Got Full-Time Only Corrections? Here's what you need to know!

With the end of FY 2016 approaching, it's a good time to make sure that all of your FY 2013 questionable years are certified. Remember: There are no actuarial costs for employers that submit Full-Time Only Corrections within three years.

Helpful Guide: Full-Time Only Corrections (Correcting Service Credit for FY 2013)

• Corrections submitted before July 1, 2016: No actuarial cost

• Corrections submitted on or after July 1, 2016: There will be an actuarial cost if corrections result in an increase of service credit.

Questions? If you have any questions about these annual corrections or how to certify/correct questionable years, please contact your agency’s assigned Retirement Analyst Liaison (insert agency name or 4-digit TRSL agency number in the Search field provided).

Need staff training? If your agency is interested in on-site training and customized tips for reducing potential actuarial costs, please contact staff in our Employer Services Department at 225-925-6446 or toll free (outside the Baton Rouge area) at 877-ASK-TRSL (877-275-8775):

• Sharon Lachney (ext. 4097)

• Heather Landry (ext. 7093)

Answers to your questions about corporate contracts and TRSL retirees

Periodically TRSL receives questions from employers about corporate contract payments to TRSL retirees. If employers enter into a corporate contract and the corporate contract vendor hires TRSL retirees to perform duties under the contract, TRSL retiree return-to-work laws may be applicable. 

An example is the use of employment agencies, like Kelly Services, to provide substitutes to fill positions normally eligible for TRSL membership. If the individuals hired by the employment agency to fill the substitute positions are TRSL retirees, these individuals and the TRSL employer are subject to TRSL’s return-to-work laws.

Retirees rehired by contract or corporate contract in positions normally eligible for membership are not exempt from the state’s return-to-work laws. Retirees who become re-employed in any position that would normally be eligible for TRSL membership is subject to the provisions of LSA-R.S. 11:710.

If you are entering into a contract or corporate contract that may employ TRSL retirees, you should contact TRSL for applicability of the retiree return-to-work laws and reporting requirements. If you have questions please contact Sylvia Miller at 225-925-6446, ext. 6479 or toll free (outside the Baton Rouge area) at 877-ASK-TRSL (877-275-8775), ext. 6479.

Submission of beneficiary forms

Members should submit their own beneficiary forms directly to TRSL. However, if your agency does submit these forms on behalf of employees, it is important to do so in a timely manner to avoid these potential consequences.

• Beneficiary forms received by TRSL after the date of a member’s death are null and void per statute.  

• Benefit payments made to the deceased member’s estate or based upon an old beneficiary form may not be in accordance with what were the member’s most recent intentions.

• Beneficiaries could experience unnecessary delays in benefit payments, significant legal expenses, and/or unexpected tax consequences.

Also, holding or delaying submission of beneficiary forms could create liability concerns for your agency.

New Series!

Mastering the Manual: Completing Authorized Contacts (Form 1)

The Employer Procedures Manual is your “go-to guide” for all things on TRSL reporting requirements.

That’s why we’ve launched a new series in your quarterly employer newsletter, Mastering the Manual.  We’ll go through the manual—index by index—to give you helpful tips and guidance that will make your job easier.

Form 1 - Authorized Contacts

To expedite new and current staff access to TRSL’s employer reporting system (EMIS), do the following:

• Check all desired access rights when completing a Form 1 for a new staff member. 

• Get signatures for new staff members who will be “authorized signers.” Proper signatures on the form are required for access to be granted. 

• If replacing or deleting a previous authorized contact, include the previous contact’s name in the designated field. 

• If authorizing additional access rights to an existing staff member, be sure to include both the previous access rights and the new access rights on the new Form 1. All newly submitted Form 1 paperwork supersedes any previously submitted forms (including previous access rights). 

• When adding/modifying a staff member on Form 1 and you also want the individual to be a TRSL employer contact, you will also need to submit a Form 1EDC. The Form 1 alone will only designate the staff member as an authorized signer with access or inquiry rights; it will not designate them as a TRSL information contact or recipient of TRSL mail.    

Remember, submitting updated authorized contact changes (adding/replacing/modifying/deleting) in a timely manner ensures your agency's employer access rights remain current and valid.

See Index 1.1 for complete details.