Tailored Collection Letter - Sample

DIVISION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADULT LEARNING
Office of Workforce Information and Performance
1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 316
Baltimore, MD 21201

Dear Maryland Employer:

June 6, 2016

We need your help. Your firm has been statistically selected to participate in the Occupational Employment Statistics
(OES) program. The OES program is a federal-state cooperative program funded by the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS). The BLS has been collecting this data since 1988 and establishments like yours are the only source
of this information.
The estimates produced by this program is of immeasurable value to employers, job seekers, educators, counselors,
economic developers, and anyone requiring current occupational employment and wage information. The OES
program estimates employment and wages for over 800 occupations for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam. The program also produces employment and wage estimates for the nation as
a whole, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and specific industries. The information you provide will be used
for statistical purposes only and any company or individual identifying information for non-governmental
establishments will be held in strict confidence.
There are two electronic options for submitting your data:
1) Email: Extract a report from your payroll or personnel system or create a spreadsheet with the job title
and wage rate for each employee in your company. Use an hourly rate for part time employees.
Please include your IDCF number in the email. Send your file to our secure address:
[email protected].
2) Report online: Go to https://idcfoes.bls.gov to enter data online or upload a data file. Log in using your
IDCF number found in Box 3 on the back of this letter. Further instructions for reporting online can also
be found on the back of this letter.
In order to ensure the timeliness of the data, we would greatly appreciate if you would submit your data within two
weeks. If you have any questions or if we can help you in any way, please contact us at (410) 767-2255 or toll free at
1-800-861-7704. Your timely response helps save tax dollars by reducing the need for additional mailings and
telephone calls. BLS also maintains a website for OES program respondents at www.bls.gov/respondents/oes.
Thank you for your time. We appreciate your help.
Sincerely,

Wayne Agostine
Wayne Agostine, OES Supervisor
Office of Workforce Information and Performance
In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics Web Site: http://stats.bls.gov

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Statement to Respondent on the Use of Electronic Data Transmission
As a participant in a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) statistical survey, you should be aware that use of electronic transmittal methods in reporting
data involves certain inherent risks to the confidentiality of those data. Further, you should be aware that responsible electronic transmittal
practices employed by the BLS cannot completely eliminate those risks. The BLS is committed to the responsible treatment of the data you report
and will take appropriate steps within its ability to protect the confidentiality of those data.

PHONE: 410-767-2255
LARRY HOGAN, GOVERNOR

•

•

FAX: 410-767-3299

•

INTERNET: www.dllr.maryland.gov

BOYD K. RUTHERFORD, LT. GOVERNOR

•

KELLY M. SCHULZ, SECRETARY

INFORMATION FOR COMPLETING THE OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS REPORT ONLINE
1. Locate the occupation and wage information for the reporting unit listed in Box 3 for the pay period that includes the
reference date (also in Box 3).
2. Decide if you will upload a spreadsheet or enter data online. Uploading a spreadsheet or report from your payroll or
personnel system is recommended for establishments with more than 20 employees. If you decide to upload a
spreadsheet, please have it ready before proceeding to Step 3. We will accept almost any file type.
3. Go to https://idcfoes.bls.gov. This is a secure website, and the address begins with “https” instead of the usual
“http.”
4. Enter your 11-digit IDCF number, printed above your address in Box 3. Follow the instructions to complete the
security check. Read the disclaimers and click “I Accept.”
5. Enter your contact information and click “Continue.”
6. Use the information found in Boxes 2 and 3 at the top of this sheet to complete the questions on the Work Location
and Establishment Data page.
7. Select “Upload existing data file -- Recommended” or “Enter data online” and click “Continue.”
Please note: To protect your data, your session will time out if you spend 30 minutes on a page. A warning will
appear when five minutes remain. If you do not click “Ok” to extend your session, you will have to log in again and
your data will be lost. We do not receive your data until you click “Submit” at the end.
8. Follow the instructions on screen to complete the report. If you entered data online, click “Save as Excel File” to
download a copy of your data. You will be sent an email confirming your submission.
That’s it - you’re done! If you have questions or require assistance, please use the contact information on the front of
this letter. To view OES data, please visit http://www.bls.gov/oes.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME - EMPLOYERS LIKE YOU ARE THE ONLY SOURCE OF THIS DATA.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees, agents, and partner statistical agencies, will use the information you provide for statistical purposes only and will
hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of
2002 (Title 5 of Public Law 107-347) and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent,
except in the case of State and local governments. The BLS publishes statistical tabulations from this report that may reveal the information reported by State and
local governments. Upon request, however, the BLS will hold the information provided by State and local governments on this report in confidence.
We estimate that the time required to complete this report will vary from 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on factors such as the size of the establishment. This
includes time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this
information. If you have any comments regarding these estimates or any other aspects of this report, including suggestions for reducing this burden, send them to
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Occupational Employment Statistics (1220-0042), 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Suite 2135, Washington, DC
20212. Your voluntary cooperation is needed to make the results of this report comprehensive, accurate, and timely. However, in some states this report is
mandatory; these states include Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, and
Wyoming. You do not have to complete this questionnaire if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. Form Approved, O.M.B. No. 1220-0042.