Steps
to Add a Custom FieldIf not already defined, add the following custom fields to the Employee File.
TRS Tier Type (referenced custom field, with 01 for Tier 1 DB, 02 for Tier 2 DB, and 99 for Retired as the referenced values)
Employment Begin Date (date custom field)
Employment End Date (date custom field)
Earnings Exceed Salary Limit (referenced custom field, with Yes (Yes as both the ID and description) and No (No as both the ID and description) as the referenced values)
Employment Type (referenced custom field, with F for Full-time, P for Part-time contractual, H for Part-time non-contractual (hourly), S for Substitute, and E for Extra-duty as the referenced values)
Job Category (referenced custom field, with 01 for Teacher, 02 for Administrator, and 03 for Medical/Counseling as the referenced values)
Employee Payroll Frequency (referenced custom field, with 01 for Monthly, 02 for Semi-monthly, 03 for Bi-weekly, and 04 for Weekly as the referenced values)
Balanced Calendar (referenced custom field, with Yes (Yes as both the ID and description) and No (No as both the ID and description) as the referenced values)
Contract Days (numeric custom field)
Full Annual Rate (numeric custom field)
Note: If desired, do not add a custom field for Full Annual Rate to have the system automatically calculate the amount to report as the full annual rate for the employees.
FTE Percentage (numeric custom field)
TRS Factor (numeric custom field)
Note: Only add a custom field for TRS Factor if the employer pays a portion of the employee share of retirement.
Use TRS Factor (referenced custom field, with Yes (Yes as both the ID and description) and No (No as both the ID and description) as the referenced values)
Note: Only add a custom field for Use TRS Factor if the employer pays a portion of the employee share of retirement.
Note: If this step has already been completed, skip to Step 2.
Complete the applicable custom fields added in Step 1 for each employee who earns retirement.
In the Employee File, bring up an employee and then click the Custom Fields tab.
Tip: To bring up the first employee for which to edit the custom fields, click the First Record button and then utilize the Next Record button to scroll through all the employees.
Enter the ID for the appropriate 2-digit code for the contribution category (TRS tier type) for the employee in the TRS Tier Type custom field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one.
Note: If an employee has the TRS Tier Type custom field completed and was included in a payroll calculation batch for which the retirement report is being generated, the employee will be included on the report even if the employee does not have any retirement (i.e. retirement deduction is not set up for the employee). If the TRS Tier Type custom field is not completed for an employee and the employee was included and had retirement in a payroll calculation batch for which the retirement report is being generated, the contribution category (TRS tier type) for the employee will default to 02 for Tier 2 DB.
Enter the first date the employee worked in a TRS-covered position in the Employment Begin Date custom field, or else leave the Employment Begin Date custom field blank to use the most recent hire/rehire date as entered in the Employee Dates List on the Employment screen. If applicable, use the mm/dd/yyyy format or click the down-arrow button to select the correct date.
Tip: If desired, a file containing the employment begin dates for employees can be downloaded from the Illinois Teachers Retirement System website and imported into the Employment Begin Date custom field for employees using the Import Custom Fields option.
If the employee is terminated, enter the last date the employee worked in the Employment End Date custom field, or else leave the Employment End Date custom field blank to use the most recent termination date as entered in the Employee Dates List on the Employment screen (only applicable if the Employee Status is not Hired or Leave of Absence). If applicable, use the mm/dd/yyyy format or click the down-arrow button to select the correct date.
Only if the employee has creditable earnings (retirement gross) over the IRS or Tier 2 limitations in the year, enter Yes in the Earnings Exceed Salary Limit custom field, or click the down-arrow button to select it. Otherwise, leave the Earnings Exceed Salary Limit custom field blank to assume No to indicate the employee does not have creditable earnings (retirement gross) over the IRS or Tier 2 limitations in the year.
Note: If Yes is entered in the Earnings Exceed Salary Limit custom field for an employee, the system will calculate and include the amount of creditable earnings that exceeded the limit (the amount that was not included in the retirement gross) as the Earnings Exceeding Salary Limit amount on the report (file).
Enter the ID for the appropriate 1-digit code for the employment type for the employee in the Employment Type custom field if different than the default entered when generating the retirement report, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. If the code for the employee is the same as the default, leave the Employment Type custom field blank.
Enter the ID for the appropriate 2-digit code for the job category for the employee in the Job Category custom field if different than the default entered when generating the retirement report, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. If the code for the employee is the same as the default, leave the Job Category custom field blank.
Enter the ID for the appropriate 2-digit code for the payroll frequency for the employee in the Employee Payroll Frequency custom field if different than the default entered when generating the retirement report, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. If the code for the employee is the same as the default, leave the Employee Payroll Frequency custom field blank.
Only if the Employment Type for the employee is F for Full-time or P for Part-time contractual, enter Yes or No for whether the employee works on a balanced (year-round) calendar in the Balanced Calendar custom field if different than the default entered when generating the retirement report, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. If the response for the employee is the same as the default, leave the Balanced Calendar custom field blank.
Tip: According to the guidelines from the Illinois Teachers Retirement System, the balanced calendar refers to the school calendar and not an individual's contract days. If the school calendar runs August through May with a summer break, then it is not a balanced calendar, but if the school calendar runs July through June with no true summer break, then it is balanced. For additional details on the balanced calendar field in regards to administrators, refer to the guidelines from the Illinois Teachers Retirement System.
The Contract Days custom field is only applicable if the Employment Type for the employee is F for Full-time or P for Part-time contractual. To use the number of days automatically calculated by the system (which takes the total number of Regular Days and Additional Days specified for the employee's contract(s) defined to be included as the Full Annual Rate (as selected on the Pay Codes tab when generating the retirement report)), or else the number specified as the default when generating the retirement report if the Regular Days and Additional Days are blank for the employee's contrac(s), leave the Contract Days custom field blank. Otherwise, enter the number of days the employee is contracted to work in the Contract Days custom field if different than the amount calculated by the system or else the default specified when generating the retirement report.
The Full Annual Rate custom field is only applicable if the Employment Type for the employee is F for Full-time or P for Part-time contractual. If applicable, to use the amount automatically generated by the system for the full annual rate for the employee (which is the expected yearly amount of the creditable earnings (retirement gross) for the pay codes defined to be included as the Full Annual Rate (as selected on the Pay Codes tab when generating the retirement report) plus the deductions defined with a Payment Reason of BS for Base Salary (as specified on the Deductions tab when generating the retirement report)), leave the Full Annual Rate custom field blank. Otherwise, enter the amount to report as the full annual rate for the employee on the retirement report in the Full Annual Rate custom field if different than the amount automatically generated by the system.
Only if the Employment Type for the employee is F for Full-time or P for Part-time contractual, enter the FTE for the employee as a percentage (must be equal to or between 10 and 100) in the FTE Percentage custom field if different than the default entered when generating the retirement report. If the FTE is the same as the default, leave the FTE Percentage custom field blank.
If applicable, enter the factor for the portion the employer pays of the employee share of retirement in the TRS Factor custom field if the number is different than the default entered when generating the retirement report. If the number is the same as the default, leave the TRS Factor custom field blank.
Tip: If the employer pays all of the employee share of retirement, the factor is 9.8901 (which is 9.8901%).
If applicable, enter Yes or No for whether the employer pays a portion of the employee share of retirement for the particular employee in the Use TRS Factor custom field if different than the default entered when generating the retirement report, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. If the code for the employee is the same as the default, leave the Use TRS Factor custom field blank.
Click the Save button.
Click the Wages tab and complete the following, if needed, for all the applicable pay codes for the appropriate fiscal year for each employee who earns retirement:
Click the Illinois tab (located in the upper right corner of the Wages screen).
Only if the employee's retirement payment reason for the pay code is different than the default designated for the pay code (when generating the retirement report), enter the appropriate 2-character code to use for the pay code in the Retirement Payment Reason Override field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. Otherwise, leave the Retirement Payment Reason Override field blank to use the default designated for the pay code.
Click the Save button and repeat these steps for each applicable pay code for the employee.
Verify that the following fields of information on the other various screens of the Employee File are also completed for each employee who earns retirement:
Name & Address screen:
First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name
Prefix, if applicable
Suffix, if applicable
Employee Status
Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Employment screen:
Social Security Number (Federal ID)
Gender
Birth Date
Hire/Rehire Date (in Employee Dates List)
Termination Date, if applicable (in Employee Dates List)
Wages screen:
Total Contract (Note: For unit employees only, complete the Total Contract field for the appropriate unit pay codes selected to be included in the full annual rate total, if applicable. If the unit pay code has an amount designated in the Pay Rate field on the Wages screen, enter the number of units the employee will be paid with that particular pay code in the Total Hours field and then the system will automatically calculate the total dollar amount and display it automatically in the Total Contract field.)
If needed, complete the fields at this time for the employee; then click the Save button.
Repeat Steps 2-4 for each employee that earns retirement.
Tip: As you make entries for applicable employees in Pay Period Entries and Employee Absences batches throughout the year, be sure to complete the Illinois Teachers Retirement System section, if needed (if the fields are not defined to be hidden):
If the entry is for a unit pay code or the entry is for an absence on a contract, complete the Hours Override field to use a different number of hours for the entry than what is specified in the Hours field. The number can be up to 14 digits long (including the decimal point and comma(s) if applicable) and will be rounded to 4 decimal places by the system if capable. Typically, this field is used with rehired retirees since they must not have more than 5 hours per day reported on the retirement report, or else used with entries for absences on contracts if a different number of hours should be used than what is specified in the Hours field (as entries for absences on contracts are part of the calculation to determine the number of docked days reported on the retirement report).
The Days Paid Override field is only enabled if the entry is for a unit pay code. If applicable, enter the number of days (up to 2 digits) the employee was paid for the particular entry in the Days Paid Override field; otherwise, leave the Days Paid Override field blank to have the system calculate the number of days paid when the retirement report is generated, by adding the days between the Start Date and End Date of the entry that are Monday through Friday.
Note: The Days Paid Override field is disabled if the entry is for a contract pay code.
The Retirement Payment Reason Override field is only enabled if the entry is for a unit pay code. If applicable, in the Retirement Payment Reason Override field, enter the appropriate 2-character code to use for the entry if the employee's retirement payment reason is different than the default designated for the pay code (when generating the retirement report), or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. If applicable, the code entered in the Retirement Payment Reason Override field for the specified pay code on the Wages screen of the Employee File for this employee will appear but can be changed. Leave the Retirement Payment Reason Override field blank for the entry to use the default designated for the pay code (defined when generating the retirement report).
Note: The Retirement Payment Reason Override field is disabled if the entry is for a contract pay code.