Membership:
August 28, 2023:
The Worcester Regional Retirement Board shall have and exercise full jurisdiction to determine eligibility for membership in the system.
All full-time employees of the member units are eligible for membership in the Worcester Regional Retirement System.
Employees who work 1040 hours or more in a calendar year must become members of the system.
Part time, provisional, temporary, seasonal, or intermittent employment or service less than 1040 hours in a calendar year is not eligible for membership.
Additionally, 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.
Applicability
These regulations shall apply to membership and creditable service calculated for member buybacks, membership transfers to other Massachusetts retirement systems, and retirement benefit calculations for members of the Worcester Regional Retirement System retiring on or after August 28, 2023.
February 24, 2021:
The Worcester Regional Retirement Board shall have and exercise full jurisdiction to determine eligibility for membership in the retirement system.
All permanent full-time employees of the member units are required to become members of the Worcester Regional Retirement System (“WRRS”). The Board considers an employee who is permanently employed at least 30 hours per week to be considered full-time. All other employees are considered part-time.
Effective July 1, 2021:
Employees who are permanently employed 20 or more hours per week in a single member unit are required to become members of the WRRS. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no part-time employees shall be eligible for WRRS membership until the employee has completed 15 consecutive months of employment; provided, for all school employees who are not required to work in July and August, those months will not be counted towards the 15 consecutive months, and not working July and August will not be considered a break in service in calculating the 15 consecutive months; provided further, this proviso shall not apply to any individual who is a WRRS member on July 1, 2021 or employees who, at the time of qualifying for WRRS membership, are members of another Massachusetts public employee retirement system with an account eligible for transfer pursuant to MGL c. 32, § 3(8).
October 14, 2011:
The Worcester Regional Retirement Board shall have and exercise full jurisdiction to determine eligibility for membership in the retirement system.
All permanent full-time employees of the member units are eligible for membership in the Worcester Regional Retirement System.
Employees who are regularly scheduled to work 1040 hours or more in a calendar year must become members of the retirement system.
Part time, provisional, temporary, seasonal, or intermittent employment or service of fewer than 1040 hours in a calendar year is not eligible for membership.
Employees, elected officials, and appointed officials who earn less than $5,000 per year are not eligible for membership in the retirement system pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L.c.32s.4(1)(o).
January 26, 1993:
At a meeting of the Worcester County Retirement Board, a vote was taken to accept only teacher aides, who are employed for 1,040 hours or more per year.
Creditable Service:
August 28, 2023:
Any member in service who is employed in a full-time capacity will receive 1 month of creditable service for each full month for which the member receives regular compensation and makes contributions to the retirement system. Said service shall not exceed 1 year of creditable service in any calendar year.
Any member who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her entire career will receive 1 month of creditable service for each full month for which the member receives regular compensation and makes contributions to the retirement system. Said service shall not exceed 1 year of creditable service in a calendar year.
Any member who is employed in a full-time capacity who becomes employed in a part-time capacity, or conversely, any member who is employed in a part-time capacity who becomes employed in a full-time capacity, shall receive full-time credit for all full-time service and pro-rated credit for part-time service based upon the full-time equivalency of said member unit(s). For units in which a full-time work week is equivalent to 40 hours, the full-time equivalency is 173.333 hours per month. For units in which a full-time work week is equivalent to 37.5 hours, the full-time equivalency is 162.5 hours per month.
It is the policy of the Worcester Regional Retirement Board to accept liability pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32, s. 3(8)(c) consistent with this regulation for former employees of member units whose positions were funded through the federal Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) and who otherwise would have been eligible for membership in the Worcester Regional Retirement System at the time said service was actually rendered.
Non-certified school district employees serving in a non-teaching capacity who are continuously employed during a school year shall receive 1 month of creditable service for each full month of membership service, with 10 months being the equivalent of 1 year of creditable service. Any eligible school district employee serving in a part-time capacity shall have their creditable service pro-rated based upon the full-time equivalency of 1170 hours per school year.
Any member employed in a School District where employment requires service for the entire calendar year will receive creditable service based on a 12-month year.
Applicability
These regulations shall apply to membership and creditable service calculated for member buybacks, membership transfers to other Massachusetts retirement systems, and retirement benefit calculations for members of the Worcester Regional Retirement System retiring on or after August 28, 2023.
Service Purchases
It shall be the sole responsibility of the member to obtain and provide to the Board verification of this past service rendered, including but not limited to payroll records verified by the payroll coordinator for the employer or any other employee who has the similar duties of the payroll coordinator indicating the amount of compensation received and amount of hours worked for each calendar year in which service is sought to be purchased. In the event that any or all of such original documentation is unavailable, the Board may exercise its discretion pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32, s. 20(5)(c)(1), on a case-by-case basis to accept alternative documentation to verify said service and compensation.
Creditable service pertaining to the make-up of eligible non-membership service shall be prorated based upon the full-time equivalency of 2080 hours per year.
Payment for Purchase of Creditable Service
Buyback for prior eligible service, purchase of military service, or repayments for refunded service must be made in lump-sum prior to the granting of any creditable service.
April 22, 2022:
For those members who have been permanently appointed to the same fire department in which they have rendered service as a call firefighter beyond the five (5) years M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(b) permits, and whose host municipality has adopted Section 4(2)(b)'s local option provision which permits the permanent firefighter to receive credit for one day of full-time service each day in any year which is subsequent to the fifth year following said appointment and on which a call firefighter was assigned to and actually performed duty as a call firefighter, the Board shall credit one (1) month of service for each month in which said call firefighter serves according the following schedule: (a) for call firefighters who do not work a scheduled shift but are on-call to respond to actual calls, responding to calls on fifteen (15) days will be the equivalent of one (1) month of service; (b) for call firefighters who work a scheduled shift, and that shift is for a pre-determined amount of hours, working 15 shifts will be the equivalent of one (1) month of service; and (c) for call firefighters who work twenty-four (24) hour shifts, working ten (10) shifts will be the equivalent of one (1) month of service. Members will be permitted to combine months during which they did not work the requisite amount of shifts to receive credit for a full month of service using the applicable formula to obtain additional credit, which will be granted in monthly increments. For example, if a call firefighter who works a 24-hour shift works 5 shifts in two (2) separate months, the member will be able to purchase an additional month of service. All service purchases pursuant to this regulation will be calculated pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(c).
The liability for any Section 4(2)(b) service purchase will be assessed to the municipality that has adopted Section 4(2)(b)’s local option provision
October 14, 2011:
Any member in service who is employed in a full-time capacity will receive 1 month of creditable service for each full month for which the member receives regular compensation and makes contributions to the retirement system. Said service shall not exceed 1 year of creditable service in any calendar year.
Any member who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her entire career will receive 1 month of creditable service for each full month for which the member receives regular compensation and makes contributions to the retirement system. Said service shall not exceed 1 year of creditable service in any calendar year.
Any member who is employed in a part-time capacity who becomes employed in a full-time capacity shall receive full credit for all full-time service and pro-rated credit for part-time service based on the full-time equivalency of 173 hours per month.
Any member who is employed in a full-time capacity who becomes employed in a part-time capacity shall receive full-time credit for all full-time service and pro-rated credit for part-time service based upon the full-time equivalency of 173 hours per month.
Any member who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her entire career and has either purchased past refunded service, or has transferred into the Worcester Regional Retirement System previous service rendered in a full-time capacity will receive pro-rated credit for part-time service based on the full-time equivalency of 173 hours per month.
It is the policy of the Worcester Regional Retirement Board to accept liability pursuant to M.G.L.c.32 s.3(8)(c) consistent with this regulation for former employees of member units whose positions were funded through the federal Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) and who otherwise would have been eligible for membership in the Worcester Regional Retirement System at the time said service was actually rendered.
Buyback for prior eligible service, purchase of military service, or repayments for refunded service must be made in lump-sum prior to the granting of any creditable service. It shall be the sole responsibility of the member to obtain and provide to the Board verification of this past service rendered, including but not limited to payroll records verified by the payroll coordinator for the employer or any other employee who has the similar duties of the payroll coordinator indicating the amount of compensation received and amount of hours worked for each calendar year in which service is sought to be purchased. In the event that any or all of such original documentation is unavailable, the Board may exercise its discretion pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32 s. 20(5)(c)(l), on a case by case basis, to accept alternative documentation to verify said service and compensation.
Non-certified School District employees serving in a non-teaching capacity who are continuously employed during a school year shall receive 1 month of creditable service for each full month of membership service, with 10 months being the equivalent of 1 year of creditable service. Any eligible school district employee serving in a part-time capacity shall have their creditable service pro-rated in the same manner as all members of the retirement system, as set forth in this regulation.
Any member employed in a School District whose employment requires service for the entire calendar year will receive creditable service based on a 12 month year.
June 30, 1986:
School Employees - Full-time employees working during the school year receive 1 full year of creditable service.
December 28, 1984:
Elected members of water district are allowed one full year of creditable service for each calendar year served as an elected official.
Cafeteria - 6 hours per day is considered a full day. The Retirement Board will allow full year service to include summer months off. If a cafeteria employee works less than 6 hours per day, 5, 4, or 3 hours per day, then service is prorated and based on a 6 hour full day and creditable service is allowed at 83%, 66% or 50% of full 12 months.
Library - If a librarian works all of the hours the library is open, that being 20 hours or more per week, then the retirement board will allow full creditable service. If a member works part-time and not the full hours of the library, then such hours worked will be prorated against the hours the library is opened.
Part-time police work - use hourly rate to determine hours worked based on 37 hours per week being full-time. All other part-time employees will have their time prorated, using a 35-hour week as full time.
Free Prior Service (before 7/1/47) or Date of Charter - $50.00 per month equals one full year of creditable service
School Employees - Full-time employees working during the school year receive 1 full year of creditable service.
Regular Compensation:
Miscellaneous:
October 12, 2016:
Correction of Errors
In all case in which a benefit calculation error occurs that results in an underpayment or non-payment of a pension or benefit to a member or beneficiary, or in the event of any overpayment as the result of an error to a member or beneficiary, the Board shall, consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, §20(5)(c)(2) pay to or collect from the member or beneficiary as the case may be, the actuarial equivalent of the benefit paid or received in error. Pursuant to the Supreme Judicial Court decision in Herrick v. Essex Regional Retirement Board, 465 Mass. 801 (2013) and PERAC Memorandum #32/2013, the Board has determined that the actuarial equivalent requires that the interest to be applied will be calculated for each calendar year at 3%.
October 14, 2011:
Applicability:
These regulations shall apply to membership and creditable service calculated for member buybacks, membership transfers to other Massachusetts retirement systems, and retirement benefit calculations for members of the Worcester Regional Retirement System retiring on or after October 14, 2011.