This document describes the Research Foundation (RF) Phased Retirement Program and administrative procedures.
Step |
Role or Responsibility |
Reference or Tips |
A manager should NOT initiate a conversation with an eligible employee about the possibility of entering Phased Retirement, since doing so may be construed as age discrimination. |
Managers |
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Interested employees who are contemplating phased retirement should first ask their managers if part-time employment and Phased Retirement could meet the needs of their department while also meeting their needs. |
Eligible employees |
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Managers should seriously consider the request and whether it could potentially meet the needs of the department and confirm sponsor and program requirements will permit employees to work part time. |
Managers |
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The employee and manager must agree on the Phased Retirement start and end date, the percentage of effort to be worked, the prorated salary, and the employee's responsibilities and title while working in Phased Retirement. |
Eligible employees and Managers |
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The manager should ask the campus HR office to have the employee's eligibility to participate verified. |
Managers |
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Campus HR offices should submit a request to central office benefits services to determine employee eligibility for Phased Retirement (which is the same as eligibility for retiree health insurance).
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Campus HR offices |
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The central office benefit services unit will inform the Campus HR office whether the employee is eligible |
Central Office Benefit Services |
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After receiving verification of eligibility from central office, the campus HR office should send the Phased Retirement Disclosure, Application and Agreement to the employee’s manager. |
Campus HR offices |
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The manager should meet with the eligible employee and the employee should complete the Application and sign the Agreement. |
Managers and Eligible employees |
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The manager should obtain the signature of the principal investigator or department head, and then send the signed Agreement back to the HR office. If the job description is being revised, that should also be sent to the HR office. |
Managers |
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If the manager is unable to approve the request because it does not meet departmental needs and/or sponsored program requirements, the manager should provide a written explanation to the employee. |
Managers |
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After receiving the fully signed Application and Agreement, the campus HR office should make the appropriate changes in the employee’s Oracle HR/payroll record and enter the required information in the Special Information Type fields (see below). |
Campus HR Offices |
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If the employee is requesting a distribution from the Retirement Plan or Optional Retirement Plan, the campus HR office will authorize the distribution from TIAA-CREF. |
Campus HR Offices |
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The campus HR office must send an email to central office Benefits Services with the employee’s Phased Retirement start date and the expected ending date (retirement date). When the employee retires, the campus HR office should again notify central office Benefits Services. |
Campus HR Offices |
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Will let the campus HR office know if the employee is eligible for Phased Retirement. |
Central Office Benefits Services |
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Will make sure that LTD coverage continues while in Phased Retirement. |
Central Office Benefits Services |
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The Research Foundation has adopted a phased retirement program that is designed to permit full-time employees who are close to retirement to transition to retirement by reducing their work schedule in a mutually agreeable manner while maintaining benefits.
If sponsor and program requirements permit, phased retirement is available to full-time employees who are at least age 55 with 10 years of full-time equivalent service at the beginning of the phased retirement period (meeting age and service requirement for retiree health). Participation in the Program requires an application and agreement and the approval of the interested employee’s manager/supervisor and their campus human resources (HR official).
The phased retirement period will be determined by the employee with the approval of the employee’s manager/supervisor, the principal investigator or department head, and the campus HR office. The maximum period of phased retirement shall be 36 consecutive months. At the end of the phased retirement period, the employee will retire from service with the RF.
While some benefits during the phased retirement period are provided as if the employee were full-time, others are modified based upon the employee’s actual earnings during the phased retirement period (for example disability income and retirement contributions). Please review the Phased Retirement Program Disclosure for detailed information about the benefit plans, programs and policies that may apply during the phased retirement period.
Forms from TIAA-CREF will continue to go to campus administrators when a person in phased retirement wants to take a distribution. Campuses should complete these forms as they would if the person was terminated, only in the field for termination date, the date the person entered phased retirement would be entered.
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Copyright © 2011 The Research Foundation of State University of New York