Purpose

To explain OSC’s automatic processing and to provide agencies with instructions for payments not processed automatically.

Background

Pursuant to Chapter 15 of the Laws of 2012 which implements the agreement between New York State and PBANYS (BU31) and provides for increases to certain payments for those employees covered by the agreement.

The agreement also provided for general salary increases, other increases to base salary and Longevity Pay payments which were previously implemented in March 2012. (Payroll Bulletin #1141)

Affected Employees

Agency Police Services Unit (APSU) in BU 31 in the following titles:

Environmental Conservation Officer Trainee 1
Environmental Conservation Officer Trainee 2
Environmental Conservation Officer Trainee 1 (SPL)
Environmental Conservation Officer Trainee 2 (SPL)
Environmental Conservation Officer
Environmental Conservation Officer (SPL)
Supervising Environmental Conservation Officer
Chief Environmental Conservation Officer
Park Patrol Officer Trainee
Park Patrol Officer Trainee (SPL)
Park Patrol Officer
Park Patrol Officer (SPL)
Sergeant Park Patrol
Lieutenant Park Patrol
Captain Park Patrol
University Police Officer 1
University Police Officer 1 (SPL)
University Police Officer 2
Forest Ranger 1
Forest Ranger 2
Forest Ranger 3
Environmental Conservation Investigator 1
Environmental Conservation Investigator 2
Environmental Conservation Investigator 3
Environmental Conservation Investigator 4
University Police Investigator 1
University Police Investigator 2

Note: Environmental Conservation Investigator 4 was reallocated and designated as BU 31 from Management Confidential BU06 effective 4/3/08. Employees in this title on or after 4/3/08 are eligible for the retroactive increases from this date forward.

Effective Date(s)

Payment of the increases to Additional Pay will be made based on an employee’s current department and pay cycle in paychecks dated 6/20/12 (Administration) and 6/28/12 (Institution).

Payment of the adjustment to Uniform Allowance and/ or Clothing Allowance will be made in a separate check dated 6/20/12 (Administration) regardless of an employee’s current pay cycle.

Note: All Agency Police Services Unit (APSU) positions are on the Administration Lag and Extra Lag payrolls. However, there are employees currently on the Institution Lag and Extra Lag payrolls that will receive their respective retroactive increases due to prior service in an eligible position.

Contract Provisions and Eligibility

Location Pay (LOC)

The legislation provides for an increase to Location Pay for employees in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, or Rockland Counties in the following amounts:

Supplemental Location Pay (SUP)

The legislation provides for an increase to Supplemental Location Pay for employees in New York City or the counties of Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk in the following amounts:

For Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties:

For New York City and Rockland and Westchester Counties:

For Nassau and Suffolk counties:

Inconvenience Pay (IPF)

The legislation provides for an increase to Inconvenience Pay in the following amounts:

Security Enforcement Differential (SED)

The legislation provides for an increase to Security Enforcement Differential in the following amounts:

Expanded Duty Pay (EXD)

The legislation provides for an increase to Expanded Duty Pay in the following amount:

Uniform Allowance (UA1)

The legislation provides for an increase to Uniform Allowance in the following amounts:

Clothing Allowance (CA1)

The legislation provides for an increase to Clothing Allowance in the following amounts:

OSC Actions

Increases to Payments in Additional Pay

OSC will automatically insert a row or update an existing row on the Additional Pay page for those employees receiving the payments described below.

For employees who have the following Additional Pay rows who have subsequently become ineligible due to movement out of BU 31, OSC will insert a new Additional Pay row at the previous amount on the effective the date of the position change.

Location Pay

For employees who are in an eligible title on or after the effective date of the payment and have an existing LOC row OSC will insert or update the LOC row on the Additional Pay page as noted below.

Inconvenience Pay

For employees who are in an eligible title on or after the effective date of the payment and have an existing IPF row, OSC will insert or update the IPF row on the Additional Pay page as noted below.

Security Enforcement Differential

For employees who are in an eligible title on or after the effective date of the payment and have an existing SED row, OSC will insert or update the SED row on the Additional Pay page as noted below.

Note: Effective 3/31/11 the value of SED increased to $1,550, was added to the base salary of annual-salaried employees and eliminated as a separate payment. This change was implemented in March 2012 when the general salary increases were processed.

Increases to Payments in Time Entry

OSC will automatically insert an adjustment in the Time Entry page to pay the difference between the amount received as Uniform Allowance (UA1) or Clothing Allowance (CA1) and the new Allowance for eligible employees, Uniform Allowance (UA1).

OSC will automatically insert an adjustment in Time Entry using the Earn Code UA1 for the increases in the 2005, 2006, 2007. 2008, 2009 and 2010 Uniform Allowance payments for eligible employees. The Earnings Begin Dates, Earnings End Dates and Department ID will be the same as the original payment on Time Entry.

Employees who received a prorated Uniform Allowance payment will receive a prorated amount of the applicable adjustment.

The paycheck for all payments will be distributed to the employee’s current or most recent agency.

Note: Effective 3/31/11 the value of UA1 increased to $1,075, was added to the base salary of annual-salaried employees and eliminated as a separate payment. This change was implemented in March 2012 when the general salary increases were processed.

All retroactive adjustments for the Uniform Allowance will be paid in a separate check. There will be no direct deposit for this payment.

Clothing Allowance (CA1)

OSC will automatically insert an adjustment in Time Entry using the Earn Code CA1 for the increases in the 2005, 2006, 2007. 2008, 2009 and 2010 Clothing Allowance payments for eligible employees. The Earnings Begin Dates, Earnings End Dates and Department ID will be the same as the original payment on Time Entry.

Employees who received a prorated Clothing Allowance payment will receive a prorated amount of the applicable adjustment.

The paycheck for all payments will be distributed to the employee’s current or most recent agency.

*Note: Effective 3/31/11 the value of CA1 increased to $1,475, of which $1,075 was added to the base salary of annual-salaried employees. A separate annual Clothing Allowance payment will continue in the amount of $400. This change was implemented in March 2012 when the general salary increases were processed.

All retroactive adjustments for the Clothing Allowance will be paid in a separate check. There will be no direct deposit for this payment.

Note: Employees who received payment for Uniform Allowance using Earnings Code MA2 (Police Clothing Maintenance Allowance) will receive the adjustment (s) using Earnings Code UA1 and employees who received payment for Clothing Allowance using PCA (Police Clothing Allowance) will receive the adjustment(s) using Earnings Code CA1.

OSC Actions – Recalculation of Military Stipends

When the increases to base salary and longevity pay were processed in March 2012, the recalculation of Military Stipends was postponed until the implementation of the increases to Location Pay. The previously paid salary increases and the increases to Location Pay will result in an increase to Military Stipends for employees who have received paid stipends during the raise periods. The increases also may result in employees becoming eligible to receive a stipend if the employee's new NYS salary now exceeds their Military salary. OSC will recalculate paid Military Stipends and determine whether an employee now is eligible to receive a paid Military Stipend.

• For employees who received a stipend, the increase in biweekly stipend will be updated on the Job Data record by inserting a new row with the Action/Reason of Pay Rate Change/Military Stipend Change (PAY/MSC) to reflect the new biweekly stipend amount beginning with the date the employee was entitled to the increased stipend and for each affected subsequent row.
• For employees who did not receive a stipend but became eligible for a stipend because of the increased salary, OSC will insert a row in the Job Data page with the Action/Reason of Paid Leave of Absence/Military Stipend PLA/MLS) beginning the date the employee is entitled to the stipend. A row will be inserted in the Job Data page with the Action/Reason of Pay Rate Change/Military Stipend Change (PAY/MSC) for each affected subsequent row. A row will be entered in the Time Entry page using the Earn Code MSP to pay the stipend for each pay period the employee is eligible.
• Any additional adjustment that is required due to the change in stipend that will not be calculated automatically by the retro process will be reported by OSC in the Time Entry page using the Earn Code AMS.

Automatic Retroactive Processing

OSC will automatically calculate retroactive payments resulting from the above increases.

For eligible employees who have worked in more than one (1) agency and have been paid by all agencies using the same Employee Record Number since the effective date of the increases, all retroactive adjustments will be paid in the most current agency.

For eligible employees who have worked in more than one (1) agency and have been paid from more than one (1) Employee Record Number since the effective date of the increases, the retroactive adjustment for earnings in each Employee Record Number will be paid in the most current agency, on the appropriate pay cycle, under each Employee Record Number.

Retroactive Adjustments for Additional Pay and Time Entry Earnings

Time Entry earn codes that are calculated based on an employee’s salary rate and additional salary factors such as Overtime (OTA) and Holiday Pay (HPA) will be automatically adjusted.

Pre-Shift Briefing (PS1) paid in Additional Pay also will be automatically adjusted due to the above increases.

Agency Actions for Retroactive Processing Beginning Pay Period 5L

Reporting Retroactive Adjustments

Time Entry earnings submitted with an amount will not be adjusted automatically. Therefore, beginning in the pay period the increases are processed (Pay Period 5L) the agency must report the adjustments when the following earn codes were used to report earnings on or after the effective date of the payments.

Reporting An Adjustment When Automatic Retroactive Adjustment Is Incorrect

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 these conditions and, if required, must submit the necessary adjustment of earnings in the Time Entry page, using the Earn Code AJR and appropriate Begin and End Dates.

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.

• If an employee had a check returned or exchanged on an AC-230 for service dates on or after the effective date of the increase, the payroll system does not consider the AC-230 when calculating the automatic retroactive adjustment. Therefore, the agency should review the automatic retroactive adjustment and determine the amount of the adjustment to be reported.
• If RGS was previously submitted using a date range that exceeded the number of days reported the payroll 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 overtime, will be calculated incorrectly if the dates previously reported as a single entry on the Time Entry page overlap the effective date of a salary increase. The payroll system will calculate an adjustment for all earnings reported in the single entry based on the salary in effect on the Earnings End Date. Therefore, the agency must submit the necessary adjustment to reduce the automatic payment.
• For employees who had a Job Action or Additional Pay change reported since the effective date of the increases and the action reported resulted in an overpayment of earnings, the automatic negative retroactive adjustment may not have been processed because the overpayment was either not recoverable or recoverable using the overpayment earn code or the AC-230. In this case, the negative retroactive adjustment may be re-generated when the automatic increases are processed. OSC will manually turn off (not process) the automatic negative adjustment for these employees, since in most cases, the overpayment was either not recoverable or recovered using another method. The agency is responsible for reviewing employees who meet these conditions to determine if an additional adjustment is required.

Agencies must use the Earn Code AJR (Adjust Raise) on the Time Entry page to report the retroactive changes due to the implementation of the salary increases.

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:

Tax Administration

This payment is subject to all income and employment withholding taxes. Income taxes will be calculated using the current marital status and withholding allowances(s) in the employee’s tax data record. If there is an additional tax amount indicated in the employee's tax data record, the additional tax will be deducted from both the regular paycheck and the separate paycheck.

Undeliverable Paychecks

Inactive employees may be eligible for a payment as a result of the salary 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 check 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.

Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice

All retroactive adjustments will be displayed on the payroll register and the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice.

Questions

Questions related to eligibility and payment may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.

Questions related to Deductions may be directed to the Payroll Deductions mailbox.

Questions related to Tax Withholdings may be directed to the Tax and Compliance mailbox.