What to do if…
your workplace retirement contributions have not been paid into your plan

What to do now

1. Make a small evidence file.
   Save copies of:

   • paystubs showing retirement deductions or deferrals,
   • plan account statements or transaction history showing the missing deposits,
   • any benefits enrollment confirmation,
   • the pay dates affected,
   • the dollar amounts withheld from each paycheck.

2. Check whether money is missing or just not posted to your account.
   Look for the plan’s recent transaction history, pending activity, and employer contribution section. If the site has a message centre, save or screenshot anything showing that no contribution was received for the affected pay dates.

3. Ask payroll or HR for a written trace.
   Send a short message listing the affected pay dates and amounts. Ask:

   • whether the deferrals were withheld from your pay,
   • when each amount was sent to the plan,
   • what confirmation or batch reference exists,
   • whether any employer match is also affected,
   • when you should expect a correction if the money was not sent.

4. Ask the plan administrator or recordkeeper what they received.
   Ask them to check whether the contributions were received but not yet posted, posted to the wrong participant, held in a suspense account, or rejected because of missing payroll data.

5. Confirm what kind of plan you are in.
   Ask HR, benefits, or the plan administrator whether the plan is ERISA-covered. Most private-sector workplace retirement plans are covered by ERISA, but governmental plans and church plans generally are not.

6. Use the timing rule to keep the request urgent.
   For ERISA-covered plans, employee salary-deferral contributions generally must be deposited as soon as they can reasonably be separated from the employer’s assets. A small-plan safe harbor may apply when a plan has fewer than 100 participants and deposits are made within 7 business days, but that does not mean an employer may wait if it can deposit sooner.

7. Escalate if there is no clear correction path.
   If this is an ERISA-covered plan, contact EBSA and provide the employer name, plan name, pay dates, amounts withheld, copies of your paystubs, and what the plan account shows. If the plan is not ERISA-covered, ask the plan administrator for the formal complaint route and the plan’s oversight contact, such as a public retirement system office, board, or benefits office.

8. Keep your record clean and off your work device.
   Save messages, statements, and before-and-after account records somewhere you control. Keep a simple timeline of who you contacted, when, and what they said.