 JULY 2018 | VOLUME #154
 When onboarding new employees, employers are required to
either,
- download a copy of the applicable PERS Handbook
from our web site; or
- provide new employees with the link and time to
review the booklet.
This is the best opportunity for employees to learn about
their retirement plans.
The Division is working on a Plan Summary document that will
provide highlights of the plan for new employees and will be available this
fall for employers to distribute as well.
With either the Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution
plans, employers provide a valuable retirement benefit to their employees. However,
this benefit is of little value to the employee if they don’t know anything
about it. In our experience, once new employees learn about the PERS Defined
Contribution Plan, they are satisfied. But if they are left to learn
about the plan from their Defined Benefit co-workers,
they hear that the plan is insufficient. These Defined Benefit co-workers are
not aware of the plan provisions and are giving erroneous information. This
leads to dissatisfaction on the part of the new employee and impairs retention.
Help us, help you retain good employees by providing the plan information booklet at the time of hire. We will continue to develop tools to help you
accomplish this.
 The Division has undertaken a redesign of its entire website,
including the Employer Resources page. As part of the new design, the Benefit and Enrollment information will be
grouped to provide easier access for employers. If you would like to preview and provide input on the Employer Resources
page design, please contact Chief Pension Officer, Kathy Lea at kathy.lea@alaska.gov or (907)
465-3226.
 The Division of Retirement and Benefits will be holding its
biannual Employer Conference October 3 through 5, 2018.
The Historic Westmark Baranof Hotel in Juneau will host the
conference once again, with seminars and workshops to be held both at the hotel
and at Division offices.
Wednesday, October 3,
2018
7-8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome/Announcements
8:45-10 a.m. Keynote Speaker - Financially Fit
10:15-11 a.m. Better Together
11 a.m.-12 p.m. Regional Group Discussion
12-1:15 p.m. Hosted Lunch/Commissioner's Office
Speaker
1:15-2:30 p.m. Teacher Certification
2:30-3:30 p.m. DCR Plan Presentation-ER Perspective
3:45-4:45 p.m. Marketing the DCR Plan to Attract and
Retain Employees
Breakout Sessions-Employer Services Hands-On
10:15-11:45 a.m.
& 12:45-2:15 p.m. Annex Training Room
Thursday, October 4,
2018
7-8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:30-9 a.m. Welcome/Announcements
9-10:15 a.m. Deferred Compensation-Join the State Plan
10:30-11:30 a.m. Developing an Employee Financial Wellness Program
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Lunch on your own
1-2:15 p.m. Financial Wellness Reviews and Services
2:15-3:15 p.m. Updates
3:30-4 p.m. Compensation and Contribution Limits
4-4:30 p.m. Importance of Correct Reporting
Breakout Sessions-Employer Services Hands-On
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1-2 p.m. Annex Training Room
Friday, October 5,
2018
8-9 a.m. Continental
Breakfast
9-10:15 a.m. Highlights of Audit Findings
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. 2018 Most Common Audit Issues
12-1 p.m. Lunch on your own
1-2:30 p.m. IRS Presentation
2:30-3:30 p.m. SSA Presentation
3:45-4:30 p.m. Audit Round-table
Plan ahead—registration for EmCon 2018 begins in
August!
The Division of Retirement and Benefits is negotiating for discounts on airfare
for conference attendees, please look for more information in next month's
Employer News.
We invite employers to contact us regarding topics they would
like to see presented. Contact Kathy Lea, Chief Pension Officer, at kathy.lea@alaska.gov
or (907) 465-3226.
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