State Agencies Bulletin No. 1733

Subject
April 2019 Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) 2% Salary Increase
Date Issued
March 26, 2019

Purpose

To inform agencies of OSC’s automatic processing of the April 2019 CSEA Salary Increase and provide instructions for payments not processed automatically

Affected Employees

Employees in the following bargaining units who meet the eligibility criteria:

  • Administrative Services
  • Operational Services
  • Institutional Services
  • Division of Military and Naval Affairs

BU02

BU03

BU04

BU47

Background

Chapter 165 of the Laws of 2017, which implemented the 2016-2021 Agreements between the State of New York and the CSEA, provides for a salary increase of two percent (2.00%) for fiscal year 2019-2020 and includes the April 1, 2019 CSEA Salary Schedule.

Per the CSEA Agreement, seasonal hourly employees who received an increase to minimum wage are eligible to receive the 2% salary increase provided the increase to minimum wage did not result in a wage increase higher than the negotiated increase. These employees will require additional agency review.

Effective Date(s)

The April 2019 CSEA 2% Salary Increase will be paid using the following effective dates and check dates:

Pay Cycle/Pay Period Type Payment Effective Date Check Date
Institution Lag 03/28/2019 04/25/2019
Institution Extra Lag 04/04/2019 05/09/2019
Administration Lag 04/04/2019 05/01/2019
Administration Extra Lag 03/28/2019 05/01/2019

Eligibility Criteria

The following employees are eligible to receive the April 2019 CSEA 2% Salary Increase:

  • Employees with a Pay Basis Code of HRY (Grade 600 or 800)
  • Employees with a Pay Basis Code of ANN who are in a traineeship (Grade 800)
  • Employees with a Pay Basis Code of ANN who are in an NS position (Grade 600)
  • Employees with a Pay Basis Code of ANN who are in an NS position (Grade 600) which is equated to a grade (Grade 001-025)
  • Employees with a Pay Basis Code of ANN who are in a graded position (Grade 001-025)

Note: The Payroll System is unable to differentiate between seasonal and non-seasonal hourly positions. Hourly employees with an hourly rate that is equal to or less than $15.00 on or after the payment effective date will not be processed automatically and will require agency review to determine payment eligibility.

If an employee is in a seasonal hourly position and the hourly rate is equal to one of the minimum wage rates in effect on the effective date of the CSEA 2% Salary Increase for April 2019 (See Effective Dates listed above), then the employee may not be eligible to receive the increase. Seasonal employees who receive an increase to minimum wage are eligible to receive the salary increase provided the increase to minimum wage did not result in a wage increase higher than the negotiated increase.

Hourly employees who are not in seasonal hourly positions are eligible for the increases but will not be processed automatically if their hourly rate is equal to or less than $15.00.

Agencies must determine eligibility and submit appropriate Pay Rate Changes for eligible employees with hourly rates equal to or less than $15.00. (See sections: Control D Report Available Prior to Processing and Agency Actions – Beginning Institution or Administration Pay Period 1L.)

Employees with a Pay Basis Code of FEE are not eligible for the salary increase unless the employee is budgeted as per diem but is paid using FEE.

Control-D Report Available Prior to Processing

The following Control-D report will be available for agency use on 03/28/2019 (Institution) and 04/04/2019 (Administration). This will give agencies time to correct employees’ records, if necessary, prior to the automatic processing of the April 2019 CSEA 2% Salary Increase. The report will be sorted by Department ID, then by employee name in alphabetical order.

NHRP709 – Mass Salary Increase Exception Report

This report is a preliminary listing of employees who appear ineligible to receive the April 2019 Salary Increase based on information available as of the date the report is produced. Included on the report is one or more of the following messages which identifies the reason(s) the employee’s record will not be updated:

  • NYS Position Has Both Equated Grade and NTE – if the employee’s Grade on the Position Data page (based on the NYS Position Number) is equal to 600 and a value exists in both the Equated to Grade field and the Approved Salary Rate field
  • Position and Job do not match – if the Position Number equals the NYS Position Number on the employee’s Job Data page but the Bargaining Unit, Salary Administration Plan or Grade on the Job Data page and the Position Data page are not equal
  • Increment Code Missing – if the Grade on the Position Data page (based on the NYS Position Number) is equal to 001-025 or 600 with a value of 001-025 in the Equated to Grade field, and the Pay Basis Code is ANN and the increment code on the employee’s Job Data page is blank or ‘0000’
  • Increment Code Invalid – if the Grade on the Position Data page (based on the NYS Position Number) is equal to 001-025 or 600 with a value of 001-025 in the Equated to Grade field, and the Pay Basis Code is ANN and the increment code on the employee’s Job Data page is other than 0001, 0003, 0004, 1001, 1003, 1004, 0069, 2222, 7777, 19XX, 20XX, XX10
  • Increment Code Requires Manual Calculation – if the increment code on the employee’s Job Data page is 2222
  • Sal Below Hiring Rate – if the Grade on the Position Data page (based on the NYS Position Number) is equal to 001-025 or 600 with a value of 001-025 in the Equated to Grade field, and the Pay Basis Code is ANN and the employee’s salary on any of the Job Data rows being evaluated is less than the Hiring Rate for the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule
  • Empl Req Review to Determine if Elig for Incr – if hourly employee’s compensation rate is equal to or less than $15.00

If an employee appears on this report but is due a salary increase, the agency must take the following action:

  • Submit the appropriate transaction(s) on the Job Action Requests page to correct the information on the Job Data row(s). If the row(s) is corrected prior to Administration or Institution Pay Period 1, the automatic salary increase will be processed.

Submit a Position Change Request to the Position Management Unit if the position information is incorrect on the Position Data page in PayServ but is correct in NYSTEP. The position will be updated to reflect the change and the automatic salary increase will be processed provided the agency’s position request contains the same information as the position information in NYSTEP.

Agency Actions – Administration or Institution Pay Period 1

The following procedures must be used by the agency when submitting transactions in Institution or Administration Pay Period 1:

For pay changes, position changes, and transfers requested on the Job Action Requests or Transfer Requests page with an effective date on or before 03/28/2019 (Institution) or 04/04/2019 (Administration):

  • The agency must not include the April 2019 CSEA 2% Salary Increase or Performance Advance, if applicable, in the salary reported in the Pay Rate field. The 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule must be used to calculate the salary.
  • The agency must report the proper increment code for April 2019 in the Incr. Code field.

For pay changes, position changes and transfers requested on the Job Action Requests or Transfer Requests page with an effective date after 03/28/2019 (Institution) or 04/04/2019 (Administration):

  • The agency must not include the April 2019 CSEA 2% Salary Increase in the salary reported in the Pay Rate field but must include the April 2019 CSEA Performance Advance from the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, if applicable.
  • The agency must report the projected increment code based on the employee’s next performance advance cycle in the Incr. Code field.

Administration Agencies Only

New Hire transactions submitted in Administration Pay Period 1 must use the Hiring Rate of the employee’s grade on the effective date from the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule. Since the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule is loaded in PayServ as part of processing for the Institution cycle, the agency will receive the automatic validation salary warning message, “Requested salary rate must be at the hiring rate when Action of PAY and Reason of NEW is used”. Please ignore this warning message.

OSC Actions

OSC will process the April 2019 CSEA 2% Salary Increase for the following employees:

  • If the employee meets the eligibility criteria and has a Payroll Status of Active, Leave With Pay, or Leave of Absence due to a Workers’ Compensation Leave (Action/Reason code of Leave of Absence/WCL, WDL or WPS) on the payment effective date, OSC will automatically insert a row on the employee’s Job Data page effective 03/28/2019 (Institution) or 04/04/2019 (Administration) using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/SAC (Mass Salary Increase).
  • If the employee meets the eligibility criteria but has a Payroll Status of Terminated, Retired, or Leave of Absence (not related to a Workers’ Compensation Leave) on the payment effective date and returns to Active status in an eligible position in Administration or Institution Pay Period 1 but after the payment effective date, OSC will automatically insert a row on the employee’s Job Data page using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CSL (Correct Salary) if the Pay Basis Code is ANN; or the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CRT (Change Rate) if the Pay Basis Code is HRY. The row will be inserted using the effective date of the Rehire or Return from Leave action.
  • If the employee is newly hired or transfers into an eligible position in Administration or Institution Pay Period 1 but after the payment effective date, OSC will automatically insert a row on the employee’s Job Data page using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CSL (Correct Salary) if the Pay Basis Code is ANN; or the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CRT (Change Rate) if the Pay Basis Code is HRY. The row will be inserted using the effective date of the Hire, Position Change or Transfer action.
  • OSC will automatically insert a row on the employee’s Job Data page using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CSL (Correct Salary) if the Pay Basis Code is ANN; or the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CRT (Change Rate) if the Pay Basis Code is HRY for all subsequent rows provided the employee remains in an eligible position.

Calculating the New Compensation Rate

The salary on each inserted row will be calculated as follows:

  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of HRY and a Grade equal to 600 or 800, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest cent.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN and a Grade equal to 600 (not equated to a grade) or 800, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN, a Grade equal to 600 with an equated grade equal to 001-025 and Increment Code 0069, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN, a Grade equal to 001-025 and Increment Code 0069, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN, a Grade equal to 600 with an equated grade equal to 001-025, and an increment code other than 0069 or 2222, and the salary is equal to a salary step of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/18 Salary Schedule, OSC will automatically increase the salary to the same salary step on the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN, a Grade equal to 600 with an equated grade equal to 001-025, and an increment code other than 0069 or 2222, and the salary is not equal to a salary step of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/18 Salary Schedule, OSC will process as follows:
    • If the salary is less than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar. If the resulting salary is greater than the Job Rate based on the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule, OSC will reduce the salary to the Job Rate.
    • If the salary is greater than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar OR increase the salary to the Job Rate based on the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule, whichever is greater.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN, a Grade equal to 001-025, and an increment code other than 0069 or 2222, and the salary is equal to a salary step of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, OSC will automatically increase the salary to the same salary step on the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule.
  • If the employee has a Pay Basis Code of ANN, a Grade equal to 001-025, and an increment code other than 0069 or 2222, and the salary is not equal to a salary step of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, OSC will process as follows:
    • If the salary is less than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar. If the resulting salary is greater than the Job Rate based on the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule, OSC will reduce the salary to the Job Rate.
    • If the salary is greater than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade on the effective date based on the 04/01/2018 Salary Schedule, OSC will automatically increase the salary by applying 2.00% rounded to the nearest dollar OR increase the salary to the Job Rate based on the 04/01/2019 Salary Schedule, whichever is greater.

Exceptions

Employees in a composite position (identified by Increment Code 2222) will not be processed automatically.

Employees that have an hourly compensation rate that is equal to or less than $15.00.

Control-D Reports Available After Processing

The following Control-D reports will be available for agency review after the automatic increases have been processed. All reports will be sorted by Department ID, then by employee name in alphabetical order.

NHRP704 – Mass Salary Increase Report

This report identifies all employees who received the automatic April 2019 Salary Increase and includes all employees’ salaries that were increased in an eligible bargaining unit.

NHRP709 – Mass Salary Increase Exception Report

This report identifies employees who did not receive the automatic April 2019 Salary Increase. Included on the report is one or more of the following messages which identifies the reason(s) the employee’s record was not updated:

  • NYS Position Has Both Equated Grade and NTE
  • Position and Job do not match
  • Increment Code Missing
  • Increment Code Invalid
  • Increment Code Requires Manual Calculation
  • Sal Below Hiring Rate
  • Empl Req Review to Determine if Elig for Incr (See Control-D Report Available Prior to Processing for an explanation of these messages.)

Agency Actions – Beginning Administration or Institution Pay Period 2

Employees Who Receive an Increased Hiring Rate in Institution or Administration Pay Period 1

Employees who receive an Increased Hiring Rate on or after the payment effective date may not be entitled to have the increase applied to their entire salary. OSC will manually update the salaries after the automatic increase is applied. If any additional corrections are needed, agencies should submit transactions as soon as possible in order to avoid an overpayment to the employee.

Composite Positions

Beginning in Institution and Administration Pay Period 2, agencies must review employees in composite positions (identified by Increment Code 2222) and submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Requests page using the appropriate Reason code (see below) to pay the salary increase. Information regarding the composite position must be included on the General Comments page.

Employees Not Processed Automatically

Beginning in Administration or Institution Pay Period 2L, agencies may submit the appropriate transaction(s) for the following employees who are eligible on the payment effective date but will not be processed automatically. Refer to the appropriate instructions described below:

  • Reason code SAC (Mass Salary Increase) – for transactions effective on 03/28/2019 (Institution) or 04/04/2019 (Administration)
  • Reason code CSL (Correct Salary) – for transactions effective after 03/28/2019 (Institution) or 04/04/2019 (Administration)

Questions

Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.

Questions regarding position change requests may be directed to the Position Management mailbox.