Employers are responsible for remitting required employee and employer payments to SERS accurately and on time.
Payments for employee contributions are to be remitted to SERS no later than five business days from the pay date.
Payment of employer contributions for employers not using the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s (DEW) Foundation Program are to be remitted to SERS no later than five business dates from the pay date.
Payment of employer contributions for employers using the DEW’s Foundation Program are always considered on time.
Ohio law requires SERS to impose reporting and payment penalties for lateness.
Log in to eSERS to manage enrollments, submit contribution reports, and process employer payments.
There are two methods for paying employer and employee charges.
Direct Pay employers pay employee and employer charges directly to SERS.
Payment of employer contributions must be remitted to SERS no later than five business days from the pay date.
Direct Pay employers also choose to pay the Surcharge directly.
If a Direct Pay employer chooses to pay employer charges through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce School (DEW) Foundation Program, the employer will need to contact Employer Services to initiate the change.
Foundation participating districts pay employer charges through DEW.
Payment of employer contributions for employers using the Foundation Program are always considered on time.
Employer Statements are not paid through the Foundation Program.
Employers must remit employee and employer contributions to SERS no later than five business days after each pay date in eSERS.
If the employer contribution is not paid through the Foundation Program, the employer must remit the payment to SERS no later than five business days after each pay date in eSERS.
Payment of employer contributions for employers using the Foundation Program is always considered on time.
Community Schools are required to use the Foundation Program to pay employer liabilities.
All payments must be remitted promptly and accurately. If an organization is remitting payments for more than one employer, separate remittance documents need to be entered for each separate employer.
Payment remittance information for all payments must be entered electronically through eSERS. This includes:
The payment remittance provides the employer with a record of payments, ensures proper allocation to the correct SERS accounts, and can only be completed in eSERS.
To avoid a penalty, submit the payment remittance with the payment. For more information, see the eSERS Guide.
ACH Debit is the preferred method to remit payments. It is an electronic funds transfer initiated in eSERS through the Payment Remittance application indicating the date and amount to be withdrawn from the employer’s designated account.
EFT is an electronic wire transfer employers initiate with the bank. For an EFT, contact the bank and provide the account information for SERS. For any questions, contact Employer Services at 877-213-0861 or employerservices@ohsers.org.
Checks and money orders must be mailed to the SERS lockbox at:
SERS
L-1617
Columbus, Ohio 43260-1617
Do NOT send checks or money orders to the SERS office on Broad St.
Expedited payments to the bank for lockbox processing must be delivered prior to 11 a.m. for same-day processing to:
Huntington National Bank
7 Easton Oval
Attention: Wholesale Lockbox L-1617
Columbus, Ohio 43219
Reminder: To avoid a penalty, the payment remittance must be submitted with the payment.
Once the employer is issued a letter billing for compulsory or noncontributed/optional service credit, payment must be received no later than June 15, or the cost is subject to additional interest.
For payments, employers can make direct payment to SERS. Foundation-qualified employers can notify SERS to use funds from the Foundation Program deductions to make payment.
Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP) payments are due on the same terms and conditions that other employer contributions are due.
Once the employer is issued a Final Certification of Cost to Employer letter, the employer can:
For more information, contact Employer Services.
If you have questions about your employer responsibilities or need assistance with eSERS, contact Employer Services at 877-213-0861.
