Purpose:

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide the State University Construction Fund instructions for processing the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advances.

Affected Employees:

Employees designated management or confidential in Bargaining Unit 96 who meet the eligibility criteria are affected.

Background:

Civil Service Law, Article 8, Section 131 and the Division of the Budget Bulletin D-1144 provide for payment of performance advances effective April 1, 2022, to eligible M/C employees based on the April 2020 Salary Schedule (currently in effect).

Effective Dates:

The April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advances should be processed using the following effective date and check date:

Pay Cycle/Pay Period Type	Payment Effective Date	Check Date
Administration Lag	03/31/2022	05/25/2022

Eligibility Criteria:

Performance Advance

Employees in NS positions (Grade 600) which are equated to a grade (Grade 603-667) and whose annual salary is below the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the payment effective date based on the 04/01/2020 Salary Schedule (currently in effect) and employees in NS positions (Grade 600) and NS positions (Grade 600) which are equated to Grade 668 who appear on a Division of the Budget (DOB) – Labor Relations approved Performance Advance Plan are eligible for the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance provided the employee:

• Is in a BU96 position on the payment effective date; and
• Has thirteen (13) complete pay periods in such grade in fiscal year 2021-2022; and
• Has a Comp Rate Code of ANN on the payment effective date; and
• Did not have a withholding recommendation approved by DOB.

Promotion Recalculation

Employees who would have been eligible to receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance but were promoted to a higher grade in any bargaining unit prior to April 2022 may be eligible for a revised promotion salary (promotion recalculation) provided the employee was not eligible for a performance advance in the higher grade in April 2022.

Withholding Recommendation

If the agency determines the full or partial value of the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance should be withheld from an employee, the agency must request approval from DOB as explained in Budget Bulletin D-1144.

If the full value is withheld, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page effective 03/31/2022 (Administration) using the Reason code PWH (Perf Withheld) and an increment code of 0003 in the Incr. Code field. These transactions should be submitted as soon as possible following approval but prior to or as part of processing for Administration Pay Period 3L. If the agency does not submit the transaction to withhold the full performance advance, OSC will update the employee’s Job Data page based on information received from DOB. If the partial value is withheld, the agency must enter the appropriate amount in the Pay Rate field when submitting the Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page.

Increment Code 0003 is also used to identify employees who have not completed thirteen (13) complete pay periods in their grade on the payment effective date and to indicate that these employees are not eligible to receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance.

If Increment Code 0003 appears in an employee’s record at the time of processing the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance, the agency must update the increment code as appropriate (see Agency Actions Beginning in Administration Pay Period 3L).

Agency Actions Beginning in Administration Pay Period 3L:

Beginning in Administration Pay Period 3L, the agency must submit the appropriate transaction(s) to process the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance, Promotion Recalculation or Increment Code Update for eligible employees who meet the following criteria:

Active, Leave With Pay (except Paid Sick Leave or Paid COVID Partial Leave) or Leave of Absence Related to Workers’ Compensation Leave

Eligible employees with a Payroll Status of Active, Leave With Pay (except Paid Sick Leave or Paid COVID Partial Leave) or Leave of Absence related to Workers’ Compensation Leave on the payment effective date may receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance or Promotion Recalculation.

• Performance Advance: The agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code PAV (Perf Adv) effective 03/31/2022 (Administration). The Pay Rate field should reflect payment of the performance advance but must be capped at the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the payment effective date based on the 04/01/2020 Salary Schedule (currently in effect).
• Promotion Recalculation: The agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code PMR (Prom Recal) effective 03/31/2022 (Administration). The Pay Rate field should reflect the FIS (Fixed Incremented Salary) Amount on the Job Data/Compensation page and may exceed the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the payment effective date based on the 04/01/2020 Salary Schedule (currently in effect).
• When processing either a performance advance or a promotion recalculation, the Incr. Code field on the Pay Change transaction must include the appropriate increment code as follows:

Current Code	Updated Code
0001	0001 if the new salary is below Job Rate
	2022 if the new salary is equal to Job Rate
0004	0001 if the new salary is below Job Rate
	2022 if the new salary is equal to or greater than Job Rate

• Increment Code Update: 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) effective 03/31/2022 and update the increment code as follows:

Current Code	Updated Code
0003	0001 if the salary on the payment effective date is equal to or greater than Hiring Rate and below Job Rate

The agency must also review all subsequent rows to determine if additional updates are required.

Paid Sick Leave or Paid COVID Partial Leave
Eligible employees with a Payroll Status of Leave With Pay and an Action/Reason code of Paid Leave of Absence/SKL (Sick Lv), Paid Leave of Absence/19P (FEPSLA PD LV PARTIAL)*, or Paid Leave of Absence/FMC (EFMLA PD LV COVID 19)* on the payment effective date who completed thirteen (13) full pay periods of service in their grade prior to the effective date of the Paid Sick Leave or Paid COVID Leave may receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance, Promotion Recalculation, or Increment Code Update. The agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code PAV(Perf Adv) orPMR (Prom Recal) or a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) effective 03/31/2022 (Administration).The agency must also review all subsequent rows to determine if additional updates are required.

*COVID-19 codes are relevant in the event a program that authorizes COVID Leave is in effect at the time of this payment.

Military Stipend Leave

Eligible employees who are on a Paid or Unpaid Military Stipend Leave on the payment effective date may receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance, Promotion Recalculation, or Increment Code Update when they return to the payroll.

If the effective date of the return from leave transaction is on or before 03/31/2022 (Administration), in addition to processing the transaction(s) related to the return from leave, the agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code PAV (Perf Adv) or PMR (Prom Recal) or a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) effective 03/31/2022 (Administration). The appropriate increment code as explained above must be included in the Incr. Code field on the Pay Change transaction.

If the effective date of the return from leave transaction is after 03/31/2022 (Administration), in addition to processing the transaction(s) related to the return from leave, the agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CSL (Cor Sal) or a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the effective date of the Return from Leave with the next available sequence number. The appropriate increment code as explained above must be included in the Incr. Code field on the Pay Change transaction.

The agency must also review all subsequent rows to determine if additional updates are required.

Inactive or Leave of Absence not related to Workers’ Compensation Leave

Eligible employees who are Inactive or have a Payroll Status of Leave of Absence not related to a Workers’ Compensation Leave on the payment effective date and who completed thirteen (13) full pay periods of service in their grade during fiscal year 2021-2022 prior to becoming inactive or being placed on a leave of absence may receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance, Promotion Recalculation, or Increment Code Update when they return to the payroll. In addition, an employee who is Inactive must be rehired within one year to be eligible for the payment.

If the effective date of the rehire or return from leave transaction is on or before 03/31/2022 (Administration), in addition to processing the transaction(s) related to the rehire or return from leave, the agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code PAV (Perf Adv) or PMR (Prom Recal) or a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason Code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) effective 03/31/2022 (Administration). The appropriate increment code as explained above must be included in the Incr. Code field on the Pay Change transaction.

If the effective date of the rehire or return from leave transaction is after 03/31/2022 (Administration), in addition to processing the transaction(s) related to the rehire or return from leave, the agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CSL (Cor Sal) or a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason Code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the effective date of the Rehire or Return from Leave with the next available sequence number. The appropriate increment code as explained above must be included in the Incr. Code field on the Pay Change transaction.

The agency must also review all subsequent rows to determine if additional updates are required.

DOB Approved Performance Advance Plan

Employees in NS positions (Grade 600) and NS positions (Grade 600) which are equated to Grade 668 on the payment effective date must appear on a DOB approved Performance Advance Plan to be eligible to receive the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance. The agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code PAV (Perf Adv) effective 03/31/2022 (Administration). The agency must also review all subsequent rows to determine if additional updates are required.

Transactions cannot be submitted until the plan has been approved by the Division of the Budget and received by OSC.

Reinstating Prior Job Rate Increment Code - Lateral Position Change from a Non-M/C Position Where the Employee’s Salary was Equal to or Greater than Job Rate to an SCF M/C 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 M/C position with a higher Job Rate, and whose salary upon application of the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate in the SCF M/C position is entitled to job rate credit for service in the non-M/C position.

• The agency must evaluate the employee’s Payroll Status beginning from the time of the position change through the date of the performance advance to determine if the increment code must be updated. The agency must also review all subsequent rows to determine if additional updates are required.
• If the Payroll Status remained Active, Leave With Pay, or Leave of Absence due to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or Military Leave during this period, the employee is entitled to have the increment code of the lower graded position reinstated.
• If the Payroll Status was Leave of Absence not related to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or Military Leave any time during this period, the increment code of the lower graded position must be evaluated to determine the appropriate increment code adjustment.
• If the increment code must be updated, the agency must include an increment code reflecting the appropriate job rate credit in the Incr. Code field on the Pay Change transaction submitted on the Job Action Requests page.

Automatic Retroactive Processing:

OSC will automatically calculate retroactive adjustments for regular earnings and Time Entry earnings that are calculated by the system based on annual salary, such as OT for Annuals (Earnings Code OTA) and Holiday Pay (Earnings Code HPA), resulting from payment of the April 2022 SCF M/C Performance Advance and Promotion Recalculation.

Agency Actions - Retroactive Processing:

Reporting Retroactive Adjustments

Time Entry earnings codes that are submitted with an amount will not be adjusted automatically. Therefore, beginning in Administration Pay Period 4L, the agency must report the adjustment amount for earnings codes such as Extra Time Override (Earnings Code EXO) and Regular Salary Override (Earnings Code RGO).

Correcting an Automatic Retroactive Adjustment

When certain conditions exist in an employee’s record, the automatic retroactive adjustment may be incorrect. Therefore, the agency is responsible for identifying employees who meet the following conditions and, if necessary, submitting the adjustment:

• If an employee had a check returned or exchanged on an AC-230 for dates on or after the effective date of the payment, the payroll system does not consider the AC-230 when calculating the automatic retroactive adjustment.
• If earnings were previously reported using Earnings Code RGS and 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 range.
• Adjustments for earnings that are calculated automatically, such as OT for Annuals (Earnings Code OTA), will be calculated incorrectly if the dates previously reported as a single entry on the Time Entry page overlap the effective date of the payment. The system will calculate an adjustment for all earnings reported in a single entry based on the salary in effect on the Earnings End Date.
• For employees who had a change reported on the Job Data page since the effective date of the payment and the action resulted in an overpayment of earnings, the automatic negative retroactive adjustment may not have been processed because the overpayment was either not recoverable or was recovered using an overpayment earnings code or an AC-230. In this case, the negative retroactive adjustment may be re-generated when the payment is processed. OSC will turn off (not process) the automatic negative adjustment for these employees since in most cases these overpayments were either not recoverable or recovered using another method.

If an overpayment of earnings is identified after the automatic payment is processed but before the paycheck is received by the employee, the employee must be notified of the overpayment and the adjustment that will be reported in a subsequent pay period.

Submitting an Adjustment

When an adjustment is needed for COVID-19 related overtime such as Covid-19 OT Override (Earnings Code CVO),Earnings Code ARC(Adjust Retro Raise for C19 OT) must be used to process the adjustment. When an adjustment is needed for non-COVID-19 related overtime or recall such as Out of Title Overtime (Earnings Code OTT),Earnings Code ARO(Adj Retro Raise for OT and RCL) must be used to process the adjustment. Please refer to Payroll Bulletin No. 1893 Reporting Adjustments to Overtime for more information. Agencies must continue to use Earnings Code AJR (Adjust Raise) for all other override Time Entry Earnings Codes requiring a manual adjustment as a result of a retro salary increase.

To process a retroactive adjustment or correct an automatic retroactive adjustment, agencies must submit the following information on the Time Entry page or the Time Entry Interface (NPAY502) using Earnings Code AJR, ARC or ARO:

Earnings Begin Date:	The first date included in the adjustment
Earnings End Date:	The last date included in the adjustment
Earn Code:	AJR, ARC or ARO
Amount:	Amount to be adjusted
Comments:	An explanation of the adjustment

Military Stipend Leave:

OSC will recalculate the military stipend amount for employees who were placed on a Paid or Unpaid Military Stipend Leave on or after the effective date of the payment as the result of new military orders.

• If the employee received a stipend, OSC will insert a row on the employee’s Job Data page effective the date the employee is entitled to the increase using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/MSC (Military Stipend Change) and will increase the employee’s biweekly stipend amount. In addition, updates will be made to all subsequent rows requiring an increased biweekly stipend amount.
• If the employee did not receive a stipend but becomes eligible for a stipend as a result of the payment, OSC will insert the following in PayServ:
  • A row on the employee’s Job Data page effective the date the employee is entitled to a stipend using the Action/Reason code of Paid Leave of Absence/MLS (Mil Stip) and the new biweekly stipend amount.
  • A row on the employee’s Job Data page for each affected subsequent row using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/MSC (Military Stipend Change) and the new biweekly stipend amount.
  • A row on the Time Entry page using the Earnings Code MSP (Military Stipend Payment) to pay the stipend for each pay period the employee is eligible.
• Any additional adjustment that is required due to the increased biweekly stipend amount that will not be calculated automatically will be reported by OSC on the Time Entry page using the Earnings Code AMS (Adjust Military Stipend).

Deduction Information:

All general deductions for employees whose Payroll Status is Terminated, Retired, or Deceased will be automatically canceled by OSC with the exception of percentage based dues and the following:

Code	Description
404	SUNY 403(b)
410	Health Care Spending Account
416	Deferred Comp
420	NY Dependent Care Contribution
425	Repay State Loans/Debt
426	Higher Ed Repay State Loan
428	Dependent Care
433	Total Unemployment Ins Owed
442	Pre-Tax Adoption
500	Medicare Deficiency
501	Social Security Deficiency
502	NYS SS/Medicare Deficiency
673	SUNY ORP Before Tax Arrears
674	SUNY Suspense BTax Arrears
GARNSH	Garnishments
HIATRG	Regular After Tax Health
HIATSP	Special After Tax Health Adj

Tax Information:

These monies are taxable income subject to all employment taxes and income taxes, will be included in the employee’s taxable gross and reported on the employee’s Form W-2.

The adjustments (Earnings Codes AJR, ARC, and ARO) and retroactive payments (Earnings Codes RXX) are supplemental taxable income and will be included in the employee’s taxable gross subject to all employment and income taxes.

Federal, State, and New York City income tax withholding will be calculated using the Aggregate method. Yonkers income tax withholding will be calculated using the Flat Rate method (1.95975% for Yonkers residents and 0.50% for Yonkers non-residents).

Special Wage Payments for Individuals Who Filed for Retirement Social Security Benefits:

Per Internal Revenue Service Publication 957, OSC will be reporting retro payments made to individuals who have filed for Social Security benefits to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

As PayServ does not include this information, OSC will be mailing a Request for Special Wage Payment Report to inactive individuals who are 62 or older in the calendar year and to active employees with the New York Retiree Indicator checked in Modify a Person who receive the retroactive payment. Recipients of this mailing will be asked to fill out the request and return it to OSC for inclusion on the Special Wage Payment report to SSA.

This report will be submitted to SSA after the close of the 2022 tax year. It is important that agencies ensure the New York Retiree Indicator box is checked for rehired retirees. Please see Payroll Bulletin No. 1728 New York Retiree Indicator for further details on the New York Retiree Indicator box.

Undeliverable Checks:

When a valid payroll check is undeliverable due to the agency’s inability to locate the employee, the agency should follow the Agency Actions identified in Payroll Bulletin No. 1786 Non-Negotiated and/or Undeliverable New York State Payroll Checks.

Checks issued to eligible employees who are now deceased should be returned with a completed Next of Kin Affidavit (Form AC 934-P), original death certificate, 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.

Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice:

All retroactive adjustments will be displayed on the Payroll Register using the appropriate Earnings Code and the amount paid and will be displayed on the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice using the appropriate Earnings Description and the amount paid unless the number of earnings codes exceeds 13. Agencies should utilize Locked Query LQ_PCD_PAYCHECK_EARNINGS_BY_ID to identify a complete list of regular earnings and retroactive adjustments if there are more than 13 earnings codes.

Questions:

Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.

Questions regarding position change requests may be directed to the Position Management mailbox.

Questions regarding military information may be directed to the Military Stipend mailbox.

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