Purpose

To explain OSC’s automatic processing of increases to Judicial Longevity Payments paid in April 2008

Affected Employees

Employees in the following bargaining units who received a 2008 Longevity Bonus Payment which was less than the new entitlement: SA, SR, SN, G9, F8, DR, SG, S9, SK, SD, SY, 87 and unrepresented employees in CT, 86, and 88

Effective Date(s)

Pay Period 13L, paychecks dated 10/15/08

Background

Chapter 276 of the Laws of 2008, which implements agreements between the State and various bargaining units and legislation for unrepresented employees in the Unified Court System, provides for increases in the amounts paid as the Judicial Longevity Bonus (JLO) for 2008.

Longevity Bonus Eligibility

Employees who as of 3/31/08 have at least twenty (20) years of continuous service in the Unified Court System and have a performance rating of other than “Unsatisfactory” are eligible to receive a bonus equaling $1,800 for 2008 or prorated amounts based on the part-time work percentage at the time of the initial payments.

Employees who as of 3/31/08 have at least twenty-five (25) years of continuous service in the Unified Court System and have a performance rating of other than “Unsatisfactory” are eligible to receive a bonus equaling $1,900 for 2008 or prorated amounts based on the part-time work percentage at the time of the initial payments.

A thirty (30) year bonus is included in the 2007-2010 bargaining agreement.
Employees who as of 3/31/08 have at least thirty (30) years of continuous service in the Unified Court System and have a performance rating of other than “Unsatisfactory” are eligible to receive a bonus equaling $2,000 for 2008 or prorated amounts based on the part-time work percentage at the time of the initial payments.

• Employees who received a Longevity Bonus Payment effective 4/3/08 are entitled to the difference between the new amount and the amount received if the employee was full-time, or the difference between the new prorated amount and the prorated amount received if the employee was part-time at the initial time of payment.

OSC Actions

OSC will automatically update the existing Additional Pay rows for the Earnings Code JLO (Judicial Longevity) for the 2008 payments, including those employees who are now eligible for the new Thirty Year Bonus.

For all rows with an effective date of 4/3/08 through the present, the Additional Pay page will be updated with the following information and the system will automatically pay the difference between the new Annual Earnings and the prior Goal Balance. All other information will remain the same.

• Annual Addl Earnings = $1800, $1900, $2000 or prorated amount

Overtime payments received since 4/3/08 will be automatically adjusted and paid by the system.

Control-D Report

NHRP703 Mass Additional Pay Report will be available for agency review on October 3, 2008.

This report identifies all employees who received an update to their JLO earnings. The report will be sorted by DeptID and then by employee name, in alphabetical order. Fields on the report include EmplID, Employee Record #, Employee Name, Earn Code (JLO), Grade, Salary Plan, Bargaining Unit, Part Time Percentage, and Updated Addl Pay Amount.

Deduction Information

All general deductions for employees whose status is Terminated, Retired or Deceased will be automatically cancelled by OSC with the exception of the following:

Undeliverable Checks

Inactive employees may be eligible for a payment as a result of the adjustment. 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. 456.

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).

For recipients of a previously deceased employee's payroll checks where a Next of Kin Affidavit and Report of Check Exchange forms have been submitted, OSC will accept a photocopy of these forms to process the exchange of the check.

Miscellaneous Payment Information

The amount of the Longevity Bonus Payment is included in the calculation of overtime and is pensionable.

Payroll Register and Employee's Paycheck/Advice

The Earnings Code JLO and the amount will be displayed on the Payroll Register and the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice.

Questions

Questions about processing transactions may be e-mailed to the Non-Executive Audit mailbox.