Employer Monthly - April Issue
As we continue to navigate the ups and downs of the pandemic, our services remain virtual – from webinars to member one-on-ones and our recent Annual Meeting. We look forward to the day we can connect in person again, but for now we continue to make the best of a challenging situation.
In addition to the Annual Meeting webcast, below you’ll also find updates on our e-access progress, information on important compliance items, a reminder about the annual reconciliation process, a tip from an OMERS employer and a link to the Employer Satisfaction Survey.
New e-access features
Batch reporting for disability leaves
Batch reporting for disability leaves is now available. Submitting requests in batches is faster, more efficient and saves you time. A new column has been added for this process to capture the date last worked – a field which is only required for this leave type.
Retirements and terminations
Beginning May 7, the Request for an OMERS Plan benefit (e-Form 143) will be available in the new e-access system. As we continue our transition to a new and improved e-access, you can visit the e-access Information Portal to find training resources.
We plan to introduce another new feature in early June: Leave period correction (e-Form 165c). You can sign up for a webinar to learn more:
Tuesday, May 18 – 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Thursday, May 20 – 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Wednesday, May 26 – 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Interested in helping us build a better system?
Your feedback has helped us design the new e-access system – and we’re not done yet. We continue to collect employer feedback during our e-access demo sessions. In these sessions, you’ll get a sneak peek at upcoming features and a chance to provide feedback. Help us build a system that works for you. Email eaccess@omers.com to participate.
Watch OMERS Annual Meeting
On April 6, OMERS hosted its 2021 Annual Meeting. More than 1,300 people registered to hear from the OMERS Executive Leadership Team and Board Chairs on a variety of topics at the virtual event. If you were unable to join the meeting live, a full recording of the webcast is now available.
Keeping up with compliance
Last year, we shared your personalized Employer Stewardship Report, which highlights key metrics and benchmarks related to the administration of the Plan. The compliance items shared in the report are important because they ensure that we are providing members with timely information while meeting the standards set out in the Pension Benefits Act (PBA), Income Tax Act (ITA) and OMERS Plan text.
As a reminder, here are some of the key compliance items that should be adhered to when sharing information with OMERS.
Enrolments
The PBA requires plan administrators to provide certain information about the Plan to individuals who are eligible to join the Plan. This means that enrolment forms should be sent to OMERS immediately after an employee is hired or when the employee first becomes eligible (or first elects) to join.
Contribution remittance
OMERS must receive all monthly Primary Plan and Retirement Compensation Arrangement (RCA) contributions on or before the last day of the month following the month for which the contributions are made. For example, OMERS must receive January contributions on or before the last business day of February.
Member events
OMERS should receive the Request for an OMERS Plan benefit (e-Form 143) no later than 30 days after a member’s termination,retirement or pre-retirement death.
Disabilities
An OMERS disability benefit is available to a member on the first day of the fifth month following the date that the continuous absence due to total disability started. OMERS should receive a Request for an OMERS Plan benefit (e-Form 143) within 30 days of the first day of the fifth month.
Annual reconciliation
The annual reconciliation deadline is June 30, 2021, which is based on a requirement in the PBA related to when statements must be sent to members. To meet this deadline, we require that employers complete the e-Form 119 by June 1. Read more about the process below.
Completing the annual reconciliation
As of today, 746 employer groups have completed the process! Thank you for your hard work. If you have not yet completed the reconciliation, please prioritize this important task. For help completing the process, tip sheets and e-Learning modules that cover everything from preparing to reconciling your e-Form 119 are available at omers.com.
Spotlight: Hearing from an OMERS employer
As much as we enjoy sharing information and best practices, we also love hearing from you. We recently spoke to Tarek from the City of Cornwall, who shared his insights. Tarek understands the complexity of the job, and that “OMERS administration is collaborative work that requires highly efficient communication between human resources, payroll, managers and employees.”
Here are some more helpful tips from Tarek:
Take advantage of all the resources (training, webinars, etc.) that OMERS offers on their website.
Keep the Employer Administration Manual as your first go-to resource.
Have a quarterly reconciliation process, and make sure to report all leaves in a timely manner.
His most important piece of advice? “Be patient. As simple as the OMERS Plan can look, there are always new scenarios to learn.”
Sign up for a webinar to learn the latest tips
There are several processes you’ll need to complete while working through the annual reconciliation. To learn more, sign up for our general administration webinars that share the latest tips for administering the OMERS Plan.
Upcoming webinars (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.):
Disability Administration Part 1: Disability Leave Period (e-Form 165) – Tuesday, May 18
Disability Administration Part 2: Requesting a Disability Benefit (e-Form 143) – Thursday, May 20
Member Events (e-Form 143) – Tuesday, June 1
Take the Employer Satisfaction Survey
Tell us about a recent interaction you’ve had with OMERS or share suggestions on how we can better work together. Hearing your feedback on a regular basis is vital to improving our services.
Fill out the survey today by clicking the link below – it will only take a few minutes. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
We’re here to help. Contact Employer Services:
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: +1 416.350.6750
Toll-free: +1 833.884.0389
Email: employerservices@omers.com
Thank you for helping us administer the Plan and deliver a wonderful experience to our members.