Form G-117a, Designation of Contact Officials, is used to designate who in a
covered organization serves as an official contact for the Railroad Retirement
Board. If you act on behalf of a railroad employer and do not have employer
status under the RRA, you will not have an RRB contact. All communication
regarding RRB matters will be through the railroad employer.
Most of the areas of responsibility designated on the form do not apply to
sickness payors. The duties related to sick pay are compensation and
certification. Form G-117a is also used to change a contact official or the
address. Changes to compensation and certification contact officials only may
also be submitted directly to the Division of Certification and Compensation (DCC).
Contact Official Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the compensation and certification contact official
relate to compensation reports and payee earnings records. Correspondence from
the DCC about these subjects, such as informational circular letters and report
error referrals, will be directed to the contact official. See
Chapters 8 and 9
for more information about the types of correspondence which may be directed to
the contact official.
The compensation and certification contact official should:
- understand how to complete forms properly;
- answer the DCC inquiries promptly;
- be familiar with the "Reporting Instructions for Creditable Sickness
Payments"; and,
- communicate railroad retirement instructions to the other staff members who
are involved in preparing reports.
The responsibilities of the contact official are important because erroneous
reports and report data are costly. Errors create unnecessary administrative
paperwork for the RRB and the sick pay payor.
Because the amount of creditable sick pay reported to a payee's earnings
record impacts directly on annuity benefit computations, erroneous reports may
also mean erroneous benefit payments amounts - either underpayments or
overpayments.
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