Please share this information with all individuals within your organization who may need the information in connection with their work.
Form G-117A, Designation of Contact Officials, was added to the Employer Reporting System (ERSNet) on September 28, 2022. All employers can sign up to use Form G-117A to view and manage their Contact Official information securely and conveniently.
This new addition joins the twenty-one employer forms and notices currently available in ERSNet. For a full list of forms, please refer to Section F of the attached BA-12 form.
Form G-117A Background
An employer profile is created in the RRB’s reporting system when a railroad or labor employer is ruled as covered under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA). This employer profile contains a list of eleven Contact Officials who are the designated recipients for official RRB correspondence and inquiries related to their specific area of expertise. These Contact Officials are also granted signature authority to act on behalf of the employer. The eleven areas of expertise are:
| Contact Official Areas of Expertise |
| Executive |
Section 2(f) |
| Railroad Retirement Awards |
Section 12(o) |
| Service & Compensation Reports |
RUIA Prepayment Verification |
| Disability |
RRA Annuity Estimates |
| Hiring Activities |
Tier I Tax Reports for RUIA |
| Supplemental Annuities |
|
When the new employer profile is created, the individual listed in the employer coverage decision is entered as the Global contact for all eleven areas of expertise until the employer provides RRB with more detailed information. Form G-117A is used by employers to add, update and remove individuals from the Contact Official listing.
Detailed instructions on how to complete Form G-117A are covered in Part VIII of both the Rail Employer Reporting Instructions and the Labor Employer Reporting Instructions.
Access Levels on the ERSNet Site
Access on ERSNet is role-based, meaning each user’s account can be tailored so they are only granted access to forms required for their specific position. In addition, some forms allow employers to specify whether employees can submit the forms themselves, or if additional levels of approval are required before the form can be submitted. All of these access levels are assigned by the company, allowing employers to retain control over the forms their employees can view and submit.
If you are not enrolled and wish to begin filing Form G-117A or any other forms electronically through ERSNet, follow the instructions below.
Applying for ERSNet Access
To apply for ERSNet access, do the following:
• Read the “Security Guidelines” in Part 8 of both the Rail Employer and the Labor Employer Reporting Instructions.
• File Form BA-12, Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access. Complete Sections A, B, C, and D then have the designated employee sign Item 5 in Section B and return the form to you. The certification in Section E must be completed by an official of the company who has authority to sign official RRB forms. If you have signature authority, sign the certification. Otherwise, the company president and the Contact Officials designated on Form G-117A are assumed to have signature authority. For additional copies of Form BA-12 or information on how to complete it, go directly to https://rrb.gov/Employer/Forms/BA-12 or contact the Quality Reporting Service Center at the telephone number or email address shown at the bottom of this notice. All employer forms can be accessed on the RRB website.