Unified Court System Bulletin No. UCS-212

Subject
2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus (Bargaining Units SA, SG, SK and SN)
Date Issued
February 23, 2015

Purpose

To inform agencies of OSC’s automatic processing of the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus (Bargaining Units SA, SG, SK and SN).

Affected Employees

Employees in the following bargaining units who meet the eligibility criteria:

Citywide Association of Law Assistants of the Civil, Criminal and Family Courts Bargaining Unit SA
Association of Surrogate’s and Supreme Court Reporters Bargaining Unit SG
District Council 37 Bargaining Unit SK
Court Attorneys Association Bargaining Unit SN

Background

The 2011-2016 Agreements between the State of New York Unified Court System (UCS) and the above referenced Unions provide for a one-time lump sum payment of $1000 (prorated for employees working less than full time) for all eligible represented non-judicial employees in Bargaining Units SA, SG, SK and SN. The lump sum payment is authorized pursuant to Section 7 of Chapter 400 of the Laws of 2014.

Effective Date(s)

The 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus (Bargaining Units SA, SG, SK and SN) will be paid in Administration Pay Period 25L, paychecks dated 03/25/15

Eligibility Criteria

Employees who meet the following criteria on the ratification date of 02/13/15 (Bargaining Units SA and SK) or 02/17/15 (Bargaining Units SG and SN) of these Agreements are eligible to receive the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus.

  • Bargaining Unit = SA, SG, SK, SN
  • Payroll Status = Active, Leave With Pay or Leave of Absence (except if the Action/Reason Code is LOA/RPD)

OSC Actions

OSC will automatically insert a row on the Additional Pay page for employees who meet the eligibility criteria using Earnings Code JRB as follows:

Earnings Code: JRB
Effective Date: 02/13/15 (Bargaining Units SA, SK) 02/17/15 (Bargaining Units SG, SN)
OT Eff Date: 02/26/15
Annual Addl Earnings: $1000 or prorated amount for employees working less than full time
End Date: 02/24/16

Overtime Calculation Information

The Judicial Ratification Bonus is included in the calculation of overtime compensation (refer to the Online Payroll Manual accessed from the PayServ Bulletin Board – Payroll Manual > Earnings Manual > Payments\Withholdings > Overtime Compensation). The 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus for eligible employees in Bargaining Units SA, SG, SK and SN 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 JRB.

If an employee is appointed to an ineligible position effective after receiving the 2015 Judicial Ratification Bonus, the payment cannot be included in the compensation calculation of any overtime earned 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 JRB 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)

Retirement Information

The Judicial Ratification Bonus is included as salary for retirement purposes.

Tax Information

The Judicial Ratification Bonus is taxable income, will be included in the employee’s taxable gross and is subject to all employment taxes and income taxes.

Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice

The Earnings Code JRB and the amount paid will be displayed on the Payroll Register. The Earnings Description Judicial Ratification Bonus and the amount paid will appear on the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice.

Questions

Questions regarding eligibility and payment information may be directed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.

Questions regarding retirement may be directed to the Payroll Deduction mailbox.

Questions regarding withholding taxes may be directed to the Tax and Compliance mailbox.