One of the first things all ASRS employers should do to assist their employees, is to ensure that they are enrolled with their ASRS employer. Online Enrollment instructions, along with each employer's unique enrollment code, are available under the manage enrollments tab of the Employer Secure Account.
Employers must help guide their new employees through this process, regardless of whether they’re new to the ASRS or have previously worked for an ASRS employer, as the enrollment process provides important demographic information to the ASRS. Without a completed enrollment, the ASRS may be unable to contact or locate the member, and the member may not be able to add a beneficiary, apply for a refund or retirement, or access their account information. In addition, the member’s unenrolled account is more vulnerable to fraudulent activity or may be potentially exposed to unclaimed property laws if the member should pass away or simply forget about their account.
One common issue that frequently occurs in the enrollment process is when current ASRS members begin work with a new ASRS employer, but have previously registered and enrolled with their former ASRS employer. As a result, they already have an existing ASRS account. In this scenario, the member will typically log into their myASRS account first, then attempt to complete the enrollment. However, the employee should instead click on the “First Time Registering” link at the bottom of the login screen, as logging into their existing myASRS account will bypass the enrollment process.
For a member to complete their myASRS registration, two things must occur first: you, as the employer, must verify and submit the member’s Pending Enrollment, then the member's initial contributions must have been reported to the ASRS and posted to the member’s account. Please keep in mind that it can take two to three weeks after a pay-period has been reported to the ASRS for their contribution to be posted to the member’s account. Once this occurs, the member will then be able to complete their myASRS registration.
Additional information regarding the online enrollment process can be found in the following:
- The ASRS Employer Manual, Section 4-9: https://www.azasrs.gov/sites/default/files/Employer_Manual_23.pdf
- The Online Enrollment guide: https://www.azasrs.gov/sites/default/files/Online_Enrollment_Guide_23.pdf
Written by Nichole Fuller, Employer Relations
Published November 2023
