Purpose
To inform agencies of new Time Entry and Action Reason codes and to provide instructions for payment of the CUNY Paid Parental Leave Benefit.
Affected Employees
Certain PSC employees who meet the eligibility requirements as described below
Effective Date(s)
Immediately
Background
The 2007-2010 Memorandum of Agreement between CUNY and the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY includes an agreement to create a pilot program for paid parental leave for full time employees who take leave to care for a newborn child or for a newly adopted child up to five years of age. The program also provides for a retroactive payment to be made to any employee who qualified for this benefit between July 17, 2008 and March 20, 2009.
Eligibility and Payment Information
Eligibility
In order to receive the Paid Parental Leave Benefit an employee must meet the following requirements:
- Parent of a newborn or newly adopted child up to 5 years of age
- Full Time Annual
- Have a minimum of one year of service with CUNY
Be represented by PSC in bargaining unit T8, TC or CB with the exception of ECP employees - Refer to the MOA for additional eligibility information
Payment Information
Effective July 17, 2008 thru March 20, 2009 eligible employees may be entitled to a “Retroactive Benefit” of a lump sum payment not to exceed 8 weeks of pay.
Beginning March 21, 2009 and forward, eligible employees may be entitled to the “Current Benefit” whereby an eligible employee will remain on the payroll not to exceed 8 weeks.
The CUNY Paid Parental Leave benefit is pensionable and subject to all applicable taxes and payroll deductions.
OSC Actions
New Time Entry Code
OSC has created a new Time Entry earnings code to pay the CUNY Paid Parental Leave retroactive lump sum payment to those eligible employees who qualified for the benefit between July 17, 2008 and March 20, 2009.
CPL – CUNY Paid Parental Leave
New Action Reason Code
OSC has created a new reason code to be used on the Job Data page to place an eligible employee on a Paid Parental Leave on or after March 21, 2009.
PLA/CPP – Paid Leave/ CUNY Paid Parental Leave
Agency Actions
Reporting Employees on a Paid Parental Leave 7/17/08-3/20/09 ONLY:
Agencies must enter the following information on the Time Entry page to pay the retroactive CUNY Paid Parental Leave Benefit.
| Earn Code: | CPL |
| Earnings Begin Date: | Enter the date the employee went out on leave, on or after 7/17/2008. |
| Earnings End Date: | Enter the date the employee returned from leave or 8 weeks (whichever comes first) on or before 3/20/09 |
| Amount: | Applicable amount |
Reporting Employees on a Paid Parental Leave on or after 3/21/09:
To report employees who have gone on a Paid Parental Leave on or after March 21, 2009, agencies must use the new action/reason code PLA/CPP (Paid Leave/CUNY Paid Parental Leave) on the Job Data page.
Agencies are responsible for returning the employee to active status or placing them on an unpaid leave of absence after the maximum of 8 weeks of benefit has been exhausted.
Deductions
All general deductions for employees whose status is Terminated, Retired or Deceased will be automatically cancelled by OSC with the exception of the following:
| Code | Narrative |
|---|---|
| 274 | Professional Staff Congress |
| 290 | Professional Staff Congress A/S |
| 249 | PSC Dues Grad Assistants |
| 470 | PSC Agency Shop Grad Assistants |
| 467 | PSC Adjunct Dues< |
| 468 | PSC Adjunct Agency Shop |
| 403 | TIAA Supplemental Retirement Annuity (CUNY)* |
| 406 | Strike/Discip Fine |
| 409 | CUNY Disciplinary Fine |
| 413 | NBE Tax Deferred Annuity * |
| 414 | NYT Tax Deferred Annuity * |
| 417 | HRC TDA * |
| 419 | CUNY TDA Copeland * |
| 425 | Repay State Loans/Debt |
| 426 | Higher Ed Repay State Loan |
| 433 | Total Unemployment Ins Owed |
| 445 | HC Flexible Spending |
| 582 | CUNY SS/Med Deficiency |
| GARNSH | Garnishments |
| 603 | TIAA Before Tax Arrears |
| 604 | TIAA After Tax Arrears |
*Note:
A special program will be run to identify any Inactive employee with an active 403,413,414,417 or 419 deduction who did not have a contribution taken in December 2009.
OSC will automatically cancel the deduction code for any Inactive employee who did not have a contribution taken in December 2009.
Tax Withholding Information
The CUNY Paid Parental Leave benefit is taxable income and will be included in the employee’s taxable gross wages and is subject to all employment and income taxes.
Undeliverable Checks
Inactive employees may be eligible for a payment as a result of the adjustments. If the agency has made an effort to deliver the check to the employee but the check has been returned and is undeliverable, the agency should forward the check to the NYS Department of Tax and Finance, Division of Treasury, per instructions in Payroll Bulletin No. 908.
Checks issued to eligible employees who are now deceased should be returned with a completed Next of Kin Affidavit (Form AC 934-P) and a Report of Check Exchange (Form AC 1476-P).
For recipients of a previously deceased employee's payroll checks where a Next of Kin Affidavit and Report of Check Exchange forms have been submitted, OSC will accept a photocopy of these forms to process the exchange of the check.
Questions
Questions about eligibility for CUNY Paid Parental Leave may be directed to the University Manager of Payroll Systems and Operations at CUNY Central Office.
Questions about processing transactions may be directed to the Non-Executive Audit mailbox.