May 29, 2015


In This Issue: Evaluate Positions Yearly for IMRF Participation Becoming an IMRF Authorized Agent May 2015 Employer Reminder	Quick Links: Visit IMRF's Website Log in to Employer Access Employer Digest Email Archive

Evaluate Positions Yearly for IMRF Participation

A significant responsibility of Authorized Agents is to make sure the positions at your employer are reviewed yearly to determine if they qualify for IMRF. To make this determination, every year Authorized Agents should assess if each position:

Continues to meet/exceed your employer's hourly standard for IMRF participation.
Requires fewer hours and no longer meets your employer's hourly standard for IMRF participation (the employee should be terminated from IMRF participation).
Requires more hours and now meets your employer's hourly standard for IMRF participation (the employee should be enrolled in IMRF participation).

To qualify for IMRF participation, by law, the position must require at least 600 or 1,000 hours over the next 12 months, depending on your employer's hourly standard. Measure the hours you reasonably expect the position to require against your hourly standard; the actual hours worked may be more or less. Also make sure to:

Pay special attention to part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees. Their hours can quickly change.
Consider those who hold more than one position at your employer. Each position's hours are combined into one total when determining IMRF participation.

A checklist, "Should this employee be enrolled in IMRF?," is available on IMRF's website to help determine if an employee should be enrolled in IMRF. For additional questions about evaluating positions, contact your IMRF Field Representative or call IMRF using the exclusive, employer-only phone, 1-800-728-7971.

Becoming an IMRF Authorized Agent

When the governing body of an IMRF employer appoints a qualified representative as its Authorized Agent, he or she becomes responsible for assorted duties. To designate an IMRF Authorized Agent:

The governing body makes the appointment by adopting a resolution.
The clerk or secretary of the governing body certifies the appointment using IMRF Form 2.20 (Notice of Appointment of Authorized Agent) and returns the completed form to IMRF.
The new Authorized Agent registers for a new User ID using IMRF Employer Access.

IMRF's Authorized Agent Certification Workshops provide Authorized Agents an overview of his or her responsibilities. Authorized Agents are encouraged to attend a workshop in their area. Topics covered include enrollment, wage reporting, service credits, benefits, and employer rates; dates and registration is available on IMRF's website.

To familiarize an Authorized Agent with his or her duties and assist in implementation, procedure checklists are available on IMRF's website. The checklists were designed to make an Authorized Agent's duties easier by providing step-by-step direction through each process, including: enrollment, disability, retirement, death, and termination. To download copies of IMRF's checklists, visit the Procedure Checklists for IMRF Employers page on IMRF's website.

April 2015 Employer Reminder:
The Requirements of Pension Impact Statements

Before an IMRF employer can increase the earnings of an officer, executive, or manager by 12% or more, the employer must visit IMRF's website to download, complete, and submit IMRF Form 3.22 (Request for Pension Impact Statement), according to Public Act 97-0609 (40 ILCS 5/7-225).

The Pension Impact Statement will provide employers with:

The effect the earnings increase could have on the member's pension.
The estimated additional payment (also known as the Accelerated Payment or AP) the employer will be required to pay either: 1) in full within 90 days of receipt of an AP invoice (after the member retires), with no interest, or 2) within three years of the invoice date, at 7.5% interest.
The estimated total additional pension liability to employer.