Enrollment Reporting Requirements

The enrollment process is one of the most important pension administration responsibilities you perform for new employees.

With enrollment information you provide, PERA creates a member account within our computer system that contains important demographic data including, but not limited to, the member’s name, address, Social Security Number, birth date, and date of eligibility, etc. More importantly, PERA’s actuary uses much of the data you provide to develop the long-term financing strategies that will help PERA make sure it has sufficient financial assets to pay pensions to future and current benefit recipients.

Under Minnesota law, enrollment data must be submitted to PERA prior to, or along with, the first contribution submitted for the employee. Employers submit enrollment information using one of these three options:

Employer Reporting and Information System (ERIS) — ERIS is an internet-based tool that is accessed through PERA’s website. Its usage does not require any computer programming on your part and it is available for all employers to use free of charge.

Demographic Data Record —Employers who have been approved to do so may submit enrollment information as part of a Demographic Data Record in a computer file. Information about submitting demographic records is available in Chapter 9 – Computer File Format of PERA’s Employer Manual.

Notice of Member Enrollment form — Employers who lack the required internet and email access to use ERIS may submit a paper Notice of Member Enrollment form and mail or fax it to PERA. If you are unable to access the form online, you may obtain a copy of the Notice of Member Enrollment by calling PERA’s employer phone line.

In certain situations, employers must take additional steps to complete the employee’s enrollment into PERA as shown below. Full details about enrolling these position classes and others can be found in Chapters 3 and 4 of the Employer Manual.