Purpose

To provide the State University Construction instructions for processing the April 2014 CSEA LLS payment.

Affected Employees

Employees in Bargaining Unit 97 with an increment code of 1976-2009 who meet the eligibility criteria

Background

The State University Construction Fund’s Board Resolution 2011-15 provides for payment of the 2014-2015 Longevity Payment in April 2014 as a one-time, lump sum payment in the amount of $1,250 or $2,500.

Effective Date(s)

Payment is effective 04/01/14 and may be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 1. The payment will be processed in a separate check; there is no direct deposit for this payment.

Eligibility Criteria

Employees in NS positions (Grade 600) which are equated to a grade are eligible for the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment provided the employee:

• Is Active, on a Leave With Pay or on an Unpaid Military Stipend Leave in a BU97 position on 03/31/14; and
• Has a Pay Basis Code of ANN or BIW (only if the employee is on a Paid Military Stipend Leave) on 03/31/14; and
• Has five (5) or more years or ten (10) or more years of continuous service* at a base annual salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade as of 03/31/14; and
• Did not receive an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation on their last rating date. Employees who were not rated or not reported as “Unsatisfactory” in PayServ during the period are eligible for the payment.

*Continuous service, as used in determining eligibility for the LLS payment, is paid service (including part-time annual salaried service, Paid Military Leave and Sick Leave at Half Pay) or time on Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave.

Note: If an employee first meets the five year continuous service at Job Rate criteria in April 2014, the employee becomes established and remains on the April LLS payment cycle even if the employee does not receive the April 2014 LLS payment due to an “Unsatisfactory” rating. In addition, if the employee has any subsequent time off the payroll, the increment code must be evaluated and if an update is required, the new increment code must continue to reflect payment eligibility on the April cycle.

The following employees may become eligible for the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment upon processing of the October 2013 or April 2014 SCF CSEA Performance Advance which results in Job Rate:

Lateral Position Change from a Non-SCF CSEA Position Where the Employee’s Salary was Equal to or Greater Than Job Rate to a SCF CSEA Position with a Higher Job Rate: An employee with a salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate of their salary grade, who had a lateral position change to an SCF CSEA position with a higher Job Rate, whose salary upon application of the October 2013 or April 2014 SCF CSEA Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate in the SCF CSEA position is entitled to job rate credit for service in the non-SCF CSEA position.

• The increment code of an employee who received the October 2013 SCF CSEA Performance Advance that resulted in a salary equal to the Job Rate was updated from 0001 to 1310.
• The increment code of an employee receiving the April 2014 SCF CSEA Performance Advance that results in a salary equal to the Job Rate will be updated from 0001 to 2014.
• These employees may be eligible for an April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment. If the employee’s combined job rate credit equals five (5) or more years or ten (10) or more years, the agency must submit a transaction to make the LLS payment. In addition, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the same effective date as the performance advance, the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and an increment code reflecting the combined job rate credit in the Incr. Code field.

The following employees will become eligible for the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment during 2014-2015:

Leave of Absence/Preferred List on 03/31/14: An employee who otherwise qualifies for the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment but is on an approved Leave of Absence (including Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave) or on a preferred list on 03/31/14 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll or are appointed to an eligible position between 04/01/14 and 03/31/15. There is no minimum service requirement following the employee’s return to active payroll status.

Demotions after 03/31/14: An employee who is not eligible for the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment on 03/31/14 becomes eligible if the employee returns to a lower graded position between 04/01/14 and 03/31/15, provided the employee:

• Otherwise would have been eligible if the employee had been in the lower graded position on 03/31/14 and remains in the lower graded position for at least six (6) full pay periods; and
• The promotion was temporary and the employee has been reinstated to their previous position or has been appointed to another lower graded qualifying position; or
• The promotion was permanent, but the demotion occurred:
  • in lieu of layoff; or
  • voluntarily during the probationary period; or
  • as a result of failure of the probationary period.

Note: An employee demoted as a result of a disciplinary action or who takes a voluntary demotion from a permanent position after the completion of the probationary period in the higher grade is not eligible for an LLS payment in the lower grade.

For instructions on submitting transactions to make the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment, see Agency Actions.

Control-D Report and Agency Actions Prior to Payment

The following Control-D report is currently available for agency review.

NPAY756 – Longevity Lump Sum (LLS) Eligibility Listing

This report is a preliminary listing of employees who appear eligible for the April 2014 LLS payment based on information available as of the date the report is produced. The report was run on 03/03/14 and is now available.

The agency should review the listing carefully paying particular attention to the following:

• Employees who appear on the listing but are ineligible due to an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation on their last rating date.
• The ‘LAST LLS Date’ and ‘PMT AMT’ fields, if applicable. If the employee received an LLS payment after April 2013, ensure it represents an April 2013 payment and not a prior October payment. If the payment represents an October LLS payment, the agency must review the employee’s increment code and if necessary, contact OSC using the Payroll Earnings mailbox to request assistance in determining the appropriate action.

The following corrections to the preliminary listing should be submitted on the Correction Sheet. The form may be duplicated if additional copies are needed.

• Add employees who do not appear on the listing, such as:
  • Eligible employees in NS positions where the equated grade does not appear on the Position Data page. The agency must submit documentation supporting the salary equation with the Correction Sheet.
  • Eligible employees who are in a composite position (identified by Increment Code 2222) even though the agency must submit a transaction to make the payment.
• Delete employees who should not appear on the listing, such as:
  • Employees with an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation on their last rating date. In addition, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the employee’s last rating date as the effective date, the Reason code USP (Unsat Perf) and an increment code of 7777 in the Incr. Code field.
• Identify employees appearing on the listing who have incorrect information appearing in PayServ affecting their eligibility for the LLS payment. In addition, the agency must submit the appropriate transaction to correct the information.

Do not add or delete employees whose eligibility changed due to transactions that were processed prior to or in Administration Pay Period 1L.

Correction Sheets should be submitted to support manually submitted transactions. Please fax completed Correction Sheets to (518) 402-4949 and send an email to the Payroll Earnings mailbox stating that a Correction Sheet has been faxed; please include the Department ID and ‘LLS Correction Sheet’ in the Subject line.

Agency Actions

The agency must submit transactions to make the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment to those employees who meet the eligibility criteria by inserting a row on the employee’s Additional Pay page as shown below. The payment amount is $1,250 for employees with five (5) or more years of continuous service (identified by Increment Code 2005-2009) or $2,500 for employees with ten (10) or more years of continuous service (identified by Increment Code 1976-2004), or a prorated amount.

• Employees who are on a Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule (VRWS) on 03/31/14 receive the full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code. The agency must verify that the Full/Part field on the Job Data/Job Information page is ‘Voluntary’.
• Employees who are on a Leave With Pay with an Action/Reason code of Paid Leave of Absence/SKL (Sick Lv) on 03/31/14 receive an amount based on the employee’s increment code and percentage. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page prior to the leave.
• Employees in a composite position on 03/31/14 receive an amount based on the increment code of the employee’s qualifying position (noted in General Comments) and the percentage attributed to such position on 03/31/14. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the percentage of the qualifying position in effect on 03/31/14. Information regarding the composite position must be included on the General Comments page.
• All other employees (including employees on a Leave With Pay, Paid Military Stipend Leave and Unpaid Military Stipend Leave) receive an amount based on the employee’s increment code and percentage in effect on 03/31/14. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page in effect on 03/31/14

In addition, the agency must submit transactions to make the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment to the following employees who become eligible for the payment after receiving the October 2013 or April 2014 SCF CSEA Performance Advance or who become eligible during 2014-2015.

• Lateral Position Change: The agency must submit transactions for eligible employees with a salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate in a non-SCF CSEA position, who had a lateral position change to a SCF CSEA position with a higher Job Rate and whose salary upon application of the October 2013 or April 2014 SCF CSEA Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate in the SCF CSEA position as explained above. Transactions should be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 2L; the effective date of the LLS payment should be 04/01/14. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained above and based on the employee’s adjusted increment code indicating job rate credit
• Leave of Absence on 03/31/14: The agency must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 03/31/14 to receive the payment but whose Payroll Status is Leave of Absence (except those on Unpaid Military Stipend Leave) and who return from such leave between 04/01/14 and 03/31/15 as explained above. Transactions should be submitted in the pay period the return from leave is processed; the effective date of the LLS payment should be the same as the return from leave effective date. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained above.
  Note: The employee’s increment code may need to be adjusted as a result of the leave of absence on 03/31/14 and could impact the employee’s April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS eligibility.
• Preferred List on 03/31/14: The agency must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 03/31/14 to receive the payment but who are on a preferred list and who are appointed to an eligible position between 04/01/14 and 03/31/15 as explained above. Transactions should be submitted in the pay period the appointment is processed; the effective date of the LLS payment should be the same as the appointment effective date. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained above and based on the percentage associated with the eligible position.
  Note: The employee’s increment code may need to be adjusted as a result of time off the payroll and could impact the employee’s April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS eligibility.
• Demotions after 03/31/14: The agency must submit transactions for employees who are ineligible for the payment on 03/31/14 but become eligible on or before 03/31/15 due to a demotion as explained above. Transactions should be submitted after the employee completes six (6) full pay periods in the lower grade; the effective date of the LLS payment should be the same as the effective date of the demotion. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained above and based on information on the date of the demotion. Information regarding the reason the demotion occurred must be included on the General Comments page

Submitting Payment

To make the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment to eligible employees, the agency must submit the following information on the Additional Pay page using Earnings Code LLS.

Increment Code Correction

If the employee is eligible to receive an April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment but has an incorrect increment code, in addition to submitting the LLS payment, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the appropriate increment code in the Incr. Code field.

In addition, if an employee received an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation on their last rating date and the increment code was changed to 7777, the prior increment code must be reinstated after processing of the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment is complete. Beginning in Administration Pay Period 2L, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page effective 04/01/14, using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the employee’s prior increment code in the Incr. Code field.

Overtime Calculation Information

The LLS payment is included in the calculation of overtime compensation (refer to the Online Payroll Manual accessed from the PayServ Bulletin Board – Payroll Manual > Earnings Manual > Payments\Withholdings > Overtime Compensation). The April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment will be included in the calculation of overtime earned from the OT Eff Date through the End Date on the employee’s Additional Pay page for Earnings Code LLS.

If an employee is appointed to an ineligible position (including a position which results in a salary below the Job Rate of the grade of the new position) effective after receiving the April 2014 SCF CSEA LLS payment, the payment cannot be included in the compensation calculation of any overtime earned after the date of the appointment. Therefore, the agency must insert a row on the Additional Pay page at the Effective Date level of Earnings Code LLS and enter the following information.

Retirement and Deduction Information

The LLS payment is included as salary for retirement purposes. Deductions will be taken from the LLS payment for normal retirement contributions, garnishments and federal levies.

Tax Information

The LLS payment is taxable income, will be included in the employee’s taxable gross and is subject to all employment taxes and income taxes. If the employee has any additional tax amount on the Update Employee Tax Data page, the additional amount will be deducted from both the employee’s regular paycheck and the separate paycheck.

Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice

The Earnings Code LLS and the amount paid will be displayed on the Payroll Register. The Earnings Description Longevity LSP and the amount paid will appear on the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice.

This payment will be made in a separate check regardless of when it is paid. The separate check will be issued with the employee’s regular paycheck or direct deposit advice based on information for that check date. There is no direct deposit for this payment.

Undeliverable Checks

If the agency has made an effort to deliver the check to the employee but the check has been returned and is undeliverable, the agency should forward the check to the NYS Department of Tax and Finance, Division of Treasury, per instructions in Payroll Bulletin No. 908.

Checks issued to eligible employees who are now deceased should be returned with a completed Next of Kin Affidavit (Form AC 934-P) and a Report of Check Exchange (Form AC 1476-P). If a Next of Kin Affidavit has been previously submitted for a deceased employee’s payroll check, OSC will accept a photocopy of this form along with a new Report of Check Exchange.

Questions

Questions regarding eligibility and payment information may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.

Questions regarding deductions and retirement may be directed to the Payroll Deduction mailbox.

Questions regarding withholding taxes may be directed to the Tax and Compliance mailbox.