Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) Contribution Rate Increase 

As of July 1, 2019, the total contribution rate of the ASRS Retirement Pension & Health Insurance Benefit for both the employer and the employee has increased slightly from 11.64% to 11.94% for fiscal year 2020. Likewise, the Long Term Disability Income Plan has increased very slightly from .16% to .17% for both the employer and the employee for fiscal year 2020.  Contribution rates are actuarially determined and adjusted annually to ensure the plan remains fiscally sound and able to meet current and future obligations. For more information, please visit ASRS's website at https://www.azasrs.gov/.

W-2 Statements:

Employees are encouraged to consent to receive their W-2 online.  Employees will get their W-2 earlier and can save the State considerable W-2 printing and postage costs.  If an employee has already consented, it is not necessary to consent again. The W-2 Advisory flyer provides employees the information needed in order to complete the consent process via YES.

Employees who have not consented to receive their W-2 online will be mailed their 2018 W-2 by January 31, 2019. Please ensure your mailing address in YES is accurate. Mailing addresses in YES as of Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 2:00 PM will be used for the mailing. Any duplicate W-2s that are needed will be available via the YES Website (https://hr.az.gov/YES/) starting February 1, 2019.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your agency’s Payroll or Human Resources Office.

1095-C Statements:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires the State of Arizona to send an annual statement to all employees eligible for coverage describing the insurance available to them. A 1095-C statement will be generated by the State of Arizona to serve as your documentation to the IRS about coverage offered to you. The IRS will use the information from your 1095-C to determine whether you have health care coverage.

Statements are scheduled to be placed in the mail to employees’ home addresses by January 31, 2019, so employees should expect them in early February 2019. If you believe you should have received a 1095-C but did not, please contact Benefits Services Division at 602-542-5008.  For further information, please see the 2018 1095-C Advisory flyer.

Employees are expected to manage and use their annual leave throughout the year to ensure any excess annual leave is used by the end of the year. For agencies, boards and commissions under the State Personnel System, the maximum number of annual leave hours an employee may carry over into a new calendar year is 320 hours for uncovered employees and 240 hours for covered employees. Any hours in excess of the maximum carryover limits are subject to forfeiture.

It is important that employees be aware of their annual leave balances through the remainder of the year and schedule leave with their supervisor, so that impacts on end of year coverage will be minimal and carryover exception requests are reduced significantly. There should not be any expectation that unused excess leave will be approved for carryover, even if it has been in the past. Employees and managers can monitor annual leave balances by logging on to YES and clicking on Leave Activity.