Retiree Work Hour Limitation Suspended for Fire and Mudslide Response Work
February 2018
Number 4
Governor Jerry Brown has suspended the 960-hour per year work hour limit for retired annuitants who assist California counties battling fires and mudslides. CalPERS announced Brown's suspension of the rule in a January 29 Circular Letter.
Governor Brown issued a pair of executive orders lifting the work hour limit and other rules in an effort to expedite hiring of emergency workers and to streamline the recovery of communities devastated by the disasters. In addition to suspending the work hour limitation for retired annuitants who assist in disaster response and recovery in the affected counties, the emergency orders exempt retired annuitants hired to expedite disaster recovery from separation and break in service requirements and also, limits on the duration of emergency appointments, the Circular Letter says.
Generally, CalPERS retirees may only work 960 hours per year. Retirees who have reached normal retirement age may only be employed with such an employer after their first 180 days of retirement have passed and only during an emergency to prevent stoppage of public business or because they have skills needed to perform work of limited duration, unless an exception applies.
Retirees who have not reached normal retirement age must have a bona fide separation in service. Normal retirement age is defined by CalPERS as the benefit formula age for a position, i.e. age 55 for the 2% at 55 retirement formula. For a bona fide separation to have taken place, the employee must have a 60-day separation from employment and there must not be a pre-determined agreement between employer and employee to work after retirement.
The suspension applies to hours worked to expedite disaster response and recovery in the affected counties beginning on the date a state of emergency was declared and remaining in place until the declaration is lifted. The Governor issued state of emergency declarations on the following dates:
Per the Circular Letter, all other provisions related to working after retirement will continue to apply, including the requirement that local government agencies continue to enroll and report retired annuitants to CalPERS, the limits on hourly compensation rates and the prohibitions on other forms of compensation in addition to the hourly pay rate, including any benefit, incentive, or compensation in lieu of benefits.
Any agency employing a retired annuitant pursuant to the waivers must notify the director of the California Department of Human Resources. Notification may be sent via email to wildfirerecovery2017@calhr.ca.gov.
In its letter, CalPERS said it will continue to monitor work hours for retired annuitants covered by the Governor's executive orders and will communicate to confirm when a violation of the work order limitation is found and if it is accepted under the exception in the executive orders. Anyone with questions about the waivers may contact CalPERS' Customer Contact Center at (888) 225-7377.
For more information about the impact of the Governor's executive orders or about pensions in general, please contact an attorney at one of our eight offices located statewide. You can also visit our website, follow us on Facebook or Twitter or download our Client News Brief App.
Number 4
Governor Jerry Brown has suspended the 960-hour per year work hour limit for retired annuitants who assist California counties battling fires and mudslides. CalPERS announced Brown's suspension of the rule in a January 29 Circular Letter.
Governor Brown issued a pair of executive orders lifting the work hour limit and other rules in an effort to expedite hiring of emergency workers and to streamline the recovery of communities devastated by the disasters. In addition to suspending the work hour limitation for retired annuitants who assist in disaster response and recovery in the affected counties, the emergency orders exempt retired annuitants hired to expedite disaster recovery from separation and break in service requirements and also, limits on the duration of emergency appointments, the Circular Letter says.
Generally, CalPERS retirees may only work 960 hours per year. Retirees who have reached normal retirement age may only be employed with such an employer after their first 180 days of retirement have passed and only during an emergency to prevent stoppage of public business or because they have skills needed to perform work of limited duration, unless an exception applies.
Retirees who have not reached normal retirement age must have a bona fide separation in service. Normal retirement age is defined by CalPERS as the benefit formula age for a position, i.e. age 55 for the 2% at 55 retirement formula. For a bona fide separation to have taken place, the employee must have a 60-day separation from employment and there must not be a pre-determined agreement between employer and employee to work after retirement.
The suspension applies to hours worked to expedite disaster response and recovery in the affected counties beginning on the date a state of emergency was declared and remaining in place until the declaration is lifted. The Governor issued state of emergency declarations on the following dates:
- Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada and Orange counties: October 9, 2017
- Solano County: October 10, 2017
- Ventura County: December 5, 2017
- Santa Barbara County: December 7, 2017
Per the Circular Letter, all other provisions related to working after retirement will continue to apply, including the requirement that local government agencies continue to enroll and report retired annuitants to CalPERS, the limits on hourly compensation rates and the prohibitions on other forms of compensation in addition to the hourly pay rate, including any benefit, incentive, or compensation in lieu of benefits.
Any agency employing a retired annuitant pursuant to the waivers must notify the director of the California Department of Human Resources. Notification may be sent via email to wildfirerecovery2017@calhr.ca.gov.
In its letter, CalPERS said it will continue to monitor work hours for retired annuitants covered by the Governor's executive orders and will communicate to confirm when a violation of the work order limitation is found and if it is accepted under the exception in the executive orders. Anyone with questions about the waivers may contact CalPERS' Customer Contact Center at (888) 225-7377.
For more information about the impact of the Governor's executive orders or about pensions in general, please contact an attorney at one of our eight offices located statewide. You can also visit our website, follow us on Facebook or Twitter or download our Client News Brief App.
As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this News Brief does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.
