If you had prior State of Connecticut service you must rejoin the retirement plan (SERS Tier II, Tier IIA, Tier III, Tier IV, SERS Hybrid Plan, ARP, or TRS) for which you have prior plan membership unless:
- You are a member of SERS, experienced a permanent break in service and were hired in a position in which you are not eligible for participation in your prior SERS retirement plan; or
- If you had prior state service as part-time faculty and you elected to waive membership in a retirement plan, you are ineligible for retirement plan membership during any subsequent part-time faculty employment.
If you had prior state service as part-time faculty and elected to waive membership in a retirement plan but are subsequently rehired in a full-time position, you will be treated as a new employee and offered the retirement plan election options appropriate to your current position.
If you are rehired after a permanent break in service; if in SERS you will be treated as a new employee and offered the retirement plan election option appropriate to your present position. A “permanent break in service” occurs when an employee who was not vested separates from state service and the elapsed time between their separation and their date of reemployment exceeds the greater of five years or the duration of prior service.
Employees whose only prior service consists of public school teaching and who are not currently receiving a retirement benefit from the Teachers Retirement System should be treated as new hires for retirement plan selection purposes. Employees whose only prior service consists of public school teaching and are currently receiving a retirement benefit from the Teachers Retirement System should be treated as new hires for retirement plan selection purposes however they may receive no more than 45% of the maximum salary for the assigned position if in teaching.
Please see your agency’s Human Resources Officer to complete a Form CO-931h, “Designation of Retirement System-Tier-Plan-Beneficiary for Higher Education Employment Only”.
| TYPE OF AGENCY CHANGE | ELIGIBLE TO ELECT NEW RETIREMENT PLAN? |
|---|---|
| NEW HIRE – Higher Education Agency | YES – Must make initial election prior to or on date of hire |
| NEW HIRE – Non-Higher Education Agency | YES – Must make initial election prior to or on date of hire |
| REHIRE – Higher Education Agency to Higher Education Agency without Permanent Break in Service | NO – If no permanent break, would be reinstated to the same plan as time of separation |
| REHIRE – Non-Higher Education Agency to Higher Education Rehire without Permanent Break in Service | YES – If previously in ARP or Hybrid at separation, but plan not offered at non-higher education agency, would be placed into the SERS plan that corresponds with the date of rehire |
| REHIRE – Non-Higher Education Agency to Non-Higher Education Rehire without Permanent Break in Service | NO – Must remain in same plan; no option |
| REHIRE – Non-Higher Education Agency to Non-Higher Education Rehire without Permanent Break in Service | NO – If no permanent break, would be reinstated to the same plan as time of separation |
| REHIRE – With Permanent Break in Service – NON-REFUNDED | NO – Must remain in same plan, except if was in ARP or Hybrid at separation and plan is not offered at non-higher education agency. Then, would be placed into SERS plan that corresponds with the date of rehire |
| REHIRE – With Permanent Break in Service – REFUNDED | YES – So long as all prior contributions have been refunded prior to date of rehire |
| TRANSFER – Higher Education Agency to Higher Education Agency | NO – Must remain in same plan; no option |
| TRANSFER – Higher Education Agency to Non-Higher Education Agency | YES – If previously in ARP or Hybrid at separation, but plan not offered at non-higher education agency, would be placed into the SERS plan that corresponds with the date of hire, not date of transfer |
| TRANSFER – Higher Education Agency to Non-Higher Education Agency Transfer and Subsequently Transfers back to Higher Education Agency | NO – Must remain in same plan; no option |
| TRANSFER – Non-Higher Education Agency to Higher Education Agency | NO – Must remain in same plan; no option |
| TRANSFER – Non-Higher Education Agency to Non-Higher Education Agency | NO – Must remain in same plan; no option |