Set Up SERS Retirement Pay Codes

SERS (School Employees Retirement System) is a public employee retirement system for classified/non-certified support staff.

Employee and employer contributions are calculated based on SERS-eligible gross wages with specific earning codes.

Field descriptions

To set up an SERS Retirement pay code record, you must enter or select valid information on the following tabs of the Pay Codes page:

For more information about the fields on the Pay Codes page, refer to Pay Code Table.

General tab

Enter or select the following field values on the General tab of the Pay Codes page.

Field	What to enter or select
Pay Code	Enter a unique 3-digit code (001-999).
Title	Enter the descriptive name for the pay code.
Check Title	Enter the abbreviated name that appears on paychecks.
Pay Type	Select the appropriate type.
Rate	Enter the percentage or per-unit rate if applicable.
Account	Optionally enter the default salary distribution account.
OH Retirement System	Select SERS - School Employees Retirement System. This field is Ohio-specific and indicates that the pay code is subject to School Employees Retirement System reporting.
SERS Earning Code	Select the appropriate code. This field is Ohio-specific. This code is transmitted in the eSERS payroll file to identify the type of compensation. For a list of the valid values, refer to SERS Earning Codes.
Exclude from Quarterly Wage	Leave this option unchecked for most pay codes. This field is Ohio-specific. Select this option only if the pay code should be excluded from Ohio Quarterly Wage reporting.

SERS Earning Codes

Adjustment and Missed codes require coordination with SERS to ensure proper application to the employee's service record. These codes help maintain accurate contribution histories without requiring full file resubmissions.

The following table lists the valid values in the SERS Earning Code drop-down list and when to use each value.

SERS Earning Code	When to use
01 - Regular	Standard wages/salary for regular work hours.
02 - Supplemental	Stipends, extra duty pay, allowances.
03 - Retro Pay	Retroactive pay adjustments for prior periods.
04 - Stretch Pay	Compensation that is "stretched" or spread over additional pay periods beyond the work period (e.g., 9-month employee paid over 12 months). Used for annualized pay arrangements.
05 - Grievance Pay	Payments resulting from grievance settlements, arbitration awards, or labor dispute resolutions.
51 - Adjustment to Regular Contribution	Corrects a previously reported regular earnings contribution (code 01). Use for overpayments or corrections to regular wages.
52 - Adjustment to Supplemental	Corrects a previously reported supplemental contribution. Use for corrections to stipends, extra duty pay, or allowances.
53 - Adjustment to Retro Pay	Corrects a previously reported retroactive pay contribution. Use for corrections to retro pay adjustments.
54 - Adjustment to Stretch Pay	Corrects a previously reported stretch pay contribution (code 04). Use for corrections to annualized pay arrangements.
55 - Adjustment to Grievance Pay	Corrects a previously reported grievance pay contribution (code 05). Use for corrections to grievance settlements.
91 - Missed Regular Contribution	Reports regular earnings contributions that were not submitted in a prior period. Use when an employee should have had regular contributions withheld but did not.
92 - Missed Supplemental Contribution	Reports supplemental contributions that were not submitted in a prior period. Use for missed stipend payments or extra-duty contributions.
94 - Missed Stretch Pay	Reports stretch pay contributions that were not submitted in a prior period. Use for missed annualized pay contributions.

Taxes tab

The Taxes tab consists of the following sections:

Subject to FICA/Medicare section

Enter or select the following field values in the Subject to FICA/Medicare section on the Taxes tab of the Pay Codes page.

Field

What to enter or select

FICA/Medicare

Select F - Subject to FICA/Medicare.

SERS employees are subject to both Social Security and Medicare. This is the standard setting for SERS pay codes.

Exempt from Taxes section

Enter or select the following field values in the Exempt from Taxes section on the Taxes tab of the Pay Codes page.

Field	What to enter or select
Federal Tax	Leave this option unchecked.
State Tax	Leave this option unchecked.
Local Tax	Leave this option unchecked.

Deductions tab

Enter or select the following field values on the Deductions tab of the Pay Codes page.

Field

What to enter or select

Exempt Deductions

Select any deduction codes from which this pay code should be exempt.

For most regular SERS pay codes, leave these fields blank.

Payroll tab

The Payroll tab consists of the following sections:

Leave Time Factors section

Enter or select the following field values in the Leave Time Factors section on the Payroll tab of the Pay Codes page.

Field	What to enter or select
Leave to Add Time to	Leave this field blank.
Add Factor	Leave this field blank.
Leave to Subtract Time from	Leave this field blank.
Notify for Extended Leave	Leave this option unchecked.

Other Payroll Factors section

Enter or select the following field values in the Other Payroll Factors section on the Payroll tab of the Pay Codes page.

Field	What to enter or select
Pay Time Type	Select the appropriate option: R - Regular Pay: Select this option for standard salary. A - Allowance: Select this option for supplements.
Special Pay Frequency	Leave this field blank.
Subject to Worker’s Comp	Select this option if applicable. Most teaching positions are subject to workers' compensation.
Encumber Salaries	Select this option if applicable. For budget encumbrance tracking.
Track Position Salaries	Select this option if applicable. For position control tracking.
FLSA Overtime	Leave this field blank.
FLSA Calculation Type	Leave this field blank.
Exclude from Retro Pays	Leave this field blank.
Time Entry Allowed	Select the appropriate option: N - Not Time Entry: Select this option for salaried teachers. Y - Assoc Time Entry: Select this option for substitute pay.
Approval Level	Leave this field blank.

Refer to SERS Retirement Pay Codes Examples for examples of setting up SERS Retirement Pay Codes for various requirements.

After setting up the SERS Retirement Pay Codes, do the following:

Ensure that the corresponding SERS deduction codes are configured on the Retirement System Deductions page.
Ensure that employees have the appropriate SERS Deduction Codes assigned on their Employee Deductions page with the correct:
- Deduction code linked to SERS.
- Calculation method.
- Rates matching current SERS contribution requirements.