4.3 Calculating Employee Contributions |
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Universal Payroll Deduction Method Employers must use the universal payroll deduction method to calculate required contributions and contributory service weeks for all HOOPP members.
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The six-step universal payroll deduction method calculates contributions based on a member’s annualized earnings, and then prorates contributions to reflect the hours worked during the payroll period in question. When calculating contributory service, the figure should be rounded to two decimal places to avoid distorting a member’s annualized earnings and related pension.
Examples
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The following examples demonstrate how employee required contributions are calculated using the universal payroll deduction method for regular pensionable earnings. As noted above, contributions for pensionable bonuses are treated the same as retroactive pay, discussed in Section 4.5 Retroactive Pay (Retro) .
Example 1: Full-time Member Paid Bi-weekly
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This example is for a full-time employee who is paid bi-weekly however, the calculation method can be used for any HOOPP member, regardless of hours worked or salary received, and any payroll frequency.
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Step 6: Calculate contributory service
A member's earnings per pay and annualized earnings are used to calculate contributory service.
The figure is calculated by converting pay into weeks and rounding off the figure to two decimals.
Contributory service = [earnings per pay × 52 weeks in a year] ÷ annualized earnings = [$2,400 × 52 weeks] ÷ $62,400 = 2 weeks
In this example, the member worked full-time during the two-week pay period, therefore, the contributory service credit is two weeks.
Example 2: Part-time Member Paid Bi-weekly
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The member in this example works part-time, is paid bi-weekly, and works a total of 15 hours each week. The member's current hourly rate of pay is $33. The normal full-time work week or full-time equivalent (FTE) for the member's job is 37.5 hours per week or 1,950 hours per year. HOOPP annualizes earnings on a 52-week basis. The example uses the 2020 contribution rates and the 2020 YMPE of $58,700.
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[$990 × 52] ÷ $64,350 = .80 weeks The final figure (.80) is the contributory service the member earned during the two week pay period.
Example 3: Full-time Member Receiving Sick Pay
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The member in this example is on an employer-approved health leave, is receiving 80% of their regular bi-weekly salary of $2,400, and has decided not to top up contributions to their pre-leave level. The normal full-time work week or full-time equivalent (FTE) for this position is 37.5 hours, or 1,950 hours a year and the hourly rate of pay is $32. The example uses the 2020 contribution rates and the 2020 YMPE of $58,700.
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Step 6: Calculate contributory service
Contributory service = (earnings per pay × 52 weeks in a year) ÷ annualized earnings
= ($1,920 × 52) ÷ $62,400
= 1.6 weeks for the pay period
Example 4: Member Works Two Different Jobs Concurrently
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A member may work two different jobs at an organization at the same time, often at two different rates of pay. To calculate the member's contributions, use blended annualized earnings.
In this example, a member works two jobs at one organization. In job A, the member’s base wage is $28.50 per hour. In job B, the member’s base wage is $35 per hour. In both jobs, the normal full-time work week or full-time equivalent (FTE) is 37.5 hours or 1950 hours per year. During the current two-week pay period, the member has worked 45 hours in job A and 10 hours in job B for a total of 55 hours. However, the member’s hours may change every pay period. The example uses the 2020 contribution rates and the 2020 YMPE of $58,700.
Step 1: Calculate the annualized earnings for each job
Annualized earnings for job A = hourly wage full-time hours in a year = $28.50 × 1,950 = $55,575
Annualized earnings for job B = hourly wage full-time hours in a year = $35 × 1,950 = $68,250
Step 2: Calculate the blended annualized earnings (AE) for the pay period
Blended AE = [(hours worked in job A × AE for job A) ÷ total hours worked] + [(hours worked in job B ×
AE for job B) ÷ total hours worked]
= [(45 × $55,575) ÷ 55] + [(10 × $68,250) ÷ 55]
= $45,470 + $12,409*
= $57,879*
Rounded to the nearest dollar
Step 3: Calculate earnings per pay
The formula for earnings per pay is:
Hours worked in job A × basic hourly wage + hours worked in job B × basic hourly wage
= (45 × $28.50) + (10 × $35)
= $1,282.50 + $350
= $1,632.50
Step 4: Calculate contributions at the low rate
Contributions at 6.9% = [earnings per pay (blended) × (YMPE × 6.9%)] ÷ blended AE
= [$1,632.50 × ($57,879× .069)] ÷ $57,879
= $112.64
Use the lesser of the member's blended annualized earnings or the YMPE.
Step 5: Calculate contributions at the high rate*
Contributions at 9.2% = [earnings per pay (blended) × (blended AE* - YMPE) × 9.2%] ÷ blended AE
*If the member's blended annualized earnings are less than the YMPE, there are no contributions at the high rate.
In this example the member’s 2020 blended annualized earnings of $57,879 are less than the 2020
YMPE of $58,700, therefore, there are no contributions at the high rate.
Step 6: Calculate total HOOPP contributions
Total contributions = contributions at low rate + contributions at high rate
= $112.64 + 0
= $112.64
Step 7: Calculate weeks of contributory service
[Earnings per pay (blended) × 52 weeks in a year] ÷ blended annualized earnings
= $1,632.50× 52 ÷ $57,879
= 1.47 weeks of contributory service for the pay period
Modifications may be required to your payroll system to handle this situation for each pay period. Supply
your payroll department or external service provider with a copy of the preceding information.
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