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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About ECS

General Questions

I've heard about Employer Contribution System (ECS); how do I register?

You can register at https://employer.opers.org, or call Employer Outreach at 1-888-400-0965.

If I register, must I always use ECS? Can I go back to my previous method?

While registered for ECS, you must use it for all your reporting. There's no need to send duplicate paper reports.

What is the cost?

There is no cost to use ECS, although an Internet connection is required to access ECS. Each employer is responsible for obtaining and paying the costs associated with Internet access.

What are the OPERS ECS Web Site Agreement and the End User License Agreement?

The Web Site Agreement is an agreement that must be accepted before an employer can submit contributions electronically to OPERS. The agreement reviews the duties and obligations the employer and OPERS have to each other. The End User License Agreement describes the permitted activities and restrictions place upon an individual, your employee, using the site.

Is there a size requirement or limit on who can use ECS?

No. ECS allows users either to attach a file or to manually enter their reports or retirement contributions. Typically, large employers elect to transfer their report via File Transfer, which saves the time associated with entering the data. Many smaller employers elect to enter their report information directly in ECS using Data Entry. There's no requirement for employers to elect either Data Entry or File Transfer, but files must be in the proper format to be accepted by OPERS.

Can I send my payment electronically, either by wire transfer or ACH?

Employers may electronically submit payment for their reports of retirement contributions, or for other amounts due OPERS, using Online Payment on ECS. This feature is offered at no cost to employers. All that is required is setting up a bank account from which payments can be made. Employers may also choose to submit their payments by wire transfer. If you elect this payment method, you must obtain instructions from OPERS and provide specific information for your financial institution. Any fees associated with wire transfer are the employer's responsibility.

The previous person who submitted reports of retirement contributions on ECS is no longer here. What do I need to do?

You should call Employer Outreach at 1-888-400-0965 to have his or her account set to inactive. You'll also need to set up your own user ID and password.

What are the advantages of ECS?

Simpler, more streamlined method of payroll reporting
Safe and secure method of transmission of reports
Easily generates supplemental reports
Automatically updates OPERS employer database with each submission
24-month history of submitted reports viewable on-line
It's flexible--Employers can create files with the system or attach a file they've already created for transmission
Option to add Online Payment submission
Online warnings for Large Earnings and other reporting concerns, for better data accuracy.

Access Questions

My account is locked out; I cannot access ECS. What should I do?

Did you try the Forgot Password? link on the logon page? If this didn't work, please call Employer Outreach at 1-888-400-0965 for a new temporary password. When you use this password, you will be prompted to change it to a new permanent password.

Why can’t I get to the site?

Here are a few troubleshooting tips:
Make sure you're connected to the Internet. Can you get to other sites?
Make sure your browser is compatible. You must have Internet Explorer 5.0 or above for ECS to have full function.
Make sure you have the correct URL. If you are typing in the address, make sure it is proceeded by https:// instead of the more standard https:// The full address is https://employer.opers.org.
If your problem continues, please contact Employer Outreach at 1-888-400-0965.

Registration Questions

What is the registration process?

You'll need to register with your user information online.
Then, you'll receive a letter with your temporary initial password.
On your first login, accept the user agreement online, and change your temporary password to a permanent one, which you choose.

What is my user ID?

Your user ID is the name you'll use to access ECS once you receive a password. This is chosen during the first step of registration. A suggested user ID can be first initial of first name with last name (ex. sjones).

What are the challenge questions for?

These will be used to verify your identity with OPERS, in case you forget your password and need to have it reset. This information should not be shared with anyone else.

When will I be able to access the system?

Once the registration process is complete (refer to registration process).

Technical Questions

How secure is the site?

There are a number of security provisions built into ECS. The site uses 128-bit encrypted Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which is the industry standard used by financial institutions for Internet access. This ensures confidentiality of all information sent through the ECS system.

What are the PC/Browser Requirements?

We recommend Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher. While ECS may function with other browsers, we cannot guarantee the functionality of ECS when using a browser other than IE 5.0 or higher.

How can I tell what browser I'm using?

Open your browser.
Select the ‘Help’ menu.
Select the ‘About’ option.
Your browser type and version will be displayed.

What does 800 x 600 resolution mean? How can I tell what resolution I am using?

Resolution indicates the quality and size of your onscreen image. ECS is optimized for viewing at 800 x 600 resolution or above.

To change your resolution:

For Windows 95 and above:

Go to the Start Menu,
Choose Settings > Control Panel,
Select Display,
Choose the Settings tab,
Look for an area called screen area. There will be numbers that indicate your resolution setting. If possible, change your settings to a higher setting for better viewing. You can always change it back if you prefer.

For Macintosh (OS 8.0 and above):

Click on the Apple menu,
Choose Monitors,
Choose the appropriate resolution in the Resolution section of the control panel.

How can I upgrade my existing browser?

Internet upgrades can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com. We recommend you seek help from your technical support staff before installing the upgrade on your PC. If you use a dial-up connection, you may wish to order browser upgrades from www.microsoft.com directly, as downloading it from the Internet may be time consuming. There is a minimal cost from Microsoft if you order browser upgrades to be delivered via disk.

Reporting Questions

What method of reporting should I use, data entry or file transfer?

ECS is designed to support your current method of reporting. If you use payroll software and it can generate a report file for you, you may prefer to use file transfer. You may have to ask your vendor if this option is available to you. Simply save the file generated to the location of your choice, choose the file transfer option under Create Reports, and submit.

If your payroll system does not create a compatible file, or if you currently report via paper, the data entry option is recommended for you.

Will ECS work with my current payroll system?

It depends on which payroll system you currently use.

ECS works with:

UAN Payroll Software,
Sanderson CMI,
Software Solutions, and
Any employer who currently submits a tape, diskette or email.

Please contact your vendor for more information on how to use your software to generate a file that will work with ECS.

At this time, ECS does not work with:
Governmental Systems. Governmental Systems does not produce an electronic file for you to transfer via file transfer. If you currently use Governmental Systems software, you must choose data entry.
Quickbooks or Peachtree

How do I add additional users to ECS? If an authorized ECS user in my organization no longer works for us, or no longer needs ECS access, how do I remove them from the system?

If you are your organization's Delegated Administrator, you may add users. If an employee terminates employment or no longer requires ECS access, you must make them inactive in the system.

Go to user management:
Select user,
Select create,
Insert all information regarding that user,
Select the appropriate roles for this user,
Confirm selection, and
Note password for the user.

Payment Questions

Where can I find my Bank Routing number?

This number consists of the first nine digits at the bottom of your check, next to the account number.

Do I need to I notify my Bank to allow OPERS to debit my account?

You must notify your bank to allow OPERS to debit your account. If you have not notified your bank, you will not be permitted to use the account to schedule payments.

Why do I need to enter my Bank Routing and Account number twice?

These numbers are very important and should be entered twice, to ensure they are correct before submission.

What if I need to edit my Bank account number?

Your Bank account number cannot be edited. If you need to change your Bank account number, you must close the existing account on ECS and register a new one.

What are comments for?

Comments allow you to enter additional text to help clarify information you have entered. Comments are usually optional.

Why are my payment amounts calculated automatically?

For your convenience, payment amounts are calculated automatically when you tab to the next field. This allows you to view the new total payment towards your selected report.

Can I schedule payments in advance?

You can schedule payments up to one year in advance. From the Online Payments menu, use the "Schedule/Manage Report Payments" link, click the "Manage Payment" button. In the "Allocate a new payment" area of the screen, enter a "Payment Date" for future payment.

Large Earnings Warnings

I never got large earnings inquiries on my part-time employees. Why am I getting them now?

The large earnings formula was changed recently. The prior method had a much higher threshold, based upon the fact that some employers had a reporting and pay schedule that warranted it. Now that the formula uses a daily wage rate, the threshold has been narrowed. This helps the retirement system evaluate more closely that only earnable salary is being reported and used in calculation of retirement benefits.

My employee didn't get paid for 8 hours in the last pay period, so I included it on the current report. Now I got a large earnings inquiry, but everything reported is his regular salary.

The 8 hours you've included in the current pay period actually should have been reported in the prior period. In order to correct this problem, select "underreported/underpaid" as the large earnings reason for the amount that needs to be credited to the prior reporting period. The salary for the current period should be reported as "regular salary."

I paid my employee his vacation time in advance of his trip and have a large earnings inquiry. You do not have a reason to indicate this.

This is a reporting error. If any kind of salary is paid in advance, it still needs to be reported to OPERS when earned, not when paid. The large earnings process does not allow for salary to be credited to a future period, so in this case, a call to Employer Outreach would be necessary to determine how to correct the problem.

I have an employee that only works part-time, intermittently. What do I put in the "Regular Salary" field?

For most employees, there is a "regular", "budgeted" or "base" number of hours that employees work. For any of these individuals, you would include this salary in the regular salary field.

Then, include any additional amounts with the appropriate reasons in up to three large earnings reasons fields.

Why am I getting so many large earnings inquiries?

The large earnings process changes were developed to refine OPERS' review of larger than normal salaries, so that the integrity of the pension fund over the long term could be maintained. The goal is to insure that all future retirees receive the benefit to which they are entitled, by completing a more thorough review when salary is initially reported. Large earnings inquiries are generated when the current period's daily wage rate exceeds the prior 12 months' daily wage rate multiplied by a threshold. As a result, salary that may have not been caught by the prior method will be caught by the current method.

Large Earnings Warnings Questions