HR Update

The employer retirement contribution rates for MSEP, MSEP 2000, MSEP 2011, and the Judicial Plans changed effective July 1, 2025. These rates are calculated annually by MOSERS’ external actuary and certified by the MOSERS Board of Trustees.

• MSEP, MSEP 2000, MSEP 2011: 30.25%
• Judicial Plan, Judicial Plan 2011: 60.54%

Local Employers: Please ensure your payroll systems are updated to reflect the new contribution rates.

SAM II Employers: No action is required. Contribution rates have been updated in SAM II.

There are no changes to the contribution rates for CURP, basic life insurance, or long-term disability benefits.

See Contribution Rates for more information.

Each year, we ask our employers to verify the salaries of benefit-eligible employees who have basic life insurance coverage through MOSERS. This process ensures employees receive the correct amount of coverage for the upcoming calendar year.

The salary verification process will be completed in Phoenix, our new pension administration system.

• The Salary Verification Report will be generated after you submit your payroll report for the pay period ending July 31.
• You will receive a notice in your Phoenix Inbox when the report is available.
• All verifications must be completed by September 5, 2025.

We will provide detailed instructions and a brief video tutorial in August before the reports are ready to help you complete the process in Phoenix.

• Annual salary includes regular earnings from a benefit-eligible position, including recurring shift differential, security differential, and retention pay.
• Do not include overtime or other irregular, one-time payments.
• If an employee holds both a benefit-eligible and a non-benefit-eligible position, only the earnings from the benefit-eligible position are included.

In situations where an employee transfers between MOSERS-covered employers without a break in service, SEBES enrollment is typically not required. The guidance below explains how to identify a transfer, defines what qualifies as a break in service, and clarifies when SEBES entry is necessary.

A transfer occurs when an employee moves from one benefit-eligible position with a MOSERS-covered employer to another MOSERS benefit-eligible position within 30 calendar days of their termination, meaning there is no break in service.

• Employees who meet these criteria are eligible to maintain their existing MOSERS benefits without interruption.
• As a result, when an employee transfers between most SAM II agencies, you do not need to enter them into SEBES.

A break in service is defined as a period of 30 days or more during which the employee is not actively working in a benefit-eligible position between termination and rehire. Employees returning to a benefit-eligible position after a break in service must be enrolled in SEBES.

• Terminating Agency: Update the ESMT with the appropriate resignation or dismissal status.
• Hiring Agency: Update the ESMT with the appropriate hire status. Do not enter the employee into SEBES. The transfer will be captured automatically via the ESMT update and reported to MOSERS through the SAM II Daily File.

Employees must be entered into SEBES if they are eligible to make new benefit elections. This includes employees who:

• Are hired for the first time into a benefit-eligible position.
• Transition from a non-benefit-eligible position to a benefit-eligible position.
• Are returning to state employment after a break in service.
• Are newly employed by your agency, but were most recently employed by one of the following:

1. Department of Conservation
2. Department of Transportation
3. Highway Patrol
4. A state college or university (excluding State Tech & Lincoln University)

• Use the Retirement Plan Look-Up under Tools to help determine whether an employee has a break in service requiring SEBES enrollment.
• Refer to the Transfer Flow Chart – SAM II Agencies for step-by-step guidance on SEBES entry requirements.

If you have any questions, contact Employer Services at (800) 827-1063, option 2, or email employers@mosers.org.

We still have seats available at several in-person Ready to Retire seminars this summer. These sessions are designed for general state employees who are within five years of retirement eligibility. Members will learn about pension plan features, life insurance, long-term disability benefits (for eligible members), the retirement process, and more!

Members can register at myMOSERS by selecting Education, then clicking Enroll next to the session they would like to attend.

Once registered, we will send a confirmation to the member’s MOSERS Document Express online mailbox and reminders leading up to the session.

Remind your employees to check out our Education page to see all the remaining 2025 seminar dates!

Members can call us at (800) 827-1063 if they are already registered for a session this year but would like to add their spouse or a guest. Available only while seats last.

• Use the Comparison Calculator to see the long-term impact of different retirement options.
• Log in to their MO Deferred Comp account and review their last statement.
• Open a mySocialSecurity account to review their most recent Social Security Statement.

Encourage your employees to join us for our Summer Retirement Seminar Tour!

Do you need copies of MOSERS publications? We can provide you with paper versions of the SEBES Enrollment Guide, New Employee Orientation brochures, handbooks, and more!

Previously, you could order publications from the MOSERS public website. Now, you can order them through the Phoenix Employer Portal. Go to Tools in the left navigation and select Materials Request. You can order up to 200 copies at a time.

Retirement Guide - July 2025

Total Compensation Calculator - July 2025

Impact of a Layoff on MOSERS Benefits Guide - June 2025

Enrolling in a Webinar via myMOSERS instructions - May 2025

The employer retirement contribution rates for MSEP, MSEP 2000, and MSEP 2011, as well as for the Judicial Plan and Judicial Plan 2011, will change effective July 1, 2025, for fiscal year 2026. These rates are calculated annually by MOSERS’ external actuary and certified by the MOSERS Board of Trustees.

There are no changes to the employer contribution rates for CURP, basic life insurance, or long-term disability benefits.

• Local Employers: Please update your contribution rate accordingly, effective July 1, 2025.
• SAM II Employers: No action is needed. Contributions will continue to be processed automatically through payroll.

See Contribution Rates for more information.

We’ve identified a recurring issue in recent payroll reports, where former employees who receive comp time or contract payouts after termination are being marked as Not Eligible. Please ensure these employees remain marked as Eligible on your payroll reports.

Comp time and contract payouts issued after termination are considered pensionable wages and must be reported to MOSERS. When an employee is marked as Not Eligible, those wages are not reported to MOSERS, which prevents us from processing them correctly and may negatively affect the employee’s salary credit for retirement purposes.

• Keep these employees marked as Eligible on the payroll report.
• Use the Move Wages button to move the payout, along with any other pensionable wages, to the employee’s last active pay period.
• Once the wages have been moved, the error will clear, and you can proceed with your payroll report.

Reporting these wages accurately ensures employees receive proper salary credit toward their retirement.

Earlier this week, HR/payroll representatives received a system-generated email regarding the Retiree Sick Leave Report in Phoenix. This report is available as a query and lists employees from your agency who have recently retired.

You should use this report to remove any remaining sick leave balances from your payroll system. Retirees who return to work in a benefit-eligible position cannot receive additional service credit for unused sick leave accrued before retirement.

Because the retirement verification process continues throughout the month of retirement, sick leave should only be cleared for individuals who retired in a prior month. When running the report, be sure to search for employees who retired in previous months. For example, if running the query in June, search for retirees from May or earlier.

The SAM II Payroll Reporting Calendar in Phoenix has been updated and is now available on the Phoenix homepage. This calendar outlines key dates for each pay cycle, most notably, the reporting windows for HR/payroll representatives.

• Reports with no errors or warnings will be submitted automatically.
• Reports with errors or warnings will generate a system email once they are ready to work in Phoenix.
• All open payroll reports, including supplemental payrolls, must be submitted by the Final Day to Submit Payroll Reports listed on the calendar.

To ensure MOSERS has the most up-to-date information, please continue submitting payroll reports in tandem with your pay schedule. This is especially important for retiring employees, as MOSERS cannot verify retirement eligibility or process benefits until we receive both the termination record and the employee’s final payroll.

Timely reporting ensures that employees receive their pension benefits without delay.

Please continue to contact Employer Services with questions about your payroll reports or Phoenix in general:

• Phone: (800) 827-1063, option 2
• Email: employers@mosers.org

When emailing about a payroll report, please include the Phoenix reporting group number to help us assist you more efficiently.

Remind your employees that if they have at least five years of service (vested) and are more than five years from their first normal retirement eligibility date, now is a great time to attend a Mid-Career Webinar!

They can join us to learn about their employee benefits administered by MOSERS, including pension plan features, how different career and life events may affect their pension benefit, and their retirement savings plan options with MO Deferred Comp.

The remaining 2025 webinars are scheduled for July 10, August 14, and November 5 (evening). These 2.5-hour webinars, with daytime and evening sessions available, include speakers from MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp.

Your employees can register for an upcoming webinar at myMOSERS by selecting Education and clicking Enroll next to the session they would like to attend. Then, they can follow the step-by-step instructions to complete enrollment and register via GoTo Webinar.

In honor of State Team Member Appreciation Month, we want to express our gratitude for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to Missouri's state employees.

As vital liaisons between MOSERS and our members, your dedication to timely and accurate reporting is truly valued.

Thank you for all that you do!

Direct Deposit Authorization form - June 2025

Guide to Rollovers for Your Judicial Buyout Distribution - May 2025

Highlights of Your Total Compensation Package brochure - May 2025

The SAM II payroll reports for the April 16-30 pay period, as well as any outstanding supplemental payroll reports, are due by the end of day on Thursday, May 15.

Need help? The fastest way to get assistance is by calling an employer services analyst at (800) 827-1063, option 2. We're happy to walk through your payroll report with you!

We are happy to announce the newest members of the Employer Services team: Jonathon Imhoff and Forrest Luck. Jonathon and Forrest are employer services analysts who work alongside our existing team.

Meet Jonathon Imhoff: Jonathon brings significant experience in public service, including roles in accounting, payroll, and human resources. He most recently worked at the Department of Mental Health, where he managed payroll corrections for over 25 facilities. Jonathon is excited to support employers as part of the MOSERS Employer Services team.

Meet Forrest Luck: Forrest joins MOSERS with a strong background in state government human resources. He previously served as a human relations specialist at the Department of Natural Resources, where he specialized in leave administration, employee relations, and HR systems. Forrest looks forward to helping employers navigate their reporting requirements.

Please email employers@mosers.org or call us at (800) 827-1063, option 2, to reach Jonathon, Forrest, or any member of the Employer Services team. We're here to help with any questions you may have!

We are excited to host our fifth annual MOSERS Month in June!

Encourage your employees to join us this year to learn more about their benefits and plan for retirement with the MOSERS team. Each week, they will meet familiar "office characters" and learn about the new myMOSERS member portal, their MOSERS defined benefit pension, and MO Deferred Comp benefits.

We may not know much about selling paper, but we know retirement benefits! Let your employees know that MOSERS Month is coming soon, directly to their inbox!

Enrolling in a Webinar via myMOSERS instructions - May 2025

Online Office Hours continue daily from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and alternate between employer types. Your questions drive these sessions—drop in to get help with Phoenix, clarify processes, or ask anything you need. There is no formal agenda.

• SAM II Employers: May 9 and May 12-15
• Local Employers: May 16

On the fifth of every month, Phoenix will send an automated message alerting you to the Retiree Sick Leave Report. This report identifies employees from your agency who have recently retired.

• Use the report to zero out the unused sick leave balance in your payroll system for recent retirees.
• Only clear sick leave for employees who retired during the previous month or any earlier period, if not already processed.
• Do not clear leave for members retiring in the current month.

• If running the report in May, only clear sick leave for employees who retired in April or earlier.
• Set your report dates from April 1 through April 30 to capture April retirees.

If a retiree returns to benefit-eligible employment after meeting MOSERS' termination and reemployment rules, they are not eligible to receive service credit for any unused sick leave from before retirement.