[DAS_Centralized_PERS_Services_Team] CPERS Vs. PERS- Who to call & when....

Tue Jul 12 09:07:44 PDT 2022

Greetings Agency & HR Partners,

I recently attended a Workday Wednesday meeting and PERS status checks were a topic of discussion. There was some confusion about contacting PERS directly vs. CPERS. This is a long-standing point of confusion and I thought I would take some time to explain who/what CPERS is and what our role is in supporting agencies.

In 2004 PERS changed from paper reporting to electronic reporting. They rolled out a web based system called EDX. In theory, this meant agencies would be required to hand key every new hire, termination, name change, address change,  and every monthly paycheck for all their employees into the EDX system. As well as respond to PERS on a myriad of requests regarding benefit processing. This would create a huge volume of work for state agency payroll and HR staff.

Rather than put this work on each individual agency, and in effort to ensure consistency statewide, the state chose to create a centralized team at DAS to manage this work on behalf of agencies. Thus, the DAS Centralized PERS Services Team was born (CPERS).

Over the last 18 years CPERS has developed and refined a large monthly reporting file that retrieves personnel and payroll data out of Workday and OSPA on a monthly basis and loads it into the EDX system. This data creates and maintains each employee's PERS account for the lifetime of their state employment. The CPERS Analyst's work with these records to ensure each record posts accurately to employee accounts. Aside from the monthly file, we work with PERS on various requests for information pertaining to leave without pay, retirement service credits, disability benefits, settlement payments, and invoicing.

Because CPERS manages the monthly file and is ultimately responsible for navigating the EDX system, we are the dedicated contact when PERS has employee account questions.
If we need to confirm something in the reported data, we will inquire with our designated contact in HR or Payroll at the agency, and then report back to PERS. This is when you receive email inquiries from CPERS.

This Liaison design can be quite confusing for both PERS and agency staff. To help with that confusion, here are some examples of when to contact CPERS vs. when to contact PERS directly.

Contact CPERS:

  *   An employee states that their name, address, or date of birth has not updated with PERS. - This could mean that the monthly reporting file did not pick up changes when entered in Workday and CPERS will need to update in manually in EDX.
  *   An employee says that a job segment is missing from their PERS Online Member Services Account (OMS). - This could mean some employment was not reported accurately to PERS. CPERS would review systems and potentially ask agencies to review and confirm employment data. Then CPERS would add the segment in EDX.
  *   An employee is questioning their PERS subject salary in OMS not matching their W-2.  - CPERS may be able to help if agency payroll is unable to resolve the question.
  *   An employee has LWOP during their waiting period and this impacts their contribution start date (CSD). - CPERS will review and determine if a LWOP segments needs to be added and then update the CSD.
  *   An agency needs to verify the number of hours an employee has worked in the calendar year for an employee being hired into a non-qualifying position.
  *   Social Security number corrections.
  *   An employee wants to purchase Police & Fire Units.
  *   An employee is returning from military leave and needs to have a USERRA segment added to their PERS account. Or any questions related to USERRA benefits.
  *   Any questions or related to maximum salary limitations on contributions.

Contact PERS directly:

  *   Agency HR or Payroll is required to complete a PERS status check on a new hire. -Specific individuals at the agency have been authorized by CPERS to contact PERS directly to receive a status check.
  *   When an employee has specific questions about their PERS account they will need to contact PERS directly themselves. Here are some examples:
     *   An employee is seeking information about how to retire.

     *   An employee wants to know how much money is in their IAP account.
     *   An employee needs assisting logging into their IAP account, or OMS account.
     *   An employee has questions about vesting in PERS.
     *   An employee has questions about the retirement benefit calculation.

  *   Beneficiary forms should be mailed or faxed directly to PERS.
  *   Workers' Comp Certification forms need to be mailed or faxed directly to PERS.
  *   A terminated employee has questions about their PERS benefits.

To put it simply, employees should contact PERS directly with their benefit specific questions. If there is a problem with the employee account, or any reported data, the employee should let their HR or Payroll person know, and HR & Payroll would then contact CPERS for resolution. HR & Payroll staff should only contact PERS directly for help with their own benefits, or for a status check. This model is designed to help agency HR & Payroll staff and we value our partnership with agencies.

If you have questions about PERS or CPERS, please contact me anytime.

Warmest Regards,

Shauna Tobiasson |  Senior CPERS Analyst
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAS Centralized PERS Services Team
Cell: 971-719-3173
Website: http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/Financial/payroll/Pages/index.aspx
"Tolerance and compassion are qualities of fearless people" - Paul Coelho

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