Employer Resources

Note: Instructions and other training materials related to the DRS upgrade project are available here. The materials below are for the existing DRS portal.

The NHRS Data Reporting System (DRS) is an online portal for participating employers that consists of three separate modules:

• The Employer Reporting module is used to report monthly wage and contribution data for active, full-time employees.
• The Retiree Reporting module is used to report hours worked and compensation paid to NHRS retirees who are on the payroll. This reporting is done annually.
• Employers and third-party administrators (TPAs) use the Insurance Reporting module to update insurance premiums and to submit insurance authorizations for their retirees.

The DRS is accessed through a link (Employer DRS) on the main NHRS website. Employers must contact an Employer Services representative to obtain an initial NHRS-assigned password. 

During the first login, employers will be required to create a new password for future logins.  DRS passwords will need to be a minimum of eight characters in length.  Passwords must have a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters.  In this mixture you must have at least one letter (A through Z, upper), one number (0 through 9) and at least one special character: ~!@#$^()_,.'?+-=

If employers attempt to log into the DRS unsuccessfully three times, a lockout will occur.  Passwords will be automatically reset after 10 minutes.  In the event an immediate sign on is necessary, please contact a NHRS DRS Support representative at (603) 410-3508 for assistance. 

NHRS remains committed to ensuring the security of our equipment and data.  Therefore, passwords must be changed every 120 days.  This feature protects confidential employer and NHRS data.

Logging into the DRS

Written instructions: Logging into the DRS
Recorded presentation: Logging into the DRS
DRS Access Form  (Employers must submit this form to add, terminate, or modify DRS access for authorized users)

Employers are required to submit data reports to the New Hampshire Retirement System by the 15th of each month, and send member and employer contributions to the retirement system by the 25th of each month, in order to avoid the imposition of penalties for late payment or incorrect data. 

Employers may submit member payroll reporting files via web entry or XML, comma-delimited, or fixed-length files. For employers not using web entry and instead submitting a file, XML is the preferred method among the three choices.

Employer reporting files layouts

The following file layouts for reporting member wage and contribution data are available for download by employers and/or their payroll vendors: 

•  XML Schema (Preferred method) 

Note: NHRS makes available to participating employers an XML Schema Verification Application to test whether their file is valid before uploading it. (Read more)

• XML Schema Verification Application
• Instructions for Using the XML Schema Verification Application

• Comma-Delimited
• Fixed-Length

Submitting reporting files

NHRS has created step-by-step instructions for employers on how to submit their reporting files via  file upload and web entry: 

• For file upload instructions: Uploading a File to the Data Reporting System 
• For web entry instructions: How to Complete a Batch on the Web

In 2011, the Legislature made a number of changes to the retirement system statute, including changes to the definition of Earnable Compensation that impact employer reporting. Most of these changes involve members who were not vested prior to January 1, 2012. For reporting purposes, employers are able to check a member's vested status as of December 31, 2011:

Written instructions: How to Lookup Vested Members 

In the event that an employer compliance audit finds that wage information was reported incorrectly, employers must submit corrected data to NHRS via a file upload to the DRS. For instructions on how to submit corrected data, see:

Written instructions: Reporting Corrected Wages 

File exceptions

When a reporting file has been submitted after passing the balancing process, it may fail the editing process due to Reporting Exceptions, or errors, in the batch file. NHRS has developed step-by-step instructions for clearing common exceptions:

• Getting Started
• Base Salary is too High or too Low
• The Annual Base Salary is too Low
• Invalid Annual Base Salary
• Contributions are out of Balance
• Salary Variance Exceeded
• An Employed Member Record Was Not Found
• SSN Does Not Belong to a Member
• Pay Period is prior to Employment Date 

Note: There are a handful of exceptions that must be cleared by NHRS: 

• Salary Variance Exceeded
• Save to PensionGold failed
• Pay Period is after termination date
• Pay Period prior to employment date (Employers may clear this In some instances, see instructions above)

Glossary of DRS terms

Submission of Payments

Employers must send their contributions to NHRS via payment voucher in the DRS. Please assure that payment is actually received by NHRS no later than the 25th of each month. 

Written instructions: How to Enter a Payment Voucher 

Pay by ACH

NHRS accepts payments by ACH (Automated Clearing House) and encourages all employers to make their contribution payments using this method, which is the most secure and timely payment option available. 

NHRS has partnered with Citizens Bank to create "NHRS QuickPay," an online bill pay service to facilitate the submission of employer contributions via ACH at no cost to employers.

• NHRS QuickPay instructions 
•  Link to NHRS QuickPay

Employers who use their own ACH module may contact Kelly McGarr at (603) 410-3652 for ACH setup instructions. 

Payment Discrepencies 

Employers may receive email notification if a payment discrepancy exists between their monthly contributions payment and what NHRS expects the payment to be based on reported wages from the posted batch. Please note that discrepancies of up to $10 (either above or below the expected payment amount) will be accepted by the DRS. 

If you see a payment discrepancy in your submitted contributions, there are reports available in the DRS that can help to locate the error. NHRS has prepared a guide to help employers navigate these reports. 

Written instructions: Reconciliation Reports

Legislation effective January 1, 2019, modified the laws governing NHRS retirees who work part-time for retirement system participating employers. These changes also impact how employers report retiree data to NHRS. Annual reporting of retiree hours worked and compensation paid in the prior calendar year is due to NHRS no later than February 15.  

• HB 561 Retiree Reporting Instructions - Web Entry 
• HB 561 Retiree Reporting Instructions - File Upload 
• HB 561 Retiree Reporting Instructions - No NHRS Retirees 
• NHRS Retiree Data Import File Layout - HB561 
• FAQ: Part-time Employment of NHRS Retirees - For Employers 

Grandfathering provision

The law also contains a “grandfathering” provision that allows retirees already working part-time for an NHRS-participating employer(s) as of January 1, 2019, to work a maximum of 1,664 hours per calendar year for as long as they remain in the position they held on the effective date of the bill. This is a greater annual hourly limit than allowed for non-grandfathered retirees, who may work up to 1,352 hours per calendar year.

In order for NHRS to effectively administer the grandfathering provision, employers were required by law to provide the names and position titles of retirees in their employment to NHRS no later than February 15, 2019. The names and positions provided in 2019 are being used annually to verify that these retirees remain in the same position as of January 1 each calendar year, beginning in 2020.

Employers are required to annually check the list of Grandfathered retirees and verify that these retirees remain in the same position(s) they held on January 1, 2019. This review should be completed no later than February 15 each year. For instructions on how to annually verify the status of Grandfathered retirees, see:

Written instructions: Checking retiree Grandfathered status 

Employers have the option to search for one or more retirees by Social Security number (SSN) in the DRS. This is a useful tool for employers who are unsure if an employee is also an NHRS retiree. For guidance on how to confirm an employee's status, see: 

Written instructions: Confirming Retiree Status

Employers and third-party administrators (TPAs) use this module to update insurance premiums and to submit insurance authorizations for their retirees.

Updating insurance premiums

Employers and TPAs use this tool to update insurance premium information when rates change.

Written Instructions: Employer insurance (Updating group rates) (Full set)
Recorded Presentation: Employer insurance (Updating group rates) (17:10)

Individual instructions

• Getting Started
• Changing an Existing Rate
• Terminating an Existing Rate
• Reactivating a Terminated Rate
• Adding a Brand New Rate

Insurance authorizations for retirees and eligible dependents

NHRS has replaced paper forms for retiree insurance authorizations with electronic submission by employers and TPAs. 

Insurance Authorization Module

Written instructions: Insurance authorization instructions (Full set)
Recorded presentation: Insurance Authorization Module

Individual instructions

• Getting Started
• Adding insurance for a retiree
• Adding dependents
• Adding insurance for a dependent
• Adding a Medicare card for a retiree or dependent
• Changing to a Medicare plan for a dependent (age 65)
• Changing from a two-person plan to separate plans
• Terminating insurance for a retiree or dependent
• Death or divorce of a spouse
• Continuance benefit - retro add (Medical Subsidy)
• Changing from Medical Subsidy only to having deductions
• Changing from one medicomp premium or group number to another (for TPAs)