February 2021

1,000 reasons to attend the Annual Employer Training


Whether you’re a TRSL-reporting pro or a newbie, there’s something for you at the upcoming Annual Employer Training.

This year’s training is loaded with information that will give you answers to common employer questions on everything from routine reporting procedures to the new guidelines for returning to work.

“There are easily a thousand reasons to attend the Annual Employer Training,” said Ed Branagan, TRSL’s Employer Services Director. “But, I’d say the most important one is to help all employers report retirement data to us easily and accurately. This training does that!”

Here are a couple more reasons to register:

This year, we’ll be virtual! All training sessions will be conducted virtually (via GoToWebinar), so you have the flexibility to attend the entire virtual training session or log in only for those topics of interest to you—jump in and out as you please.

• Training sessions will be targeted. We customize training by employer type—K-12/charter, higher education, and state agencies. The sessions will offer a robust mix of topics, focusing on topics of interest to each employer type. Check out the agenda for your specific group here.

Register for your customized training below.

• K-12, Charter: Lab, and state-run schools are encouraged to attend this training.
Register here.

• Higher Education: For higher education institutions that do not have lab schools.

• State Agencies: For (traditional) state agencies that do not teach PreK-12 students.
Register here.

Have questions? Please contact Sharon Lachney or Heather Landry.

THE FIGURES ARE IN...

Earnable Compensation & Contribution Limits

Fiscal Year 2021-22 Annual Contribution Rates

Enrolling members: Has this ever happened to you?
Here’s the scenario: You’re ready to enroll a new hire through EMIS, but there’s no Social Security number (SSN). 
If you’re thinking, there’s no harm in submitting a “dummy SSN” until the employee receives a valid one—hold up! 
While there is no federal law that prohibits employers from hiring a person who does not have a SSN, employees without this information should not be enrolled in TRSL until a valid SSN is obtained. 
In the meantime, here’s how to handle that enrollment: 
You can remit monthly salary contributions for an employee without an SSN to prevent incurring interest charges. The payment will remain posted to the employer’s Accounts Receivable and show as a credit. Once the employee is enrolled with a valid SSN and online Contributions Corrections are processed, the employer’s monthly Accounts Receivable should balance.

Tips for COVID-19 salary and sick leave reporting
Did you know that your employees may qualify for additional family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19? Here’s what you need to know:

Expanded Family and Medical Leave Act (EFMLA):

• What it does: Employees covered by EFMLA provisions may be paid less than their regular rate of pay.

• What employers need to do: Employers should report the earnings actually received and the contributions withheld for the reporting period. Full-time earnings should reflect the amount of earnings the member would have received for the entire month at regular pay (100%).

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA):

• What it does: Employees under FFCRA provisions may be eligible to use Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) up to a maximum of 10 days.

• What employers need to do: Employers should not report EPSL as sick leave days used. However, if the employee uses sick leave from their own leave balance, employers should report those days as sick leave usage.   

It's election season for
TRSL: RUN, VOTE, ENGAGE


TRSL will hold elections for two active member seats on the Board of Trustees this year. Pass on this information to your employees, so they can participate in the election process.

SPECIAL ELECTION: District 7 voting
starts soon!

The District 7 board seat is currently vacant. Actively working members in the parishes of Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Mary, and Vermilion will soon receive voting instructions from our election vendor, Election-America, to select their new representative. The candidates who qualified for this position and their employers are listed below:

• Kelly Allen, M.A., St. Mary Parish School Board
• Suzanne Breaux, Vermilion Parish School Board
• Vicki Chauvin Guilbeau, Lafayette Parish School System

SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE: Interested in serving on the TRSL Board?

Members who are paid with school food service funds can become candidates to represent their colleagues on the TRSL Board. Candidate eligibility requirements and qualifying information for this position will be distributed soon.

The TRSL Board is responsible for safeguarding and managing assets to provide retirement income for members and their beneficiaries. We encourage TRSL members to stay engaged with election matters, vote, and even consider running to represent their fellow members.

Upcoming Employer

Training: 


Social Security Offsets (webinar)
10 a.m., Wednesday, April 14,
REGISTER HERE

Additional Information:
Understand the federal laws that may reduce Social Security benefits: Government Pension Offset (GPO) & Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)

2021 Legislative Updates (webinar)
10 a.m., Wednesday, June 30
REGISTER HERE

Additional Information:

An overview of bills and legislation from the 2021 legislative session.


Where can I find the latest TRSL brochures?
Easily access digital versions of all current TRSL brochures. You can download and view at your convenience at www.TRSL.org. or request hard copies here.
NOTE: TRSL does not recommend bulk printing and stockpiling versions of brochures or forms from our website. Benefit information is updated continuously, and we want to ensure the most updated versions are in circulation.
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