Because of questions raised regarding district accounting for these funds, Section 147c(2) allocations (MSPERS One Time Deposit) will not be included in districts’ November 2022 State School Aid payments, and ORS will not be invoicing Section 147c(2) in November.
The Michigan Department of Education and ORS will provide additional information to districts on accounting and timing of these funds as it becomes available.
Please note: Section 147c(1) UAAL Rate Stabilization funds will still be included in districts’ State School Aid payments and invoiced as normal.
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Understanding the Recent Activity statement and the Pay Cycle statement can make the task of submitting payments much easier and can help avoid unexpected late fees and interest.
ORS accepts payments early, on days 1-6 following your report end date, based on the Recent Activity statement balance. However, if you pay early, always check your Pay Cycle statement on the seventh business day to ensure payment has been submitted in full to avoid fees and interest.
The Recent Activity statement is dynamic. It can change day to day as a reporting unit makes changes to the payroll report. In contrast, the Pay Cycle statement is static. It locks on the seventh business day from your report end date. The amounts listed on the Pay Cycle Statement are what ORS expects in payment. ORS recommends making payments from your Pay Cycle statement on the seventh business day.
Use the Download Detail (Reporting Instruction Manual 7.01.08: Using the Download Detail link and RIM 8.04.01: The Download Detail spreadsheet) and the View Report Totals page (RIM 7.01.06: Viewing and verifying report totals) as tools to reconcile your statement. You may also want to review these RIM sections:
8.04.02: The Pay Cycle Statement
8.04.03 The Recent Activity page
8.02.02: Late payment fees and interest charges
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On Wednesday, Nov. 9, we sent invitations to complete our survey. Your responses help ORS understand better how we can improve our processes and build a stronger relationship with you.
For those who have completed the survey, thank you for your valuable feedback. If you haven’t yet responded, there’s still time to complete the survey for payroll staff or the survey for administrative staff before the deadline at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21. Completing the survey shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.
Three reasons we survey:
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To base decisions on objective information – Survey data is an unbiased approach to decision-making. This helps us address topics of importance to all or most rather than diverting time and resources on areas of less impact or concern.
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To uncover answers and solutions – The comments you provide, expanding on your responses, trigger conversations that may lead to solutions. For example, in response to comments for the January 2022 survey requesting more online training opportunities, we offered a new webinar in August 2022.
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To compare results to past surveys – We look for trends from survey to survey. If particular areas are improving or declining, we respond accordingly.
Sometimes the changes you may want – such as a shorter window for new hires to elect their plan, for example – are controlled by the Michigan Legislature and not ORS. Even in these cases, it’s helpful to understand your concerns. When our leadership meets with the legislature, the better they understand the position of our partners (you), the better it is for the system as a whole.
Look for a report on the results of this survey in an upcoming newsletter.
This year’s Small Steps campaign will take effect on the first available pay period in March 2023. A March date avoids the holiday processing and makes for a smoother process for your reporting unit. The campaign includes employees in the Pension Plus, Pension Plus 2, and Defined Contribution plans and those with the Personal Healthcare Fund (PHF).
A mailing will go out to applicable employees in mid-December 2022 regarding the campaign, which will include their opt-out code. No additional notices will be sent to employees after this, so please advise your employees to keep the mailer. View the Small Steps campaign mailer.
The Women & Retirement campaign has wrapped up, but the materials can still be accessed on the ORS website. Voya remains a resource for the State of Michigan 401(k) and 457 Plans for any questions that you or your employees may have.
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