Set up and manage a workplace pension scheme

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Manage your workplace pension scheme

When you’ve set up a workplace pension scheme, you must:

  • check if and when staff should be re-enrolled
  • manage requests to join and leave your pension scheme
  • keep records about how you’ve met your legal duties
  • check if existing staff should be added to your pension scheme, for example when they earn a certain amount

Re-enrolment and re-declaration

You must re-enrol staff into your pension scheme by your re-enrolment date if they:

  • left your pension scheme more than 12 months before that date
  • are still in your pension scheme but pay below the minimum contributions level

Your re-enrolment date is 3 years after your first member of staff starts working for you, and then every 3 years after that.

If staff left your pension scheme 12 months or less before your next re-enrolment date, and are still eligible, you can choose to either:

  • re-enrol them on that date
  • wait until the next re-enrolment date 3 years later

You must write to eligible staff within 6 weeks after your re-enrolment date to tell them you have put them back into your pension scheme.

Use The Pensions Regulator’s tool to check what you need to do.

You must complete a re-declaration of compliance every time you carry out your re-enrolment duties, even if staff were not re-enrolled.

If you do not complete the re-declaration on time you could be fined.

Requests to join or leave your pension scheme

All staff can request to join your pension scheme if they want to. You must check they are eligible and put them into the scheme within 1 month of getting their request.

Staff can leave your pension scheme whenever they want. You must take them out of the scheme within one month of getting their request.

If staff ask to leave your pension scheme within 1 month of joining (known as the ‘opt-out window’), you will have to refund their contributions within 1 month. If they ask to leave after the opt-out window, their contributions will be kept in their pension until they retire.

Keep records

You must keep records of how you’ve met your legal duties for maintaining your pension scheme, including:

  • the names and addresses of staff enrolled
  • when contributions are paid in
  • all requests to join or leave your pension scheme
  • your pension scheme reference or registry number (PSR)

You must keep these records for 6 years except for requests to leave your pension scheme which must be kept for 4 years. You must also keep track of the ages and earnings of staff so you can enrol them when they become eligible.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Get ready to employ someone for the first time: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check that you’re taking on someone as an employee

    Follow these steps if you want to take on someone with the employment status of ‘employee’ for the first time.

    1. Check who counts as an employee

    The rules are different if you want to take on someone with another type of employment status, such as agency staff, freelancers, consultants and contractors.

    1. Check your responsibilities when you take on someone with a different employment status and contract type

  2. and Check you can afford to take on employees

    1. Check how much the National Minimum Wage is
    2. Find out how much National Insurance you need to pay for your employees
    3. Check how much sick pay your employees are eligible for
    4. Check how much you need to pay towards your employee's pension
    5. Check how much Maternity Leave you need to pay your employees
    6. Check how much Paternity Leave you need to pay your employees

  3. Step 2 Make your workplace safe and accessible for employees

    1. Prevent discrimination
    2. Make your workplace accessible for employees with disabilities or health conditions
    3. Keep employee information and data safe
    4. Find out about fire safety
    5. Find out about health and safety on the Health and Safety Executive website

  4. Step 3 Register as an employer and set up PAYE

    You need to register with HMRC so you can pay tax and national insurance for your employees.

    1. Register as an employer and set up PAYE
    2. Choose how to run payroll
    3. If you decide to run payroll yourself, choose payroll software

  5. Step 4 Check your responsibilities around workplace pensions

    1. Understand your pension responsibilities as an employer

  6. Step 5 Get Employers' Liability insurance

    1. Find out about Employers' Liability insurance

  7. Step 6 Recruit and employ someone

    1. Employ someone