Employer Update: March 2020

The Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS) remains open and is ready to provide excellent service to our employers and members.

INPRS is conducting business as usual with modifications to help do our part to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), per the direction of Governor Holcomb, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Generally, you will be able to access INPRS resources and services as you usually would with some slight modifications to our operations:

• Our offices are now closed to the public. Our lobby is not open, and our staff is not accessible for in-person interaction.
  • Baseline applications should be faxed to us at (317) 974-1616. We will be unable to accept hard copies of baselines in our offices.
• ERM is up and running. All features are functional, and you can continue to submit wages and contributions, update member records, and all other functions that help you do your job.
• You can still reach our team by email at eppa@inprs.in.gov.
• Our Employer Pension Plan Administration (EPPA) representatives are available by phone, as usual, at (888) 876-2707. As we navigate this situation, you may experience delays. Thank you for your patience.
• At this time, we will not be conducting in-person visits with employers. We are confident we can help you using phone, email, and, if needed, video conferencing. We stand ready to assist you.

How we’re helping INPRS members

Effective immediately, INPRS is providing all group workshops and most individual counseling appointments via webinar and telephone.

These online workshops and phone appointments will offer the same information from the same INPRS’s team of expert Retirement Services Consultants. Members can register for these services on our website.

All communication regarding workshops and one-on-one appointments will be sent through email unless members do not have a valid email address on file. Members may also be contacted by phone or postal mail if there is sufficient time before their workshop or one-on-one appointment.

INPRS remains committed to providing members the full service they need to learn about and apply for the retirement benefits they've earned through years of public service.

Please encourage your employees to schedule time with one of INPRS’s Retirement Services Consultants as usual. During this challenging time, providing exceptional service to members while keeping them and our staff safe is our number one priority.

If members have questions, please have them contact us at 844-GO-INPRS or (844) 464-6777.

How we’re caring for our employees

We’ve made some workplace adjustments to help protect our employees, employers, and the community at large.

The vast majority of our staff members are working remotely.  Work at the INPRS office is restricted to employees who have been designated as performing essential work that cannot otherwise be conducted remotely and with pre-approval from INPRS’s executive director.

As mentioned, we have closed our downtown Indianapolis lobby to further protect our employees and guests.

We will continue to monitor the situation as it progresses and will look to the guidance provided by Governor Holcomb, the ISDH, and the CDC.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to serve you through these changes.

Access onboarding support for your employees through video

As more workforces are operating remotely or with reduced staff, INPRS wants you to know that you can still get support educating your newest hires on their plan options.

Our YouTube page hosts several helpful videos that you can feel confident sending out to your employees to help them get educated on their plans.

• Who is INPRS?
• Plan choice information for new teachers
• Selecting a plan – State employees
• Selecting a plan – political subdivision employees
• Learn about INPRS’s Target Date Funds
• Understanding the PARF plan
• Understanding the PERF MyChoice plan

As always, you can find detailed plan information here on our website.

ERM enhancements go into effect Mar. 29

INPRS will be enhancing ERM on Mar. 29, 2020, with some significant changes designed to help you administer your employees’ INPRS benefits more efficiently and will help INPRS better serve you.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Changes will go into effect on Mar. 29, 2020.
• Beginning on or after Mar. 29, 2020, all employers with missing members on their rosters after 90 days will be restricted from using ERM for all employee wage and contribution submissions- not just those for missing members.
• Schools only – A new alternate calendar tab will allow you to enter your school break timeframes in ERM. Updating ERM with these breaks will help you avoid receiving the M-90 error on the following wage report for the individuals who did not work during your reported break. You can begin adding your breaks such as fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring breaks after our ERM enhancement goes live at the end of March 2020.
• Retired members with an active sub-unit status will not be considered missing.
• A new column for “Retired w/ Active Sub Unit Status” will be added to the Missing Member report (Includes Millie Morgan, State Disability, Elected Officials).
• New functionality will be added for initial identification, ongoing tracking, and annual validation of “intermittent” employees for all non-TRF funds (similar to what is currently used for TRF substitutes).
• Corrections to current validation issues including:
  • Allow multiple sequential life events to cover “gaps” in W&C reporting
  • Require no gaps from hire date to 1st reporting
  • Correct issue to allow “Severance Only” W&C reporting without errors
• Several updates to email language, disclaimers, and terms and conditions.

If you have questions or foresee any issues associated with these upcoming changes, please contact EPPA.

Your participation in the 2020 Census is important

The 2020 Census is underway and offers the option of paper, phone and online participation. All households should respond by May 2020. Remember, your participation is important!

Reminders

It’s very important to keep us up-to-date whenever an employee leaves their position. You can easily report any separations from employment by updating the employee’s last day in pay and last check date in ERM.

Do you have former colleagues still listed as “Active” in ERM? Because we want to make sure the right people hear from us, make sure to remove old contacts from ERM. Need help? Contact us!

Every attempt has been made to verify that the information in this publication is correct and up-to-date. Published content does not constitute legal advice. If a conflict arises between information contained in this publication and the law, the applicable law shall apply.