Human Resource Management

• Annual Leave:  prorate accruals for calendar year and college year employees based on the employee’s VRWS percentage
• Banked (Unused) VR Leave Credits Upon Movement From One Campus to Another or Between Departments Within a Campus:  Unused VR credits will be paid at the rate of compensation by the campus/department in which the VR credit was earned, unless the employee requests and the new campus/department accepts the transfer of VR credit on the employee’s attendance record.
• Banked (Unused) VR Leave Credits Upon Promotion, Transfer or Reassignment Within a Campus or Within a Department:  Unused VR credits are carried forward on the employee’s attendance record when movement is within an appointing authority.  Continuation of the VRWS agreement is at the discretion of management.
• Banked (Unused) VR Leave Credits Upon Return to Normal Work Schedule: VR credits may be carried forward on the employee’s attendance record after completion of the individual VRWS agreement period, but must be liquidated by the December 30th after the end of the University fiscal year in which the employee’s individual VRWS agreement expires. VR ending balances must be segregated for each University fiscal year.
• Banked (Unused) VR Leave Credits Upon Separation: Unused VR credits will be paid at the rate of compensation upon resignation, termination, or retirement from SUNY service, or death.
• Employee Benefit Fund: no effect
• Health Insurance: no effect; full coverage retained
• Holidays: no change
• Inconvenience Pay: prorate based on the VRWS percentage
• Leave Donation: employees who are absent using donated leave credits for 28 consecutive calendar days will have their VRWS agreement suspended
• Location Pay:  prorate based on the VRWS percentage
• Military Leave: no impact on eligibility or entitlement
• Overtime Work:  VR credit used shall not be counted as time worked in determining eligibility for overtime payments within a workweek. For non-exempt employees, VR credit shall not be counted as time worked for determining eligibility for comp time.
• Paid Leave Balances on Attendance Record:  no requirement that leave credits be exhausted prior to the beginning of the VRWS agreement. Vacation, sick leave, and holiday balances are carried forward without adjustment.
• Payroll:  employee never leaves the payroll. An employee remains in full payroll status with partial pay for the duration of the VRWS agreement period and receives pay checks each pay period at the agreed upon temporarily reduced level.
• Probationary Appointment:  no effect. Scheduled non-work time under a VRWS agreement is not an absence for the purpose of extension of probationary appointment.
• Retirement Benefit Earnings:  earnings are reduced based on the VRWS percentage
• Retirement Service Credit: prorate based on the VRWS percentage for TRS and ERS only
• Retrenchment:  no impact
• Return to Normal Work Schedule:  employee will return to his/her normal full-time work schedule and pay basis upon completion of the VRWS agreement period
• Sabbatical Leave:  no impact if sabbatical leave is requested after participation in the VRWS agreement. If sabbatical leave coincides with the VRWS agreement, the VRWS agreement will be suspended.
• Salary:  normal gross salary earned is reduced by the VRWS percentage. No effect on the basic annual salary.
• Service Credit:  no impact. An employee on VRWS is considered to be in full-time status for service credit purposes.
• Sick Leave:  prorate accruals based on the employee’s VRWS percentage. Employees on sick leave for 28 consecutive calendar days will have their VRWS agreement suspended and will be returned to their professional obligation and pay base.
• Social Security:  no change; contribution rate is set by Federal Law
• Title F Leave:  no impact if Title F leave is requested after participation in the VRWS agreement. If Title F leave coincides with the VRWS agreement, the VRWS agreement will be suspended.
• Unemployment Insurance:  no change; formula is set by statute
• Workers’ Compensation Benefits:  no impact. Following 28 consecutive calendar days of absence due to a work related injury or illness, the VRWS agreement is suspended and the employee is returned to his/her normal full-time work schedule and pay base. At that point the employee receives workers’ compensation benefits based on the normal full-time salary and no longer earns VR credits. Suspension of a VRWS agreement does not extend the agreement beyond its scheduled termination date. If an employee returns to work prior to the scheduled termination date of the VRWS agreement, the employee’s participation in the VRWS agreement resumes and continues until the scheduled termination date, unless both parties agree to terminate the VRWS agreement.

• Annual Leave: prorate accruals, based on the employee's VRWS percentage
• Banked (Unused) VR Time Upon Promotion, Transfer or Reassignment Within an Agency or Within a Facility or Institution: Unused VR Time Credits are carried forward on the employee's time card when movement is within an appointment authority. Continuation of the VRWS program is at the discretion of management.
• Banked (Unused) VR Time Upon Return to Normal Work Schedule: VR Time Credits earned on or after April 1, 1995 may be carried forward on the employee's time card after completion of the individual VRWS agreement period but must be liquidated by the September 30th after the end of the fiscal year in which the agreement expired.
• Banked (Unused) VR Time Upon Separation: Unused VR Time Credits will be paid at the straight time rate upon layoff, resignation from State service, termination, retirement or death.
• Between Facilities or Institutions Within an Agency: Unused VR Time Credits will be paid at the straight time rate by the agency or facility/institution in which the VR Time was earned, unless the employee requests and the new agency or facility/institution accepts the transfer or VR Time on the employee's time card.
• Dental Insurance: no effect; full coverage
• Eligibility for Open Competitive Examinations: prorate; VR Time used shall not be considered time worked for determining length of service for open competitive examinations.
• Eligibility for Promotion Examinations: no impact; VR Time used shall be counted as time worked in determining eligibility for promotion exams.
• Employee Benefit Fund: no effect
• Geographic Pay: prorate
• Health Insurance: no effect; full coverage retained
• Holidays: no change in holiday benefit
• Inconvenience Pay: prorate
• Jury-Court Leave: no impact on eligibility or entitlement
• Layoff: no impact; seniority date for layoff purposes is not changed
• Location Pay: prorate
• Longevity Increase: no change in eligibility
• Military Leave: no impact on eligibility or entitlement
• Overtime Work: VR Time used shall not be counted as time worked in determining eligibility for overtime payments at premium rates within a workweek
• Paid Leave Balances on Time Card: no requirement that leave credits be exhausted prior to the beginning of the VRWS agreement. Paid leave balances are carried forward without adjustment; personal leave balance is prorated.
• Payroll: employee never leaves the payroll; employee remains in full payroll status with partial pay for the duration of the agreement period and receives pay checks each pay period at the agreed upon temporary reduced level.
• Performance Advance or Increment Advance: evaluation date is not changed; no change in eligibility
• Performance Award or Lump Sum Payment: no impact; no change in eligibility
• Personal Leave: prorate credits, based on the employee's VRWS percentage
• Pre-Shift Briefing: prorate
• Probationary Period: no effect
• Retirement Benefit Earnings: will reduce final average salary if VRWS period is included in three years earnings used to calculate final average salary
• Retirement Service Credit: prorate
• Return to Normal Work Schedule: employee will return to his or her other normal work schedule upon completion of the VRWS agreement period
• Salary: normal gross salary earned is reduced by percentage of voluntary reduction in work schedule; no effect on base annual salary rate
• Seniority: no impact; employee never leaves the payroll; seniority date is not changed; Full seniority credit is earned.
• Seniority for Promotion Examinations: no impact; VR Time used shall be counted as time worked in determining seniority credits for promotion exams
• Shift Pay: prorate
• Sick Leave at Full Pay: prorate accruals, based on the employee's VRWS percentage
• Sick Leave at Half Pay: No impact on eligibility or entitlement. Employees who go on Sick Leave at Half Pay for 28 consecutive calendar days will have their VRWS agreement cancelled and be returned to their normal work schedule and pay base.
• Social Security: no change; contribution rate is set by Federal Law
• Standby Pay: no impact
• Survivor's Benefit: no effect
• Traineeship: no effect
• Unemployment Insurance: no change; formula set by statute
• Workers' Compensation Benefits: No impact on eligibility for entitlement to workers' compensation benefits pursuant to rule or contract. Following 28 consecutive calendar days of absence due to a work-related injury or illness, the VRWS agreement is cancelled and the employee returned to his or her normal work schedule and pay base. At that point the employee receives workers' compensation benefits based on the normal full-time salary and no longer earns VR credits.

• CSEA (OSU) – Article 10.18 and Appendix XII  https://goer.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/10/2016-2021-osu-contract-agreement.pdf
• CSEA (ASU) – Article 10.19 and Appendix XI https://goer.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/10/2016-2021-asu-contract-agreement.pdf
• CSEA (ISU) – Article 10.22 and Appendix XII https://goer.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/10/2016-2021-isu-contract-agreement.pdf
• PEF – Article 12.22 and Appendix IV https://goer.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/2016-2019-pst-cba.pdf

Any person who knowingly with intent to defraud makes a materially false statement, or conceals a material fact to obtain a benefit, shall be guilty of a crime and subject to fines and imprisonment. Report suspected Workers' Compensation fraud to:
 
Workers' Compensation Fraud, Inspector General's Office, (518) 473-4839, or Workers' Compensation Fraud, Inspector General, New York State Workers' Compensation Board, 100 Broadway-Menands, Albany, New York 12241.

The above information is published by the Employee Benefits Division of the State of New York, Department of Civil Service, the State Insurance Fund, and the Workers' Compensation Board.