Employer Partners

LTD: Reporting The Passing of a Member

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:14:53 +0000

LTD: Reporting The Passing of a Member

[email protected] Fri, 10/30/2026 - 10:14

LTD: Reporting The Passing of a Member

For

It is essential that all member deaths be reported to the Arizona State Retirement System and/or Broadspire as soon as the information becomes available. If a family member or other individual contacts your facility to report the death of a Long-Term Disability (LTD) member, please ensure that this information is promptly forwarded to Broadspire and/or the ASRS for appropriate action. Timely notification is critical to ensure that benefit payments are discontinued when appropriate. Failure to report a member’s death may result in continued payments for which the member is no longer eligible, potentially creating an overpayment that may need to be recovered. You can report a death using one of the options listed below.
How to Submit a Death Notification:

Phone-Broadspire, (877) 232-0596 ASRS, (602) 240-2000
Email- Broadspire, [email protected]
Employer Secure Message-ASRS Employer Secure website

Help Your Employees Build Their Future

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:16:22 +0000

Help Your Employees Build Their Future

[email protected]">nathanielb@aza… Fri, 10/30/2026 - 08:16

Help Your Employees Build Their Future

For

Employer Partners

A comfortable retirement often relies on three financial pillars: Social Security, ASRS retirement benefits, and personal savings. One of the most valuable things you can do as an ASRS employer is encourage your employees to learn about supplemental savings plans available to them as ASRS members.

As highlighted during the 2026 ASRS Employer Conference, ASRS members have access to supplemental retirement savings plans through Nationwide administered by the ASRS, including:

457(b) Supplemental Salary Deferral Plan: Available to ASRS members who want to set aside additional money for retirement through convenient payroll deductions.
403(b) plan: Available to ASRS members employed by eligible educational employers.

These plans offer features such as automatic contributions, investment options, and the flexibility to adjust contribution amounts. Employees can explore the options available to them and find an approach that fits their individual needs and goals.

Traditional or Roth? You May Have Options!

One of the highlights of the Employer Conference was the announcement and discussions about the Roth options. Employees may be able to choose between traditional pretax and Roth after-tax contributions.

Traditional pretax contributions: Contributions are made before federal income taxes are calculated, potentially reducing taxable income today. Contributions and investment earnings are generally taxed when withdrawn.
Roth after-tax contributions: Contributions are made with money that has already been taxed. Qualified withdrawals, including investment earnings, can be tax-free when applicable IRS requirements are met.

Why does this matter? Your tax situation today may look different from your tax situation in retirement. Understanding these options can help employees make informed decisions about how they save for the future. The right choice depends on each person’s circumstances, so employees should explore the features and tax implications before deciding.

Ready to learn more?

Encourage your employees to explore Nationwide’s retirement planning tools, attend educational webinars, and connect with a Retirement Specialist for additional guidance.

State Agency and State University employees: Visit ArizonaDC.com
Non-State Agency and Non-State University employees: Visit AzSRSP.com (opens in a new tab)
Call Nationwide at 1-888-292-1401

Remember that investing involves risk, and investment returns are not guaranteed. Employees should consider their individual financial circumstances when evaluating their options.

Retirement readiness is a shared effort. By helping employees understand their ASRS benefits and their supplemental savings options, you’re empowering them to build a stronger financial future.

Because the best time to start thinking about retirement isn’t the day before it arrives!

Employer LTD Tip: Receiving Pay & Benefits

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:49:21 +0000

Employer LTD Tip: Receiving Pay & Benefits

[email protected]">nathanielb@aza… Mon, 09/28/2026 - 11:49

Employer LTD Tip: Receiving Pay & Benefits

For

Employer Partners

When an employee is working or receiving pay from an employer while also receiving Long Term Disability (LTD) benefits, the employer is required to submit the employee's pay stubs or payroll reports each month that the employee receives compensation. These pay stubs or reports are crucial for determining the percentage of the offset that needs to be applied, based on the types of pay reflected on the employee's pay stubs.

The pay stubs or pay reports must be submitted to Broadspire by submitting them through one of the following:

Broadspire online portal www.myleavetech.com
Emailing them to [email protected]">[email protected]

Changes to the Age 65+ Membership Waiver

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:32:41 +0000

Changes to the Age 65+ Membership Waiver

[email protected]">nathanielb@aza… Mon, 09/28/2026 - 11:32

Changes to the Age 65+ Membership Waiver

For

Employer Partners

There’s an important change to the ASRS age 65+ membership waiver, and this one comes directly from Arizona law.

House Bill 2092 (HB 2092) changed when an employee age 65 or older may elect not to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). The change affects the timing of the 30-day waiver period and is particularly important for employees whose hours fluctuate. HB 2092 was signed into law on April 13, 2026, and became effective September 12, 2026.

What Changed?

The 30-day window for an employee who is 65 or older to opt out of participating in the ASRS now starts at their date of ASRS eligibility, NOT from their hire date. This is a change required by law, so employers should update their processes to follow the new eligibility-based timeframe.

What Does This Mean for Employers?

If an employee age 65 or older begins employment in a position that does not initially meet the ASRS membership criteria, the date of hire does not start the waiver clock. Employers should monitor employee hours to determine when the employee becomes eligible for ASRS participation and when the 30-day opt-out window begins.

Two Examples:

ASRS-Eligible at hire date:
An employee age 66 is hired to work 20 or more hours per week for at least 20 weeks. The employee is eligible for ASRS from the beginning of employment, so the 30-day waiver period begins at that time.
NOT ASRS-Eligible at hire date:
An employee age 66 is hired to work fewer than 20 hours per week. Several months later, the employee’s hours increase and they meet the ASRS membership criteria. The 30-day waiver period begins when the employee becomes eligible to participate in ASRS.

Reminder: The Waiver Is a Significant Election

The age 65+ waiver is more than an administrative form.

The election to waive ASRS membership must be made in writing
The election is irrevocable for the remainder of the employment for which the election was made
Constitutes a waiver of all ASRS benefits.
The member is not eligible to later purchase waived service under the applicable ASRS service-credit purchase provisions.

Note: Employees must also meet the other requirements in A.R.S. § 38-727(A)(8) to qualify for the waiver.

Updated Form

ASRS is updating the 65+ Membership Waiver form to reflect the changes required by HB 2092. The form is available through the Forms & Packets section of the Employer Secure Account.

Questions? Send us an Employer Secure Message (ESM), use Chat, or call the Employer Services Line at 602-542-2777.

301 Monies: Accurate Reporting Makes A Difference

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:29:21 +0000

301 Monies: Accurate Reporting Makes A Difference

[email protected]">nathanielb@aza… Mon, 09/28/2026 - 10:29

301 Monies: Accurate Reporting Makes A Difference

For

Employer Partners

If you work in a school payroll or HR office, you know that Proposition 301 monies can come with a few extra reporting considerations. While these payments may be made outside of an employee’s regular payroll, they still need to be reported to the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) correctly.

Getting the details right the first time can save your payroll team and ASRS a lot of time and prevent unnecessary corrections later. More importantly, accurate reporting helps protect the accuracy of your employees’ ASRS records and retirement benefits.

What’s the Big Deal About 301 Monies?

Proposition 301 performance-based pay is a type of compensation that can create questions during contribution reporting. The pay type, Pay Period Ending (PPE) date, contribution rate, and timing of the payment all matter when reporting these funds.

301 monies should not simply be treated like regular wages because they are being paid through payroll. Using the correct ASRS pay type helps ASRS properly identify the compensation and determine how it should be treated for retirement purposes. ASRS has previously identified incorrect reporting of compensation as an issue that can result in inaccurate benefit calculations.

In other words, the way you report the money matters, not just the amount.

Best Practices for Reporting 301 Monies

Use the Correct Pay Type. The correct pay type gives the ASRS important information about the nature of the payment and can help prevent follow-up questions and corrections.
Pay Attention to the PPE Date. For 301 monies that are being issued after the fiscal year in which they were earned, it's especially important to make sure you're using the appropriate current fiscal-year PPE date and contribution rate. ASRS guidance has specifically addressed this situation.
Check the Contribution Rate. Contribution rates change each fiscal year, effective July 1. For FY 2026-27, the employee and employer retirement contribution rate is 11.87%, with an additional 0.11% LTD rate, for a total of 11.98%. Verify that you're using the correct rate for the applicable PPE date. A small rate difference can become a much bigger headache when corrections are multiplied across an entire payroll.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute, Review Before You Submit

One of the best ways to avoid reporting problems is to plan ahead and take a few minutes to review your payroll before submitting it. Catching an error before submission can save hours of research, corrections, and follow-up later.

Think of your final review as a quick ASRS quality check. Before you hit Submit, ask yourself:

Is this really 301 compensation? Confirm the payment meets the requirements for reporting as 301 compensation.
Are the Payment date and Pay Period End date correct? Make sure both dates accurately reflect the payment and pay period being reported.
Did I select the correct ASRS Pay Type? Using the correct pay type helps ensure the compensation is reported and processed appropriately.
Am I using the correct fiscal-year contribution rate? Verify that the rate matches the fiscal year in which the compensation is being reported.
Do the compensation and contributions match? Review the payroll totals and confirm that both employee and employer contributions are accurate based on the reported compensation.
Does anything look unusual? Take a final look for unexpected amounts, missing information, or anything that differs from your normal payroll reporting.
Do I have supporting documentation? Keep documentation supporting the payment and how it was reported, in case the payroll needs to be reviewed or corrected later.

A few extra minutes before submission can help prevent avoidable reporting issues and make corrections much easier if a question comes up later.

Other Great Resources:

Employer Reference Materials webpage,
Employer live chat in your Employer Secure Account
Call the Employer Relations Team at 602-542-2777

Basics for Employers: December Dates

Wed, 29 May 2024 21:14:00 +0000

Basics for Employers: December Dates

[email protected] Wed, 05/29/2024 - 14:14

Basics for Employers: December Dates

For

Employer Partners

The ASRS Basics for Employer, also known as Employer Basics, is a webinar series that provides essential training to help new employer web users succeed in their roles. This five-part series covers critical topics such as membership eligibility, enrollment processing, contribution reporting, health insurance premiums, long-term disability, service verification, and ending payroll verification forms. The series is also open to anyone seeking a refresher on any of these topics.

Membership Benefits, Eligibility & Enrollment

Learn all about the benefits of ASRS membership, how membership eligibility is determined, who can waive membership, and why completing the enrollment process is so crucial to your employees.

Session Dates

Tue, Dec 1 at 1:00 PM
Wed, Dec 2 at 9:00 AM

Compensation & Contribution Reporting

If you have questions on what qualifies as reportable compensation, how to adjust contribution summary reports, how to report alternate contributions, or how to remit late charges, this webinar is for you.

Session Dates

Thur, Dec 3 at 9:00 AM
Thur, Dec 3 at 1:00 PM

Service Verification, Refunding, Retiring & Working After Retirement

This webinar is designed for those with the roles of CNW and Military Call-Up Specialist, Leave of Absence Specialist, and/or Ending Payroll Specialist. It will cover different service purchase options, required employer information, and how to complete Ending Payroll Verification (EPV) forms for employees who retire or refund. We will discuss pay types, define “other contributions” and the difference between the Termination Date and End of Membership, as well as what you need to know when hiring ASRS retirees.

Session Dates

Wed, Dec 9 at 9:00 AM
Wed, Dec 9 at 1:00 PM

Health Insurance Premium Benefit Program

This webinar covers the eligibility criteria for the Health Insurance Premium Benefit (HIPB) and how to access and submit the online health insurance online forms that are required for the HIPB to be properly disbursed to eligible retirees and Long Term Disability (LTD) members. You will also learn how to access and review the monthly reconciliation report and when updates are needed to change or delete coverage.

Session Dates

Thur, Dec 10 at 9:00 AM
Thur, Dec 10 at 1:00 PM

Long Term Disability Program

For those who handle the LTD program for their employer, this session with our LTD administrator will cover, in great detail, the claim packet requirements, how to submit documents, and how to access the Broadspire portal.

Session Dates

Tue, Dec 15 at 9:00 AM
Tue, Dec 15 at 1:00 PM

Registration Information

To register for any (or all) of the webinars in the ASRS Basics for Employers Series, please log in to your ASRS Employer Secure Account, select Employer Meeting Registration and then click on Schedule. Click on the webinar(s) you wish to attend and complete the form.

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to your webinar(s) as well as a calendar invitation. You’ll also receive a reminder email shortly before your session(s). Please note, the webinars will be held on the Adobe Connect platform. If you've never used Adobe Connect, view a quick overview here.

Retirement Resources for You and Your Employees

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 17:11:50 +0000

Retirement Resources for You and Your Employees

[email protected] Mon, 04/01/2024 - 10:11

Retirement Resources for You and Your Employees

For

Employer Partners

For many employees, retirement can be overwhelming and exciting all at the same time! Employees and employers alike are curious about what is required during this process. The ASRS has the following essential information to assist along the way.

Resources for Retiring Employees

Your employees may be wondering where to begin or what their next steps should be to start their retirement, and we provide a comprehensive list of tools and resources regarding all things retirement. Multiple resources are available on our Retirement Central webpage, as it is a great place to start! You will find discussion topics such as estimating benefits, a timeline for retirement processing, annuity options, and applying for retirement.

In addition, the Member Education webpage has several virtual meetings and e-learnings, taking members from the beginning of their journey all the way up to retirement. We are confident these tools will provide clarity and direction for those embarking on retirement.

Note: members are not required to meet with the ASRS to file a retirement application. It can be completed anytime, anywhere, at their convenience, within their secure myASRS account. Members are also welcome to call our Member Advisory Center to speak with a retirement specialist if they have any additional questions.

Employer Resources

Whether you’ve been an employer partner for decades or months, we have many resources to help you learn more about the retirement process and how to direct your employees to the right information. Reviewing the Employer Manual, visiting our Employer Reference Materials, and registering for our ASRS Basics for Employers series is a great place to begin! These resources look through the lens of the employers and will help you learn more about your role and responsibilities to the ASRS.

If you still have questions, you are also welcome to send us a secure message, or try out our new chat function to discuss your questions & concerns with the Employer Relations Team. We also have a helpful article, Fantastic Resources and Where to Find Them, which lists even more resources and helpful tools you may benefit from.

Ending Payroll Verification

When an employee applies for retirement, The Ending Payroll Verification (EPV) is a form that will be sent through and completed through the ASRS Secure Employer Website. Through the EPV, you verify a member’s termination date and final payroll information.

You may get an EPV request for an employee who has not been employed in quite a while. In many of these cases, the EPV is an Internal Revenue Service requirement for a Required Minimum Distribution disbursement. If you no longer have employer records for the member named on the EPV, you can mark the EPV as “Not Applicable” and note on the EPV that the employment records are no longer available.

Visit our employer Ending Payroll Verification page to view the online EPV Guide. This resource will provide steps on how to log in, and several scenarios for completing the EPV, and will help clear up some commonly asked questions.

Fantastic Resources & Where to Find Them

Thu, 18 May 2023 01:15:24 +0000

Fantastic Resources & Where to Find Them

[email protected] Wed, 05/17/2023 - 18:15

Fantastic Resources & Where to Find Them

For

Employer Partners

If you are having trouble finding the answer to that unique scenario that seems to defy logic, you're not alone! Every day our employer relations team reviews questions from hundreds of employers. While there are a few mysteries that only our Employer Quality Analysts can solve, there are many questions whose answers are easily found in resources available on our Employer Reference Materials page.

Each employer web user has unique Application groups assigned to them. Here is a list of the Application Groups, their description, and a quick reference to some of their more commonly used resources.

Click to jump to a section:

Employer Administrator will allow the employer user to add new employer users, authorize and remove access to any available online applications, deactivate employer users, authorize and remove LTD and Executive contacts, manage employer addresses and email address domains, and view recent activity of these changes.

Resource:

- Secure Employer Website Administrator Guide

Ending Payroll Verifications will display the name and social security number of employees who have requested retirement or refund from ASRS or died prior to retiring.

Resource:

- Online Ending Payroll Verification

Online Contribution Reporting will display the name, social security number, status, salary, contributions, service purchase deductions, employee type, member type, employee classification, and hours worked each pay period for all actively contributing employees.

The name, social security number, salary, ACR amount, employee type, and return-to-work date for return-to-work retirees will be displayed.

Bank account and routing numbers from which contributions are paid are accessible.

Resources:

- Chapters 6-1 through 6-15 of the Employer Manual
- Web Based Contribution Reporting Guide
- File Upload Contribution Reporting Guide

PDA and Term Pay Specialist will receive direct messages that include either a member's Payroll Deduction Authorization or an Authorization for Termination Payment service purchase form that has to be implemented.

Resource:

- Chapters 6-14 through 6-16 of the Employer Manual

Online Enrollments will display the name, date of birth, and social security number of new employees who go through the online enrollment process. The name and social security number will also be displayed for employees who have contributed but not enrolled, and who have enrolled but not yet contributed.

Resources:

- Chapters 4-10 and 4-11 of the Employer Manual
- Online Enrollment Guide

HI Premium Benefit Specialist is authorized to access the health insurance premium benefit report, which contains the name, social security number, and health insurance elections for certain retirees and LTD participants.

Resources:

- Chapters 9-4 through 9-9 of the Employer Manual
- Health Insurance Premium Benefit Session Handout 2022

Return to Work forms will display the name, social security number, termination date, normal or early retirement status, return to work date, and the intent of their employment.

Resources:
- Chapters 4-14 through 4-22 of the Employer Manual
- Retiree Return to Work Smart Form

CNW and Military Call-Up will have access to request and view the status of a CNW and/or Military Call-Up request.

Resources:
- CNW pages 7-17, Military Call-Up pages 18-25 of the Service Verification Applications Guide
- CNW chapters 6-6 and 6-7, Military Call-Up chapters 6-9 and 6-10 of the Employer Manual

Leave of Absence will display the name, social security number, and certain employment dates and require a response for members requesting to purchase an unpaid leave of absence.

Resources:
- Chapters 7-3 and 7-4 of the Employer Manual
- Pages 26-30 of the Service Verification Applications Guide

Written by Aaron Bernardino, Employer Relations

Published May 2023