BA-6a Request

If the RRB received a service and compensation report for an employee for whom no address was reported, the RRB will send the employer a BA-6a request. The request will appear in the Outstanding Items list. To work a BA-6a request, select Outstanding Items from the menu and click the employee’s SSN from the list. This brings up the BA-6a screen pre-filled with identifying data for the employee. Type the address information and click the approve button. Instructions for maximum address length and state abbreviations are in the Exhibits section.

Process Buttons

Approve, click this to process the completed BA-6a.
Reset, click this to clear your address entries (pre-filled data will remain.)
Cancel, click this to exit the BA-6a process without updating an address.
Delete, click this to delete the BA-6a form. Use this if the employee no longer works for your company and you have exhausted all resources for obtaining an address.

Address Cannot Be Developed

If you do not have, or cannot develop, an address for the employee, delete the pending BA-6a requests, click the e-mail button, and advise us that no address can be located. Be sure to include the SSN.

Information about the Function to Download Outstanding Addresses

Generally, address information will be entered directly to the Internet form and the download feature will not be used. The download feature will copy the file of address requests to your PC in a location you specify. This feature is intended to aid in locating address information in the employer’s records. Once the address is located it is presumed that the information will be entered to the BA-6a Internet screen. There is no process by which you can upload the addresses from your PC to the BA-6a outstanding screens. Addresses can be downloaded more than once.

If you choose to post the addresses to your PC file, rather than the Internet screens, you will have to send the PC file to the RRB. If you are not working the address requests on the Internet, you will need to delete the requests from the Internet. Downloading the addresses does not remove the requests from the Internet.

How to Download Outstanding Address Requests

To download address requests, select BA-6a from the forms menu. Select the “Download Outstanding BA-6a’s” option at the top of the list. (The download option will not appear if you select “Outstanding Items” because that list includes other outstanding forms.) Follow the screen instructions. If you get a security alert during the download process, click “Save.” You will then select a location and file name. (If you click “Open,” you can do a “File-Save-as.”) When you open the saved file, it will be displayed differently depending on your screen size and settings. You may wish to un-select “wrap” which is under the Format menu if you are using Notepad.

Delete Outstanding BA-6a's Option

This function appears at the top of your Outstanding BA-6a list. Choosing this function will delete all outstanding BA-6a requests from the ERS system for the BA number corresponding to your access. This will not just delete the items from your display but from the display of anyone else who has BA-6a access for that BA number.

This function is intended to be used by persons who had first downloaded the BA-6a requests to their PC, worked the requests, and filed the addresses with the RRB via another means such as a disk report. It is best not to immediately delete all requests after downloading because if the downloaded file is lost or corrupted, you cannot restore the deleted requests. We suggest that you delete the requests when the addresses are filed with the RRB.

Section B: Reply to GL-129a Request

GL-129a Request

If the RRB receives from an employee a protest of the service and compensation reported on Form BA-6, the RRB will send the employer a GL-129a request. The request will appear in the Outstanding Items list which will be displayed when you first logon. You can work the item at this point or select it later by clicking the outstanding items from the left menu and click the SSN link for the GL-129a. This brings up the GL-129a screen. The screen is pre-filled to show the RRB’s record of service and compensation and what the employee is claiming that his or her record should be. Determine the correct service and compensation for the employee.

Service and Compensation Is Correct As Reported

If the RRB record is correct, click the ‘Correct as Reported’ button. This brings up a screen where you enter an explanation as to why the employee’s claim is not being granted. The RRB uses this information to reply to the employee so please provide a complete explanation in terms that the employee will understand.

Adjustment is Being Granted

If the RRB record is being adjusted to agree with the employee’s claim, click the ‘Adjustment Granted’ button. This brings you to a BA-4 screen pre-filled with identifying data and the adjustment claimed by the employee. Click the update button.

Adjustment is Being Granted but not Exactly as Employee Claims

More than claimed. If you are granting the employee’s adjustment but are increasing the amounts over what the employee claimed, click the ‘Adjustment Granted’ button. When the pre-filled BA-4 appears, type over the pre-filled compensation amounts or click additional service months. An explanation is not required if you are granting more service or compensation than the employee claimed but if you feel that an explanation would be helpful, follow the steps below.

Less than claimed. If you are granting the employee an adjustment but in an amount less than the employee claimed, click the ‘Correct as Reported’ button, and explain the adjustment you are making on the next screen. After filing the explanation you will have to file a BA-4 for the correct adjustment, Follow the instructions under BA-4 in the previous section.