Employer News

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Stay connected to what’s important to you

To help employers keep up-to-date with the latest retirement information available, we’re introducing a free digital subscription service. The service allows you to voluntarily opt in for automatic emails when items on the DRS website change or when new information becomes available. The only information that’s required from you is your email address. After you sign up, you can change your subscription details or cancel the service at any time.

Every hour, the service checks the DRS website to see what’s been updated and sends emails to people who have signed up to receive notification (for example, an update to the Employer Handbook, important legislation or handbooks for your employees). As a subscriber, you can tailor the frequency you wish to receive notices: immediately upon posting, daily, weekly or monthly (please note that the page you select may not be updated at each of those intervals, depending upon the topic).

It’s easy to use – with just a few clicks you can sign up for updates on a variety of topics including, the employer newsletter, the self-audit program as well as items important to your employees. And as you browse our website, you’ll notice that individual articles also feature a link reading, “Email me when this page is updated.” Clicking on this link will enable you to subscribe for updates to that particular page and topic.

If you are interested in receiving updates from DRS, go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADRS/subscribers/new?preferences=true and type in your email address to get started. You can also visit our homepage any time at www.drs.wa.gov and look for the link and envelop icon at the top of the page. Once you click on the link, you can start creating your personalized list of subscription options.

Subscription benefits

• Quick email notification: Know as soon as a publication or news article becomes available or has been updated on the DRS website
• Individual: Sign up only IF you want to; cancel your subscription any time
• Customizable: Offers a list of our retirement plans, systems and topics to choose from at sign up that you can change any time
• Automatic: Once you establish a subscription profile, you will automatically receive updates without having to check the DRS website for changes
• Cost effective: Reduces printing and mailing costs

We value your privacy. Email updates are a free service provided by the Department of Retirement Systems. Your email address will only be used to deliver the information you have requested and allow you to access your account.

How Contribution Rates are Established

In odd-numbered years, pension contribution rates take effect July 1 (PERS, PSERS, LEOFF) and September 1 (TRS, SERS). Contribution rates are the rates members and employers pay for retirement plans.

The Legislature can enact benefit changes when it convenes each year, and any changes they make may alter the funding status of the retirement plans. When a new law changes a benefit, a supplemental rate is developed and applied to cover funding.

Supplemental rates typically become effective September 1, but rates may change at different times or more than once based on effective dates for new legislation.

If you’d like to learn more about contribution rates and how they’re established, visit the Office of the State Actuary’s website.

Employer Newsletter

Want answers to questions? Want to meet the person on the other side of the phone? Read the Employer Newsletter.