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It is University policy to comply with Washington State law governing the reemployment of Department of Retirement System (DRS) retirees, and to require that all DRS retirees seeking UW employment follow the normal job application and referral procedures. It is a violation of state law and UW policy for there to be any pre-retirement oral or written agreement between a Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) plan member (PERS, TRS, SERS, LEOFF, or WSPRS) and an employer for employment into a UW position. Violation of the law results in nullification of the individual’s retirement. Criminal and monetary penalties may also apply. An employing official who wishes to hire a DRS plan retiree must submit written documentation explaining why no other candidate for the position is appropriate.
This page explains retiree reemployment requirements, however by state law there are no guarantees of post-retirement employment at the UW. The following information is provided to assist you in understanding the rules that apply to the reemployment of DRS plan retirees. However, if there is any discrepancy between this information and the current DRS rules, the DRS rules will prevail.
Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) retirement plans include PERS, TRS, LEOFF, SERS, or WSPRS. Knowing the plan from which the applicant retired will help you to understand potential re-employment eligibility and limits on hours worked.
Contact your Employment Specialist if you have any questions.
State law limits the number of hours a DRS retirement plan retiree can work in a position that is eligible for a DRS retirement plan. These limits are specific to the retirement plan from which the retiree is receiving an income. Knowing whether a position is covered by the PERS retirement system is critical to knowing whether it is subject to post-retirement employment limitations for a PERS retiree who wishes to return to work. The following table identifies the retirement plan that applies to designated types of position.
| Retirement Plan | Position Type |
|---|---|
| PERS 1, 2, & 3 | Contract classified, classified non-union, GCIU bargaining unit, and temporary staff positions are expected to work five months of 70 or greater hours in a 12-month period (the PERS eligibility standard) |
| UW Retirement Plan (UWRP) | Faculty, librarians, and professional staff who are employed 50% or greater for six or more consecutive months. |
| LEOFF 2 | Full-time, commissioned UW police officers |
Positions not covered by a retirement plan: Students working in student job classes, and positions that do not meet the PERS retirement plan employment eligibility threshold of:
A DRS system retiree who is rehired into a position covered by a DRS plan is limited in the number of hours the employee can work without penalty. Any retiree who wishes to work at the UW after retirement from a DRS plan is solely responsible for monitoring hours worked against allowed limits. The retiree bears all of the risk if post retirement employment limits are exceeded. Retirees with questions about limits should be referred to the DRS. Supervisors or administrators should not attempt to perform this task for employees or answer questions about limits on retiree employment.
See the web page for retirees considering reemployment to learn more about work limitations for rehired DRS retirees.
You must follow the UW recruitment and employment processes, including affirmative action requirements, when filling all regular monthly-paid positions (academic, professional and classified staff) that will work half-time or greater. This provision applies to any position for which a retiree is a candidate and any position vacated by a retiree for which the retiree is an employment candidate. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
For audit purposes, state law requires that departments keep all documents related to employment processes resulting in employment of a retiree. Refer to the Records Management under “Applications” for the retention periods for contract classified, professional staff, etc.
You must also follow the Checklist for Hiring Retirees into Permanent or Temporary Positions.
If a retiree from a DRS plan is the top candidate, you must first obtain approval from the appropriate authority before offering employment in a PERS- or UWRP-eligible position to a DRS plan retiree.
Delegated authority for approving retirees reemployment is as follows:
Review the Checklist for Hiring Retirees into Permanent or Temporary Positions to see what is required when hiring a DRS retiree.
Complete the following forms and send them to your employment specialist:
DRS plan retirees may be appointed to hourly/temporary positions by following the normal temporary employment process. You must also follow the Checklist for Hiring Retirees into Permanent or Temporary Positions.
Rehire a Retiree
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