In This Edition

1. Meet the Products and Services Training Team
2. Defined Contribution Plans: Employer Webinars and 457 Plan Regional Education Meetings Held in March
3. 457 Plan: Paper Forms No Longer Used for Most Deferral Changes
4. VSDP Employers: Workplace Safety and Employee Health Reports Due April 1
5. Your Turn to Ask

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Meet the Products and Services Training Team

(This is the second of a series of articles to appear on employer resource teams at VRS.)

New to the benefits field or just need to brush up on some aspect of benefits administration? VRS provides opportunities to learn in a variety of formats, including traditional classroom settings, webinars and e-learning.

The Products and Services Training Team delivers the basic three-day classroom course on Coordinating Benefits in locations around the state. Through flexible scheduling, employers can attend one day, two days or all three days, according to their interests and needs. In addition to the classroom schedule, employers can consult the monthly webinar schedule or take an e-learning course on special topics.

Traditional classroom learning provides an opportunity to learn and network with others. Webinars provide the opportunity to explore topics in greater detail in the convenience of your own office. For employers who prefer to receive information through online training, VRS offers e-learning presentations and courses.

"We're excited to be able to provide these new learning opportunities and delivery mediums for employers," says VRS Director of Education and Training Pat White. "Employers have more options than ever for receiving benefits information."

Are you registered? You still have time to register for the Coordinating Benefits classroom session in April.

Defined Contribution Plans: Employer Webinars and 457 Plan Regional Education Meetings Held in March

Employer Webinars

Employers can join a webinar to receive a status report on the transition of the Commonwealth’s Defined Contribution Plans record keeping services to ING and an overview of the auto-enroll process and payroll process. In addition, ING will introduce the field staff, serving employers statewide. At the end of the presentation, employers can participate in a question and answer session.

Register for April 1 - 10 a.m.

Register for April 1 - 2 p.m.

457 Plan Regional Education Meetings

Regional Education Meetings 41kb for the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan) begin in March. These meetings are for employees participating in the plan, as well as non-participants who want more information. Retirees with balances in the plan also are welcome. Attendees get an overview of the 457 Plan and Cash Match Plan, tour the new Web site and get general information on investments and portfolio management. An afternoon workshop for retirees and those retiring in the near future covers distribution options and tax considerations. Employees may choose from the sessions offered or attend all four.

Employers also may schedule on-site meetings for their employers by contacting their ING Regional Representative by calling 1-VRS-DC-PLAN1
(1-877-327-5261), weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

457 Plan: Paper Forms No Longer Used for Most Deferral Changes

To increase efficiency and to speed the process for participants in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan), paper forms are no longer used for most deferral changes. This applies to all state agencies who use CIPPS for payroll reporting and to most decentralized state agencies. Political subdivision employees continue to use paper forms.

Participants who want to stop or re-start deferrals or to increase or decrease deferral amounts do so online or by phone:

• Online: Go to the Web site at www.varetire.org at any time and select Account Log-in from the Defined Contribution Plans tab. Log in to the account using the PIN provided by ING, the Plan record keeper. First time users will be directed to select a user name and customize their PIN.
• By Phone: Call a Participant Service Representative at 1-VRS-DC-PLAN1 (1-877-327-5261) weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Agency Transfers and One-time Deferrals

Two situations still require paper forms:

• Agency Transfer: When a participant transfers to a new agency, he or she completes the Payroll Authorization Form - Agency Transfer 46kb and gives it to the new agency to ensure deferrals continue at the desired level. The new agency’s payroll office processes the form and sends it to ING Plan Administration at the address on the form.
• One-Time Deferral: When participants want to defer termination pay, bonuses or special compensation to the 457 Plan instead of taking a cash payment, the participant completes the Payroll Authorization Form - One-Time Deferral 84kb. Termination pay includes pay for unused annual leave, sick leave, compensatory leave and recognition pay. The participant completes the form and gives it to the agency payroll office. The payroll office calculates the one-time deferral amount and faxes the form to ING at the fax number on the form.

VSDP Employers: Workplace Safety and Employee Health Reports Due April 1

Executive Order 94 100kb requires employers participating in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) to submit the Workplace Safety and Employee Health Report annually to VRS and the Department of Human Resource Management. The report, due April 1, 2009, contains information regarding job accommodations for employees filing occupational and non-occupational disability claims during fiscal year 2008.

Unum, the VSDP provider, offers a software package to help employers create the report online, using its Comprehensive Reporting and Analysis database. See the Unum Update of January 2009 for instructions on creating your report. Prior to running the report, update each pending claim to either "approved" or "denied."

Send completed reports to eo94@dhrm.virginia.gov. Using this email address ensures the report is sent to both VRS and DHRM.

Questions? Contact your Unum representatives:

Michelle Jackson
mijackson@unum.com
1-804-346-1350

Lesley Brown
ljbrown@unum.com
1-804-775-3207