FAQs / Reporting Hours

Reporting Hours

Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to contact Employer Labor Services at Northwest Carpenters Trusts if you have a question not listed below or want a more thorough answer. We're here to help.

  1. "I am a new employer. How do I report benefits and where do I send them"
    Benefits are remitted based on which agreement is applicable to that job site.
    1. The employer must report hours and remit contributions for Health and Security, Retirement, and Apprenticeship funds to Northwest Carpenters Trusts. Depending on your Collective Bargaining Agreement, hours and contributions may also be required for WCISAP (Washington Construction Industry Substance Abuse Program) and the Industry Fund.
    2. Vacation, Union Dues, and 401(k) contributions are paycheck deductions, net after taxes. If the employee is subject to a Mandatory Continuing Education Requirement or Apprenticeship Fee, the applicable amounts should be pre-tax wage deferrals.
  2. "We currently have no work in the area. Can we continue paying benefits on behalf of our employees?"
    No. Northwest Carpenters Trusts is unable to accept contributions for non-work hours, or hours for work that is not covered under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. If it is discovered that contributions are intentionally remitted in violation of the terms of the agreement, the employee's benefits will be retroactively terminated and your contributions will not be refunded.
  3. "Why do I have to report non-union or temporary employees?"
    If the work being performed is covered by your Collective Bargaining Agreement, the individual(s) must be reported regardless of union membership. 
  4.  "I have not received a remittance form. Can one be mailed/faxed/emailed to me"?
    Remittance forms are mailed on or near the 20th of the month.  Contact Employer Labor Services to request a replacement. Or, visit the Forms page to download paper forms, Microsoft Excel templates, and instructions.
  5. "My bill used to have pre-printed names but this month's was blank. How come?"
    Pre-printed names are pulled from the last current report due. For example, an April billing form is looking for data from March. If no report was processed for the month of March, no names will appear on the April bill. If you believe Northwest Carpenters Trusts received and processed your report, please contact Employer Labor Services to request a new bill be printed and re-sent.
  6. "Do I have to include Social Security Numbers on my report?"
    Yes. The Trusts are unable to process the contributions without a SSN for each reported employee.
  7. "Can I create my own report form instead of using yours?"
    Yes, provided your report contains the right information. See Reporting Hours for specific requirements. To avoid processing delays, include the Northwest Carpenters Trusts form with your custom form.
  8. "Why am I receiving so many reports? Why do I have more than one account number?"
    A monthly remittance form is generated for each signed agreement with the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters. An agreement can be for all jobs in a geographic area or one job on a project basis. The type of agreement or project name should be shown at the top of each remittance form. Hours should be broken down and remitted according to account number.
  9. "Can reports be sent to a different address (es)?"
    Yes. Make your request in writing and send it to Employer Services. Please be sure to provide the account number(s) you want assigned to the new address. If no area or project is specified, all accounts will be updated. The Trust will also update its records based on corrections made on the report form. We will attempt to update our records before the next billing goes out.
  10. "I made a mistake on the report I just submitted. What do I do?
    • If you submitted a paper report by mail, send a revised or supplemental report so we can update our records.
    • If you uploaded your report using Employer XG, contact Employer Labor Services to make adjustments. Employer XG users do not have the ability to adjust previous reports.
    • If you are expecting that the discrepancy will result in a shortage, please send payment with a copy of the new or amended report. Overage will be credited to your account and deducted from the next report. Per request, we can also send a refund check.
  11. "I received an overage/shortage statement. How do I resolve the discrepancy?"
    If you are disputing the discrepancy, send a written explanation and documentation to Employer Labor Services. A representative will review and adjust your account if warranted. Otherwise, please send payment immediately to our lockbox to clear the shortage.
  12. "I mailed my remittance but now an employee says he didn't receive his benefits. What happened?"
    There are a couple of possible answers below. Contact us if you need help sorting out your particular situation.
    1. Contributions may have been posted to the member's account but there were not enough hours in his or her dollar bank to initialize or maintain eligibility for health coverage. See the Summary Plan Description for eligibility information.
    2. Contributions may have been posted to the member's account but the member never filled out an Enrollment Form and/or Authorization to Transfer Fringe Benefits Form. Visit our Forms page for the appropriate forms and send them to Employer Labor Services when completed and signed by the employee.
    3. Contributions may have been reported under the wrong name and/or Social Security Number. Please send written verification of the member's name and SSN to Employer Labor Services so we can adjust our records, if necessary.
    4. Northwest Carpenters Trusts may not have a copy of your signed agreement with the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters. Without an agreement, we are unable to accept contributions; therefore, hours are not immediately credited to members' accounts. Please contact the Office of Contract Administration at the Regional Council to either sign a new agreement or expedite the processing of your signed agreement, as applicable. Phone (213) 385-1457 or email contracts@wscarpenters.org.
  13. "I have a project manager/superintendent/estimator/etc. working on a job site. Do we include benefits for him/her on our report?"
    It depends. If the member is an associate employee, hours need to be reported. However, hours do not need be reported for an employee performing work not covered under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. To verify associate status, call the Office of Contract Administration at the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters: (213) 385-1457.

Employer Checklist

Do you understand our expectations for employers? The links on the left can direct you to the details, but our requirements boil down to 4 simple things:

1. Fill out the form.
2. Write the check.
3. Deposit funds by due date.
4. Keep good records.

We know it can be frustrating when you don’t have the right information. Be sure to contact us with your questions and suggestions.

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