Ahola

Since our platform has an integration with your payroll provider, we can take a lot of work off your plate regarding the processing of your payroll files through automation.

This guide will help you set up your integration as well as help you understand your specific responsibilities for the proper administration and submission of payroll files.

1. How Does My Integration Work?
2. How Do I Initiate My Integration Set Up?
3. What Are My Responsibilities?
4. What Does The Integration Handle For Me?
5. Will My Payroll Provider Charge Me Fees to Set Up and/or Maintain This Payroll Integration? 
6. Are There Any Reasons Why My Plan Might Not Be Eligible for an Integration? 

How does my integration work?

ProgramPay (powered by Vestwell) has partnered with Pay(k)onnect, a payroll data aggregator, to enable payroll integrations with over 80 different payroll providers.

Ahola offers either a 180° or 360° automated payroll integration. 

How do I initiate my integration setup?

1 - Complete the linked form:Payroll Integration Request Form so our team can collect the necessary details to set up your payroll integration

2 - Email your Ahola sales representative or payroll specialist directly requesting to use the integration with Vestwell**. Your Ahola representative will work with you to setup your plan in the payroll system. Be sure to specify the expected first integrated pay date.

*Please note, until the integration is activated, contribution uploads into the ProgramPay portal will be required until our team has notified you that the integration can begin.
** This integration is facilitated through Vestwell not Voya.

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! It is your responsibility to:

• Payroll Codes
  • Work with your payroll representative to setup 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 ProgramPay portal using an off-cycle upload. Learn how to submit an off-cycle contribution here. 
• Mandatory Employer Contributions
  • Maintain & submit mandatory employer contributions that are on a frequency other than on 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 How to add or change a pay group in your ProgramPay portal  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
  • Make updates in your payroll system when employees are hired, terminated, or re-hired, etc. Be sure to include a specific date when making these status changes in your payroll system.
• Employee Personal Information
  • Maintain complete, accurate, and up-to-date personal information within your payroll system - including date of birth, social security number, and email address. 
• Pay Frequency/Schedule Changes
  • Report any pay frequency or pay schedule changes to your ProgramPay 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 ProgramPay handle for me if my plan has an active payroll integration?

• Employee Deferral Updates made through ParticipantWeb
  • Deferral rate changes made by employees directly in Voya ParticipantWeb will be updated automatically within 2 business days
  • NOTE: Ongoing deferral changes shared directly with you from eligible participants, not using the Voya Participant portal, must be set by you directly in the payroll system.
  • Remember, initial deferral rates must be set up by you directly in the payroll system, including employees who are auto-enrolled (if applicable to your plan). 
• Processing Contributions & Loan Payments 
  • Process supported employee/employer contributions and applicable loan payments into your retirement plan based on what was processed in the payroll system. 
  • If you process payroll early, ProgramPay may process the contribution file before the pay date.
• Employee Status Changes - ProgramPay Portal
  • When you add, rehire or terminate savers in your payroll system, the changes will be reflected in the ProgramPay portal one business day after the next pay date.

Will Ahola charge me any fees to set up and/or maintain my payroll integration?

Ahola may charge fees in conjunction with the integration. Please check with your Ahola representative for more specific details.

ProgramPay will not charge you to facilitate this integration.

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, including:

• Plans that do not have an established recurring pay schedule setup in both ProgramPay and the payroll system
• Plans that do not use the same payroll provider for all pay group(s)
• Plans that have limitations preventing each pay group from being integrated.
• Plans with per pay period non-mandatory employer contributions
• Plans that allow after-tax contributions. 
  • Note: After-Tax and Roth contributions are not the same
• If your plan has been amended or if you are considering an amendment to your original plan documents, please inform your ABA Retirement Representative to understand what actions on your part will be required to submit and process your payroll files correctly.