Purpose:

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide the SCF with instructions for processing the new October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment.

Affected Employees:

Employees in Bargaining Unit 97 in SCF with an increment code of 1810 who meet the eligibility criteria are affected.

Background:

The State University Construction Fund’s Board Resolution AD-8 authorizes the 2021-2026 Memorandum of Agreement between SCF and CSEA which provides for payment of the 2023 Longevity Payment in October 2023 as a one-time, lump sum payment in the amount of $1,500, $3,000, or $4,500. A letter from the General Manager dated 07/31/2023 authorizes the implementation of payment processing on the October cycle beginning October 2023. Prior to now, SCF had elected to process payment for eligible employees on the April cycle only.

Effective Dates:

Payment is effective 10/01/2023 and may be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 14L. OSC will process this payment via direct deposit. For employees who do not have direct deposit, this payment will be processed in a separate paycheck.

Note: The distribution of the LLS direct deposit will be the same as an employee’s regular paycheck.

Pay Cycle/PP Type	Eligibility Date	Effective Date	Check Date
Administration 14 Lag	09/30/2023	10/01/2023	10/25/2023

Eligibility Criteria:

Employees in NS positions (Grade 600), which are equated to a grade (Grade 001-031), are eligible for the October 2023 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 09/30/2023; and
• Has a Comp Rate Code of ANN or BIW (only if the employee is on a Paid Military Stipend Leave) on 09/30/2023; and
• Has five (5) or more years, ten (10) or more years, or fifteen (15) or more years of continuous service* at a base annual salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade (based on the 04/01/2023 Salary Schedule currently in effect) as of 09/30/2023; 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 will receive 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 October 2023, the employee becomes established and remains on the October LLS payment cycle even if the employee does not receive the October 2023 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 October cycle.

The following employees may become eligible for the October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment upon processing of the October 2023 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 a SCF CSEA position with a higher Job Rate, and whose salary upon application of the October 2023 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 receiving the October 2023 SCF CSEA Performance Advance that results in a salary equal to the Job Rate will be updated from 1001 to 2310.
• These employees may be eligible for, but will not receive, an October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment. If the employee’s combined job rate credit equals five (5) or more years, ten (10) or more years, or fifteen (15) 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 October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment during 2023-2024:

Leave of Absence/Preferred List on 09/30/2023:  An employee who otherwise qualifies for the October 2023 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 09/30/2023 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll or are appointed to an eligible position between 10/01/2023 and 09/30/2024. There is no minimum service requirement following the employee’s return to active payroll status.

Demotions after 09/30/2023:  An employee who is not eligible for the October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment on 09/30/2023 becomes eligible if the employee returns to a lower graded position between 10/01/2023 and 09/30/2024, provided the employee:

• Otherwise would have been eligible if the employee had been in the lower graded position on 09/30/2023 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 October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment, see Agency Actions.

Control-D Report Available Prior to Processing:

The following Control-D report will be available for agency review:

NPAY756 – Longevity Lump Sum (LLS) Eligibility Listing

This report is a preliminary listing of employees who appear eligible for the October 2023 LLS payment based on information available as of the date the report is produced. The report will be made available on 09/07/2023.

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 2022 and/or April 2023, ensure it represents the applicable LLS payment. Note: Prior to October 2023, all LLS payments were processed on the April cycle.

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. Agencies must submit documentation supporting the salary equation with the Correction Sheet.
  • Eligible employees who are in a composite position (identified by Increment Code 2222) however, 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, in order to prevent the payment, 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 will change due to transactions that will be processed prior to or in Administration Pay Period 14L.

Correction Sheets should be submitted as soon as possible but must be received no later than 09/29/2023. Please email completed Correction Sheets to the Payroll Earnings mailbox; please include the Department ID and ‘LLS Correction Sheet’ in the Subject line.

Agency Actions:

• The agency must submit transactions to make the October 2023 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 $1,500 for employees with five (5) or more years of continuous service (identified by Increment Code 1810) or a prorated amount. Note: Prior to October 2023, all LLS payments were processed on the April cycle.
• Employees who are on a Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule (VRWS) on 09/30/2023 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 09/30/2023 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 09/30/2023 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 09/30/2023. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the percentage of the qualifying position in effect on 09/30/2023. 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 09/30/2023. 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 09/30/2023.

In addition, the agency must submit transactions to make the October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment to the following employees who become eligible for the payment after receiving the October 2023 SCF CSEA Performance Advance or who become eligible during 2023-2024:

• 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 an SCF CSEA position with a higher Job Rate and whose salary upon application of the October 2023 SCF CSEA Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate in the SCF CSEA position (based on the 04/01/2023 Salary Schedule) as explained above. Transactions should be submitted beginning in Pay Period Administration 15L; the effective date of the LLS payment should be 10/01/2023. 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 09/30/2023:  The agency must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 09/30/2023 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 10/01/2023 and 09/30/2024 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 in effect on 09/30/2023 and could impact the employee’s October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS eligibility.
• Preferred List on 09/30/2023:  The agency must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 09/30/2023 to receive the payment but who are on a preferred list and who are appointed to an eligible position between 10/01/2023 and 09/30/2024 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 October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS eligibility.
• Demotions after 09/30/2023:  The agency must submit transactions for employees who are ineligible for the payment on 09/30/2023 but become eligible on or before 09/30/2024 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 October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment to eligible employees, the agency must submit the following information on the Additional Pay page using Earnings Code LLS:

Earnings Code:	LLS
Effective Date:	As defined above
OT Eff Date:	Same as Effective Date
Annual Addl Earnings:	$1500 or prorated amount (Increment Code 1810) Note: Prior to October 2023, all LLS payments were processed on the April cycle.
End Date:	09/30/2024 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information)

Increment Code Correction

If the employee is eligible to receive an October 2023 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 October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment is complete. Beginning in Administration Pay Period 15L, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page effective 10/01/2023, using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the employee’s prior increment code in the Incr. Code field.

Control-D Reports Available After Processing:

After the processing of the October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment is completed, the following Control-D report will be available for agency use:

NPAY770 – One Time Payment Report

This report identifies all employees who received the October 2023 LLS payment effective 10/01/2023.

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 Manuals > Earnings Manual > Time Entry Payments > Overtime Compensation).

The October 2023 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.

Overtime Paid in Pay Period 14L Administration:

If the October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment is different than the prior year, in order for Overtime to calculate correctly, the agency must submit overtime payments through the Time Entry page using the following dates:

Pay Period	2022-2023 LLS OT Effective Dates	2023-2024 LLS OT Effective Dates
Administration 14L	09/28/2023 – 09/30/2023	10/01/2023-10/11/2023

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 October 2023 SCF CSEA LLS payment, the payment cannot be included in the compensation calculation of any overtime earned on or after the date of 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:

Effective Date:	Last date in eligible position (date prior to appointment)
OT Eff Date:	Same as original OT Eff Date
Annual Addl Earnings:	Same as original amount (populates automatically)
End Date:	Same as Effective Date
Goal Balance:	Same as Annual Addl Earnings (to prevent making another payment)

Retirement and Deduction Information:

The LLS payment is included as salary for retirement purposes but is not subject to union dues. Deductions will be taken from the LLS payment for normal retirement contributions, garnishments and federal levies.

Tax Information:

The LLS payment is supplemental taxable income, will be added to the employee’s taxable gross wages for tax withholding purposes, and is subject to 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.  Yonkers Flat Rate Withholding is 1.95975% for Yonkers residents and 0.50% for Yonkers non-residents.

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 and direct deposit advice (if applicable).

This payment will be made in a separate check or Direct Deposit regardless of when it is paid. The payment will be issued with the employee’s regular paycheck or with the direct deposit advice based on information for that check date. Agencies should verify the employee’s mailing address is up-to-date.

Note: If the employee has direct deposit, the direct deposit distribution will be the same as the employee’s regular paycheck. For example, if an employee has $200 deposited into a loan account and the remainder going into a balance account, the same distribution will be applied.

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 submitted as a stop payment request with a reason of Exchange in PayServ. The required AC 1476, Next of Kin Affidavit, and original death certificate should be submitted to the Payroll Reversal and Exchange mailbox at the same time as the stop payment request. 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 may be directed to the Payroll Deduction mailbox.

Questions regarding retirement may be directed to the Payroll Retirement mailbox.

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