Membership:
September 30, 2009:
If a seasonal, temporary and/or intermittent employee later becomes a permanent member of the Hingham Contributory Retirement System, that employee would be allowed to purchase service for that period of employment pursuant to G.L. c.32, § 4(a) and any service granted as a result of such purchase would be included in calculating the allowance payable.
December 2, 2005:
The following regulation is applicable to and mandatory for all current and future employees of the Town of Hingham, Hingham Municipal Light Plant, Hingham Housing Authority and the Hingham School Department, excluding School Department employees who are eligible for membership in the Massachusetts Teacher's Retirement System:
Employees regularly scheduled to work twenty (20) or more hours per week shall join the Hingham Contributory Retirement System.
Employees working part-time and/or less than twenty (20) hours per week are not eligible to join the Hingham Contributory Retirement System.
Any active or inactive member who becomes a temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employee shall continue to be a member of the Retirement System.
Membership date will be based upon commencement of regularly scheduled twenty (20) hours or more of service to the member units.
December 28, 1992:
Full-time employment shall be defined as 35 hours per week for administrative, clerical and library employees (32 hours per week for certain library employees); 40 hours per week for custodians, laborers and hourly rated employees; 42 hours per week for uniformed employees of the fire department and four consecutive eight hour days followed by two consecutive days off duty for uniformed employees of the police department.
A part-time employee hired on or after January 4, 1993 and working 20 or more hours per week may elect to join the Retirement System upon completion of any probationary period. If such employee elects to join the defined contribution plan (PEBSCO) at the time of hire in lieu of joining the Retirement System, such employee shall not be eligible to join the Retirement System until after two years of membership in such plan.
Part-time seasonal, part-time temporary and part-time intermittent employees shall not be eligible for membership in the Retirement System.
November 27, 1990:
To require full-time employment as a criteria for membership in the Retirement System.
Full-time employment is defined as 35 hours per week for administrative, clerical and library employees; 40 hours per week for custodians, laborers and hourly rated employees; 42 hours per week for uniformed employees of the fire department. The work schedule for uniformed members of the police department shall be four consecutive 8 hour days on duty followed by 2 consecutive days off duty. School bus drivers who work a minimum of 25 hours per week when school is in session shall be included. Any employee who works full-time for eight or more consecutive months per year shall be eligible.
If a full-time member in service of the Retirement System on October 1, 1990 becomes a part-time employee at any time after October 1, 1990, he or she may remain a members of the Retirement System.
The above stated policy applies to all employees hired by the town of Hingham on or after October 1, 1990.
December 18, 1984:
Part-time employees who are employed for at least 34 consecutive weeks of not less than 24 hours each week, in every calendar year, must become members of the Retirement System.
Creditable Service:
December 2, 2005:
The following regulation is applicable to and mandatory for all current and future employees of the Town of Hingham, Hingham Municipal Light Plant, Hingham Housing Authority and the Hingham School Department, excluding School Department employees who are eligible for membership in the Massachusetts Teacher's Retirement System:
All full-time/part-time employees having been regularly scheduled and worked twenty (20) or more hours per week will receive one month of creditable service for each full calendar month in which the employee is receiving regular compensation for said service.
In addition, Hingham School Department employees whose employment requires them to work only 10 months (September 1 - June 30), shall receive one month of creditable service for each full month the employee received regular compensation, with 10 months being the equivalent of one year of creditable service. Said employees shall be granted one (1) full year of service credit if they return to that position the following September. They shall be granted credit only for the months worked if they do not return after summer break.
BUYBACKS/MAKE-UPS/RE-DEPOSITS:
The following regulation is applicable to and mandatory for all current and future employees of the Town of Hingham, Hingham Municipal Light Plant, Hingham Housing Authority and the Hingham School Department, excluding School Department employees who are eligible for membership in the Massachusetts Teacher's Retirement System:
Creditable service may be purchased one of three ways:
1. Lump sum payment.
2. Three equal payments distributed over the three (3) consecutive months.
3. Via payroll deductions paid over a period not to exceed five (5) years.
Creditable Service buyback payments must commence within 30 days of the date of acceptance by the Board. Regular interest (1/2 of the actuarial assumed interest rate) will accrue on any principal balance remaining on December 31st of each calendar year.
Creditable service for the purposes of buybacks will be calculated based upon the following: (per calendar year)
Less than one (1) month - No creditable service
One (1) month to eleven (11) months - Month for month
Twelve (12) months - One (1) year
One (1) year of credit for ten (10) months of service may only be granted for school employees whose work schedule is the academic school year.
When purchasing prior part-time service, if wage and/or salary documentation cannot be obtained, a W-2 form shall be supplied by the applicant. If the applicant cannot supply a W-2 form, he/she can request a hearing before the Retirement Board.
For the purpose of calculating buyback "months", the Hingham Contributory Retirement System will review the period of part-time service and will allow a month for each calendar month wherein an average of twenty (20) hours or more per week of service was provided to the member unit. No partial month creditable service will be granted.
For the purpose of calculating buyback "months" for a member whose work schedule is the academic school year, the Hingham Contributory Retirement System will prorate full months of service using the number of full months of actual service as determined above, divided by the ten (10) months of the academic school year. The quotient will then be multiplied by twelve (12) to determine the number of months of creditable service to be allowed under the buyback.
Employees may buyback their three (3) month probation period in accordance with and subject to, applicable laws and regulations.
Upon written request, and proper documentation of prior service, reserve or permanent-intermittent police officers who were on the respective list, eligible for assignment to duty and subsequently appointed to the Hingham Police Department as a permanent full-time employee, shall be credited as full-time service up to a maximum of five (5) years without repayment to the system in accordance with M.G.L c. 32 §4(2)(b).
Upon written request, and proper documentation of prior service, permanent-intermittent or call firefighters who were on the respective list, eligible for assignment to duty and subsequently appointed to the Hingham Fire Department as a permanent full-time employee, may purchase as full-time service up to a maximum of five (5) years in accordance with M.G.L c. 32 §4(2)(b).
MILITARY SERVICE BUYBACK:
The following regulation is applicable to and mandatory for all current and future employees of the Town of Hingham, Hingham Municipal Light Plant, Hingham Housing Authority and the Hingham School Department, excluding School Department employees who are eligible for membership in the Massachusetts Teacher's Retirement System:
Employees who qualify as a "veteran" under G.L. c. 32, §4(1)(h) can purchase up to four (4) years of active service in the Armed Forces of the United States which will be added to their creditable service as a member of the retirement system.
Any member who is a veteran must, within one hundred and eighty (180) days of being notified by the Hingham Retirement of his/her eligibility to purchase past service rendered in the armed forces of the United States, make application to purchase said service with the Board. Upon making such application, the member may purchase his/her past military service by paying an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the regular annual compensation of the member when the member first entered their retirement system subject to provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, for each year the member wishes to purchase, not to exceed a maximum of four (4) years of service.
Military service may be purchased one of three ways:
1. Lump sum payment.
2. Three equal payments distributed over the three (3) consecutive months.
3. Via payroll deductions paid over a period not to exceed five (5) years.
Veterans with a legitimate hardship in purchasing their military time through the above methods can request a hearing before the Retirement Board.
Military service buyback payments must commence within 30 days of the date of acceptance by the board. Regular interest (1/2 of the actuarial assumed interest rate) will accrue on any principal balance remaining on December 31st of each calendar year.
If any member is laid-off or his/her position is eliminated due to budgetary constraints, the buyback period will be suspended, and in the event that the member is rehired or resumes employment with the Town of Hingham and is then again eligible to contribute to the System, he/she must resume the installment schedule in effect prior to the layoff or termination. If the member voluntarily leaves employment with the Town of Hingham or is terminated for cause, the buyback period will not be suspended, and the Board will grant creditable service on a prorated basis consistent with the total amount due on the buyback and the amount remitted to the Board prior to the termination of employment.
In the event that a member transfers to another retirement system prior to the completion of the installment plan, the Board will determine the amount of service purchased based on the payments received, and accept liability for said service consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, §3(8)(c).
December 18, 1984:
All part-time employees shall be granted one year membership service credit for each three years of part-time provisional or temporary employment.
Part-time employees:
Board of Registrars, Sealers of Weights and Measures, Child Clinic Doctor, School Dentist, School Doctor, Harbormaster, Town Hall Custodian.
Call firefighters were omitted from this definition because their creditable service is more specifically addressed in G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(b).
Regular Compensations:
Miscellaneous:
ELECTION RULES:
June 13, 1994:
Approval of election schedule to fill unexpired portion of elected member’s term.