Rehired Annuitant

When you return to work at the University as a rehired annuitant of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), your retirement date and your job attributes will determine whether or not you are required to or have the option to be covered by the WRS.

If you retired on or after July 2, 2013:

Your annuity will be suspended and you are required to be covered by the WRS if you are expected to work at least one year and at least 2/3 of full-time:

• Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees: if you are expected to work one year and 880 hours (42% appointment for twelve-month employees and 56% appointment for nine-month employees), your annuity will be suspended and you will be an active WRS employee.
• University Staff employees: if you are expected to work one year and 1,200 hours (58% appointment), your annuity will be suspended and you will be an active WRS employee.
• If a rehired annuitant enters into a contract with the University (for example, as an independent contractor), and is expected to work at least one year and at least 2/3 of full-time, the annuity will be suspended and no annuity payment is payable until the rehired annuitant no longer provides services under the contract. You will be an active WRS employee.

If you are not expected to work at least one year and at least 2/3 of full-time, you will continue to receive your annuity and your wages from the University.

If you retired prior to July 2, 2013:

You are “grandfathered” and not subject to the above rules. If your job as a rehired annuitant is eligible for coverage under the WRS, you may choose whether or not you want to stop your annuity and be covered by the WRS. You are eligible for the WRS if you are expected to work at least one year and at least 1/3 of full-time:

• Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees: if you are expected to work at least one year and 440 hours (21% appointment for twelve-month employees and 28% appointment for nine-month employees), you can decide whether or not to stop your annuity. If you stop your annuity you will be an active WRS employee.
• University Staff employees: if you are expected to work one year and 600 hours (29% appointment), you can decide whether or not to stop your annuity. If you stop your annuity you will be an active WRS employee.

Once you elect to go back under the WRS, you will lose grandfathered status and be subject to the rehired annuitant rules effective July 2, 2013.

All Rehired Annuitants

All rehired annuitants must complete a Rehired Annuitant Form (ET-2319) within 7 days of returning to work, even if your appointment is not eligible for the WRS. Submit the form to your benefits office. If you are not eligible for the WRS when you first return to work but you later become eligible for the WRS, you must complete another Rehired Annuitant Election.

What’s Considered a Valid Termination and Break in Employment?

In order to have a valid break in employment before returning to work you must:

• Stop working for all WRS employers (receive no pay for services rendered – date of final paycheck irrelevant); and
• Have officially resigned per employer policy; and
• Have no rights to future employment for pay at a WRS employer; and
• Have no authority to act as an employee; and
• Have been paid out all applicable leave benefits; and
• Serve the required minimum break in employment:
  • If retirement date is on or after July 2, 2013 - You are required to serve a 75-day break in employment. The break in employment begins on your retirement date and ends on the latest of the following:
    
    • 76th day after termination from all WRS participating employment.
  • If retirement date is prior to July 2, 2013 - You are required to serve a 30-day break in employment. The break in employment begins on your retirement date and ends on the latest of the following:
    • The day after the annuity effective date; or
    • The 31st day after the termination date; or
    • The 31st day after ETF receives the retirement application.

Before you retire, you can NOT discuss returning to work after retirement with your employer. There CANNOT be an enforceable contract (verbal or written) in place to return to work before your retirement date. You may not discuss, negotiate, or enter into an employment contract with the University prior to or during the required minimum break in employment.

If the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) determines that your termination is not valid, your annuity could be stopped and any annuity payments considered to be paid in error must be returned.

Principal Investigators with on-going grants

Receipt of an on-going grant from non-University sources may not constitute a contract for or right to future University employment. Thus a Principal Investigator who is or will be receiving such a grant may retire from the University, begin a WRS annuity, and then make an agreement with the University to return to work on the grant after the required break in service. The employee may not enter into the new employment contract until after the termination date, and the minimum break in service is required. Compensation may not be paid for the period of the break in service. Each situation must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis to assure compliance with the required break in service, and the employee and employer must wait the required 75 day period before engaging in discussions that could appear to be an agreement for the return to employment.

Updated 9/30/2016

Rehired annuitants, whether or not covered by the WRS, are eligible for the following benefits:

• UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP)
• Wisconsin Deferred Compensation (WDC) 457 Program
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

If you are covered by the WRS, you are eligible for the following benefits:

• All benefits offered under the WRS Benefits Package

A rehired annuitant may be eligible for paid leave benefits. A rehired annuitant must meet the same paid leave eligibility requirements as active employees (see Leave Benefits for eligibility requirements). Only time worked as a rehired annuitant is used to determine your paid leave eligibility. A rehired annuitant does not have be covered by the WRS to earn paid leave benefits. 

If you qualify for paid leave as a rehired annuitant, the following leave provisions apply to you:

• Vacation
  • Faculty, Academic Staff & Limited appointees – 176 hours per fiscal year (prorated if part-time).
  • University Staff employees – Vacation based on years of continuous service – Service prior to retirement is included if you return to work within 5 years of your retirement.
  • The rules for vacation carryover, ability to bank vacation, and vacation payouts at termination apply to rehired annuitants the same as they apply to active employees.
• Sick Leave
  • Faculty, Academic Staff & Limited appointees – 96 hours per fiscal year (prorated if part-time).
    • Rehired annuitants are eligible for Faculty, Academic Staff & Limited Initial Entitlement if they meet the eligibility requirements and:
      • Return outside of their reinstatement period; or
      • Have never worked for the University previously
  • University Staff employees – 130 hours per year (prorated if part-time).
• Sick Leave Credit Conversion Program 
  • Sick leave converted at retirement to pay for health insurance will be saved by the Department of Employee Trust Funds and will not be available for use during employment.
  • If you elect not to participate in the WRS, any sick leave hours earned will not be credited to your retiree sick leave credit account upon re-retirement.
  • If you elect to go back under the WRS and you later re-retire, only sick leave hours earned while actively in the WRS will be converted and added to your saved sick leave credits.
• Personal Holiday – 36 hours per year (prorated if part-time)

• Information for Rehired Annuitants (ET-4105)
• Information for Retirees (ET-4116)
• Rehired Annuitant Form (ET-2319)
• UW System Administrative Policy 1229 (formerly GEN 10) Rehired Annuitants