Use the Benefit Settings screen to set up controls that are used throughout Costpoint Benefits. You can control deduction, editing, and posting methods and specify controlling pay types and deduction codes.
This is the first screen you should set up in Costpoint Benefits. This screen controls the functions of all of the programs in this module.
However, before you can complete the Benefit Settings screen, you must first determine whether your company will be processing dependent and medical care flexible spending accounts and, if so, whether your company will be reimbursing those expenses using Costpoint Payroll. If you will be processing dependent and medical care flexible spending accounts (regardless of whether you will be using Costpoint Payroll to reimburse), you must set up deduction codes in the Deductions screen in Costpoint Payroll for both a dependent care benefit deduction and a health care benefit deduction. Each code must be unique. You cannot use the same deduction code for both types of flexible spending accounts.
In addition, if you are using Costpoint Payroll to reimburse dependent and/or medical care expenses, you must set up a pay type in the Pay Types screen in Costpoint Labor for both dependent care and medical care reimbursement. You must also select the Benefit Reimbursement checkbox in the Pay Types screen for each pay type. The pay types must be unique. You cannot use the same pay type code for both types of reimbursement.
Use this group box to specify the types of flexible spending accounts that are used by your company.
Use this group box to determine whether you have a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account benefit and whether you will be reimbursing through Costpoint Payroll. If you select the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts checkbox, the Deduction field is required, and the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox is enabled. If you select the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox, both the Pay Type and Deduction fields are required.
Select this checkbox if your company uses flexible spending accounts for dependent care expenses. You will not be able to open the Dependent Care FSA Setup, Employee Dependent Care FSA Elections (Costpoint Employee), and Maintain Dependent Care History (Costpoint Employee) screens unless you select this checkbox, which also enables the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox and the Deduction field.
Select this checkbox to have dependent care FSA reimbursements added to an employee's paycheck. This checkbox is enabled only if you have selected the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts checkbox. Selecting this checkbox enables the Pay Type field. Select this checkbox only if you use Costpoint Payroll for reimbursement. Other payroll software packages are currently not supported. The Compute Payroll function in Costpoint Payroll looks at this setting to determine whether any FSA processing needs to be done.
Enter, or use Lookup to select, the pay type code that applies to reimbursing dependent care payments. The pay type code is defined in the Pay Types screen in Costpoint Labor. The Pay Type field is enabled and required only if you selected the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox.
If you are using Costpoint Payroll to reimburse dependent care, you must set up this pay type in the Pay Types screen, with the Benefit Reimbursement checkbox selected, before you can complete the Benefit Settings screen. You can only use this pay type for dependent care reimbursement. In addition, you should define Pay Type Taxability in the Payroll Controls menu of Costpoint Payroll as exempt from federal and state tax withholding as applicable to your plan. You will need to establish a unique pay type for the Dependent Care FSA.
Enter, or use Lookup to select, a deduction code to be used for dependent care FSA deductions. This field is enabled and required when you select the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts checkbox. You must establish a deduction code in the Deductions screen in Costpoint Payroll and select "Dependent Care Benefit" in the Deduction Type drop-down box before you can complete the Benefit Settings screen.
Use this group box to determine whether you have a Medical Care Flexible Spending Account and whether you will be reimbursing through Costpoint Payroll. If you select the Medical Care Flexible Spending Accounts checkbox, the Deduction field is required, and the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox is enabled. If you select the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox, both the Pay Type and Deduction fields are required.
Select this checkbox if your company uses flexible spending accounts for medical care expenses. If you select this checkbox, you will be able to access the following screens: Medical Care FSA Setup, Employee Medical Care FSA Elections (Costpoint Employee), and Maintain Medical Care History (Costpoint Employee). Selecting this checkbox also enables the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox and the Deduction field.
Select this checkbox to have medical care FSA reimbursements added to an employee's paycheck. This checkbox is enabled only if you have checked the Medical Care Flexible Spending Accounts checkbox. Selecting this checkbox enables the Pay Type field. Select this checkbox only if you use Costpoint Payroll for reimbursement. Other payroll software packages are currently not supported. The Compute Payroll function in Costpoint Payroll looks at this setting to determine whether any FSA processing needs to be done.
Enter, or use Lookup to select, the pay type code that applies to reimbursing medical care payments. The pay type code is defined in the Pay Types screen in Costpoint Labor. The Pay Type field is enabled and required only if you select the Reimburse Through Payroll checkbox.
If you are using Costpoint Payroll to reimburse dependent care, you must set up this pay type in the Pay Types screen, with the Benefit Reimbursement checkbox checked, before you can complete the Benefit Settings screen. You can use this pay type only for medical care reimbursement. In addition, you should define Pay Type Taxability in the Pay Type Taxability screen in Costpoint Payroll as exempt from federal and state tax withholding as applicable to your plan. You must establish a unique pay type for the Medical Care FSA.
Enter, or use Lookup to select, the deduction code that will be used for medical care FSA deductions. This field is enabled and required when you check the Medical Care Flexible Spending Accounts checkbox. You must establish a deduction code in the Deductions screen in Costpoint Payroll and select "Health Care Benefit" in the Deduction Type drop-down box before you can complete the Benefit Settings screen.
Use this group box to define how premiums should be deducted from an employee's salary on either a weekly payroll or bi-weekly payroll basis. Because benefit premiums are usually monthly, this option will define the calculation needed to allocate the monthly premium by pay periods. The Mass Update Employee Package Deductions screen in Costpoint Payroll will use the settings in this group box when it calculates deduction amounts for benefit elections.
Use the selections in this group box to determine how deductions will be calculated for a bi-weekly pay period.
If you select this radio button, the program divides the annual premium by 26. This is the system default.
If you select this radio button, the program divides the annual premium by 24. If you use this method, you must manually turn off the deduction (using deduction schedules) two times a year. Normally, you will turn off the deduction for the last pay period of each of the two quarters of the year with seven pay periods.
Use the selections in this group box to determine how deductions will be calculated for a weekly pay period.
If you select this radio button, the program divides the annual premium by 52. This is the system default.
If you select this radio button, the program divides the annual deduction by 48. If you use this method, you must manually turn off the deduction (using deduction schedules) four times a year. Normally, you will turn off the deduction for the last week of each of the four months of the year with five pay periods.
Use this group box to control how the Employee Benefit Elections screen in Costpoint Employee is validated. The system checks enrollment rules for the benefit plan against employee records.
Select this radio button to prevent updating of the Employee Benefit Elections screen in Costpoint Employee when an employee does not meet benefit plan enrollment criteria.
Select this radio button if you want a warning message to be issued when an employee does not meet benefit plan enrollment criteria. You will be allowed to update the Employee Benefit Elections screen in Costpoint Employee. This is the system default.
Select this radio button if you do not want enrollment rules enforced. No warning message will be displayed, and updating will be allowed.
Use the selections in this group box to determine how benefits will be posted and computed in payroll.
If you select this radio button, benefits are rolled up for each employee and are posted at the benefit package level. A benefit package is identified by its deduction code. When this method is used, the Mass Update Employee Package Deductions screen in Costpoint Payroll adds up all the coverage options for an employee into one total and inserts only one deduction for the employee. If you select this radio button, you will be required to enter a package deduction code in the Benefit Packages screen when you set up benefit packages.
Select this radio button to have benefits posted at the individual deduction level. Each benefit will be assigned a deduction code. This is the recommended method and is the system default.
This group box displays a child table that allows you to link pay types to accounts. The accounts will be used when posting FSA or Benefit cash out information to the General Ledger.
Enter, or use Lookup to select, up to three alphanumeric characters to identify the pay type. This pay type will be used for posting benefits' cash outs or FSA to the General Ledger.
This field displays the pay type description.
Enter, or use Lookup to select, up to six alphanumeric characters to identify the account that will be used when posting the corresponding pay type to the general ledger.
Changes to this screen update the following tables:
Benefits Settings - HB_SETTINGS
Deductions - DED_CD
Pay Types - PAY_TYPE