To prepare for state retirement reporting, you will need to fill in several fields (Modify Existing Employees) that need to be filled in for each employee.

These fields are required in the payroll file: 

• Personal status code

• Position classification code

• Rate schedule

 

These fields are optional in the payroll file: 

• Expected full time for one week

• Expected weeks per year

• Rate of pay

• Time unit code

 

This field is needed for state employees:

• Bargaining unit code (state employees only)

 

 

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Setting up the state retirement report payroll file 

1. Open Connect Payroll > State Reports > State Retirement Report. 

If there's more than one state set up in payroll, select Maine (ME). If the state retirement report for Maine (ME) is not available, make sure Maine (ME) is added to the States tab. (Organization)

 

2. Use the Definition menu to select State Retirement Report (ME) - Payroll File [Caselle Master].

 

3. Verify the report date range is correct for the reporting period. 

 

 

4. Select the Include option. 

 

• Report. Only print the state retirement report. 

• Report and State File. Print the state retirement report and create the electronic file. 

• State File. Only create the electronic file. 

 

5. Set up the state reporting options. (Options tab)

 

• Click to select the State Reporting tab > Options tab, and then enter the following information. 

• Transmitter code: Enter a 5-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the organization creating and submitting the payroll file to MainePERS. Each file must include this code in its header, and detail records must match it precisely for successful processing. 

• Employer location code: Enter the unique alphanumeric identifier assigned by MainePERS to distinguish different reporting units (such as campuses, departments, or school districts) within a broader employer organization. An example format might look like P1234A. These codes are sometimes referred to as ERL in MainPERS terminology, standing for Employer Location or Employer Location Code. 

• Maine PERS reporting code: Enter the reporting frequency. Enter M for Monthly Reporting or B for Bi-weekly reporting. This value tells MainePERS how often you're submitting payroll data, either monthly (the norm), or, if applicable, bi-weekly for certain plans or agencies.

• Employer payroll cycle: Enter the filing frequency. Usually, monthly for most employers. 

 

6. Skip the state reporting setup. (Setup tab)

The Setup tab is includes the needed information for the report definition. No changes are necessary.

 

 

7. Set up the retirement pay codes. (Fields tab) 

Add the retirement pay codes that are tied to the employees that need to be included in the state retirement reporting file. 

 

Choose an option to add the retirement pay codes:

• Option 1: Select all pay codes, and then fill in the adjacent columns one-by-one. Start by clicking Add/Remove Pay Codes . Select all of the retirement pay codes and move them to the Selected List, and then click OK. Next, for each pay code, set up the Payback Status, Retirement Plan Participation Status, Earnable Compensation (Pay Code), Additional Employee Retirement Contributions (Pay Code), Time Paid (Pay Code), and Benefit Plan Class. 

• Option 2: Set up a single pay code, and then set up the adjacent columns. When the pay code is set up (pay code and adjacent columns), copy the entire row to add the next pay code. 

 

What to enter in each column: 

• Payback Status: If the payback status is yes, select the checkbox. If the payback status is no, do not select the checkbox. 

• Retirement Plan Participation Status: Use the menu to select the retirement plan status from the available options. 

• Earnable Compensation (Amount): Select the pay codes that make up the earnable compensation amount. 

• Employee Retirement Contributions (Amount): Select the pay codes that make up the employee retirement contributions amount. 

• Additional Employee Retirement Contributions (Amount): Select the pay codes that make up the additional employee retirement contribution. 

• Time Paid (Hours): Select the pay codes that make up the time paid hours. 

• Benefit Plan Class: Use the menu to select the benefit plan class from the available options. 

 

 

8. Set up the export settings. (Print Settings tab)

 

• Click to select the Print Settings tab > Export tab, and then enter the following information. 

• Export checkbox: Select this checkbox to export the report as an electronic file. 

• File name: Enter the path and file name where you want to create the electronic file. MainePERS is formatted as EEEEEEMMYYX.txt, where EEEEEE is the employer code assigned by MainePERS, MM is the employer reporting month, YY is the employer reporting year, and X is the letter O for an original filing.  

 

 

9. Do you want to convert the report data when the report is launched? 

Converting report data refers to taking payroll information from the payroll database (including pay contributions and hours) and restructuring it into the specific electronic file format required by the retirement system. 

You can convert report data when 

• the report is launched. 

• you manually choose to convert report data. 

 

To convert report data when the report is launched, click Options  (F12). And then, click to select Prompt to convert state reporting data when a report is opened. 

To manually convert report data, click to select the Review tab (State Reporting).

• If converted report data exists, you can click Reload Data  to replace the existing data.

• To add another record, click Add New Record .

 

 

10. Save the retirement report as a new report definition. 

• Click Save  (CTRL+S).

• In the Save as new report box, enter the report definition name. (For example, MainePERS 2025)

 

 

• Click OK. 

 

11. Do you want to set the state retirement report as the default report definition? 

The default report refers to the report definition the report will use when the report is launched. You can select a different report definition, as needed, but the payroll system will always display the default report definition as the initial report definition. 

• To use this report as my default report definition: Click Options  (F12). Use the Default Report menu to select the name of the state retirement report definition that you have just saved. And then, click OK. 

 

 

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Printing the state retirement report

1. Open Connect Payroll > State Reports > State Retirement Report. 

2. Select the report definition for the current state retirement report. 

3. Verify the reporting date range. 

4. Review the report data. 

• Click to select the Review tab. 

• Click Reload . 

• Review the report data (check for errors, excluded records that should be included, included records that should be excluded, and so on). 

• When the report data is correct, click Preview  to create the state retirement report and electronic file.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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