State Agencies Bulletin No. 1925

Subject
April 2020 Management/Confidential (M/C) Retroactive Longevity Lump Sum (LLS) Payment
Date Issued
June 30, 2021
Status
UPDATED
Status Date
July 14, 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this bulletin is to inform agencies of the automatic processing of Retroactive April 2020 M/C LLS payments and provide instructions for payments not automatically processed.

Affected Employees

Employees designated management or confidential in the following bargaining units, who meet the eligibility criteria, are affected:

Management Confidential BU06
Division of Military and Naval Affairs BU46
Public Employment Relations Board BU66
Tug Hill Commission BU78
Legislative Commissions BU79

Background

Civil Service Law Section 130 and the Division of the Budget Bulletin D-1142 provide for payment of the 2020-2021 Longevity Payments effective April 2020 as a one-time, lump sum payment in the amount of $1,500, $3,000 or a NEW amount of $4,500.

Effective Dates

The April 2020 LLS Payments will be processed in separate paychecks in the check dates listed below:

Pay Cycle/PP Type Eligibility Date Effective Date Check Date
Administration Lag PP7 03/31/2020 04/01/2020 07/21/2021
Institution Lag PP8 03/31/2020 04/01/2020 07/29/2021

Due to the issues surrounding COVID-19, OSC will process this payment via direct deposit. For employees who do not have direct deposit, this payment will be processed in a separate paycheck.

Note: The distribution of the LLS direct deposit will be the same as an employee’s regular paycheck.

Eligibility Criteria

Employees in graded positions (Grade 603-617) and NS positions (Grade 600), which are equated to a grade (Grade 603-617), are eligible for the April 2020 M/C LLS payments provided the employee:

  • Is Active, on a Leave With Pay, or on an Unpaid Military Stipend Leave in a BU06, BU46, BU66, BU78, or BU79 position on 03/31/2020; and
  • Has a Comp Rate Code of ANN or BIW (only if the employee is on a Paid Military Stipend Leave) on 03/31/2020; and
  • Has five (5) or more years, ten (10) or more years, or fifteen (15) or more years of continuous service* at a base annual salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate of the employee’s grade as of 03/31/2020; and
  • Did not have a withholding recommendation approved by the Division of the Budget.

*Continuous service, as used in determining eligibility for the LLS payment, is paid service (including part-time annual salaried service, Paid Military Leave, Sick Leave at Half Pay, and Paid COVID Leave) or time on Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave.

Withholding Recommendation

If the agency determines the full or partial value of the April 2020 M/C LLS payment should be withheld from an employee, the agency must request approval from the Division of the Budget as explained in Budget Bulletin D-1142. If the full value is withheld, the agency should submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using an effective date of 03/31/2020, the Reason code PWH (Perf Withheld) and an increment code of 7777 in the Incr. Code field. (The prior increment code will be restored after the April 2020 M/C LLS processing is complete.) These transactions should be submitted as soon as possible following approval but prior to, or as part of, processing for Administration Pay Period 7L or Institution Pay Period 8L. If the agency does not submit the transaction to withhold the full value of the April 2020 M/C LLS payment or if the agency chooses to withhold a partial, the transaction will be entered or updated by OSC based on information received from the Division of the Budget.

The following employees may become eligible for the April 2020 M/C LLS payment upon processing of the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance which results in Job Rate:

Upward Reallocation: An employee occupying a position on 03/31/2020 that was previously upward reallocated, whose salary at the time of the reallocation was equal to or greater than the Job Rate of the lower graded position, and whose salary upon application of the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate of the reallocated position is entitled to the job rate credit for service in the lower grade.

  • The increment code of an employee receiving the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance that results in a salary equal to the Job Rate of the reallocated position will be automatically updated from 0001 to 2020.
  • The agency must evaluate the employee’s Payroll Status beginning from the time of reallocation through the date of the performance advance to determine if the increment code must be updated.
    • If the Payroll Status remained Active, Leave With Pay or Leave of Absence due to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or Military Leave during this period, the employee is entitled to have the increment code of the lower grade reinstated.
    • If the Payroll Status was Leave of Absence not related to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or Military Leave any time during this period, the increment code of the lower grade must be evaluated to determine the appropriate increment code adjustment.
    • If the increment code must be updated, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the same effective date as the performance advance, the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and an increment code reflecting the appropriate job rate credit.
  • If the employee’s combined job rate credit equals five (5) or more years, ten (10) or more years, or fifteen (15) or more years, the employee is eligible for the April 2020 M/C LLS payment. This payment will not be processed automatically; the agency must submit a transaction to make the LLS payment.

Lateral Position Change from a Non-M/C Position Where the Employee’s Salary was Equal to or Greater Than Job Rate to an M/C Position with a Higher Job Rate: An employee with a salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate of their salary grade, who had a lateral position change to an M/C position with a higher Job Rate, and whose salary upon application of the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate in the M/C position is entitled to job rate credit for service in the non-M/C position.

  • The increment code of an employee receiving the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance that results in a salary equal to the Job Rate will be automatically updated from 0001 to 2020.
  • These employees may be eligible for but will not receive an automatic April 2020 M/C LLS payment. If the employee’s combined job rate credit equals five (5) or more years, ten (10) or more years, or fifteen (15) or more years, the agency must submit a transaction to make the LLS payment. In addition, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the same effective date as the performance advance, the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal), and an increment code reflecting the combined job rate credit in the Incr. Code field.

The following employees will become eligible for the April 2020 M/C LLS payment during 2020-2021:

Leave of Absence/Preferred List on 03/31/2020: An employee who otherwise qualifies for the April 2020 M/C LLS payment but is on an approved Leave of Absence (including Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave) or on a preferred list on 03/31/2020 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll or are appointed to an eligible position between 04/01/2020 and 03/31/2021. There is no minimum service requirement following the employee’s return to active payroll status.

Demotions after 03/31/2020: An employee who is not eligible for the April 2020 M/C LLS payment on 03/31/2020 becomes eligible if the employee returns to a lower graded position between 04/01/2020 and 03/31/2021, provided the employee:

  • Otherwise would have been eligible if the employee had been in the lower graded position on 03/31/2020 and remains in the lower graded position for at least six (6) full pay periods; and
  • The promotion was temporary and the employee has been reinstated to their previous position or has been appointed to another lower graded qualifying position; or
  • The promotion was permanent, but the demotion occurred:
    • in lieu of layoff; or
    • voluntarily during the probationary period; or
    • as a result of failure of the probationary period.

Note: An employee demoted as a result of a disciplinary action or who takes a voluntary demotion from a permanent position after the completion of the probationary period in the higher grade is not eligible for an LLS payment in the lower grade.

For instructions on submitting transactions to make the April 2020 M/C LLS payment, see Agency Actions – Payments Not Processed Automatically.

Control-D Report Available Prior to Processing

Prior to the automatic processing of the April 2020 M/C LLS payment, the following Control-D report will be available for agency use:

NPAY756 – Longevity Lump Sum (LLS) Eligibility Listing

This report is a preliminary listing of employees who appear eligible for the April 2020 LLS payment based on information available as of the date the report is produced. This report was made available on 06/10/2021.

The following corrections to the preliminary listing should be submitted on the Correction Sheet. The form may be duplicated if additional copies are needed.

  • Add employees who do not appear on the listing, such as:
    • Eligible employees in NS positions where the equated grade does not appear on the Position Data page. Agencies must submit documentation supporting the salary equation with the Correction Sheet.
    • Eligible employees who are in a composite position (identified by Increment Code 2222) however, the agency must submit a transaction to make the payment.
  • Delete employees who should not appear on the listing, such as:
    • Employees who had a withholding recommendation submitted to the Division of the Budget for the full value of the LLS payment; requires DOB approval in order for OSC to take action. In addition, once the withhold is approved, the agency should submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using an effective date of 03/31/2020, the Reason code PWH (Perf Withheld) and an increment code of 7777 in the Incr. Code field.
  • Identify employees appearing on the listing who had a withholding recommendation submitted to the Division of the Budget for a partial value of the LLS payment; requires DOB approval in order for OSC to update the value.
  • Identify employees appearing on the listing who have incorrect information appearing in PayServ affecting their eligibility for the LLS payment. In addition, the agency must submit the appropriate transaction to correct the information.

Correction Sheets should be submitted as soon as possible but must be received no later than 07/06/2021. Please email completed Correction Sheets to the Payroll Earnings mailbox; please include the Department ID and ‘LLS Correction Sheet’ in the Subject line.

OSC Actions – Automatic Processing

OSC will process the April 2020 M/C LLS payment for those employees who meet the eligibility criteria by inserting a row on the employee’s Additional Pay page as shown below. The payment amount is $1,500 for employees with five (5) or more years of continuous service (identified by Increment Code 2011-2015), $3,000 for employees with ten (10) or more years of continuous service (identified by Increment Code 2006-2010), or $4,500 for employees with fifteen (15) or more years for continuous service (identified by Increment Code 1976-2005), or a prorated amount.

  • Employees who are on a Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule (VRWS) on 03/31/2020 receive the full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code. Agencies must verify that the Full/Part field on the Job Data/Job Information page is ‘Voluntary’.
  • Employees who are on a Leave With Pay with an Action/Reason code of Paid Leave of Absence/SKL (Sick Lv) on 03/31/2020 receive an amount based on the employee’s increment code and percentage. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page prior to the leave.
  • Employees who are on a Leave With Pay with an Action/Reason code of 19F (FEPSLA PD LV 100%) on 03/31/2020 receive an amount based on the employee’s increment code and percentage. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page prior to the leave. Note: OSC is including COVID Leave codes in this bulletin as a safeguard to ensure information is available at the time of payment processing.
  • All other employees (including employees on a Leave With Pay, Paid Military Stipend Leave and Unpaid Military Stipend Leave) receive an amount based on the employee’s increment code and percentage in effect on 03/31/2020. The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page in effect on 03/31/2020.

The Additional Pay page will be populated for eligible employees with the following information:

Earnings Code: LLS
Effective Date: 04/01/2020
OT Eff Date: 04/01/2020
Annual Addl Earnings: $1500 or prorated amount (Increment Codes 2011-2015) $3000 or prorated amount (Increment Codes 2006-2010) $4500 or prorated amount (Increment Codes 1976-2005)
End Date: 03/31/2021

Agency Actions – Payments Not Processed Automatically

Agencies must submit transactions to make the April 2020 CSEA LLS payment to the following employees:

  • Increment Code 2222 on 03/31/2020: Agencies must submit transactions for eligible employees who are in a composite position on 03/31/2020. Transactions should be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 7L or Institution Pay Period 8L; the effective date of the LLS payment should be 04/01/2020. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing and based on the increment code of the employee’s qualifying position (noted in General Comments) and the percentage attributed to such position on 03/31/2020. Information regarding the composite position must be included on the General Comments page.
  • Upward Reallocation: Agencies must submit transactions for eligible employees whose position on 03/31/2020 was previously upward reallocated and whose salary upon application of the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate of the reallocated position as explained above. Transactions should be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 8L or Institution Pay Period 9L; the effective date of the LLS payment should be 04/01/2020. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing and based on the employee’s adjusted increment code indicating job rate credit.
  • Lateral Position Change: Agencies must submit transactions for eligible employees with a salary equal to or greater than the Job Rate in a non-M/C position, who had a lateral position change to a M/C position with a higher Job Rate and whose salary upon application of the April 2020 M/C Performance Advance is equal to the Job Rate in the M/C position as explained above. Transactions should be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 8L or Institution Pay Period 9L; the effective date of the LLS payment should be 04/01/2020. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing and based on the employee’s adjusted increment code indicating job rate credit.
  • Paid COVID Partial Leave on 03/31/2020: Agencies must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 03/31/2020 to receive the payment but whose Payroll Status is Paid Leave of Absence Action/Reason Codes PLA/19P (FEPSLA PD LV PARTIAL) and PLA/FMC (Paid Leave of Absence/EFMLA PD LV COVID 19). The full LLS payment amount based on the employee’s increment code is multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page prior to the leave. Transactions should be submitted beginning in Administration Pay Period 8L or Institution Pay Period 9L; the effective date of the LLS payment should be 04/01/2020. Note: OSC is including COVID Leave codes in this bulletin as a safeguard to ensure information is available at the time of payment processing.
  • Leave of Absence on 03/31/2020: Agencies must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 03/31/2020 to receive the payment but whose Payroll Status is Leave of Absence (except those on Unpaid Military Stipend Leave) and who return from such leave between 04/01/2020 and 03/31/2021 as explained above. Transactions should be submitted in the pay period the return from leave is processed; the effective date of the LLS payment should be the same as the return from leave effective date. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing.

Note: The employee’s increment code may need to be adjusted as a result of the leave of absence in effect on 03/31/2020 and could impact the employee’s April 2020 M/C LLS eligibility.

  • Preferred List on 03/31/2020: Agencies must submit transactions for employees who are otherwise eligible on 03/31/2020 to receive the payment but who are on a preferred list and who are appointed to an eligible position between 04/01/2020 and 03/31/2021 as explained above. Transactions should be submitted in the pay period the appointment is processed; the effective date of the LLS payment should be the same as the appointment effective date. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing and based on the percentage associated with the eligible position.

Note: The employee’s increment code may need to be adjusted as a result of time off the payroll and could impact the employee’s April 2020 M/C LLS eligibility.

  • Demotions after 03/31/2020: Agencies must submit transactions for employees who are ineligible for the payment on 03/31/2020 but become eligible on or before 03/31/2021 due to a demotion as explained above. Transactions should be submitted after the employee completes six (6) full pay periods in the lower grade; the effective date of the LLS payment should be the same as the effective date of the demotion. The LLS payment amount should be calculated as explained in OSC Actions – Automatic Processing and based on information on the date of the demotion. Information regarding the reason the demotion occurred must be included on the General Comments page.

Submitting Payment

To make the April 2020 M/C LLS payment to eligible employees who were not processed automatically, agencies must submit the following information on the Additional Pay page using Earnings Code LLS:

Earnings Code: LLS
Effective Date: As defined above
OT Eff Date: Same as Effective Date
Annual Addl Earnings: $1500 or prorated amount (Increment Codes 2011-2015) $3000 or prorated amount (Increment Codes 2006-2010) $4500 or prorated amount (Increment Codes 1976-2005)
End Date: 03/31/2021 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information)

Increment Code Correction

If the employee did not receive an automatic April 2020 M/C LLS payment due to an incorrect increment code, in addition to submitting the LLS payment, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the appropriate increment code in the Incr. Code field.

In addition, if the Division of the Budget approves a withholding recommendation for an employee and the increment code was changed to 7777, the prior increment code must be reinstated after processing of the April 2020 M/C LLS payment is complete. Beginning in Administration Pay Period 8L or Institution Pay Period 9L, the agency must submit a Data Chg on the Job Action Requests page effective 04/01/2020, using the Reason code CIC (Chg IncCd/or AnnDt/or FIS Sal) and the employee’s prior increment code in the Incr. Code field.

Control-D Reports Available After Processing

After the automatic processing of the April 2020 M/C LLS payment is completed, the following Control-D report will be available for agency use:

NPAY770 – One Time Payment Report

This report identifies all employees who received the April 2020 LLS payment effective 04/01/2020.

Overtime Calculation Information

The LLS 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 April 2020 M/C LLS payment 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 LLS.

If an employee is appointed to an ineligible position (including a position which results in a salary below the Job Rate of the grade of the new position) effective after receiving the April 2020 M/C LLS payment, the payment cannot be included in the compensation calculation of any overtime earned on or after the date of appointment. Therefore, agencies must insert a row on the Additional Pay page at the Effective Date level of Earnings Code LLS 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)

Retroactive Adjustment

OSC will automatically calculate retroactive adjustments for overtime earned on or after the OT Eff Date associated with the April 2020 M/C LLS payment and paid prior to the automatic processing of the April 2020 M/C LLS payment.

Agency Actions – Retroactive Processing

Reporting Retroactive Adjustments

Time Entry earnings codes that are submitted with an amount will not be adjusted automatically. Therefore, beginning in Administration Pay Period 8L or Institution Pay Period 9L, agencies must report the adjustment amount for earnings codes such as Extra Time Override (EXO) and Regular Salary Override (RGO).

Correcting an Automatic Retroactive Adjustment

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 the following conditions and, if necessary, submitting the necessary adjustment.

  • If an employee has a check returned or exchanged on an AC-230 for dates on or after the effective date of the payment, the payroll system does not consider the AC-230 when calculating the automatic retroactive adjustment.
  • If earnings were previously reported using Earnings Code RGS and a date range that exceeded the number of days reported, the 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 OT for Annuals (OTA), will be calculated incorrectly if the dates previously reported as a single entry on the Time Entry page overlap the effective date of the payment. The system will calculate an adjustment for all earnings reported in a single entry based on the salary in effect on the Earnings End Date.
  • For employees who had a change reported on the Job Data page, since the effective date of the payment and the action resulted in an overpayment of earnings, the automatic negative retroactive adjustment may not have been processed because the overpayment was either not recoverable or was recovered using an overpayment earnings code or an AC-230. In this case, the negative retroactive adjustment may be re-generated when the payment is processed. OSC will turn off (not process) the automatic negative adjustment for these employees since in most cases these overpayments were either not recoverable or recovered using another method.

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.

Submitting an Adjustment

When an adjustment is needed for COVID-19 overtime such as CVO, ARC must be used. When an adjustment is needed for non-COVID-19 related overtime or recall such as OTT, ARO must be entered. Please refer to Payroll Bulletin 1893 for more information. Agencies must continue to use AJR for all other override Time Entry Earnings Codes requiring a manual adjustment as a result of a retro salary increase.

To process a retroactive adjustment or correct an automatic retroactive adjustment, agencies must submit the following information on the Time Entry page or the Time Entry Interface (NPAY502) using the Earnings Code AJR, ARC, or ARO:

Earnings Begin Date: The first date included in the adjustment
Earnings End Date: The last date included in the adjustment
Earn Code: AJR, ARC, or ARO
Amount: Amount to be adjusted
Comments: An explanation of the adjustment

Deduction Information

All general deductions for employees whose Payroll Status is Terminated, Retired, or Deceased will be automatically canceled by OSC with the exception of percentage based dues and the following:

Code Description
404 SUNY 403(b)
410 Health Care Spending Account
416 Deferred Comp
420 NY Dependent Care Contribution
425 Repay State Loans/Debt
426 Higher Ed Repay State Loan
428 Dependent Care
433 Total Unemployment Ins Owed
442 Pre-Tax Adoption
500 Medicare Deficiency
501 Social Security Deficiency
502 NYS SS/Medicare Deficiency
673 SUNY ORP Before Tax Arrears
674 SUNY Suspense BTax Arrears
GARNSH Garnishments
HIATRG Regular After Tax Health
HIATSP Special After Tax Health Adj

Tax Information

The LLS payment is supplemental taxable income, will be added to the employee’s taxable gross wages for tax withholding purposes, and is subject to employment and income taxes.

The adjustments (AJR, ARC, ARO, and Retro (RXX)) are supplemental taxable income and will be included in the employee’s taxable gross subject to all employment 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 paid in the 7/21/2021 check, 2.30815% for Yonkers residents paid in the 7/29/2021 check, and 0.50% for Yonkers non-residents.

Special Wage Payments for Individuals Who Filed for Retirement Social Security Benefits

Per Internal Revenue Service Publication 957, OSC will be reporting retro payments made to individuals who have filed for Social Security benefits to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

As PayServ does not include this information, OSC will be mailing a Request for Special Wage Payment Report to inactive individuals who are 62 or older in the calendar year and to active employees with the New York Retiree Indicator checked in Modify a Person who receive the retroactive payment. Recipients of this mailing will be asked to fill out the request and return it to OSC for inclusion on the Special Wage Payment report to SSA.

This report will be submitted to SSA after the close of the 2021 tax year. It is important that agencies ensure the New York Retiree Indicator box is checked for rehired retirees. Please see Payroll Bulletin No. 1728 for further details on the New York Retiree Indicator box.

Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice

The Earnings Code LLS and the amount paid will be displayed on the Payroll Register. The Earnings Description Longevity LSP and the amount paid will appear on the employee’s paycheck stub and direct deposit advice (if applicable).

This payment will be made in a separate check or Direct Deposit regardless of when it is paid. The payment will be issued with the employee’s regular paycheck or with the direct deposit advice based on information for that check date. Agencies should verify the employee’s mailing address is up-to-date.

Note: If the employee has direct deposit, the direct deposit distribution will be the same as the employee’s regular paycheck. For example, if an employee has $200 deposited into a loan account and the remainder going into a balance account, the same distribution will be applied.

Undeliverable Checks

When a valid payroll check is undeliverable due to the agency’s inability to locate the employee, the agency should follow the Agency Actions identified in Payroll Bulletin No. 1786 Non-negotiated and/or Undeliverable New York State Payroll Checks.

Checks issued to eligible employees who are now deceased should be returned with a completed Next of Kin Affidavit (Form AC 934-P), original Death Certificate and a Report of Check Exchange (Form AC 1476-P). If a Next of Kin Affidavit has been previously submitted for a deceased employee’s payroll check, OSC will accept a photocopy of this form along with a new Report of Check Exchange.

Questions

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

Questions regarding deductions may be directed to the Payroll Deduction 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.