Purpose
The purpose of this bulletin is to inform agencies of OSC’s automatic processing of the April 2021 UCS Longevity Bonus (JLO) and provide instructions for payments not processed automatically.
Affected Employees
Employees in the following Bargaining Units: F8, G9, SA, SD, SG, SK, SN, DR, S9, SR, or SY who meet the eligibility criteria on 04/01/2021 may be eligible to receive the 2021 Longevity Bonus.
Annual employees in Bargaining Units 86, 88, or CT, who are in salary grade 560, who meet the eligibility criteria on 04/01/2021, may be eligible to receive the 2021 Longevity Bonus.
Background
Chapter 71 of the Laws of 2018, which implemented the various agreements between the Unified Court System of the State of New York and the affected bargaining units (Bargaining Units DR, F8, G9, SA, SD, SG, SK, SN, SR, SY, or S9) provides for a Longevity Bonus for all eligible members.
The April 2016 memorandum from the Chief Administrative Judge instructs that unallocated (non-graded), unrepresented employees will continue to receive the Longevity Bonus (JLO).
In addition, employees must have completed at least 20 years of continuous service, 25 years of continuous service or 30 years of continuous service in the UCS as of 03/31/2021; served the equivalent of 120 work days in each fiscal year and had a performance rating other than “Unsatisfactory” to be eligible for a Longevity Bonus Payment in April 2021.
Effective Dates
The April 2021 UCS Longevity Bonus will be paid using the following effective date and check date:
| Pay Cycle/Pay Period Type | Payment Effective Date | Check Date |
|---|---|---|
| Administration 1 Lag | 04/01/2021 | 04/28/2021 |
Eligibility Criteria
Employees who have at least 20 years of continuous service in the UCS as of 03/31/2021 are eligible for the April 2021 UCS Longevity Bonus provided the employee:
- Is in an eligible bargaining unit on 04/01/2021; and
- Has a Payroll Status of Active, Leave With Pay not due to a COVID-19 Leave (action reason codes PLA/19F, PLA/19P or PLA/FMC), or Leave of Absence due to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or an Unpaid Military Stipend Leave on 04/01/2021; and
- Has a Pay Basis Code of ANN or BIW (only if the employee is on a Paid Military Stipend Leave) on 04/01/2021; and
- Has completed at least 20 years of continuous service in the UCS as of 3/31/2021; and
- Has completed 120 full work days in each fiscal year; and
- Received a performance rating of at least “Satisfactory” for service during the previous year in each fiscal year.
The following employees will become eligible for the April 2021 JLO payment during 2021-2021:
Paid COVID-19 Leave or Leave of Absence on 04/01/2021: An employee who otherwise qualifies for the April 2021 JLO payment but is on an approved Leave with Pay due to COVID-19 or on an approved Leave of Absence (other than Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave) on 04/01/2021 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll between 04/01/2021 and 03/31/2022.
OSC Actions
OSC will process the April 2021 UCS Longevity Bonus for those employees who meet the eligibility criteria and have a Payroll Status of Active or Leave With Pay (except for Paid COVID-19 Leaves) on 04/01/2021 by inserting a row on the employee’s Additional Pay page as shown below:
| Earnings Code: | JLO |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | 04/01/2021 |
| OT Eff Date: | Same as Effective Date |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | See Payment Amount below |
| End Date: | 03/30/2022 |
Payment Amount
The payment amount is determined by years served in the UCS. Employees will be paid based on the PayServ Anniversary Date on the Job Data page as shown:
| Years of Service | Anniversary Dates | Payment Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 20 – 24 years | 04/01/1996 through 03/31/2001 | $2,100 |
| 25 – 29 years | 04/01/1991 through 03/31/1996 | $2,200 |
| 30 or more years | 4/1/1991 and earlier | $2,300 |
Active employees (including employees on a Leave With Pay (except COVID-19 Leaves) or Paid Military Stipend Leave) will receive the amount based on the employee’s Anniversary Date multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page in effect on 04/01/2021.
Agency Actions- Payments Not Processed Automatically
Eligible employees who have a Payroll Status as described below on the payment effective date will not be processed automatically. Therefore, agencies must submit the following information on the Additional Pay page using Earnings Code JLO. The JLO payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing.
Leave of Absence due to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave (Action/Reason code of Leave of Absence/WDL, MLL or MLS): Transactions should be submitted in Administration Pay Period 1L.
| Earnings Code: | JLO |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | 04/01/2021 |
| OT Eff Date: | 04/01/2021 |
| Annual Addl Earnings | Payment Amount (See OSC Actions) |
| End Date: | 03/30/2022 |
Paid Leave of Absence for COVID-19 Leave or Leave of Absence on 04/01/2020: An employee who otherwise qualifies for the April 2021 JLO payment but is on an approved Leave With Pay due to COVID-19 or on an approved Leave of Absence (other than Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave) on 04/01/2021 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll between 04/01/2021 and 03/31/2022. Transactions should be submitted in the pay period they return from leave; the effective date of the JLO should be the same as the return from leave date.
| Earnings Code: | JLO |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | Date of return from leave |
| OT Eff Date: | Same as effective date |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | Payment Amount (See OSC Actions) |
| End Date: | 03/30/2022 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information) |
Ineligible for Longevity Bonus
Employees with an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation on their last rating date are ineligible to receive the April 2021 UCS Longevity Bonus. The agency must submit a list of ineligible employees to OSC to have the JLO transaction deleted.
Time Entry
To report miscellaneous earnings that are automatically calculated by the system (e.g. overtime), agencies must separate earnings by pay period so the earnings will not overlap the effective date of the Longevity Bonus.
Control-D Reports Available After Processing
The following Control-D report will be available for agency review after the payments have been processed. All reports will be sorted by Department ID, then by employee name in alphabetical order.
NPAY770 – One Time Payment Report
This report identifies all employees who received the April 2021 UCS Longevity Bonus effective 04/01/2021.
Overtime Calculation Information
The April 2021 JLO payment is included in the calculation of overtime compensation (refer to the Online Payroll Manual accessed from the PayServ Bulletin Board – Payroll Manuals > Earnings Manual > Time Entry Payments > Overtime Compensation). The 2021 JLO 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 JLO.
If an employee is appointed to an ineligible position effective after receiving the April 2021 JLO payment, the payment cannot be included in the compensation calculation of any overtime earned on or 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 JLO 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 Longevity Bonus Payment is not part of the basic annual salary, but it is considered pensionable earnings.
Tax Information
The Judicial Longevity Bonus Payment is supplemental taxable income and will be included in the employee’s taxable gross subject to employment taxes and income taxes.
Federal, State and New York City income tax withholding will be calculated using the Aggregate method. Yonkers income tax withholding will be calculated using the Flat Rate method. Yonkers Flat Rate Withholding is 1.61135% for Yonkers residents and 0.50% for Yonkers non-residents.
Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice:
The Earnings Code JLO and the amount paid will be displayed on the Payroll Register. The Earnings Description Judicial Longevity and the amount paid will appear on the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice.
Questions
Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.
Questions regarding retirement may be directed to the Payroll Retirement mailbox.
Questions regarding withholding taxes may be directed to the Tax and Compliance mailbox.