PR> MA Teacher Retirement

Massachusetts Teacher Retirement

 

Summary

 

The Massachusetts Teacher Retirement batch process is used to generate the financial reporting data required by the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System (MTRS). For more information, please see the MTRS website at http://www.mass.gov/mtrs/.

 

Step by Step

 

1     Generate the retirement data. 

 

  • Open the MA Teacher Retirement Generate window (PR> MA Teacher Retirement> Generate).
  • Complete the Settings section:
    • The From and To fields are used to specify a date range for the records that will be included in the export file.
    • The Date Type drop-down field is used to select the type of date that will be used when filtering records by the date range entered above.
    • Check the Exclude terminated employees toggle if you would like to exclude any employees that were terminated before the date specified in the Termination End Date field below.
    • Check the Exclude employees with no contributions toggle to if you would like to exclude any employees that have made contributions to at least one of the deduction/benefit codes toggled on the Contributions tab below.
    • Check the Calculate Salary toggle if you would like the system to calculate each included employee's salary. That value will be displayed in the Salary column of the Edit window.
  • The Standard Earnings, Bonus Earnings and Uncommon Earnings tabs are used to filter the employees included in the batch by pay code. Check the toggle next to each pay code that should be included for each earnings type.
  • The Contributions tab is used to filter the employees included in the batch by deduction/benefit. Check the toggle next to each deduction or benefit that should be included for each retirement contribution type.
  • Click the Confirm icon once you are ready to generate the retirement data.

 

2     Edit the retirement data. 

 

  • Open the MA Teacher Retirement Edit window (PR> MA Teacher Retirement> Edit).
  • The Edit window will display all the employees that were added to the batch in the Generate step.
    • Click the Create icon to add an additional employee to the batch.
    • Highlight an employee and click the Delete icon to remove an employee from the batch.
  • The Transaction Type column is used to identify the pay type of each individual record.
    • Record = Record reporting regular payroll data.
    • Adjustment Record = Record used to correct an error or omission that occurred in a prior reporting period.
    • Retroactive Record = Record generated to report retroactive pensionable pay for an employee who would not have a normal record for that period (such as terminated employee or a retiree). This is the sole function of this transaction type.
    • Valid entries include Normal, Retroactive, Adjustment
  • The Contract Term column is used to identify the term (length of time expressed in months) associated with the contract covering the member whose deductions are being reported.
    • Contract terms of “01”, “02” and “03” should only be used for an athletic coach who is a teacher in another school district. MTRS now offers a contract term of HR for MTRS eligible hourly employees who have fluctuating base earnings because they are not eligible for vacation or sick leave benefits.
    • Valid entries include 01, 02, 03, 09, 10, 11, 12, HR
  • The Pay Duration column is used to identify the duration of the pay schedule for the member being reported, expressed in months.
    • The “LS” value is entered for members on a 12 month pay cycle who collect their summer pay as a lump sum in month 10. Pay durations of “01”, “02” and “03” should only be used for a coach who teaches in another school district.
    • Valid entries include 01, 02, 03, 09, 10, 11, 12, LS
  • The Transaction Date column is used to identify the date of the pay transaction that pertains to this specific record. Use the yyyymmdd format.
    • In a normal payroll record the transaction dates are always the same month as the Period.
    • Please report each pay date with a separate record.
    • Adjustments should also be a separate record from the normal record.
  • The Period Date column is used to identify the reporting period or payroll period.
    • The payroll year/month to which the transaction reported in the record applies. The format is a 4-digit year followed by a 2-digit month (01 through 12): yyyymm.
    • The month and year of the period date must match the month and year of the transaction date on all normal records.
  • The Rate Code column is used to identify the contribution rate in the record being reported.
    • Valid entries include 05, 07, 08, 09, 11
  • The Pay Frequency column is used to identify the annual pay date schedule expressed as a two digit number.
    • For a member who receives pay weekly over all 12 months in the year, the pay frequency would be reported as 52. Teachers who receive pay on a biweekly schedule, 12 months a year would have a pay frequency of 26. Pay frequency of “01”, “02”, “03” and “06” should only be used for a coach who teaches in another school district.
    • Valid entries include 01, 02, 03, 06, 10, 12, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 52, 53
  • The Full Time Status column is used to identify the employee's full-time/part-time status.
    • The percentage of full-time the member being reported is working. The field is 3-digit numeric.
    • Full-time is entered as “100”
    • Eligible part-time entries are “001” through “099”.
    • While employees who are working less than half-time (“050”) are ineligible for MTRS membership, it is sometimes necessary to report less than half-time values in this field when a member is working in more than one school district and the combination of the multiple district employment is equal to or greater than 50% full-time.
  • The Base Earnings column is used to identify the portion of contractual base earnings actually paid to the member during the reporting period; equals the contracted annual salary divided by the annual pay frequency, multiplied by the number of pay periods being reported in the record.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Coaching Earnings column is used to identify the earnings paid for athletic coaching at such times as they occur.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Retroactive Earnings column is used to identify earnings being reported in a current period that are retroactive to a prior period.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Longevity Earnings column is used to identify earnings paid for a contractual longevity bonus that is not incorporated into the base salary.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Stipend Earnings column is used to identify additional eligible earnings paid as contractual stipends and reported when they occur; e.g., pay received for Choral Director, Department Head, Lead Teacher, etc.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Premium Earnings column is used to identify premiums paid by the employer for individual life or disability insurance or annuity contracts. Frequently found in administrator’s contracts.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Ineligible Earnings column is used to identify nonpensionable (ineligible) earnings paid to the members in the reporting period; no deductions are taken from these earnings and they are not added to the total. Please default all undefined codes to this field.
    • For example: $1234.64 = 00123464 and $-1234.64 = 0012346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ########, # = 0-9, zero filled
  • The Retirement Contributions column is used to identify the retirement contribution actually deducted for the member reported in this record.
    • This is calculated as a percentage of the sum of all eligible earnings reported in the previous earnings fields.
    • For example: $234.64 = 023464 and $-234.64 = 02346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ######, # = 0-9, zero filled, right justified
  • The 2% Retirement Contributions column is used to identify The “30plus” contribution deducted for the member reported in this record.
    • The “30plus” deduction should be calculated on a pay period basis on all earnings over that which would equal the earnings of someone being paid $30,000 per year. A 30plus deduction should be taken on all of the earnings for coaches who teach in another district, for any payment to an employee outside of his or her normal pay schedule, or any retroactive payment.
    • For example: $234.64 = 023464 and $-234.64 = 02346M
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ######, # = 0-9, zero filled, right justified
  • The Salary column is used to identify the current annual contractual salary for the member being reported.
    • The annual contractual salary should be the full-time equivalent for part-time members, not the prorated actual salary being paid. This field should be stated in whole dollars and updated whenever a member’s salary changes.
    • For example: $54,124 = 054124 and $54,124 = 05412D
    • All earnings and deductions fields can have alphanumeric last characters based on COBOL standards.
    • Valid entries include ######, # = 0-9
  • Click the Save icon to complete the Edit step.

 

3     Print the Proof List.

 

  • Open the MA Teacher Retirement Proof List window (PR> MA Teacher Retirement> Proof List).
  • There are no print options for the proof list. Simply generate the report and check it for accuracy.
  • Click the Print icon to process the report immediately or enter a date and time in the field next to the Print icon to schedule the report to generate at a later time. You can view the progress of the report on the Job Viewer window (SS> Utilities> Show Scheduled Jobs). Click here for information on the Jobs Viewer window.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Print Preview to preview the report before printing.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet as unformatted data.
    • Click the Print icon drop-down menu and select Excel (Formatted) to export the report data to an Excel spreadsheet that includes much of the Springbrook formatting found on the printed version of the report.
    • Once the report is generated, you can also display the report using the View Reports window (SS> Utilities> View Report). Click here for information on the View Reports window.
  • The report will include Salary, Base, Coaching, Retro, Longevity, Stipend, Premium, Ineligible, Retire and 2% Retire values for each included employee. The report will also include employee totals and grand totals.

 

4     Generate the Export file. 

 

  • Open the MA Teacher Retirement Export window (PR> MA Teacher Retirement> Export).
  • The Export step is used to generate export file that will be submitted to the state.
  • Click the Display icon to display the expected file layout. Click here for information on File Layouts.
  • Click the Confirm icon when complete to generate the export file immediately or enter a date and time in the field next to the Confirm icon to schedule the export file to generate at a later time.
  • Once the export has finished processing, the Export Settings window will open. This window is used to specify the export path for the file.
    • Check the Open toggle if you would like to open the exported file after it is saved locally.
    • Enter the export path location and click the Save icon to export the file to the local path.

 

5     Commit the batch. 

 

  • Open the Commit MA Teacher Retirement window (PR> MA Teacher Retirement> Commit).
  • Click OK or press ENTER to commit the batch.