Prepared by:

Purpose

The purpose of this program letter is to:

• Inform you that the Forms ID-4K/ID-4E are now available on the Internet via the Employer Reporting System
• Provide you with highlights of the site;
• Advise you how to apply for access;
• Advise you of whom to contact for additional information.

Introduction

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is pleased to announce that the Form ID-4K, Prepayment Notice of Employee’s Applications and Claims for Benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) and ID-4E, Notice of RUIA Claim Determinations are available on the ERS system via the Internet. This new ERS service will provide employers with an efficient and effective way to provide information to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) for employees of their company who have filed for unemployment or sickness benefits under the RUIA.

Currently, employers provide this information to the RRB by mail or fax.

Highlights of the Site

The RRB first launched the ERS system on December 8, 2003 in an effort to reduce the amount of information filed on paper forms. The three forms and one report that are currently available to users on the ERS system are as follows: Forms BA-4, Report of Compensation Adjustments, Form BA-6a, Ba-6a Address Report, and Form GL-129a, Record of Employer Determination on Employee Protest and BA-4 Summary Report.

This new service which consists of two forms (ID-4K/ID-4E) and two summary reports (ID-4K Summary Report and ID-4E Summary Report) is available to users but will be referred to by the name of ERSNet. The ERSNet system, like the ERS system, remains role-based and requires each user’s access to be tailored to the role, or work, that an individual user performs at their company. This will allow employers the ability to assign access levels to employee’s of their company and will allow employer’s to maintain control over what administrative functions employee’s of their company can view and/or submit to the RRB.

The ERSNet system works similar to the paper notification process except that it notifies employers electronically that an application or claim for RUIA benefits has been filed by an employee. The electronic version of these forms will retain the same data that is listed on the paper form and maintain the standard 3 business days required reply time for the ID-4K and 60 days required reply time for the ID-4E. All electronic responses received on any given business day will be mechanically processed at 5:00 pm Central Standard Time (CST). Detailed user instructions on how to respond to replies via the ERSNet system are covered in Part VIII of the Reporting Instructions to Employers. To access the instructions go to: http://www.rrb.gov/mep/er_info.asp. Select the applicable “Rail Employers” or “Labor Employers” link, scroll down and select Chapter 5.

How to Apply for Access

To apply for access do the following:

• Read the enclosed Security Guidelines leaflet, or go directly to: http://www.rrb.gov/AandT/ERI/Part8/chapter8.asp. It provides you with specific information about your responsibility as a user of this system;
   
• File Form BA-12, Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access. Complete Sections A, B and C of the form and sign the certification. Have Section D of the form completed by an official of the company who has signature authority to sign RRB forms. The head of the company and those persons designated on the Form G-117A, Designation of Contact Official are assumed to have signature authority. For additional information on how to complete the Form BA-12, go directly to: http://www.rrb.gov/pdf/AandT/ba12.pdf and print a copy of the form or contact the Quality Reporting Service Center at (312)751-4961.

To deter fraudulent use of the ERSNet system, the Form BA-12 cannot be completed or filed on the web site. The application must include original signatures (no reproductions) and be transmitted by US or express mail carrier. For security reasons, facsimiles are not acceptable. Upon receipt of an acceptable application, the RRB will mail your user ID and password along with instructions for accessing the site.

Note, users who currently have access to the ERS system for Forms BA-4, BA-6 and/or GL-129a are still required to apply for access to the ERSNet system for Forms ID-4K and ID-4E. Access to these forms will not be automatically assigned to existing users of the ERS system. In addition, employers who utilize the Rail Link system may enroll in this free service however they may not be enrolled in both the Rail Link and the ERSNet system at the same time for either form. Users do have the ability to request access to an individual form for the ERSNet system.

Who to Contact

If you have questions or want more information about the new ERSNet system contact the Quality Reporting Service Center at (312)751-4992 or send an e-mail to QRSC@RRB.GOV.