Purpose
To provide agency instructions for processing the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus.
Affected Employees
Employees in Bargaining Unit SD who meet the eligibility criteria
Background
The 2011-2016 Agreement between the New York State Unified Court System (UCS) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) provides for a one-time lump sum payment of $1000 (prorated for employees working less than full time) for all eligible represented non-judicial employees in Bargaining Unit SD. The lump sum payment is authorized pursuant to Section 7 of Chapter 400 of the Laws of 2014.
Effective Date(s)
The 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus should be processed in Administration Pay Period 22L, paychecks dated 02/11/15
Eligibility Criteria
Employees who meet the following criteria on the ratification of this Agreement (01/06/15) are eligible to receive the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus.
- Bargaining Unit = SD
- Payroll Status = Active, Leave With Pay or Leave of Absence (except if the Action/Reason Code is LOA/RPD)
New Earnings Code
OSC has created a new Additional Pay Earnings Code to process the Judicial Ratification Bonus.
| Earnings Code | Description |
| JRB | Judicial Ratification Bonus |
Agency Actions
To pay the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus to eligible employees, agencies must submit the following information on the Additional Pay Page using Earnings Code JRB.
| Earnings Code: | JRB |
| Effective Date: | 01/06/15 |
| OT Eff Date: | 01/15/15 |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | $1000 or prorated amount for employees working less than full time |
| End Date: | 01/13/16 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information) |
Overtime Calculation Information
The Judicial Ratification Bonus 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 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus for eligible employees in Bargaining Unit SD 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 JRB.
If an employee is appointed to an ineligible position effective after receiving the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus, the payment cannot be included in the compensation calculation of any overtime earned after the date of the appointment. Therefore, agencies must insert a row on the Additional Pay page at the Effective Date level of Earnings Code JRB 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 Information
The Judicial Ratification Bonus is included as salary for retirement purposes.
Tax Information
The Judicial Ratification Bonus is taxable income, will be included in the employee’s taxable gross and is subject to all employment taxes and income taxes.
Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice
The Earnings Code JRB and the amount paid will be displayed on the Payroll Register. The Earnings Description Judicial Ratification Bonus and the amount paid will appear on the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice.
Questions
Questions regarding eligibility and payment information may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.
Questions regarding retirement may be directed to the Payroll Deduction mailbox.
Questions regarding withholding taxes may be directed to the Tax and Compliance mailbox.