State Agencies Bulletin No. 186

Subject
Compensation for Institution Teachers During Academic Year 2000-2001
Date Issued
September 12, 2000

Purpose

To provide information and instructions regarding the following:

  1. Change in Method of Payment for Contract Pay Teachers from 21 Pay Period to Academic Year Methodology
  2. Restoration of Contract Pay and Additional Pay for Contract Pay Teachers
  3. Changes in Reporting Earnings on Additional Pay and Time Entry Panels for Contract Pay Teachers
  4. Effective Date of Actions Being Reported at the Beginning of the Academic Year
  5. Reporting 9/1/2000 Performance Advances
  6. Teachers Not Returning in the Fall 2000
  7. Teachers Changing Pay Basis Codes
  8. Transferring Between Agencies
  9. Work Schedule for Teachers
  10. Restoration of Health Insurance for Contract Pay Teachers

Affected Employees

Institution Teachers in the Department of Correctional Services, Office of Mental Health, School for the Blind and Office of Children and Family Services

Contract Pay Teacher: Change in Method of Payment

In accordance with the 1999-2003 PEF/State Agreement, teachers who have elected to be paid over the school year will no longer be paid using the 21 pay period methodology. Instead, the method of payment will be based on the teacher's actual academic year schedule and the teacher will be paid based on the actual number of business days within the academic year.

The pay basis code for the teacher paid over the academic year will remain 21P on the Position Data panel and the teacher's Job Data 3 panel. However, biweekly payments will now be calculated as follows:

Annual Salary Rate /# of Business days in Academic Year = Daily Rate of Pay*

Daily rate of pay X 10 = Biweekly Contract Amount (excluding location and/or inconvenience pay)
*Daily rate will be pro-rated if teacher works less than 100%

If a teacher is not in pay status for the entire pay period, he/she will be paid only for the number of days he/she is active within the pay period. For example, if a teacher's academic year in a Correctional Facility commences 9/5/00, the teacher's first check, dated 9/21/00, will include 2 days of pay, since the teacher will only be active for 2 days in the pay period beginning 8/24/00 and ending 9/6/00. 

Contract Pay Teachers: Restoration of Contract Pay and Add'l Pay

Since the academic year is not consistent among agencies, there will not be an automatic restoration of a new contract on the Contract Pay panel for teachers whose status is "Active" on the Job Data 1 panel. Similarly, additional salary factors will not be automatically restarted on the Additional Pay panel.

Restarting Contract Pay

For all teachers who have elected to be paid over the academic year 2000-2001, the agency must set up a new contract by completing the Contract Pay panel using the following procedures:
Insert an effective dated row on the Contract Pay panel.

  • Insert an effective dated row on the Contract Pay panel.
  • Enter the first day of the academic year as the effective date. The first date of the academic year is the first day the teachers actually return to work in September.
  • Select 21P as the Contract Pay Type.
  • Enter the contract begin and end dates. The contract begin date is the first day of the academic year. The contract end date is the last day of the academic year. That is, the last day the teachers actually finish working in June.
  • Save the panel.
Restarting Additional Pay

The agency must restart location pay and/or inconvenience pay on the Additional Pay panel for all contract pay teachers using the following procedures:

  • Insert an effective dated row on the Additional Pay panel using the appropriate earnings code.
  • Enter the first day of the academic year as the effective date.
  • Enter the annual amount of the additional earnings in the Annual Additional Earnings field.
  • Enter the last day of the academic year in the Earn End Date field.
  • Save the panel

If the first day of the academic year is mid-period, the teacher will be paid earnings for the entire period, since there is no status change being reported on the teacher's Job Data panel. Therefore, the agency must also submit the appropriate adjustment code on the Additional Pay panel to deduct the earnings to which the teacher is not entitled in that pay period.

Contract Pay Teachers: Changes in Reporting Additional Pay and Time Entry Earnings

Inconvenience and Location Pay Adjustments for Contract Pay Teachers

Earnings on the Additional Pay panel are calculated based on a formula that is specific to the employee's pay basis code. Since the pay basis code is remaining 21P, the formula used to calculate the biweekly earnings on the Additional Pay panel will remain as: Annual amount of earnings divided by 21. Therefore, an adjustment of biweekly earnings must be calculated and entered on the Additional Pay panel using the earnings code ALP Adjust Location Pay and/or AIF Adjust Inconvenience Pay Full if the teacher's academic year is other than 210 business days (21 pay periods x 10 days per pay period) This adjustment, when added to, or subtracted from the system generated additional pay earnings, will provide the employee with the appropriate biweekly amount of earnings over the academic year.

OSC will add the adjustment code(s) ALP and/or AIF to the Additional Pay panel for teachers receiving location and/or inconvenience pay whose academic year is not 210 days. This adjustment code will be added in the first pay period of the academic year in which the teacher receives a full 10 day check. OSC will notify agencies on the Audit Correction Report of all teachers for which an adjustment was added and the biweekly adjustment amount.

Changes in Reporting Salary Withholding for Newly Hired Contract Pay Teachers

A new earn code has been established to withhold salary for Contract Pay teachers on the Salary Withholding Program whose academic year is other than 210 business days. This earn code will deduct 1 day of pay each pay period until the goal amount of 5 days pay is reached. To place a teacher whose academic year is other than 210 days on Salary Withholding, the agency must enter the earnings code SCO (Salary Withholding Contract Override) on the Additional Pay panel using the following procedures:

  • Insert an effective dated row using the hire date or the 1st day of the current pay period, whichever is later.
  • Enter the daily rate of pay, including additional salary factors, in the Earnings field. A minus sign must precede the dollar amount.
  • Enter the total amount of 5 days of pay, including additional salary factors, in the Goal Amount field. A minus sign must precede the dollar amount.
  • Save the panel.

Agencies whose academic year is 210 business days may continue to use the earnings code SWC to place contract pay teachers on the Salary Withholding Program.

Changes in Reporting Earnings on the Time Entry Panel for Contract Pay Teachers

Effective immediately, agencies must use the following override codes when reporting lost time, extra time and salary lump sum payments for contract pay teachers whose academic year is other than 210 business days. The new codes are required since the existing codes, LT2, EXT and SLC calculate earnings based on a formula for a 210 day contract period. Since the academic year varies among agencies, override codes must be used by agencies whose academic year is other than 210 business days to insure the teachers receive the appropriate earnings.

  • LTO (Lost Time Override)
    Use this earnings code to report lost time or to pay back lost time previously taken in error. Use a minus sign before the amount when reporting lost time. Do not use a minus sign when adjusting lost time previously deducted in error. When using this code, the agency must enter dates, number of days, and amount of lost time.
  • EXO (Extra Time Override)
    Use this earnings code to report extra time or to pay back extra time previously paid in error. Use a minus sign before the amount when paying back extra time previously paid in error. When using this code, the agency must enter dates, number of days, and the amount of extra time.
  • SLO (Salary Lump Sum Payment Override)
    Use this earnings code to report a lump sum payment for salary previously withheld due to the Salary Withholding Program when the employee leaves state service or moves to a bargaining unit not subject to the Salary Withholding Program

When using this code, the agency must enter dates, number of days and the amount of lump sum payment due.

Effective Date of Actions

For both CAL and Contract Pay teachers, all actions reported on the Job Action Request panel or the Job Data panel that are effective at the beginning of the academic year should have an effective date of 9/1/2000. This includes Hew Hires, Rehires, Return from Leaves, Transfers, Position Changes, Data Changes, Terminations, etc.

For CAL teachers, all earnings being added on the Additional Pay panel that are effective at the beginning of the academic year should have an effective date of 9/1/2000.

For Contract Pay teachers, all earnings being added on the Additional Pay panel that are effective at the beginning of the academic year must have the first day of the academic year as the effective date (e.g. 9/5/2000).

For Contract Pay teachers, the Contract Pay panel must be completed using the pre-determined academic year dates, regardless of whether the action is effective at the beginning of the academic year or after the academic year has commenced. (e.g. If the academic year is 9/5/2000-6/22/2001, always use the dates 9/5/2000-6/22/2001 as the Contract Begin and End Dates, regardless of the effective date of the action being reported on the Job Data or Job Action Request panel). 

9/1/2000 Performance Advances

The agency must submit a Pay Change on the Job Action Request panel to request a performance advance for eligible teachers. The effective date of the Pay Change for both CAL and Contract Pay teachers is 9/1/2000 and the reason code is PAV. If the agency is requesting a position change or transfer action on a Request panel, the agency must include the performance advance in the Pay Rate field.

NOTE: If the pay change, position change, or transfer is requested in the period the raise is being processed (period 11L), the Pay Rate must reflect the salary before the contractual raise(s) is applied. After payroll processing for period 11L is complete, the system will automatically apply the raises to existing Job Data rows. 

Teachers Not Returning in Fall 2000

Agencies must terminate all teachers (pay basis code on Job Data 3 panel is CAL, 21P or FEE) who will not be returning in Fall 2000 by entering the action of TER on the Job Data 1 panel effective 9/1/2000.

Changes in Pay Basis Code

If a teacher is changing pay basis codes in the Fall 2000, the agency must ensure that the position reflects the appropriate code. The agency must use the following instructions when the teacher's pay basis code is changing.

  • Pay Basis Code is changing from 21P to CAL and the teacher is remaining in the same agency, use one of the following procedures:

    I
    f the teacher is remaining in the same position, fax a Position Data form to the Position Management Unit requesting a change in pay basis code effective 9/1/2000. OSC will update the Position Data panel and the teacher's Job Data panel effective 9/1/2000 to reflect the change.

    OR

    If the teacher is moving to another position, the agency must request a position change using the action of POS on the Job Action Request panel to move the teacher into a CAL position effective 9/1/2000.
     
  • Pay Basis Code is changing from CAL to 21P and the teacher is remaining in the same agency, use one of the following procedures:

    If the teacher is remaining in the same position, the agency must fax a Position Data form to the Position Management Unit requesting a change in the pay basis code effective 9/1/2000. OSC will update the Position Data panel and the teacher's Job Data panel effective 9/1/2000 to reflect the change. The agency must set up a new contract on the Contract Pay panel using the pre- determined academic year begin and end dates.

    OR

    If the teacher is moving to another position, the agency must request a position change using the action of POS on the Job Action Request panel to move the teacher into a 21P position. The agency must set up a new contract on the Contract Pay panel using the pre-determined academic year begin and end dates.

    NOTE: Position Data forms should be faxed to Chris Nolette, supervisor of the Position Management Unit. The fax number is (518) 474-2601.

Transferring Between Agencies

If the teacher is transferring to another agency, the new agency must confirm that the position has the appropriate pay basis code. The agency must request a transfer on the Transfer Request panel effective 9/1/2000. If the teacher is to be paid on contract pay, the agency must set up a new contract on the Contract Pay panel using the pre-determined academic year begin and end dates.

Work Schedules

The agency must ensure that the appropriate work schedule is on the teacher's Job Data 2 panel. The weekly work schedule for teachers on Contract Pay includes 2 regular days off (e.g. NYYYYYN). The weekly work schedule for CAL teachers is YYYYYYY for the first and last pay period of the teacher's calendar year. All other pay periods in the calendar year are calculated based on 10 days.

The agency is not required to change the work schedule for a CAL teacher during the calendar year, unless the employee has a status change (e.g. promotion, demotion, pay change, change in percentage of time worked, leave or removal action) and the effective date is mid-period. When the mid-period status change is reported, the agency must change the work schedule to reflect the teacher's actual schedule. The agency must again change the work schedule to reflect YYYYYYY before the last pay period (pay period that includes 8/31) is processed.

Contract Pay Teachers: Restoration of Health Insurance

The Department of Civil Service submits a file to OSC to restart health insurance. It is possible that Civil Service submitted these transactions during the bonus and raise processing for the PEF contract settlement. Questions concerning health insurance should be referred to your agency health benefits administrator or Civil Service.

General Deductions

Agencies are responsible for reviewing the employee's general deduction panels and restarting deductions previously cancelled for 21P employees (maintenance and union insurances) as stated in Payroll Bulletin #164.

Questions

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