Purpose
The purpose of this bulletin is to inform agencies of OSC’s automatic processing of the 2023 Judicial Longevity Payment (JLP) and to provide instructions for payments not processed automatically.
Affected Employees
Employees in the following bargaining units who meet the eligibility criteria are affected:
| Civil Service Employees Association | Bargaining Unit 87 |
| Unrepresented Graded Non-Judicial Employees | Bargaining Unit 86, 88, and CT |
Background
Chapter 1 of the Laws of 2023, which implemented the 2021-2026 Agreement between the Unified Court System of the State of New York (UCS) and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA – BU 87), provides for a longevity lump sum payment based upon total number of years spent at a salary at the maximum of the salary grade. Consistent with prior practice, when a CSEA Agreement is reached, the negotiated changes detailed in the Labor Relations Memorandum are extended to Management/Confidential and Unrepresented employees in graded positions in Bargaining Units 86, 88 and CT.
In addition, employees must have completed eight years or more, or 13 years or more of continuous service at a basic annual salary rate equal to or greater than the maximum of their grade as of April 1, 2023; served the equivalent of 120 workdays in each fiscal year and had a performance rating other than “Unsatisfactory” to be eligible for a Longevity Lump Sum payment in April 2023.
Note: The 2021-2026 CSEA agreement phases out the Judicial Longevity Payment beginning in April 2023. The four year rate of JLP has been abolished for 2023 going forward through the end of the current contract. The JLP payment will be ended for all employees after March 31, 2026.
Effective Dates
The April 2023 Longevity Lump Sum Payment will be paid in the following check date:
| Pay Cycle/Pay Period Type | Payment Effective Date | Check Date |
|---|---|---|
| Administration 1 Lag | 03/30/2023 | 04/26/2023 |
Eligibility Criteria
Employees in graded positions (Grade 501-537) are eligible for the April 2023 JLP payment provided the employee:
- Is in an eligible bargaining unit on 04/01/2023; and
- Has a Payroll Status of Active, Leave With Pay or Leave of Absence due to a Workers’ Compensation Leave or an Unpaid Military Stipend Leave on 04/01/2023; and
- Has a Comp Rate Code of ANN or BIW (only if the employee is on a Paid Military Stipend Leave) on 04/01/2023; and
- Has completed eight (8) years or more, or thirteen (13) years or more at a base annual salary equal to or greater than the maximum salary of the employee’s grade (based on the 04/01/2022 Salary Schedule) on 04/01/2023; and
- Has completed 120 work days in each fiscal year; and
- Received a performance rating of at least “Satisfactory” for service during the previous year.
The following employees will become eligible for the April 2023 JLP payment during 2023-2024:
Leave of Absence on 04/01/2023: An employee who otherwise qualifies for the April 2023 JLP payment but is on an approved Leave of Absence (other than Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave) on 04/01/2023 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll between 04/01/2023 and 03/31/2024.
For instructions on submitting transactions to make the April 2023 JLP payment, see Agency Actions – Payments Not Processed Automatically.
OSC Actions
OSC will process the April 2023 JLP payment for those employees who meet the eligibility criteria and have a Payroll Status of Active or Leave With Pay on 03/29/2023* by inserting a row on the employee’s Additional Pay page as shown below:
| Earnings Code: | JLP |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | 03/30/2023 |
| OT Eff Date: | 03/30/2023 |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | See Payment Amount below |
| End Date: | 03/27/2024 |
Note: Employees in Department ID 05015 will not be processed by OSC. See Agency Actions – Payments Not Processed Automatically.
Payment Amount
The payment amount is determined by the years of service at a base annual salary equal to or greater than the maximum salary of the employee’s grade. Employees will be paid based on the PayServ Increment Code on the Job Data page as shown below:
| Years Above Maximum | Increment Codes | Payment Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 8 – 12 years | 2011 through 2015 * | $5,050 |
| 13 or more years | 1976-2010 * | $6,900 |
Active employees, including employees on a Leave With Pay (except Paid Military Stipend Leave), will receive the amount based on the employee’s increment code multiplied by the employee’s Empl Work Percent on the Job Data/Job Information page in effect on 04/01/2023.
* Reintroduction of CSEA Longevity Steps and Impact on JLP Processing
Due to the reintroduction of CSEA Longevity Steps on the 04/01/2023 salary schedule and adjustments of salaries and increment codes using Action/Reason code DTA/EJP or PAY/EJP (End Judicial Longevity Payment) to reflect eligibility for Longevity Steps, some employees may be eligible for a 2023 JLP payment but will not have an increment code from 1976 through 2015 or may be eligible for a different Payment Amount than the Increment Code will indicate.
Therefore, OSC will process JLP payments using the increment code in effect on 03/29/2023, the day immediately preceding any updates on the Job Data page relating to reintroduction of CSEA Longevity Steps. Employees who have a transaction entered on the Job Data page effective 03/30/2023 or 03/31/2023 other than Reason Code EJP, must be manually reviewed by agencies to determine if the employee is eligible for the JLP payment. Employees who require correction to the JLP record on Additional Pay must be reported to OSC for manual updates. OSC will make the requested corrections after JLP processing has completed.
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 JLP. The JLP 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: | JLP |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | 03/30/2023 |
| OT Eff Date: | 03/30/2023 |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | See OSC Actions |
| End Date: | 03/27/2024 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information) |
Department ID 05015: Transactions should be submitted in Administration Pay Period 1L.
| Earnings Code: | JLP |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | 03/30/2023 |
| OT Eff Date: | 03/30/2023 |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | See OSC Actions |
| End Date: | 03/27/2024 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information) |
Leave of Absence on 04/01/2023: An employee who otherwise qualifies for the April 2023 JLP payment but is on an approved Leave of Absence (other than Workers’ Compensation Leave or Unpaid Military Leave) on 04/01/2023 becomes eligible if they return to the payroll between 04/01/2023 and 03/31/2024. Transactions should be submitted in the pay period they return from leave; the effective date of the JLP should be the same as the return from leave date.
| Earnings Code: | JLP |
|---|---|
| Effective Date: | Date of return from leave |
| OT Eff Date: | Same as effective date |
| Annual Addl Earnings: | See OSC Actions |
| End Date: | 03/27/2024 OR the last date the employee is in an eligible position (see Overtime Calculation Information) |
Ineligible for Judicial Longevity Payment
Employees with an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation on their last rating date are ineligible to receive the April 2023 UCS Judicial Longevity Payment. The agency must submit a list of ineligible employees to OSC to have the JLP 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 Payment.
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 2023 JLP payment effective 03/30/2023.
Overtime Calculation Information
The April 2023 JLP 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 2023 JLP 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 JLP.
If an employee is appointed to an ineligible position (Including a Judicial position or a position outside the Unified Court System) effective after receiving the April 2023 JLP 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 JLP 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) |
Note: Any non-judicial employee who received a 2023 JLP payment and moves to any other non-judicial position, including positions in bargaining units other than 87, 86, 88 and CT or where the resultant salary is less the maximum of the new grade, retain eligibility for the 2023 JLP payment. Agencies must not submit transactions as described above to end the JLP payment for employees who retain eligibility.
Retirement Information
The Judicial Longevity Payment is not part of the basic annual salary, but it is considered pensionable earnings.
Tax Information
The Judicial Longevity Payment is supplemental taxable income and will be included in the employee’s taxable gross wages for tax withholding purposes and is subject to 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 1.95975% for Yonkers residents and 0.50% for Yonkers non-residents.
Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice
The Earnings Code JLP and the amount paid will be displayed on the Payroll Register. The Earnings Description Judicial Long Lump Sum Payment 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.