State Agencies Bulletin No. 41

Subject
Business Procedures Update
Date Issued
October 8, 1998

Purpose

This bulletin provides agency liaisons, payroll officers, and coaches with important information regarding PaySR business procedures. Please distribute this information to all PaySR users in your agency.

Important Message Regarding Data Submission

It is critical to adhere to the submission schedule in PaySR Bulletin 24. Also:

Do not enter any data into the Job Data panels, Additional Pay panel, Rehire panel, or any Job Action Request or Transfer Request panels until the fourth business day following the submission date, unless the effective date falls within a future pay period. For example, if PaySR is auditing pay period 13, do not enter transactions with effective dates within pay period 13 or earlier. During this time you may enter transactions with effective dates in pay period 14 or later.

PaySR Dos and Don'ts

DO:
  • Enter a minus sign (-) before the number of days when entering Lost Time (See Bulletin No. 22, page 12).
  • Use the actual date the deduction starts, ends, or changes for the effective date on the General Deduction Data panel.
  • Restart deductions for an employee who returns from leave or separation.
  • Use the original password provided to you by OSC the first time you access Reveal, even if you have changed that password for accessing production. You can check ASave Password@ on your Reveal sign-on screen so that you will not have to reenter it each time.
  • Review the attributes of a position prior to appointing someone to that position. See if any of the fields on the Position Data 1 or 2 panels have defaults, noted as AZZZ.@ If so, call the Help Desk to have these fields updated before entering the Position Number on the Job Request panel.
DO NOT:
  • Put an employee who is transferring out of your agency on leave. If you do this, you must notify the receiving agency that they must submit a rehire transaction. You need not do anything when an employee is transferring out of your agency (See Bulletin No. 22, pages 6-7).
  • Return a check to OSC when an employee has lost time for a pay period, unless the lost time is for the complete amount of the check. If an employee has lost time for a partial amount of the check, report the lost time during the next pay period, indicating the actual lost time dates (remember the minus sign!). The proper amount will be deducted from the next paycheck. The only time a check should be returned to OSC is if:
    • the lost time is for the full check,
    • the employee has died, or
    • the employee left State service and is not due any future payments.
  • OSC will not accept returned checks as part of normal processing.
  • Select a Reason Code beginning with a Z on the Job Data panels or Job Request panel when submitting a position change. These Reason Codes are reserved for OSC and other agencies responsible for managing positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Miscellaneous Payments

Please review pages 12-13 of Bulletin No. 22, PaySR Business Procedures.

  1. How do I enter overtime that was earned prior to conversion? To make retroactive salary or miscellaneous payments that are effective prior to the conversion to PaySR you must use an override earn code reflecting the current pay period dates along with an explanation in the comments section.
  2. How do I change or delete a transaction that I already saved? Transactions entered in the Miscellaneous Payments panel can be retrieved and either changed or deleted if necessary prior to the submission deadline (Friday, 6 p.m.).
  3. How do I know which overtime code to use? The drop down box will list only those overtime codes for which the employee is eligible.
  4. What should I do if I get a message that the employee is not eligible for a specific overtime payment? If you get an error message, it is possible that the employee needs to be set up for an overtime waiver, or that the position is set up wrong. Call the Help Desk.
Additional Pay Procedures

Please review pages 3-6 of Bulletin No. 22, as well as the online help.

  1. How do I end an employee's additional pay? Go to the Additional Pay panel and locate the appropriate Earnings Code. Insert a new row with the effective date of the change. Enter $0 in the Annual Addl Earnings field. Enter the end date as the same as the effective date.
Deductions

Please review pages 8-10 of Bulletin No. 22.

  1. How do you change existing deduction information? Go to the General Deductions panel and locate the appropriate Deduction Code using the outside scroll bar. Then, using the inside scroll bar, insert an new effective-dated row with the new information.
  2. What should I do if I get an error message that says Aduplicate key value?@ This error message appears when you enter a deductions code which already exists in the employee record. Use the outside scroll bar to locate that code to enter your transaction using the method described above.
  3. How do you change retirement tier information? Go to the Retirement Plans panel. Using the middle scroll bar, insert a new effective-dated row. Enter the appropriate information in the Tier field, or any other field as needed.
  4. How do you set up a retirement plan for an employee who transferred from another agency? You usually don't need to since retirement information stays with the employee record. This information only needs to be changed if the employee changes retirement plans, such as moving from TIAA/CREF to ERS.
  5. How do you change information for retirement loans, such as deduction amounts? Go to the General Deductions panel. Use the outside scroll bar to locate the appropriate Deduction Code. Use the inside scroll bar to enter a new effective-dated row.
  6. How do you change union dues deductions when an employee changes unions? Go to the General Deductions panel. Find the Deduction Code for the union representing the old position. Use the inside scroll bar to enter a new effective-dated row and enter a Deduction End Date. This should be the last day worked in the old position. Then, use the outside scroll bar to insert a new effective-dated row. Enter the Deduction Code for the new union. The effective-date should be the day appointed to the new position.

Appointments and Removals

Use of NYS Position Field

For Trainees or Underfills - Go to Manage Positions, Use, Position Data 1. Enter the Agency Code in the Dept ID field and A99999" in the Line Number field. You will see a list box of all APR-50'd@ positions and titles for your agency. These positions all begin with A62 and must be used along with a regular, budgeted position number.

  • If you find the NYS Position Number with the Job Code (Title) you require, note the NYS Position Number and enter it on the Job Data 1 panel or Job Request panel, as appropriate.
  • If you don't find the NYS Position Number with the correct Job Code (Title), complete the NYS Position Information Form (sample attached; be sure that all appropriate values are filled in), and fax to Debbie Brewer, (518) 473-5073.
  • Provide OSC with the Job Code, not the Title Code, when needing a NYS Position. To find the Job Code, go to Start, Define Business Rules, Manage Human Resources. Choose Set-up, Job Code Table. Enter the 7-digit Title Code to get the 6-digit Job Code.
Employee Benefit Flag

On the Job Data 2 panel you must enter the employee's benefit flag based on the bargaining unit established for the position, if the employee is eligible. A drop box next to the Benefit Flag field will list all the eligible Benefit Flags and the Bargaining Units associated with the Benefit Flag. If an employee is ineligible for Benefit coverage then the default of >9' should be entered.

OSC will report the eligible employees' Benefit coverage to the appropriate vendors based on the selection entered. These selections must be entered into PaySR since they will no longer be enrolled automatically.

If an employee's status changes and Benefit coverage is affected, a transaction must be submitted to change eligibility status or cancel the Benefit Fund coverage.

For the Unified Court System the following codes and rules should be used when selecting the appropriate Benefit Flag within the correct Bargaining Unit.

  • If the employee is eligible for OCA Single Dental Coverage only and is not eligible for any other benefits, then enter the flag of >1'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA Family Dental Coverage only and is not eligible for any other benefits, then enter the flag of >2'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA single Dental Coverage and is also eligible for Vision in Bargaining Units 86, 88, AT, CT or TD then enter the flag >3'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA Family Dental Coverage and is also eligible for Vision in Bargaining Units 86, 88, AT, CT, or TD then enter the flag of >4'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA Single Dental Coverage and is also eligible for Vision in Bargaining Units SG, SA, S8, S9, G9, Q9, DR, RD, SK, SN, SR, SY, F8, OR SD, then enter the flag of >5'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA Family Dental Coverage and is also eligible for Vision in Bargaining Units SG, SA, S8, S9, G9, Q9, DR, RD, SK, SN, SR, SY, F8, OR SD then the flag of >6'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA CSEA Coverage and in Bargaining Units 87, AD, AH, AM, AR, AV, BE, BT, EE, EW, MR, PB, N7, MD, MM, MH, NW, KK, LH, H6, or PT then enter the flag of >7'.
  • If the employee is eligible for OCA Vision Coverage only and is Bargaining Units 87, 88, AT, CT, or TD then enter the flag of >8'.

NOTE: For OCA only, the OCA Dental Single is for employees with a deduction code of >337' in the legacy system and OCA Dental Married is for employees with a deduction code of >378' in the legacy system.

Termination of Hourly Employees

Unlike the legacy system, PaySR does not automatically remove an hourly employee from the payroll when payment transactions cease. Agencies must submit a termination transaction in order to remove an hourly employee from payroll.

Deductions

Re-Activating Employees

When re-activating employees who are inactive during conversion to PaySR, the user must restart all appropriate deductions.

Credit Unions

Three additional Credit Unions have been added as Deduction Codes , which should be entered on the General Deduction Data, Agency Panel. These will not be entered as Direct Deposit transactions. The codes are:

  • 727, NYS Employees Federal Credit Union, NYC
  • 757, Bronx State Federal Credit Union
  • 790, Putnam Federal Credit Union
  • 773, SUNY Fredonia Federal Credit Union, which was previously entered as a deduction, is now set up as a direct deposit.

Maintaining Employee Records

Address Changes

Agencies that mail checks to employees should be sure that employee addresses are correct and updated as required. Incorrectly addressed checks are returned to the Treasury.

Fixed Taxes

If you enter a transaction for fixed taxes for a specific pay period, you must also submit a transaction to end the fixed taxes and revert to the regular tax tables. To do this, add a new effective-dated row, using the date that is one day after the pay date for the check with the fixed taxes. For example, if you have entered fixed taxes for the pay period ending September 16, check date September 30, enter October 1 for the new row that will end the fixed taxes.

Payments and Adjustments

Lump Sum Payments

Use the last day an employee worked when paying out any lump sum payments (salary LSP's or vacation LSP's). This ensures that Additional Pay is included in the lump sum payment.

Recording Time for Hourly Employees

When submitting hours for the current pay period, users must submit the total number of hours worked for the pay period with the earn code RGH. When submitting hours for a previous pay period, users have the option to submit hours on a daily basis.

Funding Positions

Updating Position Pool IDs Upon Entering a New Position

At the current time, NYSTEP is not passing the Position Pool ID to PaySR. Therefore, PaySR will use the default of ZZZ to fill that field. As soon as the position is available to the agency, staff should update the Position Data 1 panel to enter the correct Position Pool ID. It is expected that NYSTEP will make Position Pool a required field following PaySR's third conversion and that, subsequently, this information will be conveyed electronically.

Changing Position Pool IDS

To change an existing Position Pool ID go to Manage Positions, Use, Position Data 1. Enter the Position Number. Insert a new effective-dated row. Enter the Effective Date, the new Position Pool ID and Line Number, if applicable. The Reason Code will default to Z12, agency update of position data.