Payroll

What is a Status Check?

To ensure that employees are set up correctly in Workday and the Payroll system, all agencies are required to request a “status check" with PERS prior to entering the PERS Class Plan coding in Workday.  PERS is the only entity that has access to an employee's entire work history to determine their PERS Plan and contribution start date (CSD). 

 A status check provides the following details needed to determine appropriate Workday and Payroll coding:

o   PERS Plan (Tier 1, Tier 2 or OPSRP)

o “Eligible upon hire with CSD" or “needs to serve a new wait time"

o   Retired and if retirement was “Normal" or “Early" (This impacts the retiree hour limit)

o  If the employee is already enrolled in Voluntary Contributions with another PERS employer. 

Status Check Process:

• Agency HR or Payroll partners must be authorized by DAS CPERS to obtain a status check. Contact CPERS for authorization.
• CPERS maintains the list of authorized contacts and regularly updates PERS of any changes. 
• Authorized personnel may request a status check using the following three methods:

1.      Phone: Contact PERS Employer Center at 1-888-320-7377 M-F between the hours of 8:30-12:00. 

The following methods can also be used to obtain a status check. These options are available M-F 8:00 to 5:00 PM.

2.      Fax: Fill out the Status Check Form​ and fax it to PERS directly. PERS will complete section B, columns 4-9 and fax the form back to the agency.

3.      Email: DAS.Status.Checks@PERS.oregon.gov to request a status check. Note: CPERS would prefer agencies contact PERS by phone if the SSN is required for PERS to complete the status check. If email is the only available option, please only include the last 4 digits of the SSN for security reasons. 

• Once the status check has been completed use the PERS Class Plan worksheet  to determine appropriate coding for Workday and Payroll.
• CPERS works as Liaisons between the agency and PERS on any account issues that arise. CPERS may ask the agency for a copy of the status check form if needed.  

How this process has financial impact:

• The coding entered in Workday is sent to PERS via a monthly file from CPERS. This sets up the employee's PERS account and sets the rate PERS will expect to receive each month. If the information sent to PERS is incorrect, inconsistent data will reside in the different systems.
• The information in Workday interfaces to Payroll and updates the PERS Class Plan coding.
• The PERS Class Plan coding drives the payroll PERS deduction from the employees pay, and the PERS employer rate.
• If this process is not completed correctly and timely agencies will be invoiced at the end of the year for additional contributions owed to PERS. 
  
• Voluntary Contributions are a monthly deduction the employee has enrolled in through PERS.  Setting the deduction up timely prevents multiple months from being deducted from the employees pay at one time.​

What? This process has been designed as a manual way of reporting LWOP hours to PERS to ensure accurate retirement benefit calculations. 

When? Quarterly.

How?  CPERS will email each agency (payroll & HR contact) an excel spreadsheet containing quarterly leave without pay data. The spreadsheet will contain a list of all employees that coded leave without pay hours equal or greater than 88 hours a month. The email will include instructions on how to complete the spreadsheet.

Agencies will….

1. Confirm the information on the spreadsheet, and supply corrected hours if needed.
2. Provide dates of the full days of leave without pay for the hours/timeframes provided.
3. Indicate if leave was related to an approved workers comp claim.
4. Return the information to CPERS within 30 days of the receive date.

CPERS will….

1. Review agency information and comments.
2. Complete the process to record the leave without pay in the PERS system.

Supplemental Information:

​What is USERRA?

The Uniform Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is a federal law.  USERRA is a reemployment act.  It protects the jobs of employees who are called to service, ensuring that they have employment to come back to after military duty. USERRA also protects employment benefits, such as health insurance and PERS retirement contributions.

More detailed information about USERRA may be found here: 

https://www.oregon.gov/pers/MEM/Pages/Reemployment-Under-USERRA.aspx​

Filling out the USERRA form:

• It is the agency’s responsibility to determine if an employee qualifies for benefits under USERRA.
• Once the employee returns from service and the agency determines that the employee meets the eligibility requirements for USERRA, the agency will need to complete the PERS USERRA form.
• The PERS USERRA form provides all the information DAS CPERS needs to apply service credit and contributions to the employees PERS account for the period of their military leave.
• IMPORTANT: DAS CPERS facilitates the reporting of USERRA wages on behalf of all state agencies. Please fax the completed USERRA form directly to CPERS and disregard the PERS fax number listed on the form. CPERS Fax: 503-378-4596
• Since USERRA is processed outside the payroll system, agencies will be inv​oiced for any associated contributions or interest. ​