Volume 8 Issue 10 - October 2025
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Is Your Pickup Being Picked Up?
When talking about retirement we often hear the terms ‘pickup on pickup,' ‘picked up,’ or ‘board paid.’ What does this really mean? Let’s break it down…
The board agrees to pay all or a portion of the employee’s contributions and not include these amounts in the members earnings for retirement purposes. This is known as ‘pickup on pickup without increased compensation’.
The board agrees to pay all or a portion of the employee’s contributions and include these amounts in the members earnings for retirement purposes. This is known as ‘pickup on pickup with increased compensation’.
Depending on which option of ‘pickup on pickup’ your board agrees to determines how the retirement records need to be set up. Below are examples of full pickup on pickup and each type - including calculations and a picture of how the payroll items for these types would need to be set up.
Pickup on Pickup Without Increased Compensation
Pickup on Pickup With Increased Compensation
Helpful tips (to ensure your pickup is set up properly and at the appropriate time):
Use payroll templates.
Add creating pickup records to any and all checklists. For example - New hire checklists, Exiting Employee checklists, Payroll checklists, Calendar Year End checklists, Fiscal Year End checklists.
Verify the information any chance you can. For example - Payroll reports, Pay Item Detail reports, Payable Payment reports, Payables Summary reports, Retirement reports, Quarter reports.
Coming Soon: We will continue our ‘pickup series' in November when we cover another form of pickup - Medicare.
Recent ESS Enhancements
The Employee Self Service (ESS) application received several recent enhancements, with the updates below highlighting those most visible and impactful to users.
The ESS Audit Reports has recently undergone a series of improvements designed to make it more intuitive and informative. Please refer to the Audit Reports documentation for full details on the options available for District Manager and Admin roles when generating the report from the System menu. One of the more recent enhancements is the ability for various roles to create an Audit report ‘on demand’ in several ESS menu options including the following:
Enhanced the Forgot Password user interface by renaming the “Old Password” field to “Temporary Password” in the reset step for greater clarity.
Employee Data Change Requests Improvements
Standard users can view their Data Change Request status from the Data Change menu. The grid automatically updates once a Data Change Manager approves or rejects the request.
If a user has an existing Data Change Request in an Initiated status and submits another request, the new submission will update the original request. The system will retain the information from the existing request while adding any new details or modifications from the additional request. When creating the new request, users can also update or change information from the original request if needed. The system will display an alert notifying the user that any changes made will be applied to the existing request. Once submitted, the Data Change Manager will review the initiated request and either approve or reject it. If approved, they can use the 'Post to USPS' button to apply the changes directly to the employee’s record in USPS.
A new Payslips and W2 role has been added, allowing access exclusively to the Payslips and W2 menu options. To limit a user’s access to only these options, all other roles must be removed from their user record.
Next Month: Don’t miss our in-depth look at the W2 Digital Delivery Checklist—featuring USPS and ESS guidance plus a full FAQ!
Useful links:
Our Fiscal Support team has been racking up the miles this fall — presenting, sharing, and connecting throughout September and October! With all that travel, we haven’t had the chance to host a new FWF (Fridays with Fiscal) session lately. But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered!
We’re digging into the archives for a throwback FWF you may have missed (or might just want to revisit). Last October, we dove into some lesser-known options and procedures in Inventory — a session full of hidden gems and handy tips. And even though it’s from last year, the information is still up-to-date and relevant!
Ability to Mass Update New Contracts
How many times have you had your new contracts ready only to find out there are last minute changes? Now, these updates can happen in the New Contract program using the Import option. The required column headings and values can be found here. Be sure to pay particular attention to the first required column heading - newContractId - which must be included in your load file when making changing to existing new contracts.
Fire System Retirement/IRIS Application for TCC
The Filing Information Returns Electronically (FIRE) system is scheduled to retire after the 2026 tax year, with the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) becoming the only platform for information return filings beginning in the 2027 filing season.
If your district plans to use IRIS, you’ll need to apply for a new Transmitter Control Code (TCC) — even if you already have one for the legacy FIRE system, as TCCs for FIRE and IRIS are not interchangeable.
Existing FIRE users are encouraged to complete their IRIS Application for TCC to ensure a smooth transition. Visit http://IRS.gov/IRIS for more information,
If your district plans to use the IRS FIRE system for tax year 2025 (2026 filing season), the FIRE systems current production and test systems availability schedules are listed below.
Our staff has been busy sharing knowledge all over the state! From conferences to special events, we’ve been delivering presentations on a variety of topics. Want to see what we’ve been up to? All of our PowerPoint presentations are conveniently gathered in one spot on our wiki under Miscellaneous SSDT Training Presentations. Check it out and stay inspired!
IPDP conversion status update
We’ve officially passed the halfway mark in our IPDP conversion timeline! All conversions are on track to be completed by the end of the calendar year. A big thanks to ITC staff for keeping us in the loop on progress. If your district hasn’t scheduled a conversion date yet, please reach out to your ITC to get on the calendar.