# Presentation: 723149

## Overview of Retirement Processing

- Payroll Reconciliation/Retirement Section
- Patrick Foret, Section Supervisor     504/426-1555
- Cheryl Falgout, Unit Supervisor      504/426-1562
- Brenda Branon, Program Analyst   504/426-1557
- Sally Greene, Systems Accountant

**United States Department of Agriculture**
**Office of the Chief Financial Officer**
**National Finance Center**

**Notes:**
Introduction:
• Speakers
• Section organization

## Presentation Outline

- OPM Timeliness Standard
- Payroll Cycle vs. Retirement Cycle
- Agency Responsibilities
- Payroll Office (NFC) Responsibilities
- Past Performance
- Present Performance
- Future Improvements

## OPM Timeliness Standard

- 	In 1990, the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives mandated that Federal agencies meet an 80% standard for the timely submission of retirement records.  The timeliness standard is met if at least 80% of an agency’s retirement-benefit related records are received at OPM within 30 days of the employee’s separation.

**Notes:**
The standard applies only to annuities, deaths-in-service, and refunds; not resignations,terminations, transfers, etc..

## OPM Timeliness Standard

- Agency/Payroll Office Partnership
- The 30 Day Limit includes both agency & payroll office actions.
- Complete Package
- IRR and Documentation (Application + Associated Forms
- Aging of Separations (AOS) Report
- Only those records that are submitted with an application for benefits are tracked on the AOS system

**Notes:**

Payroll Office has only about 10 workdays to complete their portion of the case.  

Aging of Separations reflects the complete retirement cycle from the employee’s effective date of separation until final receipt of the case at OPM.

## Payroll Cycle vs. Retirement Cycle

- Dates in red indicate NFC’s processing time frame.

**Notes:**
The retirement processing cycle begins after the payroll cycle is complete.

PP26 -  IRRs generated on Jan. 19, case had to be mailed on Jan. 28, or ten days later to comply with OPM’s submission standard.

## Agency Responsibilities

- Process Nature of Action (NOA) & Flag T&A Final
- Complete and Certify Personnel Office Portion of Retirement Application
- Submit Complete Package (application and all documents) to Payroll Office (NFC).
- Confirm Receipt of Package by Payroll Office

**Notes:**
Ensure that the Final T&A is flagged final.
Must have NOA and T&A must be flagged final to generate an IRR.

Ensure application and associated forms are complete, accurate and contain original signatures.

Submit complete package to NFC no later than one week before the employee’s effective date of separation.

Monitor status of case to confirm the documents were received by the NFC and all the required documents are included were included in the package sent to NFC.  

## Agency Responsibilities

- RETM screen RM07010M can be used to review the status of cases.

**Notes:**
NFC also provides an agency checklist (a sample is included in your packets) to help agencies ensure that all documentation is included in the retirement package.

## Payroll Office (NFC) Responsibilities

- Receive Case from agency
- Review, Analyze and Certify Case
- Submit Case to OPM.
- Respond to Agency Inquiries

**Notes:**
Receive Cases:
Retirement Documents are Received in Section, Date Stamped, & Sorted.
Documents are input into RETM system.
Notify agencies about problems, i.e., missing documents/original signatures, NOA, final flag.

Review, analyze and Certify Case
Review to ensure the documents and the IRR are complete and accurate.

Submit Case to OPM.
Attached case to associated register of separations and mail overnight express to OPM.

* If submitted within 30 days of the employee’s separation date, the employee should receive an interim payment with 5 to 6 weeks of separation.

## Past Performance (Stats)

## Past Performance - Graph

**Notes:**
Direct correlation between the number of employees and % of cases processed timely.

Also, direct correlation between the volume of transactions and the % of cases processed timely.

In an effort to get a handle on the retirement process and provide better customer service, we reviewed our procedures and based on the review, we implemented some changes.  In addition, we implemented better monitoring techniques.

## Present Performance

**Notes:**
This graph reflects our operational performance from PP26 through PP05 of this year.

Available cases – complete case, i.e., we have an IRR (NOA and T&A flagged final) and we have on hand the retirement package. 

At the time the retirement processing cycle began, only 79% of the cases were available for processing, yet OPM.

Processing Issues
• Missing or Delinquent NOA and/or Final T&A
• Missing or Delinquent Documents 
	(Application and/or Associated Forms)

These are the two most important agency responsibilities as far as helping our procedures to run smoothly.

NFC will send the package to OPM, but if documents are missing the employee will be placed in interim status.  There will be no final adjudication until all documents have been received by OPM.

## Future Improvements

- Notification of missing documents, NOA, and/or Final Flag on T&A
- Current Practice – Notification to agency occurs after payroll cycle processes.
- Future Practice – We are exploring methods to provide agency notification before payroll cycle processes.
- Goal – 90% Processing Rate
- Implementation within one year.
- Central contact point for each Department.

**Notes:**
Only after payroll is processed do we have a true picture.

## Conclusion

- These employees have worked for many years.  They deserve to get what they have earned.

- By working together, we can make it happen.