Exceptions to Immediate Eligibility Certification for Retirement Coverage
Temporary (not probationary) employees receive the benefits and hours to be otherwise eligible for retirement benefits, but are employed in a specific project or task scheduled to be completed in six months or less. These employees should be certified ineligible for the first six months of employment. However, if they are still employed at the beginning of the seventh month and they continue to meet the eligibility requirements for retirement coverage, the employer must certify them online as eligible and report contributions.
Non-benefitted temporary employees, full or part time, are not eligible for retirement coverage even if their employment lasts more than six months.
When hiring employees whose employment may seem temporary in nature, please refer to U.C.A. § 49-12-203 (Public Employees Contributory Retirement System) and U.C.A. § 49-13-203b (Public Employees Noncontributory Retirement System) to determine if new hires’ employment will truly be temporary as specified in the statute , which states:
“…if an employee, previously terminated prior to becoming eligible for service credit in this system, is re-employed within three months of separation by the same participating employer, the participating employer shall report and certify to the office that the member is a regular full-time employee when the total of the periods of employment equals six months and the employee otherwise qualifies for service credit in this system.”