Membership:
July 1, 2016:
A. Employees of all member units of the Plymouth County Retirement Association who are regularly employed in a permanent position for a minimum of 20 hours per week and who earn a minimum of $5,000 per year must become members of the retirement association.
B. Employees of all member units of the Plymouth County Retirement Association who are provisional, seasonal, temporary or intermittent, and who are regularly employed in a position for a minimum of 20 hours per week for a period of six consecutive months, and who earn a minimum of $5,000 per year, must become members of the retirement association at the conclusion of the six-month period. Such members shall be allowed to purchase prior non membership service.
C. Employees of all member units of the Plymouth County Retirement Association who are employed less than 20 hours per week are ineligible for initial membership.
D. Employees and appointed and elected officials of all member units of the Plymouth County Retirement Association who earn less than $5,000 per year are ineligible for initial membership.
E. For employees who do not qualify for membership in the Plymouth County Retirement Association and later become members in another Chapter 32 retirement system and subsequently seek to "buyback" their prior non-membership service with a member unit of the Plymouth County Retirement Association, the Plymouth County Retirement Association will not accept liability for such service.
Creditable Service:
October 19, 2021:
Members of the Plymouth County Retirement Association (PCRA) shall receive creditable membership service, in whole month increments, consistent with this regulation in the following manner:
- For a member in service who is employed in a full-time capacity, he/she will receive one (1) month of creditable service for each full month for which the employee receives regular compensation and remits the appropriate contributions to the PCRA, with said service not to exceed one (1) year of creditable service in any calendar year;
- For a member in service who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her entire career, he/she will receive one (1) month of creditable service for each full month for which the employee receives regular compensation and remits the appropriate contributions to the PCRA, with said service not to exceed one (1) year of creditable service in any calendar year.
- In the case of School Department employees whose full-time employment requires them to work from on or about September 1st to on or about June 30th, including but not limited to cafeteria workers, clerical and secretarial staff, teacher's assistant and teaching professionals, such as therapists, said employees shall receive one month of creditable service for each full month the employee is receiving regular compensation, with ten (10) months being the equivalent of one year of creditable service.
- The PCRA recognizes that certain School Department employees, including but not limited to custodians and secretaries, are required to work the entire calendar year, and in such a situation, said employee's creditable service will be calculated based on a twelve (12) month year.
- Creditable service for 10 month employees shall be based on 1720 hours being the equivalent of 1 year, whereas creditable service for 12 month employees shall be based on 2080 hours per year.
- Members of the PCRA may only purchase and receive credit for past non-membership service rendered in a member unit of the PCRA consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(c), or if the past service was rendered under the jurisdiction of another retirement system, such service may only be purchased pursuant to Section 3(5) if rendered in a temporary, provisional or substitute capacity, provided that the individual was excluded from membership in the other retirement system. All prior non-membership service shall be calculated with 173.33 hours being the equivalent of one (1) month of creditable service. Past non-membership service may be purchased consistent with this supplemental regulation. In addition, for all service rendered on or after July 1, 2009, no creditable service will be granted unless the individual was employed in a position for which the rate of annual compensation was fixed at least at $5,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to Section 25 of Chapter 21 of the Acts of 2009, creditable service shall be granted for the service of any member of the System serving in a paid position earning less than $5,000 after July 1, 2009, if such service is subject to a specified term as a result of an election, appointment or contract and the election, appointment or contract occurred or was executed prior to July 1, 2009, and if the service is otherwise eligible for creditable service pursuant to Sections 4(2)(c) and 3(5); and provided further, that such creditable service shall be granted until the expiration of the term, appointment or contract or July 1, 2012, whichever first occurred.
Members of the Plymouth County Retirement Association (PCRA) who previously rendered service in one of the member units of the PCRA and who were not eligible for membership in the System at the time the service was rendered, shall be eligible to purchase such past service rendered, in a lump sum or monthly increments,consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(c) and the PCRA's regulation regarding the calculation of creditable service. Members of the System who previously rendered service in another governmental unit outside of the PCRA in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and who were not eligible to participate in the retirement system which has jurisdiction over said governmental unit shall not be eligible to purchase such past service unless that service was rendered in a temporary, provisional or substitute capacity
October 13, 2005:
Any eligible member entitled to purchase credit for military service must notify the Plymouth County Retirement Board not later than 180 days of being notified of eligibility. The Board requires lump sum if the amount due is less than $500.00. If over this amount the Board will allow installment payments calculated as double the normal deductions. Interest will not be charged prior to the 180 days expiring. Interest will be charged on the unpaid balance of installment payments after the expiration of the 180 day period.
The Board requires lump sum if the amount due is less than $500.00. If over this amount the Board will allow installment payments calculated as double the normal deductions. Interest will not be charged prior to the 180 days expiring. Interest will be charged on the unpaid balance of installment payments after the expiration of the 180 day period.
June 6, 1990:
The retirement association will grant one full year of creditable service for retirement purposes to those employees of public school systems employed on a full time basis for a full academic year provided that such annual employment period consists of 180 days. This regulation shall apply to those clerical personnel, school nurses, aides and other employees eligible for membership in the retirement association. For the purposes of this regulation, regularly scheduled school vacations, release periods and holidays shall count toward the 180-day employment period.