State Agencies Bulletin No. 122

Subject
Department of Civil Service (DCS) Certification Process and Payroll Deadline Schedule
Date Issued
September 21, 1999

Purpose

To outline procedures for processing the payroll certified to OSC by DCS on a payroll deadline schedule

Affected Employees

New York State Executive Department employees in the classified service.

Background

DCS will begin placing agencies on a payroll deadline schedule for the certification process, beginning with the Administration payroll checks dated September 29, 1999 (12L) and Institution payroll checks dated October 7, 1999 (13L). The implementation schedule is described in Civil Service Advisory Memorandum 99-04.

Key Fields for Certification

The following NYSTEP and PaySR fields are matched in the certification process: 

  • Emplid (employee ID)
  • Effective Date of Job Action 
  • Position Number (or NYS Position for PR50 appointments)
  • Title Code
  • Grade
  • Jurisdictional Classification
  • Bargaining Unit
  • Action-Reason Code
  • Full/Part-time Indicator (from employee record)
  • NY Part-time % (from employee record)
  • NY EE Reg/Temp (Appointment Status from employee record)

Agency Procedures

Agencies should follow procedures for submitting transactions in NYSTEP as described in Civil Service Advisory Memorandum 99-04.

Agency staff should ensure that the correct personnel transaction is submitted in PaySR and NYSTEP, with the same effective date.

Initiated Transactions - Job Action Request Panel

If a NYSTEP personnel transaction is disapproved or changed by DCS, the agency should delete or change any corresponding PaySR transaction which has been initiated (saved) on the Job Action Request Panel, but not requested. This needs to occur on or before the agency's PaySR closing date.

Requested or Approved Actions on Job Action Request Panel and Actions on Job Data Panel (Hire, Position change, Return from Leave)

If a NYSTEP personnel transaction is disapproved or changed by DCS and the change affects one of the key data fields for certification, the agency must enter a Data Change (DTA) with a Reason Code of Correct History (COR) and note that the transaction is being submitted to correct a transaction which has been disapproved or changed by Civil Service. This needs to occur on or before the Friday following the agency's PaySR payroll closing date.

Agencies should be prepared to resolve issues that arise in the certification process in order to minimize paycheck delays and inconvenience to agency employees.

Corrections for PaySR transactions will be included on the Correction Sheets which are supplied to the agency.

Civil Service and OSC Procedures

  1. On Friday night of each week, DCS will certify the payroll to OSC.
  2. OSC will compare each NYSTEP personnel transaction to the corresponding PaySR transaction which has been submitted by the agency. This will usually occur on the Monday following the PaySR payroll closing date for the agency.
    • If there are no discrepancies, the PaySR transaction will be processed for payment.
    • If there are discrepancies, an exception report will be printed for OSC Payroll Audit staff
  3. Payroll Audit staff will contact the agency to resolve any discrepancies. This will usually occur on the Tuesday following the PaySR payroll closing date for the agency.
  4. All discrepancies will need to be resolved on a case-by-case basis.
  5. When a discrepancy cannot be resolved by 2 p.m. on Tuesday, all direct deposit authorizations (including credit union deductions) for affected employees will be disabled by OSC for one pay period.
  6. A paycheck will be produced based on the PaySR transaction approved by OSC.
  7. OSC will advise the agency of the required follow-up action in PaySR and/or NYSTEP. For NYSTEP transactions, DCS will notify OSC when the transaction has been approved and OSC will release the employee's paycheck.
  8. The employee's paycheck will be held unless the discrepancy is resolved before the agency's paychecks are released from the Division of the Treasury. No paycheck will be released until the discrepancy is resolved.

Summary of Responsibilities

Agency
  • Ensure correct personnel transaction is submitted in PaySR and NYSTEP, with same effective date.
  • Submit corrected transactions on PaySR and/or NYSTEP, as needed
Civil Service
  • Certify the payroll to OSC.
OSC
  • Audit personnel transactions.
  • Contact agencies to resolve discrepancies. 
  • Hold all payments until discrepancies are resolved.

For More Information

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

Questions about the Civil Service deadline schedule and the certified payroll should be directed to the Department of Civil Service:

  • Julie Dominian, Supervisor of Employment Records, (518) 457-3780
  • Pat Etter, Project Coordinator, (518) 485-5660