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This is your step-by-step guide to getting started and facilitating the Illinois Secure Choice program. Before you begin a step, review the support information to help you meet your requirements.
STEP 1
Determine eligibility
Employers must register with Illinois Secure Choice if they don’t offer an employer-sponsored retirement plan, have five or more employees and have been in business for more than two years.
If you believe that your company is exempt from the Illinois Secure Choice mandate, please submit your exemption reason and supporting documentation. Depending on your exemption reason, you may still need to register while your submission is reviewed.
REPORT YOUR EXEMPTION
STEP 2
Register
Complete your registration
Begin the registration process by using your company’s Federal Employer Identification (EIN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN) along with your Illinois Secure Choice access code. Your access code can be found in your welcome notification, or you can request one and have it emailed to you by using the link below. The access code will be sent to the individual listed with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDoR) as the business contact.
REGISTER BUSINESS REQUEST ACCESS CODESTEP 3
Adding employee information
Within 30 days of registration, you’ll upload your roster of eligible employees so that we can contact them to either customize their account and make saving elections, or notify them of what actions to take if they choose to opt out of the program.
You can add information by file upload using our pre-formatted template, manual entry, or, if you rely on external vendor support (provided by a payroll company or use of a payroll application), initiate that connection. Once you upload your employee roster, each employee will have 30 days to customize their account or opt out of the program before payroll contributions should begin.
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION TEMPLATELOG IN TO ADD EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Employee Enrollment Window
After your employee information is added, your employees will be sent an invitation to set up their account. Each employee will then have 30 days to customize their account or opt out. If they do not take action within 30 days, they will be automatically enrolled in Illinois Secure Choice with the default 5% contribution rate and investment option.
There are no required actions for you during this period. However, we recommend employers take a few proactive steps – creating a deduction line item in your payroll software, review how to submit employee contributions or contact a payroll provider, if you rely on one - to be ready for when it’s time to submit contributions.
Communicate with employees
Now is a good time to begin communicating with your employees. You can download a communication to inform your employees that your company is joining Illinois Secure Choice. You can also find additional information and resources to share in many languages here.
STEP 4
Submit contributions
Submit employee contributions
On the first pay date that occurs 30 days after you upload your employee information, you will need to send your first contributions for participating employees. Information can be entered either manually by using an online form or in bulk using the Employee Contribution Information Template.
Contributions must be sent within 7 calendar days of taking the money out of your employees’ paychecks. For each employee you will need
CONTRIBUTION TEMPLATEOngoing responsibilities
On an ongoing basis, you are responsible for keeping your account up-to-date. This includes updating employee contribution rates with your payroll software/provider, adding new employees as they become eligible, marking employees as inactive when they leave or are terminated, and processing payroll contributions for participating employees.
As employees make changes – like changing their savings rate or opting out – notifications will be posted in the employer portal and sent to you by e-mail prior to each pay period so that you can adjust the payroll deduction.
GO TO YOUR ACCOUNT