Employer Monthly- July Issue
In this issue you’ll find news on recently-approved amendments to the OMERS Primary Pension Plan (Plan), important information about leave period reporting, an update on e-access and more.
OMERS Sponsors Corporation passes five amendments in recent vote
On June 24, 2020 the OMERS Sponsors Corporation Board of Directors (SC Board) approved amendments to the Plan. The first three amendments were considered because of the exceptional circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and are effective immediately. The final two amendments were considered as a part of the annual Plan review and are not effective until January 1, 2023. The following are the approved Plan amendments:
• extending leave purchase deadlines;
• reducing or eliminating the 36-month employment requirement for purchases of periods of reduced pay;
• permitting temporary layoffs as purchasable service;
• non-full-time expansion; and
• Shared Risk Indexing.
More information – including frequently asked questions – can be found on our website.
Read more
Updates to leave period reporting
Beginning July 25, 2020, the Leave period reporting/election – Form 165 in e-access will be updated to include additional leave types. When reporting a leave period, the following options will be available:
• Temporary layoff;
• Infectious disease emergency leave – Unionized employees;
• Infectious disease emergency leave – Non-unionized employees (single cost); and
• Infectious disease emergency leave – Non-unionized employees (double cost)
Over the coming weeks the COVID-19: Information for Employers pageon our website will be updated to provide more information about these new leave periods.
Improving e-access
When OMERS talked to employers about what features you would like to see in our new e-access system (coming soon!), one opportunity for improvement was reporting periods of absence due to total disability.
Last week, we also shared with you that in addition to the above reporting updates we will be integrating the disability elimination period into the Form 165. This means a simplified and consistent reporting process for you and provides members with the same period of time as other leaves to finalize a purchase, if desired. This means that, in addition to the leave types mentioned above, the following option will be available on the e-Form 165:
• Disability leave
More information about reporting disability leaves is available by visiting the e-access Information Portal. While this feature will be available in the existing system, you can find training materials for features that will be introduced in the first release of the new e-access system by clicking the link below. Learning modules are now available for enrolments and changing member information.
Visit the e-access Information Portal
It’s time to take the Employer Satisfaction Survey
Whether it’s feedback about a recent interaction with OMERS or a suggestion on how we can better work together – like the reporting change above – it’s important for us to hear your feedback on a regular basis. Doing so allows us to improve how we work with you. Fill out the survey today by clicking the link below. It should only take you a few minutes to complete.
Annual reconciliation – thank you!
We know how much hard work goes into the annual reconciliation process and that it was made even more challenging by the circumstances presented to us this year – thank you for your dedication!
Administration webinars
Our webinars will provide you with a deeper understanding of OMERS administration topics and procedures.
Upcoming webinars (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EDT)
• Contributions, Remittances and the e-Form 105 – Wednesday, August 5
• Leave Period Administration (e-Form 165) – Wednesday, August 26
• Offering Voluntary Enrolment – Pension Benefits Act (PBA) Rules – Wednesday, September 2
See more webinars and register today!
We’re here to help. Contact Employer Services
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EDT
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.