Purpose:

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide agencies with information regarding the potential impact the restructure of certain two-year professional traineeships may have on an employee’s salary. Since only the grade equations associated with the Trainee 1 and Trainee 2 titles are impacted and since the grade equations do not appear on Position Data or on the employee’s Job Data record, the only change that may be required is an increase to the employee’s salary. OSC will automatically process salary increases for eligible employees in an affected traineeship title as outlined below. OSC has also provided instructions for increases not processed automatically.

Affected Employees:

Employees occupying a Trainee 1 or Trainee 2 title appearing on Trainee Titles Being Revised from Grade 13/14 to Grade 14/16 on or after the applicable effective date of the traineeship restructure may be affected. Employees who have advanced to the full title on or before the applicable effective date are not impacted by the traineeship restructure.

Background:

Per the Department of Civil Service memos dated 08/13/2024 and 10/09/2024, the Division of the Budget approved the new salary grade equation model for two-year professional traineeships leading to Grade 18 positions. Specifically, the Trainee 1 titles (currently NS equated to Grade 13) will be restructured and equated to a Grade 14; and Trainee 2 titles (currently NS equated to Grade 14) will be restructured and equated to a Grade 16. All impacted titles appear on Trainee Titles Being Revised from Grade 13/14 to Grade 14/16.

Effective Dates:

If, as a result of the traineeship restructure, an employee is eligible for a salary increase, OSC will process the increase using the following effective dates and check dates:

Agency Actions – Completing Template:

On 10/02/2024, OSC provided a template to each agency identifying employees in an affected Trainee 1 or Trainee 2 title as of 09/30/2024. Also included were instructions for completing the template. In order for OSC to determine whether an employee is eligible for a salary increase, the agency must provide OSC with the last rating period and last rating for each employee appearing on the template. Templates must be completed and returned by C.O.B. 10/18/2024. Failure to return the completed template will result in the agency being responsible for submitting all necessary transactions beginning in Administration or Institution Pay Period 17.

Eligibility Criteria:

Using the employee’s progression in the traineeship on the applicable effective date of the restructure, the following methodology will be used to determine whether an employee in a Trainee 1 or Trainee 2 title appearing on Trainee Titles Being Revised from Grade 13/14 to Grade 14/16 is eligible to receive a salary increase as a result of the traineeship restructure. 

Has not completed 6 months in the traineeship

• Upon entering the traineeship, the employee received the trainee 1 (Grade 13) hiring rate OR held their prior graded salary, whichever was greater.
  • As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 1 (Grade 14) hiring rate OR will hold their current salary, whichever is greater.

Has completed 6 months in the traineeship

• If the employee was rated satisfactory at the end of their 6-month rating period, they were not eligible for a performance advance so there was no change in salary.
  • As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 1 (Grade 14) hiring rate OR will hold their current salary, whichever is greater.
• If the employee was rated substantially exceeds expectations at the end of their 6-month rating period, they received their traineeship starting compensation (the trainee 1 (Grade 13) hiring rate OR their graded salary, whichever was greater) PLUS the trainee 1 (Grade 13) performance advance.
  • As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 1 (Grade 14) hiring rate OR their prior graded salary, whichever is greater, PLUS the trainee 1 (Grade 14) performance advance.

Has completed 12 months in the traineeship

• If the employee was rated satisfactory upon advancement to the trainee 2 (end of the 12-month rating period), they were not eligible for a performance advance so received the salary paid at the end of the 6-month rating period OR the trainee 2 (Grade 14) hiring rate, whichever was greater.
  • As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 2 (Grade 16) hiring rate OR will hold their current salary, whichever is greater.
• If the employee was rated substantially exceeds expectations upon advancement to the trainee 2 (end of the 12-month rating period), they received the salary paid at the end of the 6-month rating period OR the trainee 2 (Grade 14) hiring rate, whichever was greater, PLUS the trainee 1 (Grade 13) performance advance.
  • As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 2 (Grade 16) hiring rate OR the salary paid at the end of the 6-month rating period, whichever is greater, PLUS the trainee 1 (Grade 14) performance advance.

Has completed 18 months in the traineeship

• If the employee was rated satisfactory at the end of their 18-month rating period, they were not eligible for a performance advance so there was no change in salary.
  • As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 2 (Grade 16) hiring rate OR will hold their current salary, whichever is greater.
• If the employee was rated substantially exceeds expectations at the end of their 18-month rating period, they received the salary paid at the end of the 12-month rating period PLUS the trainee 2 (Grade 14) performance advance.
• As a result of the traineeship restructure, the employee will receive the trainee 2 (Grade 16) hiring rate OR will hold their current salary, whichever is greater, PLUS the trainee 2 (Grade 16) performance advance.

Additional information and examples can be found in the Traineeship Restructure – Salary Reconstruction Guide.

Agency Actions - Beginning Administration or Institution Pay Period 17L:

The following procedures must be used by the agency when submitting transactions for an employee in an affected traineeship beginning in Administration Pay Period 17L or Institution Pay Period 17L:

• For pay changes, position changes, and transfers submitted on the Job Action Requests or Transfer Requests page with an effective date before 11/07/2024 (Administration) or 11/14/2024 (Institution):
  • The agency must submit the applicable transaction(s) using the salary grade equations and dollar amounts applicable to the Trainee 1 (NS equated to Grade 13) and Trainee 2 (NS equated to Grade 14) in effect prior to the traineeship restructure. 
  • The agency must also evaluate the employee’s salary in effect on 11/07/2024 (Administration) or 11/14/2024 (Institution) to determine if a salary increase is necessary as a result of the traineeship restructure. The Traineeship Restructure - Salary Reconstruction Guide provides additional information and examples for determining the employee’s salary using the new salary grade equations and dollar amounts applicable to the Trainee 1 (NS equated to Grade 14) and Trainee 2 (NS equated to Grade 16) resulting from the traineeship restructure.  
  • If a salary increase is necessary, the agency must submit a Job Action Request using the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/TSC (Title Str), the applicable effective date, and the appropriate salary.
• For pay changes, position changes and transfers submitted on the Job Action Requests or Transfer Requests page with an effective date on or after 11/07/2024 (Administration) or 11/14/2024 (Institution):
  • The agency must submit the applicable transaction (Reason code of PAV or ADV) using the salary grade equations and dollar amounts applicable to the Trainee 1 (NS equated to Grade 14) and Trainee 2 (NS equated to Grade 16) resulting from the traineeship restructure.

OSC Actions:

OSC will review the Job Data record of each employee who as of 11/07/2024 (Administration) or 11/14/2024 (Institution) is in a Trainee 1 or Trainee 2 title appearing on Trainee Titles Being Revised from Grade 13/14 to Grade 14/16 and using the information provided by agencies on the completed template will determine if the employee is due a salary increase. On 11/21/2024, for both the Administration and Institution cycles, OSC will automatically process the salary increases resulting from the traineeship restructure for eligible employees as follows:

• If the employee 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, WPS) and has a Comp Rate Code of ANN, a row will be inserted on the employee’s Job Data page using the appropriate Effective Date with an Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/TSC (Title Str).
• A row will be inserted on the employee’s Job Data page using the same effective date as the row being evaluated and the Action/Reason code of Pay Rate Change/CSL (Cor Sal) for all subsequent rows provided the employee remains in an eligible position regardless of Payroll Status.
• The employee’s salary on the inserted row will be determined using the methodology outlined in the Traineeship Restructure – Salary Reconstruction Guide.

Control-D Report Available After Processing:

The following Control-D report will be available for agency review after the automatic payments have been processed.

NHRP738 – Excel to Control D

Upon opening the NHRP738, the description Traineeship Restructure appears in the page header. This report identifies all employees whose salary was increased as a result of the traineeship restructure. The report includes the Department, Emplid, EmpRec, Employee Name, Effective Date and the New Compensation Rate. 

Agency Actions - Employees Not Processed Automatically:

Inactive or Leave of Absence (not related to Workers’ Compensation Leave)

If an employee in an affected Trainee 1 or Trainee 2 title with a Comp Rate Code of ANN is inactive or has a Payroll State of Leave of Absence not related to a Workers Compensation Leave on the applicable effective date, the agency must determine if the employee is due a salary increase as a result of the traineeship restructure. Please refer to the Traineeship Restructure – Salary Reconstruction Guide for guidance. If the employee is due a salary increase, the agency must submit the appropriate transaction(s) to update the compensation for the employee upon return to the payroll.

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 submitted as a stop payment request with a reason of Exchange in PayServ. The Report of Check Exchange (AC 1476-P), Next of Kin Affidavit (AC 934-P) and original death certificate should be submitted to the Payroll Reversal and Exchange mailbox at the same time as the stop payment request. 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 this bulletin may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.