Easthampton Retirement Board Supplemental Regulations

Regulations accepted by the board and approved by PERAC

Membership: 

November 4, 2008

1. All permanent employees of any member unit of the City of Easthampton shall become members of the Easthampton Retirement System (“System”) on the first day of employment. Such employees must have a regular scheduled work week of 20 hours or more per week with a commensurate salary.
2. An employee who works at least twenty hours per week shall be considered full-time for the purpose of defining creditable service. A part-time employee who was not eligible during their past employment to contribute to the Easthampton Retirement System, who subsequently becomes eligible for membership in the Easthampton Retirement System, may upon request, buyback their part-time service on a prorated basis only.
3. A seasonal employee who works a schedule of twenty hours or more per week for five consecutive months or more in a year shall become a member of the System, retroactive to the first day of employment.
4. Part-time employees whose work week is less then twenty hours and seasonal employees whose work week is less then twenty hours or who are employed less than five months in a year shall not become members of the System until they meet one of the requirements set out in the requirements, A, B and C above.

August 31, 2009

5. Members who have their hours reduced to less than twenty hours per week and earning $5,000.00 annually shall continue membership with their creditable service prorated. Proration of part-time creditable service (less than 20 hours per week) shall be based on full time equivalency of twenty hours per week.

November 4, 2008

6. Any person hired by the City of Easthampton as an independent contractor (paid via a 1099) as defined within the guidelines of the Social Security and IRS tests on employee status, is not eligible for membership in the System. If the employee’s status changes and the individual later becomes an employee of the City of Easthampton, making the individual eligible for membership in the System, the employee will not be allowed to make payment toward creditable service for the time when the individual worked for the City as an independent contractor.

Creditable Service: 

April 16, 2024

For all Buybacks and Military Service, payments must be made in full by lump sum and/or roll over from a deferred compensation plan. Payments must be completed prior to retirement.

November 4, 2008

Employees who are scheduled to work 20 hours per week or more shall receive full time creditable service for their length of employment

Buybacks and Repayments

1. When a member makes a repayment, they buy back time, not rights. This means that an individual is subject to the rights as they exist on the date that the individual re-enters the retirement system. The individual is not entitled to the rights that were in effect during the period of service that is being purchased.
2. Only an active or an inactive member may make a buyback. Retirees or non-members may not make a buyback.
3. Former employees who were excluded from membership by rules of the Board at the time of their employment are not eligible to buyback creditable service from Easthampton Retirement. These individuals may purchase this creditable service from their current system under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 32, Section 3(5).
4. A part-time employee who was not eligible during their past employment to contribute to the Easthampton Retirement System, who subsequently becomes full-time in the Easthampton Retirement System, may upon request, buyback their part-time service on a prorated basis on twenty hours per week.
5. A spouse of a member who dies prior to retirement may make a buyback or repayment within 90 days from the date the Board notifies spouse of retirement option. The Board shall notify the spouse of these rights and should specifically mention any unpaid service that is known to the Board.

Regular Compensation:

Miscellaneous: 

July 13, 1993

Information Required of Employing Departments

1. The employing department shall, within 30 days, according to the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 32, Sec. 3 (g), be responsible for furnishing to the Administrator of the Retirement System any information requested in order that membership qualification and creditable service can be verified.
2. Department head should notify the Retirement system of an employee’s injury on the job within 30 days of the injury.