MANAGEMENT 

MEMBER’S SESSION

NRETS 

AUGUST 2021
AGENDA

• RRB Operations During Pandemic and Industry Data

• RRB’s Focus for FY 2022 –Staffing and IT Modernization

• Railroad Retirement System – Financial Update

• Pay for Time Lost (PFTL) Reporting Reminder
RRB OPERATIONS DURING PANDEMIC 

• Approximately 95% of our employees moved to full telework

• 53 Field Offices were closed to the public and claims reps began teleworking 

• Improvements to our network capabilities were needed due to increased bandwidth 

needs

• Skeleton work force in HQ and Field Office to handle mail and tasks requiring manual 

work

• RRB used work-arounds adding additional email and fax options during record number of 

UI/SI claims

• Transition reentry in fall and revising telework policies to be more flexible
INDUSTRY DATA AND TRENDS

• Average Railroad Employment

• New Unemployment and Sickness Claims During Pandemic

• Vocational Information from Employers
AVERAGE RAILROAD EMPLOYMENT (IN THOUSANDS)

JANUARY 2020 – MAY 2021
RRB – NEW UNEMPLOYMENT AND SICKNESS CLAIMS
VOCATIONAL INFORMATION FROM EMPLOYERS

• Vocational information received from employers associated with employee disability applications. 

• 2021 YTD only 2.7% of disability applications included the New Job Information Form (G-251A Revised).

June 2021 2021 YTD 2020 Final

Totals % Totals % Totals %

G-251A Revised 3 2.6 15 2.7 32 2.9

Other 

(Employer Job 

Description)

61 54.0 259 46.7 529 48.7

No Form 49 43.4 281 50.6 526 48.4

Totals 113 100 555 100 1087 100
RRB’S FOCUS FOR FY 2022 – STAFFING

• Staffing levels at the RRB have been decreasing significantly due to stagnant 

budgets and increasing personnel costs.

• 23% of RRB staff are eligible for retirement in 2021 and 31% will be eligible in 

2022. 

• Board was 12% below its desired staffing needs of 880. 

• As part of COVID relief packages Congress appropriated $6.2 million in general 

revenue funds for immediate staffing needs in Retirement and UI/SI programs. 

• HHS Labor Subcommittee mark for RRB was $130 million and $5 million above 

President’s budget. 
RRB’S FOCUS FOR FY 2022 – IT MODERNIZATION

• Multi-year project which includes lifting the mainframe to the cloud, 

modernizing COBOL based applications in a cloud based environment, 

strengthening IT structures and security, and moving to Microsoft 365. 

• RRB’s antiquated systems have been a source of concern during the years, and 

until more recently the necessary funds were not appropriated.
RAILROAD RETIREMENT SYSTEM – FINANCIAL UPDATE

• 28th Actuarial Evaluation 

• National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT)
28TH ACTUARIAL EVALUATION

• The conclusion is that, barring a sudden, unanticipated large drop in 

railroad employment or substantial investment losses, the railroad 

retirement system will experience no cash flow problems during the 

next 34 years. The long term stability of the system, however, is not 

assured. Under the current financing structure, actual levels of 

railroad employment and investment return over the coming years 

will determine whether additional corrective action is necessary.
2020 197,000 7.9

Employment Data
NATIONAL RAILROAD RETIREMENT INVESTMENT TRUST

(NRRIT)

• Rail employers and Labor appoint three trustees each and a neutral is selected 

by the 6 trustees.

• NRRIT created by Congress in 2002.

• NRRIT invests trust funds similarly to other private pensions with ERISA like 

provisions.

• While NRRIT is an independent non-federal entity, it still has reporting 

requirements with both Congress and the President. 

• RRB Board regularly meet with Trustees and receive reports and review 

operational oversight audits.

PROPER REPORTING OF PAY FOR TIME LOST (PFTL)

• Employers are responsible for properly reporting PFTL that results from voluntary 

settlements or court awards relating to payments for an employee’s injury on the job, 

including past and/or future wage loss as a result of injury or a personnel action that 

resulted in lost wages.

• The Supreme Court decision in Loos v. BNSF in 2019 confirmed that employers must 

pay RRTA taxes associated with the judgments/voluntary settlements awarding lost 

wages; the RRB has always required reporting of creditable compensation stemming 

from PFTL.

• Additional information can be found on RRB’s website RRB.GOV with RRB publication 

IB-4. 
CONTACT INFORMATION
Questions?