— Message Board —
In order to support employers during the transition to the new Pension Solution system, CalSTRS will be taking the following action regarding penalties and interest for the Defined Benefit and the Cash Balance payroll files.
Defined Benefit:
- CalSTRS will waive penalty type 1 for payroll reporting for service periods July and August 2025 if received by November 7, 2025.
- CalSTRS will waive penalty type 2 for payroll reporting on the July and August files if received by November 7, 2025.
Cash Balance:
- CalSTRS will waive penalty type 1 for any Cash Balance payroll files with due dates between September 6, 2025, and September 30, 2025, provided that CalSTRS receives the file by October 21,2025.
- CalSTRS will waive penalty type 2 for any Cash Balance payroll files with due dates between September 6, 2025, and September 30, 2025, provided that CalSTRS receives the file by October 21,2025.
CalSTRS will open a dispute on the employer’s behalf to process the waiver. If CalSTRS determines any other penalty or interest types are impacted by the implementation of the Pension Solution system, CalSTRS will review them on a case-by-case basis.
If you have any questions, please email the Contributions team at [email protected].
The Training Tips Forum Quarter 2 webinar will be on Wednesday, October 29th at 9:30am. The topic we will be covering is training tools and tips related to the new SEW.
If interested, please sign-up by copying and pasting the following link into your internet browser: https://calstrs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jBF1Es8hTK-1Xf_vKqM1Iw
Questions? Please contact [email protected].Invoices now available in CAP
CalSTRS has transitioned to a new pension administration system. As a result, future invoices will be posted directly in CAP. To ensure you receive timely notifications when invoices are available, opt in for email notification within your CAP account. Once you opt in, you’ll receive an email notification each time a new invoice is posted.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition. If you have questions, contact our Employer Accounts Receivables unit at [email protected].Due to scheduled maintenance, the Secure Employer Website will be unavailable Thursday, October 9 from 6:15pm to 8:00pm.
Please complete and save all your work before the start of the maintenance window. While the site may appear accessible at times during this window, do not attempt to use the system as updates and maintenance activities will be in progress and any change made may not be saved.The Creating a Remittance Advice job aid has been updated effective 09.24.25. To save the details of the remittance advice you must take a screenshot before submission.
You will need to create an Enrollment Transaction for employees that have no reporting posted with your organization. Expect this error type to be elevated for your first file in the new system.
You will need to manually transmit these transactions on-screen in SEW. You can do this from the Employment panel, or within the Employee Profile and clicking the Enroll button.
Logging into the new SEW
SEW registration emails will be sent out to all active contacts on Monday 9/22 at 6:00 PM. These emails will contain a one-time password and a link to the new SEW. Employers will be able to log into the new SEW after receiving the email. If your one-time password expires or you need your password reset, please reach out to your district or county administrator and they will be able to assist.Employer Readiness Environment Password Resets
Please reach out to [email protected] if you need assistance with ERE password resets. You can continue to reach out to [email protected] for all other questions regarding the Employer Readiness Environment and Success Criteria.Tools & Resources
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Employee Match File Specification
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Employer-Related Form Crosswalk
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Employment File Specification
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ERE Release Notes v1.7
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F496 File Specification
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MR87 File Specification
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Pension Solution Project District Webinar - April 2025
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Pension Solution Project Webinar Video – March 2025
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SEW Communications
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SEW Release Notes v1.1
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SEW Responsibilities for Report Units
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Success Criteria and Testing Guide
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VDF File Specification
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Cash Balance Contribution Rates
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Cash Balance Reporting Schedules
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Contribution Reporting Terminology
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Creating a Remittance Advice
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Employee Change Request – Certification for Disability
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Employee Change Request – Employer Certification for Death Before Retirement
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Employee Change Request – One Year Final Compensation
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Employee Change Request – Reduced Workload Program
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Employee Change Request – SR Earnings Limit Exemption
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Employer Contacts
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Employer Reporting Requests
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Employment Maintenance Terminology
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Formatting the “Error Details” report
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Managing Payroll Summaries
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Person Maintenance for Employers
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Processing Pending Work Items
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Program Enrollment Requests
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Purchasable Service Credit Records
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Reduction in School Funds
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Service Credit Purchase Requests
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Submitting an Online Accounts Receivable Contribution Transaction
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Submitting an Online Enrollment Transaction
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Submitting an Online F496 File Transaction
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Submitting Termination and Sick Leave Data
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Submitting Termination Data
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Uploading a F496 File
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Uploading an Employee Match File
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Uploading an MR87 Enrollment File
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Using the Secure Employer Website
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Viewing Service Credit Totals
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Contribution File Business Rule Validation
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Contribution File Crosswalk
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Contribution File Specification
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Contribution File Template
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Contribution File Template Instructions
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Employment File Business Rule Validation
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Employment File Template
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Employment File Template Instructions
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Uploading a Contribution File
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Uploading an Employment File
