Employer Resources
Employers have certain obligations regarding child support. If you are unsure about any policies or procedures that are to be followed, please contact our office at 419.224-7133
Employer Obligations
As an employer, you MUST:
- Withhold the correct amount of income for the duration of the support obligation.
- Honor an income withholding order/notice from another state.
- Remit monies to the CSEA/CSPC immediately or within 7 business days of the pay date.
- Remit payments to: OH CSPC, PO Box 182394, Columbus, OH 43218-2394.
- Keep employment information updated.
- Report any lump sum payment of over $150.00 the Obligor may be receiving such as bonuses, commissions, or severance pay. This must be reported 45 days before the lump sum is to be paid or as soon as it is determined to be paid if less than 45 days.
Employers may charge the Obligor a specific amount for performing the withholding not to exceed $2.00 or 1% of the amount to be withheld.
Duties regarding Medical Insurance:
- On notice from the CSEA, enroll the employee’s children for medical insurance immediately without waiting for an open enrollment period.
- On notice from the CSEA, withhold monies for medical insurance for the children, if available.
- The employer must inform the CSEA of any health insurance coverage changes, including termination of coverage.
Remember, employers are subject to a fine determined under State law for discharging an Employee/Obligor from employment, refusing to employ, or taking disciplinary action against any Employee/Obligor because of a child support withholding. Failure to enroll the employee’s children for medical insurance on request by the CSEA may prompt contempt charges by the court.
New Hire Reporting
Federal and State law requires employers to report newly hired employees to the Ohio New Hire Reporting Center, within 20 days of the date of hire.
New Hire Reporting is an invaluable tool to the child support agencies in locating alleged fathers and non-residential parents to assist in paternity and support establishment, not to mention the benefit of collecting support for the children who deserve it.
Withholding Support Payments
If your employee presents a court order that directs payment through the CSEA, then it is acceptable to initiate withholding at the employee’s request and follow the terms of the order. It will be necessary to obtain the SETS case number to include with your payments. If the employee does not have an order, send him/her to the CSEA to establish one.
Income providers are responsible to begin deducting child support immediately (but no later than the first pay period occurring 14 business days after the date of the Notice) upon receipt of a “Notice of Income Withholding”, known as JFS 04047. Employers are to withhold and remit funds for child support immediately (but no later than 7 business days from the date that it is withheld from the employee’s pay).
Withholding Calculations
As an employer, you must honor all Income Withholding Notices but may be unable to comply with the entire amount ordered to be withheld based on the CCPA Guidelines. (Refer to ORC 3121.034 and the Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)).
If your employee has more than one order, please use the Multi-Order Calculator. This calculator will determine the maximum amount of support to be applied to each of an employee’s orders taking into consideration the CCPA Guidelines.
Lump-sum payments (any kind of annual awards payment, such as a performance bonus) over $150 need to be reported. If you have an employee that is due a lump sum payment, notify the county CSEA 45 days prior to paying out the employee. If the payment is eligible to be withheld, the county CSEA will send you instructions to withhold or release the payment. You will either release the lump sum to the employee or remit the payment to Child Support Payment Central (CSPC) to be applied to child support arrears.
Remitting Payments
When remitting payment, please include all of the following: OBLIGOR NAME, SSN, SETS CASE NUMBER, and ORDER NUMBER. You should forward the withheld payment immediately, but not later than 7 working days after the payment was withheld from your employee.
Payments may be remitted:
Mail – please send to: OCSPC PO Box 182394 Columbus, OH 43218-2394
Online – at expertpay.com
ACH Payment – call Child Support Payment Central (CSPC) at 1.888.965.2676 before you make your first payment electronically.
Employee Termination
You should contact the CSEA that issued the wage withholding with the name of the employee, SETS case number, date of separation from employment, last known address, and the name and address of the employee’s new employer. You must continue to withhold wages through the employee’s final paycheck.
Medical Support
The CSEA is responsible for establishing and enforcing health insurance orders for child support cases when coverage is available and reasonable or expected to become available.
The employer will receive a notice to enroll the employee. The notice is known as the National Medical Support Notice and is used in all States. The employer must enroll the child(ren) and deduct any premiums from the employee’s income/wages. This order may be subsequent to or in conjunction with an order to withhold wages/income for child support and is subject to CCPA restrictions.
The dependent(s) must be enrolled in the insurance plan without regard to seasonal restrictions (i.e. Open Enrollment) The dependent(s) may not be denied coverage on the grounds that the parents were not married, that the dependent is not claimed as a dependent on the employee’s federal income tax return, or that the dependent does not reside with the employee or in the insurer’s service area.
You must continue to deduct premiums until you receive documentation from the court or the CSEA advising you of changes to the medical support order.