CUNY Bulletin No. CU-572

Subject
2012-2016 PSC Retroactive General Salary Increases
Date Issued
December 21, 2016
Status
REVISED
Status Date
January 9, 2017

Purpose

To inform agencies of raise eligibility and automatic processing and to provide agencies with the procedures for reporting certain salary increases.

Affected Employees

Annual and Hourly PSC employees in Bargaining Units AJ, GA, TC, T8, CA, CB, and CE who meet the eligibility criteria

The Retroactive General Salary Increases for Adjunct employees will be addressed in a separate bulletin

Background

Pursuant to Memorandum of Agreement between the City University of NY and the PSC (Professional Staff Congress) for the Term of 10/20/2010 – 11/30/2017. CUNY Board of Trustees approved the Agreement during the June 27, 2016 Board meeting

Effective Date(s)

The Retroactive General Salary Increases effective 4/20/12, 4/20/13, 4/20/14, 4/20/15, and 4/20/16 will be processed in Pay Period 21C, paycheck dated January 19, 2017

Eligibility Criteria

All full and part-time employees who are Active or on Paid Leave in Bargaining Units AJ, GA, TC, T8, CA, CB, and CE shall receive retroactive General Salary Increases effective 4/20/12, 4/20/13, 4/20/14, 4/20/15, and 4/20/16, rounded to the nearest dollar for salaried employees or the nearest cent for hourly employees (.5 rounds up, less than.5 rounds down). Eligible employees in leave without pay status will receive the retroactive increases upon return from leave.

Increases will be applied in accordance with the eligibility criteria set by the CUNY University Office of Labor Relations.

Agency Actions – Overpayments, AC230 Prior to Pay Period 21C

CUNY should review all overpayments (Q06 – Q16) to determine if overpayments will be recovered correctly for active or inactive employees. Overpayments set up on inactive records may need to be ended and set up on an active record for an employee.

Overpayment balances should be reviewed to determine if AC230’s were correctly processed. CUNY should enter or change existing overpayments as needed.

Refer to Bulletin 470 Revised Policies and Procedures for Recovery of Overpayments and Attachment D for more information.

Reminder: The amount in the Earnings field on the Additional Pay page should be equal to at least 10% of the employee’s biweekly earnings plus any additional salary factors (ie. the daily rate), not 10% of the overpayment total.

Agency Actions – Prior to Pay Period 21C

Spreadsheets provided to CUNY with exceptions to automatic processing:

OSC will provide spreadsheets to CUNY on 12/9/16. The spreadsheets will include each employee’s existing effective dated Job rows from 4/20/12 forward. There will be two blank columns, labeled New Reason Code and New Comp Rate, for CUNY to fill in. The spreadsheet will not include each general salary increase effective dated row if it does not already exist on an employee’s record. CUNY will need to insert these rows onto the spreadsheet.

CUNY will review the spreadsheets, enter the appropriate salary information for each employee record and effective dated row onto the spreadsheets using the appropriate Action/Reason codes and then return the completed spreadsheets to OSC by 12/22/16. OSC will load the spreadsheets into PayServ to implement the general salary increases.

Agencies are responsible for calculating and submitting increases for employees in the groups identified below. All employees are eligible for the new minimum salary or hourly rate, if the calculated salary or hourly rate is below the new minimum rate in effect.

The following Action/Reason codes must be used to report the increases.

For salaried employees:

  • To report increases effective on each date of the general salary increases, the Action/Reason code of PAY/SIC must be used.
  • To report increases on subsequent rows that are not one of the five general salary increase dates, the Action/Reason code of PAY/CSL must be used.

For Hourly employees:

  • To report increases effective on each date of the general salary increases, the Action/Reason code of PAY/SIC must be used.
  • To report increases on subsequent rows that are not one of the five general salary increase dates, the Action/Reason code of PAY/CRT must be used.
Group A Exceptions: Annual Salary with Steps with Additional Compensation

OSC will provide a spreadsheet to CUNY on 12/9/16 with employees identified with off step rows. CUNY will return the completed spreadsheet to OSC by 12/22/16 to be loaded into PayServ.

  • The agency must complete the spreadsheet provided by OSC for employees who are not on step due to REM, SAB or RRI.
    • Employees in REM positions (HEO/Asst Admin (016855) and Prof/Asst Admin (016839)) are eligible only for an increase to the base salary.
    • Employees whose salary includes Recruitment/Retention Initiative (RRI) monies are eligible only for an increase to the base salary of their position.
    • Employees whose salary includes Salary Above Base (SAB) monies are eligible to receive a percentage increase applied to their current salary.
    • Employees whose salary includes Distinguished Stipend in addition to the Salary Above Base (SAB) – there is no increase to the stipend rate ($28,594).
Group B Exceptions: Annual PBC with salary ranges (no steps)

OSC will apply the general salary increase percentages to all employees in this Group. Due to select eligibility criteria in accordance with CUNY University Office of Labor Relations, there may be exceptions to the automatic processing. For example, if an employee is hired on or after 4/20/YY into a title with a salary range without steps, they are not entitled to compounded raises on the next contractual increase (unless they’re below the new minimum for the range). Ex: a Research Associate hired on 12/24/2014 at $80,000 would: (1) Not be entitled to the 4/20/2014 salary increase of 2.5% and (2) On 4/20/2015, he/she would be only be entitled to the 2% increase and not entitled to any of the earlier increases (i.e., 1%, 1% and/or 2.5%). Agencies must review the spreadsheet provided by OSC for these exceptions and complete and return the spreadsheet to OSC.

Group C Exceptions: Pay Basis Hourly with steps

OSC will provide a spreadsheet to CUNY on 12/9/16 with employees identified with off step rows. CUNY will return the completed spreadsheet to OSC to be loaded into PayServ.

Group D1 Exceptions: Pay Basis Hourly without Steps

Agencies must complete the spreadsheet provided by OSC for all eligible employees in Job Codes 016017, 016018, 016019, 021070, 021071, & 020172.

  • Increases will be applied in accordance with the eligibility criteria set by the CUNY University Office of Labor Relations as follows:

Hourly Employees on Schedules Without Steps: (for determination of eligibility toward the 4/20/12, 4/20/13, 4/20/14, 4/20/15, and 4/20/16 salary increase: service for hourly titles on schedules without steps other than CET; however, the CET service does count toward the eligibility determination for these titles.)

  • In order for an hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule to be eligible for the 4/20/12 increase, the employee must be active on 4/20/12 and 4/19/12, and have received pay as an Adjunct Medical Lecturer, or in an Adjunct Law School title or as a Continuing Education Teacher any time between 10/20/10 and 4/18/12.
  • If the hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule is hired on or after 4/20/12, the employee should be placed on or above the minimum in effect on 4/20/12.
  • In order for an hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule to be eligible for the 4/20/13 increase, the employee must be active on 4/20/13 and 4/19/13, and have received pay as an Adjunct Medical Lecturer, or in an Adjunct Law School title or as a Continuing Education Teacher any time between 4/20/12 and 4/19/13.
  • If the hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule is hired on or after 4/20/13, the employee should be placed on or above the minimum in effect on 4/20/13.
  • In order for an hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule to be eligible for the 4/20/14 increase, the employee must be active on 4/20/14 and 4/19/14, and have received pay as an Adjunct Medical Lecturer, or in an Adjunct Law School title, or in a JEMBA Adjunct or Non-Teaching Adjunct title -- or in a teaching adjunct or non-teaching adjunct title only for those adjuncts who were appointed to positions in the Executive Programs in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism -- or as a Continuing Education Teacher any time between 4/20/13 and 4/19/14.
  • If the hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule is hired on or after 4/20/14, the employee should be placed on or above the minimum in effect on 4/20/14.
  • In order for an hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule to be eligible for the 4/20/15 increase, the employee must be active on 4/20/15 and 4/19/15, and have received pay as an Adjunct Medical Lecturer, or in an Adjunct Law School title, or in a JEMBA Adjunct or Non-Teaching Adjunct title, or as a Continuing Education Teacher any time between 4/20/14 and 4/19/15.
  • If the hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule is hired on or after 4/20/15, the employee should be placed on or above the minimum in effect on 4/20/15.
  • In order for an hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule to be eligible for the 4/20/16 increase, the employee must be active on 4/20/16 and 4/19/16, and have received pay as an Adjunct Medical Lecturer, or in an Adjunct Law School title, or in a JEMBA Adjunct or Non-Teaching Adjunct title, or as a Continuing Education Teacher any time between 4/20/15 and 4/19/16.
  • If the hourly employee serving in a title with no step schedule is hired on or after 4/20/16, the employee should be placed on or above the minimum in effect on 4/20/16.

OSC Actions – Group A

Group A Pay Basis Annual with Steps
  • Full-Time Annual Salaried employees in Status A or P on or after 4/20/2012 will have their current annual salary increased from the 10/20/2009 or 3/19/10 chart to the corresponding step of the 4/20/12 salary chart.
  • OSC will update all subsequent rows with the salary that corresponds to the new step on the 4/20/12 salary chart as long as the employee remains in an eligible bargaining unit and title is on a step on the Sal Plan.
  • OSC will repeat this process for each subsequent salary increase effective date
  • OSC will provide a spreadsheet to CUNY on 12/9/16 with employees identified with off step rows. CUNY will return the completed spreadsheet to OSC by 12/22/16 to be loaded into PayServ.

OSC Actions – Group B

Group B Pay Basis Annual with salary ranges (no steps)
  • All eligible employees in Group B will have their current annual salary increased by the general salary increase percentage effective 4/20/12. If an employee becomes active after a general salary increase effective date, and is paid at or above the new minimum of the range, then the employee is not eligible for a percentage increase until the next general salary increase effective date and will thereafter become eligible for the compounded increases as long as they remain in an eligible bargaining unit and title.
  • OSC will repeat this process for each subsequent salary increase effective date as long as the employee remains in an eligible bargaining unit and title.
  • Due to certain eligibility criteria set by the CUNY University Office of Labor Relations, certain employees in this Group may not be eligible for each general salary increase percentage (as noted in the Agency Actions section above). OSC will provide a spreadsheet to CUNY on 12/9/16 with all employees identified in this Group. CUNY will review and return the completed spreadsheet to OSC to be loaded into PayServ.

OSC Actions – Group C

Group C Pay Basis Hourly with steps
  • Part-Time Hourly employees in Status A or P on or after 4/20/2012 will have their current annual salary increased from the 10/20/2009 or 3/19/10 chart to the corresponding step of the 4/20/12 salary chart.
  • OSC will update all subsequent rows with the salary that corresponds to the new step on the 4/20/12 salary chart as long as the employee remains in an eligible bargaining unit and title is on a step on the Sal Plan. OSC will repeat this process for each subsequent salary increase effective date
  • OSC will provide a spreadsheet to CUNY on 12/9/16 with employees identified with off step rows. CUNY will return the completed spreadsheet to OSC to be loaded into PayServ.

OSC Actions – Group D1

Group D #1 - Pay Basis Hourly with no steps (have salary ranges)

Employees in Job Codes 016017, 016018, 016019, 021070, 021071, & 021072. Due to certain eligibility criteria set by the CUNY University Office of Labor Relations, certain employees in this Group may not be eligible for each general salary increase percentage. OSC will provide a spreadsheet to CUNY on 12/9/16 with all employees identified in this Group. CUNY will complete and return the completed spreadsheet to OSC to be loaded into PayServ.

OSC Actions – Group D2

Group D #2 - Continuing Ed Teachers

Employees in hourly positions in Job Codes 016038 and 016039 in BU CE. OSC will programmatically implement the retroactive general salary increases as follows:

Note: if new salary is below the new minimum, then the salary will be increased to the new minimum.

4/20/12 – 1% increase

If CET is ACTIVE on 4/19/12 and 4/20/12, apply 1% to the rate in effect as of 4/19/12.

If CET is NOT ACTIVE as a CET on 4/19/12 and 4/20/12, but becomes active as a CET on or after 4/20/12, determine if the employee had previous service as a CET between 10/20/10 and 4/19/12, and then follow the applicable procedure (a) or (b) below to determine the 2012 increase.

  1. If no previous service as a CET between 10/20/10 and 4/19/12, the employee is due no increase, unless the rate is less than the 4/20/12 CET or CLIP minimum. If the rate is less than the 4/20/12 CET or CLIP minimum, raise the rate to the 4/20/12 CET or CLIP minimum.
  2. If has previous service as a CET between 10/20/10 and 4/19/12, the employee is eligible to receive the 1% increase. (Clarification scenario: if rehired 4/20/12, or later and had prior service within look back period – apply 1% to rehire salary – if adjusted salary is greater than the new minimum –then this is the new rehire salary. If the adjusted salary is less than the new minimum, then raise salary to the new minimum and this is the adjusted rehire salary.)
4/20/13 - 1% increase

If CET is ACTIVE on 4/19/13 and 4/20/13, apply 1% to the rate in effect as of 4/19/13.

If CET is NOT ACTIVE as a CET on 4/19/13 and 4/20/13, but becomes active as a CET on or after 4/20/13, determine if the employee had previous service as a CET between 4/20/12 and 4/19/13, and then follow the applicable procedure (a) or (b) below to determine the 2013 increase.

  1. If no previous service as a CET between 4/20/12 and 4/19/13, the employee is due no increase, unless the rate is less than the 4/20/13 CET or CLIP minimum. If the rate is less than the 4/20/13 CET or CLIP minimum, raise the rate to the 4/20/13 CET or CLIP minimum.
  2. If has previous service as a CET between 4/20/12 and 4/19/13, the employee is eligible to receive the 1% increase. (Clarification scenario: if rehired 4/20/13, or later and had prior service within look back period – apply 1% to rehire salary – if adjusted salary is greater than the new minimum – then this is the new rehire salary. If the adjusted salary is less than the new minimum, then raise salary to the new minimum and this is the adjusted rehire salary.)
4/20/14 – 2.5% increase

If CET is ACTIVE on 4/19/14 and 4/20/14, apply 2.5% to the rate in effect as of 4/19/14.

If CET is NOT ACTIVE as a CET on 4/19/14 and 4/20/14, but becomes active as a CET on or after 4/20/14, determine if the employee had previous service as a CET between 4/20/13 and 4/19/14, and then follow the applicable procedure (a) or (b) below to determine the 2014 increase.

  1. If no previous service as a CET between 4/20/13 and 4/19/14, the employee is due no increase, unless the rate is less than the 4/20/14 CET or CLIP minimum. If the rate is less than the 4/20/14 CET or CLIP minimum, raise the rate to the 4/20/14 CET or CLIP minimum.
  2. If has previous service as a CET between 4/20/13 and 4/19/14, the employee is eligible to receive the 2.5% increase. (Clarification scenario: if rehired 4/20/14, or later and had prior service within look back period – apply 2.5% to rehire salary – if adjusted salary is greater than the new minimum – then this is the new rehire salary. If the adjusted salary is less than the new minimum, then raise salary to the new minimum and this is the adjusted rehire salary.)
4/20/15 – 2.00% Increase

If CET is ACTIVE on 4/19/15 and 4/20/15, apply 2.0% to the rate in effect as of 4/19/15.

If CET is NOT ACTIVE as a CET on 4/19/15 and 4/20/15, but becomes active as a CET on or after 4/20/15, determine if the employee had previous service as a CET between 4/20/14 and 4/19/15, and then follow the applicable procedure (a) or (b) below to determine the 2015 increase.

  1. If no previous service as a CET between 4/20/14 and 4/19/15, the employee is due no increase, unless the rate is less than the 4/20/15 CET or CLIP minimum. If the rate is less than the 4/20/15 CET or CLIP minimum, raise the rate to the 4/20/15 CET or CLIP minimum.
  2. If has previous service as a CET between 4/20/14 and 4/19/15, the employee is eligible to receive the 2.00% increase. (Clarification scenario: if rehired 4/20/15, or later and had prior service within look back period – apply 2.00% to rehire salary – if adjusted salary is greater than the new minimum – then this is the new rehire salary. If the adjusted salary is less than the new minimum, then raise salary to the new minimum and this is the adjusted rehire salary.)
4/20/16 – 2.00% Increase

If CET is ACTIVE on 4/19/16 and 4/20/16, apply 2.0% to the rate in effect as of 4/19/16.

If CET is NOT ACTIVE as a CET on 4/19/16 and 4/20/16, but becomes active as a CET on or after 4/20/16, determine if the employee had previous service as a CET between 4/20/15 and 4/19/16, and then follow the applicable procedure (a) or (b) below to determine the 2016 increase.

  1. If no previous service as a CET between 4/20/15 and 4/19/16, the employee is due no increase, unless the rate is less than the 4/20/16 CET or CLIP minimum. If the rate is less than the 4/20/16 CET or CLIP minimum, raise the rate to the 4/20/16 CET or CLIP minimum.
  2. If has previous service as a CET between 4/20/15 and 4/19/16, the employee is eligible to receive the 2.00% increase. (Clarification scenario: if rehired 4/20/16, or later and had prior service within look back period – apply 2.00% to rehire salary – if adjusted salary is greater than the new minimum – then this is the new rehire salary. If the adjusted salary is less than the new minimum, then raise salary to the new minimum and this is the adjusted rehire salary.)

Automatic Retroactive Processing and Other Agency Actions

Automatic retroactive payments will be processed for certain earnings reported on the Time Entry page. The following is a list of the earn codes that will be automatically adjusted: DCS, DOC, LSJ, LT1, MSD, OTD, RGH, RGS, Y17, Y36, Y58, Y74, Z17, Z36, Z58, & Z74.

Agency Actions for Miscellaneous Earnings Not Automatically Adjusted

Increases to miscellaneous earnings, such as assigned overtime, adjunct payments, override codes, must be manually calculated and reported by the agency using the AJR earn code. The agency must calculate and submit retroactive adjustments for all miscellaneous earnings (not listed above) that will not be adjusted automatically.

Adjustments for nonresident aliens should be made using the Earn Codes XAR, YAR, or ZAR. AJR may be paid in a single lump sum amount or broken down into raise periods (i.e. 4/20/YY- 4/19/YY). Detailed General Comments or a detailed worksheet must be available to OSC upon request. AJR must be entered on the Time Entry page as follows:

Earn Code: AJR (Adjust Raise)
Earns Begin Date: Enter first date to be adjusted.
Earns End Date: Enter the last date to be adjusted.
Amount: Enter the total adjustment amount (may be negative if recovering an overpayment).
Comments: Enter an explanation of the adjustment.

For earnings that will be automatically adjusted by the system such as RGH and RGS, agencies must submit the applicable adjustment to adjust the system-calculated retroactive adjustment, whenever the earnings were previously reported in the Time Entry page as a single entry and the dates reported overlap the effective date of an increase. The system will adjust all earnings based on the salary rate in effect on the earnings end date.

Increases for employees who have had check reversals or exchanges, or were paid on typewritten payrolls may not be processed correctly by the system. Therefore, the agencies should review the retroactive adjustment calculated by the system for these employees and submit the necessary adjustment in a subsequent pay period.

IMPORTANT – AJR begin and end dates should not be inclusive of the entire retroactive raise period. Begin and end dates should be specific to the dates an employee is in the eligible position (Adjunct, Annual, HRY).

Control-D Reports Available After Processing

The following Control-D reports will be available after processing of the automatic salary increases:

NHRP704 Mass Salary Payment Report

This report identifies all employees who received the General Salary Increase. The report identifies all rows where the employee’s salary was automatically increased in an eligible bargaining unit. Other fields on the report include the EmplID, Employee Record Number, Employee Name, Grade, Bargaining Unit, Pay Basis Code, Part Time Percentage, Action Reason and Increment Code.

Deduction Information for Inactive Employees

All general deductions for employees whose Payroll Status is Terminated, Retired or Deceased will be automatically cancelled by OSC with the exception of the following:

Code Description
249 PSC Dues Grads Assistants
274 PSC Dues
290 PSC Agency Shop Fee
406 Strike/Discip Fine
409 CUNY Disciplinary Fine
425 Repay State Loans/Debt
426 Higher Ed Repay State Loan
445 HC Flexible Spending/td>
467 Adjunct Dues PSC
468 Adjunct A/S PSC
470 PSC A/S Grad Assistants
580 CUNY Medicare Deficiency Flat Rate
581 CUNY Social Security Deficiency Flat Rate
582 CUNY SS/Med Deficiency
603 TIAA Before Tax Arrears
604 TIAA After Tax Arrears
GARNSH Garnishments

Tax Information

These monies are taxable income, will be included in the employee’s taxable gross and are subject to all employment taxes and income taxes.

The monies will be included in the employee’s taxable gross and will be reported on the employee’s Form W-2.

Payroll Register and Employee’s Paycheck/Advice

All retroactive adjustments will be displayed on the Payroll Register using the appropriate earnings code and the associated amount. The description of each earnings code and the associated amount will appear on the employee’s paycheck stub or direct deposit advice unless there are more than 13 earnings codes. For these employees, agencies should utilize Locked Query #49 to identify a complete list of all regular earnings and retroactive adjustments.

Undeliverable Checks

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), original death certificate and a Report of Check Exchange (Form AC 1476-P). If a Next of Kin Affidavit has been previously submitted for a deceased employee’s payroll check, OSC will accept a photocopy of this form along with a new Report of Check Exchange.

Questions

Questions about eligibility for Professional Staff Congress increases may be directed to the University Manager of Payroll Systems and Operations at CUNY Central Office.

Questions regarding transactions may be emailed to the Payroll Earnings mailbox.

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

Questions regarding Taxes should be directed to the Tax and Compliance mailbox.