Partnering with Employers through Technology M-3 Monday, October 1, 2007 Amorette N. Bryant, CPP ABryant Consulting

Gems

The Employer Position Employers collect 75% of support and just like your agencies, employers are over whelmed by the number of support orders they administer. It is mutually beneficial to work together to develop faster, better, cheaper and standardized methods to accomplish our goals.

Electronic IWO (e-IWO) The progress in developing the e-IWO in just two years is gratifying to employers. Private employers are concerned however that less than one third of the states are participating in the project, and of those, many do not participate with private employers

Electronic -IWO We are very close to seeing the results of final development. Employers are waiting for more agencies to commit to e-IWO.

Increase in Changes to Support Orders More states are requiring employers to collect fees from the NCP This requires changes to every order the employer administers for those states Without e-IWO this is added burden

Creeping Agency Requirements

Not only were employers required to identify every support order issued by this state, they were also required to send a copy of the notice to each affected employee.

And Another Change APA has learned this same state will be issuing amended orders that include a second fee Within a matter of months employers must change every support order issued by this state twice.

And Another State Directs Employers to Collect Fee The first week of September, 2007 employers begin receiving lists of employees, from a Mid Western state for whom they were directed to collect a $30 annual fee. The employer must continue to deduct until collected in full..

Another Fee (Continued) Fee must be sent to a different address than support payments. –ISSUES: Support payments are required to be sent EFT, but fee must be sent via paper check. –What happened to the concept of one address to send payments? The reason given when asked – NCP’s had failed to pay the fee directly. Fee is a hold over from the days payments were made to county’s.

No Surprises Please It is a disservice to your employer partners to make changes to laws or procedures without identifying what is necessary, on your end, to support the changes realistically. Review by employers can save you time in responding to questions after implementation. Bring your partner to the table.

Need for Electronic Reporting Termination Reporting Only a few states accept electronic reporting of employee terminations –ND, TX, VT With the new IWO employers will be asked to provide more information about terminated employees

Employee Termination Information Please provide the following information for the terminated employee: Termination date: _________ Last known phone number: ______________ Last known home address: ____________________ Date final payment made to the State Disbursement Unit or Tribal CSE agency: ___________ New addition Final payment amount: __________ New addition New employer’s name: _______________________ New employer’s address: ____________________

Lump Sum Payments States are adding requirements for employers to report lump sum payments. 21 st Century laws are written for the middle ages and procedures are not any better –Employers required to report at the county level –Employers required to wait up to 30 days for reply –States unwilling or unable to provide periodic lists to employers for NCP’s subject to lump sum reporting

Non-Compliance by Employers Employers are hounded by management or unions to issue lump sum payments immediately. Lack of standardization –Report all employees with support orders in specific states –Report only if employee owes arrears to certain states –Report if above $150, $500 Difficulty in reporting, differences in laws and poor turn around time lead to non compliance.

Include Your Payroll Partners Form an employer work group –What is working, work can work better and and what does not work Request comment on proposed legislation –Wording can mean the difference between success and resistance Request assistance with development of electronic reporting systems –What is most usable for different size employers Don’t second guess how your partners do their job or how their systems work –Leads to BAD legislation

Educate, Educate, Educate Create and update website for employers Create and update an employer handbook Hold employer workshops Ask to speak at APA meetings Ask to participate in APA statewide conferences Send updates to OCSE employer group to change matrixes and IRG Write articles for APA National Publications

Find Employer Partners Willing partners can be found through the American Payroll Association Government Affairs Office American Payroll Association th Street, NW Suite 1 Washington, DC

Thank You Amorette (Amy) Bryant, CPP Member American Payroll Association Government Affairs Child Support Taskforce Member of the e-IWO Workgroup