Interested in participating in the Bureau? Here are a few questions often posed by an agency when investigating potential use of Bureau services.

Q: Does agency management lose control over their Payroll, Leave Accounting and Benefits Processing Functions?

A: The Bureau holds no management authority over these administrative functions; however, the administrative functions must be in compliance with CAPP and Human Resources/Benefits Policies. Bureau personnel perform these functions at the approval of the participating agency's Human Resource and Fiscal management, providing the approvals comply with CAPP and Human Resources/Benefits Policies.

Authorization of payroll expenditures remains with the agency. Once payroll expenditures have been authorized by the Agency, the associated Payroll Certification details are entered into CIPPS by the Bureau. Required reconciliations and information returns are prepared by the Bureau and forwarded to the agency, however final approval of required reconciliations and information returns remains within the agency.

Q: How can I be sure the Bureau will perform these administrative functions as I have instructed?

A: When an agency joins the Bureau, there is a transition process. During the transition period, meetings are held between agency and Bureau personnel to review and document distinctive characteristics about the agency. Agency-specific processing information is shared and required authorizations are documented and included in the Agency Operating Profile and transition documentation. During the transition period, the Bureau's Scope of Services Document (formerly known as the Business Process Overview), is reviewed so that the agency will know what to expect from Bureau services and agency responsibilities are clearly delineated.

Q: Does the Bureau charge the participating agency for their services?

A: All participating agencies are subject to the Bureau processing fee. The Bureau processing fee is charged on a fiscal year basis, calculated based on the number of W-2's processed in the preceding calendar year and the processing characteristics associated with the agency's payroll, benefits and leave functions. The fee structure correlates to the level of effort required for each employee catefory of the agency's operating characteristics to include the particular Leave system used, the use of interfaces to automatically load wage employees' hours, and the use of interfaces to automatically load non-exempt salaried employees' overtime hours.

Q: What if agency management doesn’t want their employees to know they have transferred these processing responsibilities to the Bureau? Are they obligated to inform their employees of this change in processing responsibilities?

A: There is no obligation on behalf of the agency to inform their employees of the transfer of these processing responsibilities. The Bureau can be as transparent or as obvious to an agency's employees as that agency's management desires. Participating agencies continue to serve as the point of first contact for employees' questions regarding pay, benefits or leave.

Q: Does an agency have to change any of its internal forms, such as timesheets, leave slips, deduction authorizations, etc., in order to participate in the Bureau?

A: The Bureau will adapt to whatever forms are currently in use in the agency as long as the existing agency forms include all required information for transaction processing. Once an agency has become a participating agency and is using the Bureau's services, the agency must update the Authorized Signatories Form DA-04-121 to reflect Bureau participation and submit it to General Accounting.

Q: May an agency use the Bureau for temporary relief due to staff attrition or loss of human resources?

A: The Bureau does not provide its services to an agency for strictly a temporary timeframe.

Q: May an agency use the Bureau solely for the purpose of performing the Leave Accounting function and retain responsibility for the payroll function within the agency?

A: The minimum service provided to participating agencies includes the payroll function. When an agency elects to use the Bureau for the payroll/benefits function, and the agency uses the CIPPS Leave Accounting System, the Leave function transfers with the payroll/benefits functions to the Bureau. The Bureau does not perform the leave function for agencies not using the CIPPS leave system.

Q: What steps should I take to learn more about the Bureau services or to initiate participation in the bureau?

A: Detailed information can be found on the Bureau's website to include the Scope of Services Document (formerly known as the Business Process Overview Document) and the Expectations of Participating Agencies Document.


Please contact: Pam Benos @ (804) 225-3096 or by email, Pam.Benos@doa.virginia.gov for further information.