Appendix A Longevity Increment Eligibility Rules

The following rules shall govern the eligibility of Employees for the longevity increments provided for in Article III, Section 8 of the 2005 - 2008 Social Services & Related Titles Agreement.

1. Only service in pay status shall be used to calculate the 15 years of service, except that for other than full time per annum employees only a continuous year of service in pay status shall be used to calculate the 15 years of service. A continuous year of service shall be a full year of service without a break of more than 31 days. Where the regular and customary work year for a title is less than a twelve month year, such as a school year, such regular and customary year shall be credited as a continuous year of service counting towards the 15 years of service. If the normal work year for an Employee is less than the regular and customary work year for the Employee’s title, it shall be counted as a continuous year of service if the Employee has customarily worked that length work year and the applicable agency verifies that information.
2. Service in pay status prior to any breaks in service of more than one year shall not be used to calculate the 15 years of service. Where an employee has less than seven years of continuous service in pay status, breaks in service of less than one year shall be aggregated. Where breaks in service aggregate to more than one year they shall be treated as a break in service of more than one year and the service prior to such breaks and the aggregated breaks shall not be used to calculate the 15 years of service. No break used to disqualify service shall be used more than once.
3. The following time in which an Employee is not in pay status shall not constitute a break in service as specified in paragraph 2 above:
   1. Time on a leave approved by the proper authority which is consistent with the Personnel Rules and Regulations of the City of New York or the appropriate personnel authority of a covered organization.
   2. Time prior to a reinstatement.
   3. Time on a preferred list pursuant to Civil Service Law Sections 80 and 81 or any similar contractual provision.
   4. Time not in pay status of 31 days or less.
   Notwithstanding the above, such time as specified in subsections a, b and c above shall not be used to calculate the 15 years of service.
4. Once an Employee has completed the 15 years of “City” service in pay status and is eligible to receive the $800 longevity increment, the $800 shall become part of the Employee’s base rate for all purposes except as provided in paragraph 5 below.
5. The $800 longevity increment shall not become pensionable until fifteen months after the Employee begins to receive such $800 increment. Fifteen months after the Employee begins to receive the $800 longevity increment, such $800 longevity increment shall become pensionable and as part of the Employee’s base rate, the $800 longevity increment shall be subject to the general increases provided in Article III, Section 3(a) of this Agreement.