment of earnings.
2. RGS previously submitted using partial days
   The earn code RGS will be automatically adjusted based on full days only. For example, if 1.5 days was previously submitted, the system will adjust for 2 days. Agencies must calculate the appropriate retroactive adjustment for all RGS earnings reported as partial days and report the adjustment amount in the Time Entry panel.
3. RGS previously submitted using a date range that exceeded the number of days reported
   The system will calculate the adjustment of earnings based on the number of workdays within the date range. Therefore, the agency must calculate the correct adjustment and report the adjustment of earnings as a negative amount in the Time Entry panel.
4. Earn Code RGH that will be adjusted automatically 
   If the dates previously submitted at the time the earnings were reported overlap the effective date of a salary increase, these earnings will be calculated incorrectly. That is, the retroactive adjustment for all earnings will be calculated based on the salary in effect on the Earn End date.
   Note: Hourly employees working summer session(s) 2000 and 2001 may receive an incorrect adjustment if the earnings submitted for 8/1/00 and/or 8/1/01 were submitted in a date range that overlapped the increase applied on 8/1/00 and/or 8/1/01.
5. The earn code OVP (overpayment) was reported in the Additional Pay panel after the effective date of an increase. The agency must review the automatic retroactive adjustment and determine the amount the employee will be overpaid or underpaid.
6. An AC230 was submitted to reduce earnings previously overpaid since the effective date of an increase. The agency must review the retroactive adjustment for all employees who had a check returned or exchanged on an AC230.

Negative Retroactive Adjustments

Retroactive adjustments will be calculated automatically based on the employee's status starting with the effective date of the employee's initial increase. If the employee had a retroactive action reported since the effective date of the employee's initial increase, and the action resulted in an overpayment of salary that was not recovered automatically, the system will try to recover the overpayment when the raise is processed. In many cases, the agency has already recovered the overpayment using the Earn Code OVP or by returning the check to OSC. To prevent the system from processing the negative adjustment again, OSC will disable the automatic adjustment for any pay period in which the adjustment results in a negative amount, unless the agency notifies OSC in the General Comments panel to process the entire negative adjustment when the raise is processed.

For employees whose negative retroactive adjustment will be disabled, the agency must review the retroactive adjustment paid to the employee and determine if an additional adjustment is necessary.

To assist the agency in determining if the adjustments are correct, OSC will provide the agencies with 2 listings after payroll period 10C is processed. The first listing will identify negative earnings originally calculated. The second listing will identify negative earnings calculated after the increases are applied. Agencies should compare the listings to determine if an additional adjustment of earnings is required. Generally, the difference between the amounts identified on the listings is the amount by which the original overpayment may be reduced.

Reporting Retroactive Adjustments

To report a retroactive adjustment for earnings that will not be automatically calculated by the system, or that are not calculated correctly by the system, the agency must:

• Report the earn code AJR, as defined below, in the Time Entry panel.
• Due to a change in PSC union dues structure implemented in checks dated 9/6/01, the total adjustment for all earnings received prior to 8/23/01 must be reported separately from the total adjustment for all earnings received on or after 8/23/01.
• The agency must report the retroactive adjustment calculation in the Time Entry comments, the General Comments panel, or on a separate worksheet that must be forwarded to OSC.

Reporting the earn code AJR in the Time Entry panel:

Earn Code	AJR (Adjust Raise)
Earns Begin Date	Enter 1st date to be adjusted*
Earns End Date	Enter the last date to be adjusted*
Amount	Enter the total adjustment amount (may be negative, if recovering an overpayment).
Comments	Enter an explanation of the adjustment in this field or the General Comments panel or on a separate worksheet that must be forwarded to OSC.

*NOTE: Adjustments for earnings received prior to 8/23/01 must be reported separately from adjustments for earnings received on or after 8/23/01.

Recovery of Overpayments

If an employee has an outstanding overpayment, the agency may recover the overpayment from the retroactive adjustment resulting from the salary increases.

1. Employees who are active and do not have an existing OVP set up in the Additional Pay panel. Enter the Earn Code OVP on the Additional Pay panel.
2. Employees who are active and have an existing OVP on the Additional Pay panel. Insert a new row at the effective date for the OVP earn code effective the first day of the current payroll period. The amount entered in the Earnings and Goal Amount fields should be the difference between the current goal balance and the goal amount preceded by a minus sign.
3. Employees who are inactive or on a leave of absence without pay. Enter the earn code ADJ with the negative amount in the Time Entry panel.

Note: If there is an existing OVP in the Additional Pay panel, a row must be inserted effective the first day of the payroll period for the earn code OVP. The Earnings and Goal Amount fields should be changed to zero.

PSC Dues and Agency Shop Fees for Retroactive Payments

At the union's request, OSC will calculate a dues and agency shop fee adjustment for all payments retroactive to the date of the dues structure change implemented in checks dated 9/6/01.

• All employees in bargaining units T8, GA or AJ at any time on or after 8/23/01 will have a dues and agency shop adjustment applied in checks dated 8/22/02. Regular dues and agency shop deductions will resume for subsequent paychecks. Therefore, adjustments processed after checks dated 8/22/02 could result in overpayments of dues or agency shop fees for that paycheck. The union has been informed that employees may be seeking refunds from them for any overpayments of dues or agency shop fees.

Deductions for Inactive Employees

Deductions for inactive employees receiving a retroactive adjustment will not be taken and will be automatically ended for checks dated 8/22/02, except for the following deduction codes:

• Code 274 Professional Staff Congress
• Code 290 Professional Staff Congress A/S
• Code 249 PSC Dues Grad Assistants
• Code 470 PSC agency Shop Grad Assistants
• Code 467 PSC Adjunct Dues
• Code 468 PSC Adjunct Agency Shop
• Code 403 TIAA Supplemental Retirement Annuity (CUNY)
• Code 405 TIAA Special Deferred Annuity
• Code 406 Strike/Discip Fine
• Code 409 CUNY Disciplinary Fine
• Code 413 NBE Tax Deferred Annuity
• Code 414 NYT Tax Deferred Annuity
• Code 419 CUNY TDA Copeland
• Code 425 Repay State Loans/Debt
• Code 426 Higher Ed Repay State Loan
• Code 582 CUNY SS/Med Deficiency
• GARNSH (garnishment)

Automatic Direct Deposit Status Change for Inactive Employees

A special program was recently implemented that automatically removes Direct Deposit after an employee has been inactive for three full pay periods. Please refer to Bulletin #316, dated April 19, 2002, for additional information.

Agency Reports and Queries

OSC will provide agencies with the following reports, list, and queries to help determine which employees need to have increases entered by the agencies.

NHRP704 - Mass Salary Payment Report - identifies all employees who received automatic increases and the last salary that was increased.

NHRP549 - PS Exceptions Listing - identifies the following employees who did not receive an automatic increase:

1. Salaried and hourly employees whose salary is off-step on the Salary Schedule.
2. CET's who were not automatically increased or received partial increases:

NHRP564 - identifies all contract pay employees who received automatic adjustments for contract earnings.

List - identifies contract pay employees who had a check returned on an AC 230 and therefore did not receive a retroactive adjustment for contract earnings. This list will be faxed to each agency.

Public Queries

1. UG_70000_SAL_INCR_0802_ALLROWS - identifies all employees receiving an automatic increase and all Job Data rows automatically increased.
2. UG_70000_SAL_INCR_0802_CUR_ROW - identifies employees who received a salary increase and the most current row increased.

Questions

Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the University Manager of Payroll Systems and Operations at CUNY Central Office.