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.