State Agencies Bulletin No. 79

Subject
1999 PS&T Longevity Lump Sum Payment
Date Issued
March 5, 1999

Chapter 317 of the Laws of 1995, which implements the Agreement between the State and the Public Employees Federation representing employees in the PS&T Services (05) bargaining unit and Rules and Regulations promulgated by the Director of the Budget, provides for a longevity Lump Sum Payment of $1,250 or $2,500 to certain employees.

Payment will be processed in separate checks dated April 22, 1999 for Institution agencies and April 28, 1999 for Administration agencies. There will be no direct deposit for this payment.

ELIGIBLE PS&T EMPLOYEES

Employees in graded positions (Grades 001-037) and N.S. (Grade 600) positions which are equated to grades, are eligible for the payment if:

  1. the employees are on the payroll on March 31, 1999, (active or on leave with partial pay or on Workers’ Compensation leave) in a position in the PS&T bargaining unit, who as of March 31, 1999 have 5 or more years or 10 or more years of continuous service at a salary equal to or above the job rate, or maximum of the grade of their position on March 31.
    • and
  2. the employees did not receive an "Unsatisfactory" rating during the rating period ending between January 1 and December 31, 1998. Employees who were not rated during the period will receive the payment.

NOTE: Employees who retire under the provisions of the 1998 Retirement Incentive Program, but who were separated from service within 30 days prior to April 1, 1999, and who would have otherwise qualified for the payment are eligible to receive it.

Continuous service, as used in determining eligibility for the lump sum payment, is paid service (including part-time annual-salaried service and sick leave at half pay) or time on Workers’ Compensation leave or Military leave without pay.

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

  1. Employees who have continuously occupied the same position without any break in service must have been at the maximum salary of the grade on April 1, 1994 to qualify for the 5-year longevity and April 1, 1989 for the 10-year longevity. For employees who have had breaks in service, any service prior to the above dates during which the employee was receiving a salary equal to or in excess of the maximum can be counted towards the 5 or 10 year requirement.
  2. Employees who received a performance advance to bring their salary to the job rate on July 1, 1979 or July 1, 1980 and who were active on the payroll for the entire period from April 1 to June 30, 1979 or 1980 receive credit for that 3 months.
  3. Employees who occupied a higher grade position at any time in the past receive credit for all service during which they earned a salary which was equal to or above the maximum of the grade of the position which they occupied on March 31, 1999.
  4. Employees who were receiving a salary equal to or above the maximum of the grade who upon promotion to a higher grade received a salary equal to or above the maximum of the new grade receive credit for all service in the promotion position and the prior position during which they were receiving a salary equal to or above the maximum of the lower grade.
  5. Employees who were promoted from a position which, subsequent to April 1, 1987 was reallocated, who were receiving a salary equal to or above the job rate of their former lower grade position and following the reallocation, their former and current positions are allocated to the same grade and their salary in the promoted position is at the job rate, receive combined credit for all service following the promotion and for all service in the previous position during which their salary was equal to or above the job rate of the lower grade.
  6. Employees who were receiving a salary equal to or above the maximum salary of the grade whose positions have been reallocated, whose resulting salary was below the job rate of the new grade but whose salary on March 31, 1999 is at the job rate, receive credit for all service subsequent to the reallocation and for all service in the position prior to reallocation during which their salary was equal to or above the maximum salary of the lower grade.
  7. Former Institution Teachers whose positions were reclassified to Developmental Specialist and who were receiving a salary equal to or above the maximum salary of the lower grade, whose salary following reclassification was below the job rate of the new grade, but whose salary on March 31, 1999 is at the job rate receive credit for all service subsequent to the reclassification and for all service prior to the reclassification during which their salary was equal to or greater than the maximum of the lower grade.
  8. Employees who previously held the position of Pharmacist I who were receiving a salary equal to or above the job rate of grade 17, whose salary on promotion to the newly-established position of Pharmacist II fell below the job rate of grade 18, but whose salary on March 31, 1999 is at the job rate of grade 18, receive credit for all grade 18 service subsequent to the promotion and for all service during which their salary was equal to or above the maximum of grade 17.
  9. Institutions Teachers paid over 10 months (pay basis code 21P) are not on the payroll in July and August. However, these employees receive credit for a full year of continuous service if they were on the payroll for 10 months. Their service will be reduced only for periods when they were not paid between September 1 and June 30.
The following employees will become eligible for Longevity LSP upon processing of the performance Advances in Period #1L, 1999.

Employees who are occupying positions that have been reallocated in recent years, whose salary was equal to or above the job rate of the lower grade and whose salary, upon application of April 1, 1999 performance advance, reaches the job rate of the reallocated grade, are entitled to the credit described in Rule 6 on Page 2 of this Bulletin. (These employees are increment code ‘01' and OSC will automatically enter ‘1999' as the maximum year on the payroll. When processing the Longevity LSP, enter the correct maximum year.)

The following employees will become eligible for the Longevity LSP during 1999-2000.
  1. Employees who otherwise qualify but are on an approved leave of absence without pay or on a preferred list on March 31, 1999 and who return from such leave between April 1, 1999 and March 31, 2000 are eligible for the payment. There is no minimum service requirement following the employee’s return to active payroll status.
  2. Demotion after March 31, 1999 - Employees who are not eligible for the payment become eligible if they return to a lower grade position between April 1, 1999 and March 31, 2000 in which they would otherwise have been eligible, if they had been in the lower grade position on March 31, 1999 and remain in the lower grade position for at least 6 payroll periods
    • AND
  1. the promotion was temporary and the employee has been reinstated to his or her previous position or appointed to another lower grade qualifying position
    • OR
  2. the promotion was permanent, but the demotion occurred
    1. in lieu of layoff
    2. voluntarily during the probationary period
    3. as a result of failure of a probationary period

Employees demoted as a result of disciplinary action or who take a voluntary demotion from a permanent position after the completion of the probationary period are not eligible for the payment.

DETERMINING MAXIMUM SALARIES

In 1980 and 1981 for all grades and 1986 and 1987 for grades 001-017, the job rates on the PS&T Salary Schedules were increased by an amount greater than the percentage increases. These increases do not affect eligibility for the longevity LSP for employees who were receiving a salary at or above the job rate prior to the effective dates of the new schedules and who advanced to the new job rate on the date they were next eligible for a performance advance.

AMOUNT OF LONGEVITY LUMP SUM PAYMENT

The longevity lump sum payment is a one-time lump sum payment which is included as salary for retirement purposes. It is also included in the calculation of overtime compensation (refer to "OVERTIME COMPENSATION", Part III, Page 1 of your Salary Manual). The amount of the longevity payment for 1999 is to be included in the calculation of overtime compensation that is earned from April 22, 1999 through April 19, 2000 for Institution agencies and April 29, 1999 through April 26, 2000 for Administrative agencies.

The amount of the longevity payment is $1,250 for 5 years at the job rate or $2,500 for 10 years at job rate or a pro-rated amount, as appropriate, as described below.

  1. Employees who are full-time on March 31, 1999 and full-time employees who are on leave with partial pay or on Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule (VRWS) receive the full payment.
  2. Employees who are part-time on March 31, 1999 receive a pro-rated payment based upon their part-time percentage on March 31.
  3. Part-time employees who, on March 31, 1999 are on leave with partial pay receive a pro-rated payment based upon their regular part-time percentage prior to the leave.

PREPARATION FOR PAYMENT

Agencies will receive a preliminary listing of employees who are eligible for the Longevity LSP. The listing will be sent to you during the first week of March. Review the listing carefully, especially for employees who are ineligible because they received "unsatisfactory"ratings between January 1 and December 31, 1998.

Corrections to the preliminary listing should be submitted on the form which is attached to this Bulletin. (Duplicate this form if you need additional copies.) For employees who do not appear on the listing or for whom you disagree with the OSC determination, enter the correct information on the Correction Sheet.

You must also add employees in N.S. positions which are equated to grades who are eligible. If the equated grade is not listed on the Budget Certificate, you must submit available documentation along with the Correction Sheet.

Employees who separated under the 1998 Retirement Incentive Program, will appear on the eligible lists. These employees will not receive an automatic payment. You must add them to your correction sheet or enter a transaction in a subsequent payroll period to pay these employees. Previously reallocated employees who attain eligibility upon payment of the performance advancement to the job rate in Period 1L of this year, will not appear on the preliminary listing. If these employees do not receive an automatic payment, you must submit a transaction in a subsequent payroll to pay these employees.

These corrections should be submitted as soon as possible and must be received no later than March 19, 1999. Submit corrections to the following address:

Office of the State Comptroller
Bureau of State Payroll Services
Salary Determination Unit - 8th floor
A.E. Smith State Office Building
Albany, NY 12236

WITHHOLDING TAXES AND PAY STUB

The longevity payment will be paid in a separate check dated April 22, 1999 for Institution agencies and April 28, 1999 for Administration agencies. A listing identifying employees who received the payment automatically will be sent to the agencies. Deductions will be taken for Federal, State, New York City and Yonkers City taxes, Social Security/Medicare, retirement normal contributions, garnishees and Federal levies. There will be no special tax calculations. For employees receiving the payment who have an additional tax amount in their record, the additional tax will also be included in the tax calculation for this payment.

The earnings code LLS and the amount will print on the regular payroll register and also on the separate pay stub.

PAYMENTS TO EMPLOYEES NOT PAID AUTOMATICALLY

To pay an eligible employee after the automatic payment has been paid, use the Additional Pay Panel:

Earnings Code LLS
Effective Date Enter eligibility date*
OT Effective Date Same as effective date
Annual Additional Earnings Payment Amount
Earn End Date 04192000 (Institution)
04262000 (Administration)

*If an Institution agency was entering a transaction in period 2L for an employee who returned to the payroll on April 8, 1999, the effective date should be 04081999. For an Administration agency entering in Period 2L for an employee who returned to the payroll on April 15, 1999, the date should be 04151999.

This payment will create a separate check regardless of when it is paid. There will be no direct deposit for this payment. The separate check will be issued along with the employee’s regular check or direct deposit for the check date submitted.

NEED HELP?

Questions on this bulletin may be directed to the Salary Determination Unit at (518) 486-3096.