STRS Ohio Update for Reporting Employers
STRS Ohio Employer News
Teacher State Minimum Salary Increase Effective Oct. 3, 2023
Effective Oct. 3, 2023, the state minimum salary for an Ohio teacher with a bachelor’s degree and no experience increased to $35,000 from $30,000. When calculating service credit for part-time teachers, please use the new state minimum salary. The service credit calculator on the STRS Ohio Employer Website has been updated to reflect this change. Refer to the Service Credit Decision Tree for more information on service credit calculations.
Interesting Facts About STRS Ohio’s Members
Every year, STRS Ohio’s actuary compiles a report that contains demographic data about benefit recipients and active members. Here are some interesting facts from the 2023 report:
- There are 209 benefit recipients aged 100 or older and 135 recipients who are age 99.
- The oldest recipient is 108 and has been receiving service retirement benefits since 1973. She began teaching in 1947.
- The longest paid benefit recipient is a disability recipient who began receiving benefits in 1957 at the age of 27.
- Currently, 21 active members have 50 or more years of service, and 270 active members have 40 or more years of service.
- The active member with the most years of service is age 89 and has 59 years of service credit.
Employment Verifications Due by End of Year
To comply with Internal Revenue Service regulations, STRS Ohio is required annually to identify members who have reached the age of 73 and are not actively employed in an STRS Ohio-covered position. As required by law, members meeting these criteria must withdraw their accounts or begin receiving a required minimum distribution as part of a monthly annuity.
Employers may receive a request from STRS Ohio before the end of the year to complete employment verifications to confirm identified individuals are no longer working. STRS Ohio needs your assistance in providing final contributions and pay date information.
In an effort to reduce paper and complete the process in a timely and efficient manner, please complete this verification online in ESS. The Employment Verification Report tutorial in the Education & Training section of the employer website is available to assist you. Step-by-step instructions including screenshots are also available in the ESS Instructions.
Thank You for Your Hard Work!
Thank you for completing your annual reports in a timely manner. This year STRS Ohio received 1,132 annual reports. More than three quarters of those reports were completed by July 30, before the due date of Aug. 4. Your early completion helps us prepare members’ Annual Statements that are sent every September. After annual reports are processed, employers are also required to complete additional verification reports if needed. A total of 510 employers received accrued verification reports on Sept. 15 with a due date of Sept. 30. In 2023, 330 of the 510 employers with accrued verification reports met this deadline.
A huge thank you to those employers for their timely completion of these processes. Your continued excellence in reporting does not go unnoticed and we appreciate all you do.
Benefit Plan Improvements for Members
In May, the State Teachers Retirement Board implemented benefit plan improvements for both active and retired members. Find out more information about these improvements on the member website at www.strsoh.org.
- The current retirement eligibility rule requiring 34 years of service for an unreduced retirement benefit was extended for five years through July 2028. The requirement was scheduled to increase to 35 years of service on Aug. 1, 2023. This improvement of the retirement eligibility requirements means that thousands of members will be eligible for an unreduced benefit at an earlier age.
- The Retirement Board approved a 1% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to eligible benefit recipients effective July 1, 2023. New STRS Ohio benefit recipients are eligible to receive a COLA beginning on the fifth anniversary of their retirement date. Retirees who started receiving benefits on June 1, 2019, or earlier will be eligible for this COLA in fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024).
Get the Latest About STRS Ohio
STRS Ohio member and employer websites have the most accurate and up-to-date information, including:
- Member benefit information and resources
- Interesting and informative multimedia communications to members
Reporting Requirements
Do You Have Compensation Questions?
Compensation for STRS Ohio purposes is defined by the Ohio Revised Code. If you have questions about what is and what isn’t considered compensation, contact us at [email protected]. We are happy to review your payment and let you know if you should contribute to STRS Ohio on that payment. Please send any documentation that describes the payment and who is receiving it when asking if a payment qualifies as compensation. This could be a negotiated agreement, board actions or other written documentation.
Here is a short list of payments that employers commonly have questions about:
| What is compensation? | What isn’t compensation? |
|---|---|
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Keep Your ESS Account Active and Ensure Contact Information Is Up to Date
To keep your ESS account active, you must log in at least once every six months. If you attempt to log in and receive the message that your ESS account is inactive, contact Employer Reporting toll-free at 888‑535‑4050 to have your account reactivated.
STRS Ohio sends notifications via email when there are reports to complete in ESS, training and education opportunities are available, deadlines are approaching for annual processes and important employer news is announced. You should periodically check your school’s contact information in ESS to make sure everyone involved with STRS Ohio reporting receives timely information. Under the Additional Tools menu on the home page of ESS, click on “Employer Contacts” to see the list of contacts on file and check the information for accuracy. If updates are needed, you can complete the Request Access form to make changes. For more information and step-by-step directions, see the ESS Instructions.
GASB Report Information Available in ESS
The following information is now available in ESS to assist you and your auditors in preparing financial statements in accordance with GASB standards:
- GASB Contributions by Member
- GASB Contributions by Payroll
To access the information, log in to ESS and click on “GASB Reports” in the Additional Tools menu. If you have questions about these documents, please contact the Employer Reporting Department toll-free at 888‑535‑4050 or email [email protected].
Employer Detail Listings Are Coming Soon
Employer Detail Listings for fiscal year 2022–2023 will be sent to employers by Dec. 15, 2023. This document contains the final amount of member contributions and service credit that STRS Ohio has posted to each individual member’s account for the fiscal year. It is considered a final record so please keep a copy for your files. An electronic copy can be found in the Documents section of ESS.
Please review your Employer Detail Listing for accuracy. If corrections or adjustments should be made, please contact STRS Ohio Employer Reporting toll-free at 888‑535‑4050 as soon as possible.
Webinar and Tutorial Libraries Available Online
The Employer Education team offered a wide variety of informational and training sessions via webinar over the past year as part of the Employer Basics 101 series, as well as ESS Training. Every live webinar has been recorded and uploaded to the employer website. If you were unable to attend a session or would like to revisit a topic, be sure to check out the library of recorded webinars in the Education & Training section.
Need a quick refresher on how to complete a report in ESS? Short tutorial videos give step-by-step instructions on ESS processes, such as setting up a direct debit account, making a backposting adjustment, submitting your pay date calendar and more. You can access our collection of ESS tutorials on the employer website.
Employer Education
Upcoming Education Opportunities
STRS Ohio offers webinars and training sessions to help you meet STRS Ohio reporting requirements. The Employer Education team will announce the 2024 calendar of events soon. You will receive an email from STRS Ohio when registration is available. View the Calendar of Events for a complete list of programs.
Quarterly Coffee Break
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.
We understand your time is valuable. Attend a short webinar break to catch up on current STRS Ohio employer news. Coffee Break webinars are designed to share information you need to know when you need to know it. These 15–20 minute webinars are presented quarterly and include an opportunity for you to ask questions. Registration begins Nov. 27.
What’s Ahead
View a complete list of annual processes and due dates.
December 2023
Employment verifications are due (if applicable).
Dec. 15:
Employer Detail Listing mailing is complete.
January 2024
STRS Ohio’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report is available.
February 2024
Request for salary schedules is emailed to employers.
April 2024
Foundation employers receive the 2023–2024 estimated annual payroll request.