12 multiple establishment employer indicator meei code
Multiple-Establishment Employer Indicator (MEEI) Code (IMTQ-MEEI(1))
The Multiple Establishment Employer Identification (MEEI) code is a 1-byte field at position 723 in the record. It denotes whether a particular record represents a single, independent employer, a multiple-worksite master, a sub-unit or composite (multiple locations grouped together) sub-unit, or a known multiple-location employer that has not been broken out into worksite detail, either due to low secondary employment or because the employer refuses to provide this information. The MEEI code has the following possible values:
- ‘1’ = Single account, without related sub-units; only applies to RUN = 00000.
- ‘2’ = Multi-master account, with associated worksite sub-units; only applicable to records with a reporting unit number (RUN) of 00000.
- ‘3’ = Worksite sub-unit establishment (one specific location).
- ‘4’ = Known multi-master account which refuses to report worksite detail (treated as a single); this code can also be used for a multiple worksite sub-unit to denote a worksite in pre-solicitation status (scheduled for possible activation at the beginning of a future year, but to be deleted from the Micro File if no response to MWR trial mailings is received).
- ‘5’ = Composite worksite (more than one location), combined together as though they were an individual sub-unit, either at the county level or some similar multi-site reporting level.
- ‘6’ = Multi-master account which has not been split into worksite detail, since the employer’s secondary worksites (all worksites excluding the one with the largest employment) have a combined employment of 10 or fewer employees (treated as a single).
The use of composite (code 5) worksites has become a real rarity over the years, since most multi-worksite families either have full listing of their sub-units, or are not broken out at all (either due to refusals or lack of secondary employment). Any ‘5’ MEEI codes still on file should be investigated to see if the individual worksites can be determined.
There are also times when an account will split from a single account (code ‘1’) to a multiple worksite establishment (code ‘2’); or the reverse (a consolidation) may occur. When such changes are enacted, the MEEI code must be changed to accommodate it. However, changes to the MEEI code should generally occur only in the first calendar quarter. This can produce some problems with worksite reporting which is available, but is to be suppressed and excluded from BLS deliverables until the next calendar year. Problems can also appear in macro processing when the MEEI code is changed. Multi-master accounts are not included in the roll-up of micro records in forming the macro data. The worksite records must contain the employment and wage data while the master account is a multi, but the sub-units cannot contain the data when the root account is a single.
If the value of the MEEI code is unknown, or if it is not changed by this IMT record, it should be set to low-values. For new accounts, the system interface program will determine a default multi indicator value based on the presence or absence of associated active worksites, or by the reporting unit number itself. In fact, improperly set MEEI code values will be overridden in this manner. The only values that need to be included in the IMT record are the exceptional values of ‘4’, ‘5’, and ‘6’, which must be determined manually.
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