As we close out calendar year 2022, the ASRS wants to remind you about the importance of reporting contributions accurately and in a timely manner. The purpose of this reminder is to help our employers avoid late fees and, in some cases, the potentially expensive result of creating an unfunded liability.

If you are the designated Employer Web Administrator for your organization, there are several responsibilities that you should be aware of.

One of the first things all employers should do to assist their employees is to ensure that they are enrolled in their online myASRS account using their ASRS employer’s enrollment code. Online enrollment allows employers to review and verify three important pieces of demographic data, confirm the member’s employment, and verify that they are eligible for ASRS membership.

What can you do when you’ve hired new employees, and they have questions about ASRS and all that is involved with being a member? Provide a printed or digital copy of our New Member Guide! You can find the New Member Guide on the New Employee Information page, located in the Employers tab.

As an employer who interfaces with the ASRS and members, it’s important to understand which processes are your responsibility and when you should point people to us for further assistance. To help clarify, here is an overview of some of the most important employer responsibilities. 

One common error that frequently occurs during the enrollment process of new employees is with members who already have an existing ASRS account and need to enroll with their new employer. They often log into their account first, then attempt to complete enrollment. Note that the instructions do not advise these employees to log in first. The employee should simply click on the "First Time Registering?" link that is located at the bottom of the login screen. Logging into an existing account will bypass the enrollment process.

The Employer Relations Team is excited to host the annual ASRS Employer Conference starting on September 7, 2022, via Google Meet. Based on feedback received from the 2021 Employer Conference, ASRS is trying something different this year: virtual conference days that last from 8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. that include breakout sessions on topics relevant to your responsibilities. 

While most retirees who return to work directly with an ASRS employer wait to do so until they can both work and continue to receive their retirement benefit, there are those who choose to or must suspend their benefit and become contributing members again. When they decide to resume receiving a retirement benefit again, they have to re-retire so their benefit can include the additional service they accrued in their recent employment.