Purpose: 

The purpose of this bulletin is to inform agencies of the creation of two new Reason Codes (AUT and MND) and to provide processing instructions for entering these new Reason Codes. 

Affected Employees: 

Executive agency employees who have service at an Authority (excluding Roswell Park) prior to an appointment to a New York State position or employees with a break of over one year in PayServ but who were rehired within one year in NYSTEP via a mechanism other than a reinstatement, immediately placed on a discretionary leave and subsequently rein-leaved in NYSTEP on the same effective date of the PayServ Rehire are affected.

Background: 

To aid in the systematic calculation of employees’ Qualifying Service Dates, which are used in determining Longevity Service Payment (Earnings Code LGS) eligibility, OSC created Reason Codes AUT and MND. 

Since authority service is not tracked in PayServ, Reason Code AUT was created to identify employees with prior Authority Service (excluding Roswell Park) subsequent to moving to a New York State position. Authority service does not count towards employees’ Qualifying Service Dates (unless the service is at Roswell Park as described in Payroll Bulletin No. 2313.1). 

Since employment information housed in PayServ and NYSTEP may differ, Reason Code MND was created to identify employees with a break of over one year in PayServ but who were rehired within one year in NYSTEP via a mechanism other than a reinstatement, immediately placed on discretionary leave and subsequently rein-leaved in NYSTEP on the same effective date of the PayServ Rehire. The transactions entered in NYSTEP are considered to mend the over one year break for purposes of determining employees’ Qualifying Service Dates.

Effective Dates: 

Reason Codes AUT and MND should be used beginning in Administration and Institution Pay Periods 5 Lag for checks dated 06/17/2026 (Administration) and 06/25/2026 (Institution). 

Eligibility Criteria:  

AUT Eligibility: All Executive Agency employees with service at an Authority (excluding Roswell Park) prior to an appointment to a New York State position.

MND Eligibility: All Executive Agency employees with a break of over one year in PayServ who were rehired within one year in NYSTEP via a mechanism other than a reinstatement, immediately placed on discretionary leave and subsequently rein-leaved in NYSTEP on the same effective date of the PayServ Hire or Rehire.

OSC Actions:  

OSC has created the following two new Reason Codes to be used when submitting Job Action Requests for employees meeting the Eligibility Criteria above. 

• AUT-Authority Service: Should be used with Action codes HIR, REH, PAY, and DTA as described in Agency Actions.
• MND-Mend Over Year Break: Should be used with Action codes REH and PAY as described in Agency Actions.

Agency Actions – Utilizing New Reason Codes:   

Utilizing Reason Code AUT: 

Agencies must submit Job Action Requests using Action/Reason Code HIR/AUT on appointment or Action/Reason Code REH/AUT on reappointment to an annual New State position for employees with prior service at an Authority (excluding Roswell Park*) even when there is no direct impact to the employee’s salary, anniversary date, and/or increment code.  If there is an impact, the following Action/Reason Codes will also need to be applied as appropriate:

• PAY/AUT should only be used when the service at an Authority (excluding Roswell Park) impacts an employee’s annual salary on appointment to the annual New York State position.
• DTA/AUT should only be used when the service at an Authority (excluding Roswell Park) impacts anniversary date and/or increment code credit for performance advance purposes in the annual New York State position.

*For employees with prior Roswell Park service, the standard Action/Reason Codes must be used when submitting the necessary Job Action Requests. In addition, General Comments must be entered indicating the Original Eligibility Dates and Qualifying Service Dates during the employees’ Roswell Park service.

Example: An employee terminated from a New York State position effective 04/30/2009 and was subsequently appointed at the New York State Thruway Authority. The employee terminates from the Thruway Authority effective 04/04/2013 and is rehired into a New York State position effective 10/09/2014. While the Thruway service is considered for salary reconstruction, the service does not bridge the gap between New York State Positions and is a break in service of over one year for LGS payment purposes where the qualifying service date is reset to 10/09/2014. Upon the 10/09/2014 rehire, the agency should use Action/Reason Code REH/AUT followed by Action/Reason Code PAY/AUT when submitting the Job Action Request.

Submitting HIR/AUT, REH/AUT, PAY/AUT and DTA/AUT will assist in identifying employees with a break of over one year related to time served in an Authority helping to prevent the processing of incorrect LGS payments.

Utilizing Reason Code MND: 

Agencies must submit Job Action Requests using Action/Reason Code REH/MND on reappointment to an annual New State position for employees who have a break of over one year in PayServ but were rehired within one year through a mechanism other than a reinstatement, immediately placed on a discretionary leave and rein-leaved in NYSTEP on the same effective date of the PayServ Rehire. 

Subsequent to entering the REH/MND, the agency must submit a Job Action Request using Action/Reason Code PAY/MND to submit the employee’s annual salary via a Job Action Request.* 

*A general comment must be entered for any additional salary considerations such as Increased Hiring Rates that may impact the employee’s salary upon rehire.

Example: An employee terminated in both NYSTEP and PayServ effective 03/02/2013. They are then rehired in NYSTEP effective 02/27/2014, immediately placed on a discretionary leave of absence and then rein-leaved effective 03/06/2014. The employee is rehired in PayServ effective 03/06/2014. Since the break in service in PayServ is over one year, the employee would be treated as “new”. However, since the employee was rehired within a year in NYSTEP, the break of over one year in PayServ must be mended since service is considered continuous. Upon the 03/06/2014 rehire, the agency should use Action/Reason Code REH/MND followed by Action/Reason Code PAY/MND when submitting the Job Action Requests. This will ensure the employee is credited with the correct qualifying service for LGS payment purposes. 

Note: Reinstatements via R54, RCM, PRF, 713, & RER must continue to be used as appropriate.

Submitting REH/MND and PAY/MND will ensure employees are credited with the correct qualifying service for LGS payment purposes.

Agency Actions – Updating Internal Payroll Processing Systems to Accommodate New Reason Codes:   

Agencies must ensure any necessary internal payroll processing systems outside of PayServ are updated to accommodate these new Action/Reason Code combinations.

Questions:

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