Since our platform has an integration with your payroll provider, Vestwell can process your payroll files through automation.
Payroll Network (PNI HCM) offers either a 180° or 360° automated payroll integration.
This guide will help you set up your integration and understand your specific responsibilities for the proper administration of payroll files.
- How Does My Integration Work?
- Are There Any Reasons Why My Plan Might Not Be Eligible for an Integration?
- How Do I Initiate My Integration Setup?
- What Are My Responsibilities If My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration?
- What Does Vestwell Handle for Me If My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration?
- Will My Payroll Provider Charge Me Fees to Set Up and/or Maintain My Payroll Integration?
- How Do I Disconnect My Integration?
How Does My Integration Work?
Vestwell has partnered with Pay(k)onnect, a payroll data aggregator, to enable payroll integrations with over 80 payroll providers.
Payroll Network (PNI HCM) offers either a 180° or 360° automated payroll integration.
Please visit Payroll Integrations Descriptions & Responsibilities to determine which integration will work best for your plan!
Are There Any Reasons Why My Plan Might Not Be Eligible for an Integration?
There are some plan design features that currently prohibit the use of payroll integration. This includes:
- Plans with multiple logins into their payroll system
- Plans that do not have an established recurring pay schedule setup in either Vestwell or the payroll system
- Plans that do not use the same payroll provider for all pay group(s)
- Plans that have limitations that prevent each pay group from being integrated
- Eligibility rules that exclude certain classes of employees, types of compensation, or certain types of hours worked
- Plans with per pay period non-mandatory employer contributions
- Plans that allow after-tax contributions (only be available if your plan uses a Third Party Administrator)
- Note: After-tax and Roth contributions are not the same. Please see our article "Participant Contribution Types: Differences Between Pre-tax, Roth and After-tax.”
How Do I Initiate My Integration Setup?
To set up your integration, please email ealberts@pnihcm.com and jmankos@pnihcm.com requesting to use the integration with Vestwell.
Note: If your integration has not yet been activated, contribution uploads into the Vestwell portal will be required until our team notifies you that the integration can begin.
What Are My Responsibilities if My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration?
Our ability to successfully process your payroll files and administer your plan depends on you. Your responsibilities as an employer with an active payroll integration are outlined below.
Payroll Codes
Work with your payroll representative to set these payroll codes within your payroll system.
- Pre-Tax 401(k) $
- Pre-Tax 401(k) %
- Roth 401(k) $
- Roth 401(k) %
- Employer Contribution(s)
- Retirement Loans
Loans
- Set up and maintain retirement loans within your payroll system.
Discretionary and/or Profit-Sharing Contributions
- Set up and maintain non-mandatory employer contributions in your payroll system.
- Submit non-mandatory employer contributions through your Vestwell portal using an off-cycle upload. Learn how to submit an off-cycle contribution here.
Mandatory Employer Contributions
- Maintain and submit mandatory employer contributions that are on a frequency other than a per-pay period basis using an off-cycle upload. Learn more about off-cycle contributions here.
Pay Groups
- Make sure any pay groups in your payroll system are also set up at Vestwell and vice versa. To edit a pay group name or set up new pay groups, please see our article, “How Do I Change My Pay Group With an Enabled Integration?” prior to your first pay date.
- The number of pay groups or companies in your payroll system may affect your plan’s eligibility to integrate.
Employee Status Changes - Payroll System
- Update your payroll system when employees are hired, terminated, or rehired. Include a specific date when making these status changes.
Employee Personal Information
- Maintain complete, accurate, and up-to-date personal information within your payroll system. This includes date of birth, social security number, and email address.
Pay Frequency/Schedule Changes
- Report any pay frequency or pay schedule changes to your Vestwell representative to ensure there is no delay in processing your payroll files upon making this change in your payroll system.
Review Payroll Data
- We rely on you to provide us with correct, updated, and complete data about your employees, regardless of whether we receive that data directly from you or from your payroll provider. Regular audits and spot checks of the data provided to us will help you quickly identify and rectify any discrepancies.
What Does Vestwell Handle for Me If My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration?
Employee Deferrals - First Integrated Payroll
- Four business days before your first integrated pay date with Vestwell, we will use the employee deferral rates in the Vestwell portal to set employee elections in your payroll system. To guarantee that employee deferral rates have been updated in your payroll system, do not run payroll four business days before your scheduled pay date.
Employee Deferral Updates
- Ongoing deferral changes made in the Vestwell portal by eligible employees will be set in your payroll system within two business days.
- We will communicate any deferral update requests to your payroll system. Employees may not see this reflected in their next few paychecks, as it could take time for this update to be reflected.
- If your plan has an auto-enrollment feature, the same guidelines above apply. Read more about auto-enrollment here.
Employee Status Changes - Vestwell Portal
- When you add, rehire, or terminate employees in your payroll system, the changes will be reflected in the Vestwell portal one business day after the next pay date.
Processing Contributions
- Process employee deferrals and employer contributions, which are maintained by the integration, shortly after you run payroll in your payroll system.
- If you process payroll early, Vestwell may process the contribution file before the pay date.
Will My Payroll Provider Charge Me Fees to Set Up and/or Maintain My Payroll Integration?
Your payroll provider may charge fees in conjunction with the integration. Please check with your Payroll Network (PNI HCM) representative for more specific details.
Vestwell will not charge you to facilitate this integration.
How Do I Disconnect My Integration?
If you change payroll providers, it is your responsibility to inform us so that we can disconnect your integration and assess whether integration with a different payroll provider is available. Please reach out to your Vestwell representative, and we will assist you.
If your plan has been amended or if you are considering amending your original plan documents, please inform your Vestwell representative to understand what actions you will need to take to submit and process your payroll files correctly.