Taken on Strength Transaction
An Employee (EMP) transaction may be needed prior to entering a Taken on Strength (TOS) transaction for a new Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA) member.
The TOS transaction is used to report all new and rehired employees regardless of their employment status (for example employees with terms of less than six months, casual employees and as required (on call) employees). The TOS transaction will automatically update the Employee (EMP) file .
Note: Rehired is when a break in service occurs; a Struck on Strength (SOS) transaction and a new TOS transaction is required.
It is important to remember that the TOS transaction is the first transaction to be done before any salary, leave without pay, or contributions can be posted. Any transactions done for a member not yet TOS will reject.
On this page
- Taken on Strength Date
- Amending the Taken on Strength Date
- Other Transactions to be Reported with a Taken on Strength Transaction
- Dual Remuneration and Dual Employment
Taken on Strength Date
Penfax will reject all transactions (TOS, SOS, STS (Status Change)) if the Effective From Date is greater than 30 days from the date you upload the file.
Example 1
- Taken on Strength - November 1, 2010
- Upload to Data Capture Tool - October 1, 2010
As there are more than 30 days between October 1 and November 1, 2010, this will generate an error in Penfax.
Example 2
- Taken on Strength - December 1, 2010
- Upload to Data Capture Tool - November 24, 2010
As less than 30 days between November 24 and December 1, 2010, this will then post to Penfax.
Amending the Taken on Strength Date
To change the Effective From Date of a previous TOS, a STS transaction is required with the following inputs:
- Personal Record Identifier (PRI)
- Employee Reference Number (ERN): (if applicable to organization)
- Paylist
- Effective From Date: the originally reported TOS date (YYYY/MM/DD)
- Effective From Date AM/PM Indicator
- Taken on Strength Date: the new TOS Date (YYYY/MM/DD)
- Taken on Strength Date AM/PM Indicator
If a new TOS input is done, it will not override the incorrect TOS date. Instead, this will cause a duplicate TOS on the member’s account and subsequent data will not be able to post to the account.
If a TOS needs to be removed, an SOS transaction using the same date as the TOS date (that needs to be removed) is required; this will remove the line of service on the account.
Other Transactions to be Reported with a Taken on Strength Transaction
A Salary (SAL), Contributions (STA) and Address (ADR) transaction should be reported in addition to a TOS transaction.
Example
Employee hired as a casual for 4 months - March 1 to June 30, 2011.
Taken on Strength Transaction
The Effective From Date is March 1, 2011 and the Effective To Date is June 30, 2011 with Employee Type code K (Full Time Casual – Specified period not to exceed 90 working days in one calendar year in any particular department or other organization.) and Pension Type code 53 (Term/Casual ≤ 6 mths, F/T – P/T ≥ 12 hrs not grandfathered). The Effective To Date in the TOS transaction is for edit purposes only and is not used to track periods of employment. The To Date is not considered an SOS input; a SOS transaction and PWGSC 2386 is always needed to end a period of employment.
- Salary transaction:
- Report the corresponding salary data in the same update as the TOS
- Report an open salary record for every type of TOS, including when a TOS is input for an employee in qualifying status. The Effective To Date needs to be blank for an open salary record
- The Scheduled Work Week (SWW) and the Assigned Work Week (AWW) should agree with the Employee Type and Pension Type input on the TOS
- The Effective From Date is March 1, 2011 and the Effective To Date is blank for an open salary record
- Contributions transaction:
- Contributions must be reported according to your pay cycle schedule (weekly, biweekly, or monthly)
- The Effective From Date is March 1, 2011 and the Effective To Date is the last day of the pay period
- Contribution Effective From Date and Effective To Date must be within the employment period, in order to post to the account
- Address transaction:
- The Address should be reported with the TOS but may also be reported at any time
Dual Remuneration and Dual Employment
- Dual Remuneration - detailed information can be found:
When completing a TOS Transaction for a Dual Remuneration position, the Dual Remuneration field should indicate “1 - Dual Remuneration”. A different pay list should be used to enter the subsequent position’s TOS and all employment details (Salary, LWOP, etc). The salaries and contributions should be uploaded in both positions as they occur:
- Dual Employment - detailed information can be found:
When completing a TOS Transaction for a Dual Employment position, the Pension Type should be “13 - Dual Employment”. The salaries and contributions for an employee in a dual employment position should be uploaded in the second position.
Important: An employee Type must always be associated to the proper Pension type
Example: You cannot have Employee Type A (Full time indeterminate) with a Pension Type 059 (M type: on call); this will create posting errors.
Member’s Working Status: Employee Types
- A
- Full Time Indeterminate
- B
- Part Time Indeterminate
- C
- Full Time Seasonal
- D
- Part Time - Time Seasonal
- E
- Full Time Term - Specified period of less than three months
- F
- Part Time Term - Specified period of less than three months
- G
- Full Time Term - Specified period equal to or greater than three months but less than six months
- H
- Part Time Term - Specified period equal to or greater than three months but less than six months
- K
- Full Time Casual - Specified period not to exceed 90 working days in one calendar year in any particular department or other organization
- L
- Part Time Casual - Specified period not to exceed 90 working days in one calendar year in any particular department or other organization
- M
- Part Time Special employee - Works on an "as required" basis
- S
- Full Time Term - Specified period of more than six months
- T
- Part Time Term - Specified period of more than six months
| Pre-2013 Plan Member Pension Types | Post-2013 Plan Member Pension Types | Conditions pertinent to the member’s account: |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 31 | < 35 years (AWW ≥ 12 hours) |
| 02 | 32 | < 35 years (dual remuneration) |
| 03 | 33 | Service > 35 years (1% contribution) |
| 04 | 34 | Service > 35 years (1% dual rem) |
| 13 | 36 | Dual Employment |
| 50 | Employee is less than 18 years of age | |
| 53 | Term/Casual ≤ 6 mths, F/T - P/T ≥ 12 hrs not grandfathered | |
| 54 | Member on loan and contributes to outside Plan | |
| 55 | Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA) or Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act (RCMPSA) Contributor | |
| 56 | Employees < 12 hrs AWW or P/T grandfathered employee AWW ≥ 12 < 30 | |
| 58 | Salary not related to hours of work | |
| 59 | On call/as required, fees of office, contract employee, age 69/71, allowances in lieu of pay and Royal Commission employees | |
| 60 | Seasonal employees under six months | |
| 62 | For rehabilitation or education | |
| 64 | Dual Employment < 12 hrs/wk | |
| 66 | Employee is less than 18 years of age | |
Your Public Service Pension and Benefits
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