Enrollment eligibility for part-time, seasonal, & temporary employees

Did you know? Employees who are considered part-time, seasonal, or temporary may still be eligible for enrollment in TRSL, depending on their service credit.     

• Five (5) Year Rule (applies to preK-12 classroom teachers only):
  Employees with five or more years of eligibility service credit in TRSL must be enrolled in TRSL, regardless of whether they are part-time, seasonal, or temporary.
• Ten (10) Year Rule (applies to all other TRSL eligible positions):
  Employees with 10 or more years of eligibility service credit in TRSLmust be enrolled in TRSL, regardless of whether they are part-time, seasonal, or temporary.
• Secondary Employment (applies to all employees who are employed full-time at another TRSL-eligible employer and also working in a TRSL eligible position with your agency in a part-time, seasonal or temporary position regardless of years of service): 
  These employees are required to be enrolled in TRSL under the “Secondary” employer type. 

Institutions of higher education

Newly hired part-time, seasonal, and temporary unclassified employees who do not meet the service credit requirements for the defined benefit plan may make an irrevocable election to participate in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP).  

Questions?

• If you have any questions determining enrollment eligibility for employees who are part-time, seasonal, temporary, or if they fall under secondary employment, please contact your agency’s assigned Accountant Liaison or refer to Index 2 or Index 16 of the Employer Procedures Manual.
• For retirees that you consider part-time, seasonal, or temporary, please refer to Index 15.  

Understanding your responsibility when employees go on active military duty

TRSL members on active military duty under USERRA have the option of accruing service credit for both benefit computation and retirement eligibility by paying their employee contributions while on unpaid leave. When employees take unpaid leave for active military duty, you should notify them of their right to continue accruing service credit by continuing to make employee contributions.  

See the Employer Procedures Manual Index 4.1 (Section 3, letter j) for instructions on how to report members who choose to pay their employee contributions while on active military leave under USERRA. Please note that if the employee chooses this option, the employer is also required to pay the employer contributions.

If the employee chooses not to pay contributions while on active military duty, USERRA still allows for the accrual of service credit for retirement eligibility purposes during the time on unpaid leave (if certain criteria are met). USERRA also provides employees with the option of purchasing the service credit for benefit computation purposes.

When the employee returns to TRSL-covered employment, you should inform them of their eligibility to receive service credit for retirement eligibility purposes and their right to purchase the benefit computation service credit. To establish the eligibility credit and right to purchase the benefit computation credit, please send TRSL a copy of the employee’s Form DD-214 along with a letter telling us the employee's re-employment date.

For additional information about purchasing service credit under USERRA, please see Page 7 of Purchases & Transfers of Service Credit.