October 2026 | Issue 10

Tips for Validating New Employees

To maintain the accuracy and integrity of our records, each Enrollment and Member Information Change Data Collection validates the entered name and Social Security number to ensure the information entered is correct.

If this validation produces a Warning or Error, IMRF requires the employer to provide a copy of the member’s Social Security card before we can complete enrollment. Getting this information right at enrollment is an important first step in administering member benefits.

When a Validation Warning requests Social Security Number verification, please submit a copy of the member’s Social Security card via Secure Message.

When you submit the secure message, select “Enrollment” or “Data Collection” as the topic and enter the subject of “Social Security Number Verification.” Include the member’s name and Social Security number in the body of the message and attach a copy of the Social Security card.

IMRF cannot accept I-9 documents, state IDs, or passports as documentation of the member’s Social Security number.

To prevent wage reporting and enrollment delays and ensure accuracy, please submit this information as quickly as possible. To learn more about submitting Social Security card information, visit the Employer Access Learning Center.

Don't Forget! When making changes to Rejected Data Collections, always be sure to "Save and Validate" before submitting changes. Click here for more.

Important Details for Executive Election

There will be an election this year for a five-year term for an Executive Trustee. The term of office will run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031.

Candidates for the Executive Trustee position are Jack Bower, MLIS, Executive Director of the Rolling Meadows Library, Dave Miller, Executive Director of the North Shore Water Reclamation District, and Eric Palm, Village Manager of Hoffman Estates.

Election packets containing candidate biographies, instructions, and the appropriate ballot are being mailed to all IMRF employers. Follow the instructions in the election packet to cast your vote.

Completed ballots must be returned to IMRF by 4:30 PM CST on December 10, 2026.

Election results will be certified by the Board of Trustees and announced after the Board meeting on December 18, 2026.

Compliance Check: Reconciling Contributions and Payroll

A common reporting error found during Employer Compliance Reviews happens when employers do not properly record wages and contributions to IMRF. IMRF wage reporting is on a cash basis. This means the month that wages are reported to IMRF and paid to the member are the same. It does not matter when the wages were earned or when the obligation to pay the wages accrued. Here is a tool to help you reconcile these amounts.

It is important to make sure the payroll totals for IMRF members in your employer’s financial reporting match the wages that have been reported to IMRF. Additionally, the total amount paid to IMRF for member contributions must match your employer’s records.

Remember, if your employer pays member contributions and does not collect contributions from the members, use the gross up factor in the Authorized Agent Manual to ensure contributions and wages are reported correctly.

Checking to see that these numbers match periodically throughout the year will catch any errors early and prevent reporting errors from happening in the future.

Don’t forget, IMRF’s website has a lot of resources about Employer Compliance Reviews and best practices for employers.

IMRF will continue to host Employer Access Workshops to answer some of the most commonly asked questions.

Each session will review a specific topic with demonstrations from IMRF staff. Participants are encouraged to ask questions during the presentation and questions will only be viewed by workshop leaders.

Adding & Removing Team Members

October 21 from 10 AM to 11 AM

Health Insurance & Union Deductions

November 17 from 10 AM to 11 AM

Upcoming Authorized Agent Webinars

IMRF offers online webinars for Authorized Agents to learn more about IMRF procedures, and how the fund is administered.

IMPORTANT NOTE: By law, all new Authorized Agents must attend Authorized Agent training within three months of appointment.

There are two modules to complete:

Module 1: Introduction, Enrollment, Wage Reporting, and Termination
Module 2: IMRF Benefits, Employer Rates, and Legislation

October

Module 1: Wednesday, October 14
Module 2: Wednesday, October 28

November

Module 1: Wednesday, November 4
Module 2: Wednesday, November 18

December

Module 1: Wednesday, December 2
Module 2: Wednesday, December 16

All sessions run 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM.

Webinar Structure

This 2-part webinar series prepares IMRF Authorized Agents to perform common IMRF tasks.

Each webinar stands alone, and you can attend them in either order. Canceling your registration from just one module is not permitted.

Note: To receive a completion certificate, you must attend the online session live. Watching a recording at a later date will not result in a certificate of completion.

Stay Connected with IMRF!

Visit IMRF's Website

Employer Access

Learning Center

800 COMMERCE DR, OAK BROOK IL 60523-2196 (Main Office)

3000 PROFESSIONAL DR, STE 101, SPRINGFIELD IL 62703

Member-only Phone: 1-800-ASK-IMRF (275-4673)

Employer Contact Center: 1-800-728-7971

You are receiving this email because you have been identified as an Employer Contact of IMRF. As such, you cannot opt out of receiving this email. To update your Employer Contact information, log in to your Employer Access account.