Your scheme is set up and your team is enrolled. From here, running your pension takes a few minutes each payroll. This guide shows you how. Each section takes under three minutes to read, so jump straight to the one you need.
Your employer portal at a glance
Everything you need each month, on one screen
Your dashboard shows where you are in the month: your latest submission, whether payment has been collected, and anything that needs your attention, such as an employee request or a file with errors.
From the portal you upload contributions, check payments, manage employees and respond to requests. If someone else helps with payroll, give them their own admin login rather than sharing yours, so there is a clear record of who did what.
Need help? Use the chat in the portal, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Do this now
Log in and look over your dashboard
Check every person who runs payroll has their own admin login
Save the quick reference guide somewhere handy
Learn more: What's on my dashboard? | Quick reference
Submitting contributions
Run payroll, export one file, upload it
After every payroll run, export your pension file from your payroll software and upload it in your employer portal. Do this for every pay period, weekly or monthly, even if nothing has changed.
Jarvis accepts three file standards: PAPDIS (preferred), NOW: Pensions or NEST. Other formats will not upload, so always export in the same format you have been using.
Your file tells Jarvis who was paid, what they and you contributed, and any changes such as new starters, leavers or opt outs. Jarvis checks it as soon as you upload and tells you straight away if anything needs fixing.
Do this now
Add "upload pension file" to your payroll checklist, straight after each payroll run
Upload your next file and confirm it shows as accepted
Fixing submission errors
Each error tells you which line to fix and why
If something in your file does not add up, Jarvis flags it before anything is processed. You will see the employee, the field and the reason, for example a missing National Insurance number, a date in the wrong format or a contribution that does not match the pay.
Most errors come from the payroll record itself. Correct it in your payroll software, export the file again and re upload. Fixing it at source means the same error will not return next time.
If you are unsure what an error means, send us the message from the chat and we will help.
Do this now
Bookmark the submission errors guide for payroll day
Payments and deadlines
How payments work and when they're due
Once your file is accepted, Jarvis collects the contributions from your bank and invests them in each employee's pension.
By law, contributions must reach the pension by the 22nd of the month after they were deducted from pay. Uploading straight after each payroll run gives you plenty of margin. Late payments can be reportable to The Pensions Regulator.
You can follow each payment in your portal, from collected through to invested.
Do this now
Check the status of your latest payment in the portal
Make sure the bank account for collections has enough funds on collection day
Reconciling each payroll
A five minute check that keeps payroll and pensions in step
A reconciliation checks that what left payroll matches what arrived in Jarvis. Do it every time you submit, weekly or monthly, and small differences never build up.
Compare total employer and employee contributions on your payroll report with the total on your submission in Jarvis.
Check the number of employees matches, and that new starters, leavers and opt outs appear as you expect.
Confirm the payment shows as collected and invested in your portal.
If anything does not match, note the employee and the difference, then correct it in your next submission or message us.
Do this now
Reconcile your latest submission against your payroll report
Add reconciliation to your payroll checklist
Learn more: How do I check my payment? |
Adding new starters
New starters join through your normal payroll file
When someone joins, add them to payroll as usual. If they are eligible, they appear as a new enrolment in your next pension file and Jarvis creates their pension. If you use postponement, they join once that period ends.
Jarvis emails each new member a welcome with a link to the app, where they can see their pension, choose their fund and bring old pensions together.
Telling a new starter they have been enrolled is your responsibility as the employer. This must happen within six weeks of their enrolment date.
Do this now
Check your next file includes any recent new starters
Send each new starter their enrolment letter
Learn more: How do I enrol employees? | What happens after enrolment? | What information do I need to communicate to employees?
Opt-outs and employee requests
How to handle requests from your team
A new member has one month from enrolment to opt out. Contributions are held back during this window, so if someone opts out there is nothing to recover from their pension. Update their payroll record so the opt out shows in your next file.
Stopping contributions after the window is different. The employee can stop paying in, but what they have saved stays in their pension.
Other requests, such as changing a contribution rate or joining voluntarily, also appear in your portal. Each one shows what the employee asked for and what you need to do. You must not encourage anyone to opt out; if asked, point them to the app or to us.
Do this now
Check your portal for any open employee requests
Read how to process an opt out, so you are ready when one arrives
Learn more: What are employee requests? | How do I process an opt out? | Opting out or ceasing contributions | What should I do during an employee's opt out period?
Leavers and rejoiners
Leavers and returners, with no extra admin
When someone leaves, include their leaving date in your next pension file along with their final contribution. Their pension stays theirs: they keep it in the Jarvis app, can keep paying in personally, or move it later.
If they come back to work for you, simply add them to payroll again. They are matched to their existing pension automatically, so there is no manual matching or duplicate account to sort out.
Do this now
Check any recent leavers show a leaving date in your latest file
Learn more: What about leavers?
Staying compliant
Records, re enrolment and where to get help
Keep your records. You need to hold enrolment, opt out and contribution records, and opt out notices, for at least four years. Your Jarvis portal holds much of this for you.
Re enrolment comes round every three years. You must re enrol eligible staff who have opted out or stopped paying in, then complete a new declaration of compliance with The Pensions Regulator. Put the date in your diary now.
If something is not working, start with the troubleshooting guide, then message us in the portal chat, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Do this now
Note your next re enrolment date in your diary
Check where your pension records are kept
Learn more: What records do I need to keep? | Something not working? | Quick reference
Need a hand? Message us from the chat in your employer portal, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.