Small Agency Services Bulletin - November 2019
| Important Dates | Important Messages | Small Agency Financial Services News | Travel Tips | Contact Us |
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Important Dates
Nov. 1 through Nov. 30
- Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment
Dec. 6
- DES will transfer Combined Fund Drive (CFD) deposits in fund 525 to the Office of the Secretary of State.
Dec. 9
- To reflect in your agency's monthly financial statements, all invoices and travel reimbursement requests are due to Accounts Payable.
Dec. 20
- 2019 IRS 1099-MISC reporting invoice cutoff. Accounts Payable will not process payments from Dec. 24-Dec. 31. Accounts Payable will resume payment processing Jan. 2.
Dec. 24
- The Governor's 2020 supplemental budget proposals are required by statute to be submitted to the Legislature.
Dec. 31
- Due date for agencies that file annual/monthly DOR Use Tax.
Jan. 3
- 2019 IRS 1099-MISC upload deadline
Jan. 31
- Updated compensation data for 2021-23 calculations for collective bargaining and budget development are due. Your DES Budget Analyst will be working with you soon to gather information.
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Important Messages
OFM budget preparations are under way
The Office of Financial Management (OFM) is busy reviewing agency requests and preparing recommendations to the Governor 2020 supplemental budgets. Be sure to contact your DES budget analyst should you receive any questions or make subsequent changes to your budget submittal. The Governor's budget proposal is required by statute to be submitted to the Legislature by Dec. 24.
Fiscal Note Assistance – from State Budget Officers Forum
Fiscal Note season is coming quickly. OFM has developed a new training module for agencies on how to write an effective fiscal note. This training complements – rather than replaces – the standard fiscal note system training scheduled for January.
The new training How to Write an Effective Fiscal Note, is a self-paced, PowerPoint document that provides guidelines for what to do, and not do, in writing your fiscal note. The materials cover content of a fiscal note, what information belongs in which sections of a fiscal note, what makes a good fiscal note, system changes and more. They are located near the bottom of the OFM - Budget Forms webpage under the title "Agency fiscal note training documents".
Remember to sign up via LMS for the OFM – Fiscal Notes System (FNS) Training offered:
- Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 2 p.m.
or
- Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 2 p.m.
Also, see the OFM – Other instructions webpage under the title "Fiscal Notes" to review resources on fiscal note instructions, templates, a system users' guide, and more.
Annual Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment - How to Make Changes
Changes may be made:
- Online through PEBB My Account.
- With a paper form.
- On the MetLife or the Navia Benefit Solutions website (for life/AD and D insurance or Medical FSA/DCAP).
Online changes – PEBB My Account
On the PEBB website, log into PEBB My Account. You may:
- Change your medical or dental plans.
- Waive enrollment in medical coverage if you have (or are enrolling in) another employer-based group medical coverage, TRICARE, or Medicare. Note: Coverage through the Health Benefit Exchange is not considered group coverage.
- Remove dependents from your PEBB medical or dental plan.
- Attest or reattest to the tobacco use premium surcharge or the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge. For more information on the surcharges, see your October For Your Benefit newsletter or visit the PEBB website Spousal coverage surcharge webpage. Note: You do not need to attest to the tobacco use premium surcharge during the PEBB Program open enrollment if your or your dependent's tobacco use status has not changed.
- Print or save your confirmation page. Updates made online do not immediately display in PEBB My Account. Please wait 2-3 business days to make any additional changes.
Paper forms
To add an eligible dependent, change medical or dental plans, or waive medical coverage, submit the 2020 PEBB Employee Enrollment/Change form. If enrolling a dependent, you must provide proof of their eligibility (valid dependent verification documents) to your personnel, payroll, or benefits office.
If you are not making changes but need to attest to the premium surcharges, use the 2020 PEBB Premium Surcharge Attestation Help Sheet to determine if they apply to you, and the 2020 PEBB Premium Surcharge Attestation Change Form to attest.
All forms must be received no later than November 30, 2019.
Medical FSA/DCAP: You may also submit the 2020 Open Enrollment Form to Navia Benefit Solutions to enroll in a Medical FSA or DCAP for the 2020 plan year. Navia Benefits Solution must receive all forms no later than November 30, 2019.
Questions? Please contact payroll.
Calendar year-end 2019 approaching
The end of the calendar year is quickly approaching. Our payroll office has a few important reminders:
- Ensure all timesheets and leave slips are submitted timely and accurately by Dec. 15. This will ensure your 2019 W-2s are correct.
- Update your W-4: Only if there are any changes in your dependent or marital status. Find your current withholding status in the top right corner of each earnings statement.
- Update your address: Have you moved? Now is a good time to update your address. Update your address in Employee Self Service or send an email to the Human Resources (HR) office.
Review Beneficiary: Now is a good time to review your beneficiary information for your life insurance, retirement, deferred compensation program, and your Health Savings Account
Inclement Weather – Are You Ready?
The weather has been beautiful, but inclement weather could arrive at any time. It's time to be prepared!
Does your agency have a policy that outlines the procedures during inclement weather events or other natural disasters? Check out the attached policy template on Inclement Weather Suspended Operations.
Are your employees ready? Check out and forward to your employees information on:
- Preparing for winter storms
- What to do during a winter storm
- What to do if a storm hits while you are in your vehicle
Also, subscribe for updates and notification messages on weather-related closures or other business disruptions. Please report any inclement weather concerns on the campus to 360-725-0000.
Holidays, weather and driving—Oh my!
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wants you to get to your holiday destinations without any delays or incidents. WSDOT maintains several online resources to help you:
- Plan early for Thanksgiving weekend travel
- Driving tips for Thanksgiving weekend on I-5, I-90 and US 2
- General winter driving tips
- Winter driving supply checklist
Be in the know! DES Capitol Campus Projects - Capitol Court building
Located in a capitol campus building? Want to know what building projects are coming up? What to know when construction might affect you?
Visit DES' Capitol Campus Projects webpage for a list and information on upcoming projects.
If you are located in Capitol Court (Old Thurson County Courthouse) at the corner of 11th and Capitol Way, check out a list of current projects. Also, anticipated to start in mid-December, watch for weekly statements with a focus on planned activities and a 3-week look-ahead schedule.
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Small Agency Financial Services News
Basic Guidelines for Transferring Combined Fund Drive Fundraising Proceeds
The following is applicable only if DES SAFS handles your cash receipting:
Please identify your agency's Combined Fund Drive (CFD) deposit on a separate A45 from your normal deposit and indicate "Combined Fund Drive".Include a CFD Fundraising Transfer form along with your deposit submittal to DES SAFS. Your CFD Fundraising Transfer Form MUST match the total amount transferred to Office of the Secretary of State (SOS). This year the form includes Credit Card Transfers. CFD deposits will be posted to your agency's Fund 525 and transferred by DES SAFS to SOS on Friday, December 6.
If you need additional information please visit the CFD Webpage and see Volunteer Resources.
IRS 1099-MISC Reporting
In preparation for 2019 IRS 1099 reporting, please have all invoices submitted to SAFS Accounts Payable by December 20. SAFS AP will not be processing payments from December 24-31. Payments will resume on January 2.
Part of the 1099 process is to verify vendors and payees for accurate Tax ID information. Your agency can help by communicating with new or lapsed vendors to submit Statewide Vendor Registration forms promptly and accurately.
Please email Accounts Payable if you have any questions or call 360-407-8183.
DES presents successful OneWa and Travel Workshop
Our Nov. 14 OneWa and Travel Workshop, had over 30 attendees representing 21 agencies. Special thanks to presenters Matthew Meacham and Brian Tinney from OFM, and DES Accounts Payable presenters May Davida-Jackson, Brailyn Pratt, Sasha Sudirjo, Amanda Overstreet, and Sarah Parker.
The workshop covered:
- OneWa program update, roadmap, and timeline.
- State Administrative and Accounting Manual (SAAM) travel rules, 11 hour rule, meals/lodging, prior approval, and travel audits.
The travel workshop presentation has been updated with audience discussions (slides 15 and 16), and both presentations are posted on our Workshop Materials webpage.
Here is some of the feedback received:
- The jeopardy at the end was a fun way to re-cap what was gone over.
- Informative, always helpful…love the game at the end.
- The subject matter was covered very well. I had no questions.
- It was a good review, a good look at changes, and gave us the opportunity to ask question. Also good training for newer staff.
SAFS (Small Agency Financial Services) Team Updates
Did you know? Your DES financial support team consists of ALL of our SAFS team members. Even though you may work with specific SAFS members regularly, other SAFS members often step in to assist and provide continuity of services. We would like you to know about our whole SAFS team. Below is a list of each work group within SAFS, the members you may hear from, and recent news or a message from each team.
| Team | Members | News / Message |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable | Sarah Parker May Davida-Jackson Brailyn Pratt Sasha Sudirjo Amanda Overstreet |
The Accounts Payable team will be in training majority of the day on Nov. 26. We will respond to any inquiries and questions by Nov. 29. If you need immediate assistance, please contact your budget analyst or Gwen McClanahan. |
| Budget | Chad Johnson Diann Lewallen Paul Bitar Seth Flory |
Seth will be out of the office Nov. 22-Dec.2, returning Dec. 3. Feel free to contact one of the other budget analysts if you need assistance while Seth is out. This time of year always helps us realize how grateful we are for our partnership with you. We wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. |
| Payroll | Carrie Winslow Vanno Non Bona Blume Tasha Fitzgerald Whitney Brabant |
Tasha will be out Nov. 5-Dec. 3. Please continue to send all items to despayroll@des.wa.gov for processing. |
| Revenue Management | Kara Skinner Ian Shelley Amy Johnson Teancum Satot |
Amy and Tea joined Revenue Management on October 28 as Cash Receipt Specialists and they are quickly getting up to speed! Welcome aboard! |
| Administrative Assistance | Danelle Guerin Vivian Lindenau |
|
DES Payroll statistics for October 2019 (40 agencies served)
| Total Employees Paid | 1,209 |
|---|---|
| New Hires / Rehires | 14 |
| Transfer In / Transfer Outs | 8 |
| Separations | 25 |
| Supplemental Payments / Walk Throughs | 3 |
| Overpayments | 3 |
DES Accounts Payable statistics for October2019 (30 agencies served)
| Invoices Received from Agency | 2001 | 77.38% | $7,238,391.74 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoices Paid on Delegated Authority | 348 | 13.46% | $515,857.79 |
| Travel Requests Paid through TEMS | 228 | 8.82% | $74,490.77 |
| Payments Reissued (SOL, Lost Warrant) | 9 | 0.35% | $688.27 |
| Total Payments Processed | 2,586 | 100% |
$7,829,428.57 |
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Travel Tips
Per Diem Taxation Reminder: if the 11 hour rule for meals applies to a traveler submitting for reimbursement, the per diem requested will also be taxable and will be included on the employee's W-2. When utilizing the Travel and Expense Management Systems (TEMS), the meals must be marked as taxable when applicable.
For more information on the 11 hour rule, please refer to SAAM Chapter 10.40.50.
As always, if you have any questions regarding travel please call SAFS AP at 360-407-8183 or email travel.safs@des.wa.gov.
Contact Us
If you would like to know what budget analyst, payroll analyst and HR business partner is assigned to your agency, see our Agency Assignments webpage.
If you would like to get contact information for DES SAFS and HR staff, see our Contacts webpage.
If you have suggestions or feedback about the Small Agency Services Bulletin, please send your comments to SmallAgencyBulletin@des.wa.gov.
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