Standard Occupational Code (SOC) Support

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories to collect, calculate, or disseminate data.

All workers are classified into one of 867 detailed occupations according to their occupational definition. Detailed occupations are combined to facilitate classification to form 459 broad occupations, 98 minor groups, and 23 major groups. Detailed occupations in the SOC with similar job duties, and in some cases skills, education, and/or training, are grouped together.

For information on the SOC and a list of the codes, please visit the BLS website: https://www.bls.gov/soc/

Current State Requirements for SOC Reporting

• The following states currently require Standard Occupational Codes (SOC) in their SUTA reporting:

  • Alaska
  • Indiana
  • Louisiana
  • South Carolina (required as of Q1 2024)
  • Washington (required as of Q4 2022)
  • West Virginia (required as of Q1 2023)

Missing SOC Identification

Get Missing SOC Data Advanced Query (AQ)

The Standard AQ - Get Missing SOC Data generates a list of Job Titles missing a SOC code. This helps ensure compliance with state reporting requirements.

The AQ searches for:

• Work performed in the last six months
• Work performed in all states requiring SOC codes (Alaska, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia)

Setup Process

SOC Code Setup

1. Navigate to Avionté Admin Tools > System > Skill Codes

     2.  Each skill code with "Is Job Position" checked for any branch should have a SOC association

     3.  Search for SOC codes by entering the beginning code (example: "11-") in the search box

     4.  Use the wildcard "%" to see all codes

SOC LookUp results appear in the drop-down area below the search field:

Understanding SOC Search Results

SOC codes are organized by groupings to help with proper selection:

• Major: Broadest classification
• Minor: More specific than Major
• Broad: More specific than Minor
• Detailed: Most specific classification

Note about inactive codes: The system identifies inactive SOC codes. If you select an inactive code, you'll receive a warning: "A Job Position with an active Standard Occupational Code is required for SUI filings for this worksite state." Select the more granular code that replaces your inactive selection.

 

Seasonal Codes (Indiana Requirement)

Indiana requires reporting "Seasonal Codes" to indicate employment type:

• Full-time (FT)
• Part-time (PT)
• Seasonal

*All custom seasonal codes and employees who are FT/PT outside of the above definition will have to be manually updated in GreenShades.

State Definition: https://www.in.gov/dwd/3334.htm#fulltime

 

Setting Minimum Hours for Full-Time Status

1. Navigate to Start Page > Actions Menu > Admin Tools > Category = Employer > Select Employer
2. Employers may define the minimum hours worked weekly to be considered full-time in the staffing supplier property GS_FullTimeMinimumAverageHoursWorked. By default, the value of this property is 32. 

     3.  Review the minimum number of hours.

1. • To adjust the minimum number of hours needed, mouse over the corresponding cell in the Value column to reveal the Edit button. Click Edit.
   • Enter the number of hours that the business considers full-time employment
     
     • The default value is 32
     • This value will be used to determine the Seasonal Code for IN state SUTA reporting

How Avionté Determines Hours Worked

• Includes all transactions with week worked in a quarter with property "IncludeInACAHours" set to True
• Uses "UnitsToHoursMultiplier" to calculate actual hours
• Excludes weeks with pay unit = 0
• Includes hours from all locations worked

 

Primary Zip Code (Indiana Requirement)

Indiana requires an employee's Primary Zip Code (worksite zip code where the employee spends the most time) in SUTA filings. 

This zip code will then be added to the generated Greenshades XML under the employee.

State Definition: https://www.in.gov/dwd/3334.htm#fulltime

 

How Avionté Determines Primary ZIP Code

Using the same transaction data as for Seasonal Code, the primary zip code is determined from the state in which the largest amount of hours is worked in the period.

 

Reporting Process

Quarterly SUTA Filing

Follow the normal GreenShades XML generation process for US state quarterly filings (SUTA):

• SOC codes are included for all orders with job titles that have the SOC set
• For Indiana:
  • Seasonal Codes appear in the <EmployementType> node
  • Primary Zip codes appear at the employee level: <WorksiteID><wZip></wZip></WorksiteID>

Data Verification

To ensure SOCs are properly set up, warnings will occur in these scenarios:

• When placing a temporary order with a worksite in a state requiring SOC:
  • If no Job Title (Skill Code) is selected
  • If the selected Job Title does not have a SOC setup
• When generating quarterly data in GreenShades for states requiring SOC:
  • If the Job Title (Skill Code) is missing on the Order
  • If the SOC association is missing for the Order > Job Title

 

Troubleshooting

If SUTA data is generated for a state that requires SOC reporting, and the SOC is not set for the job title, an error will occur. Use the Missing SOC Data AQ to identify and resolve these issues before filing.

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