Teachers Retirement System of Georgia Office Two Northside 75, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30318 Phone 404.352.6500 800.352.0650 Fax 404.352.4885 Call Center Hours 8am-5 pm, M-F Office Visiting Hours 8am-4:30 pm, M-F Website www.TRSGA.com Teachers Retirement System of Georgia WORKING IN RETIREMENT you are a retired member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS), you may be re-employed in a TRS covered position on either a full- or part-time basis, under certain terms and conditions, and continue to receive your TRS pension. In order to ensure a TRS retiree working in a TRS covered position is in compliance with Georgia Law, TRS must approve the employment prior to the retiree starting the job. It is your responsibility to inform the employer that you are a TRS retiree, and it is the employer's responsibility to report your employment to TRS. If you do return to work, you must have a break-in-service of at least one month (if the retirement date is July 1, you can begin working no earlier than August 1). TRS will review all retiree employment on a monthly basis, just as active member employment is reviewed. Additionally, both the Department of Audits and the Department of Labor will perform detailed audits of employment records searching for TRS retirees. Any discrepancies will be investigated and, if necessary, benefit payments may be terminated and/or funds collected for benefits wrongly paid. No Pre-Existing Agreement 47-3-101 of Georgia law requires employers to certify to the TRS Board of Trustees the date on which the employee's employment is or will be severed and that no agreement exists to allow the employee to return to service. This includes service as an independent contractor. Any return to employment or rendering of any paid service, including service for an independent contractor, for any employer during the calendar month of the effective date of retirement shall render the severance invalid and void the application for retirement. Full-Time Employment Temporary Employment You may be employed in any temporary full-time position for three months in a fiscal year and continue receiving monthly benefit payments. The full-time position must be paid at the normal contracted compensation. Optional Retirement Plan (Board of Regents only) If you did not retire from a position under Board of Regents, you are eligible to work full-time at a Board of Regents institution without jeopardizing any benefit payments. In order to do so, you must elect the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) mandated by the Board of Regents within 60 days of employment. Adjunct Professors (Board of Regents and Technical College System of Georgia Only) You may be employed as an adjunct professor in a full-time capacity on an unlimited basis at the historical rate of pay. These positions are not eligible for benefits. ERS/PSERS: (Technical College System of Georgia Only) If you did not retire from a position under the Technical College System of Georgia, you are eligible to work full-time with a technical institution without jeopardizing any benefit payments. You must elect ERS or PSERS within 30 days of employment. Continued on next panel > Part-Time Employment Hourly A schedule of the maximum hours that a retiree can work during each month of the fiscal year is located on our website at www.TRSGA.com. This calculation is based on the total business days for each month, less the generally observed holidays. This should accommodate all payroll cycles used by TRS employers. Salaried If you are salaried, you can only receive forty-nine percent (49%) of the normal monthly contracted compensation for the position being held. The employment cannot exceed forty-nine percent (49%) of the full-time status of the position. Contractual Employment Independent Contractor If you are engaged in an independent contracting relationship with a TRS covered employer, your compensation is limited to one-half of the average annual compensation used to calculate your retirement benefit or the final compensation at the time of your retirement, whichever is greater. A copy of the contract must be submitted to TRS prior to the effective date of the contract. Employed by an Entity doing business with a TRS Covered Employer If you are employed by an entity (e.g. partnership, corporation, etc.) doing business with a TRS covered employer, your compensation may be limited to one-half of the average annual compensation used to calculate your retirement benefit or the final compensation at the time of your retirement, whichever is greater. Documentation of your duties and responsibilities with the entity and your relationship with the TRS covered employer must be submitted to TRS. Other Allowable Employment Classroom Aide (Department of Education) You may be employed as a classroom aide in less than full-time capacity. The full-time status for this position is determined by the employer. Substitute Teaching (Department of Education only) If you retired on a service retirement, you may engage in unlimited substitute teaching in Georgia without suspension or reduction of your retirement benefits from TRS provided you are compensated as a sustitute teacher at the daily rate of pay. Private school teaching and out-of-state teaching will not affect your retirement benefit. Working in Retirement Table RETIREE RETURNING TO WORK FULL-TIME TO: RETIRED WITH TRS PENSION FROM: Board of Regents Technical College System of Georgia State Agency Other than Department of Education Local BOE, Charter School & RESA Library Board of Regents Technical College System of Georgia State Agency Other than Department of Education Local BOE, Charter School & RESA Library NOT allowed, including switch to ORP Allowed under ORP Allowed under ORP Allowed under ORP Allowed under ORP Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS NOT allowed, including switch Allowed under ERS to ERS Allowed under ERS NOT allowed unless new position is with a different agency in a different position Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS Allowed under PSERS Allowed under PSERS Allowed under PSERS Allowed under PSERS Allowed under PSERS Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed Not allowed State Department of Allowed under ORP Education Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS Allowed under PSERS Not allowed State Department of Education Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS Allowed for other state agencies other than Department of Education Allowed under ERS Allowed under ERS Allowed for other state agencies other than Department of Education Disability Employment If you retired on a disability retirement, Georgia law places strict salary limitations on disability retirees. ALL employment, including self-employment, must be reported to TRS prior to accepting the employment. TRS will monitor your employment and income on a regular basis and reduce your monthly benefit if necessary for compliance with Georgia law. Before accepting any post-retirement employment as a TRS disability retiree, contact the TRS office for detailed guidance and instructions.