Switching Between Part Time and Full Time
Changing From Part-Time, Seasonal, Intermittent, or Project
Contract Status to Full-Time Permanent Status
Employees who change to full-time permanent status become
eligible for ACERA
membership. Upon becoming eligible, your employer’s
payroll clerk or Human Resources department will provide you with
an ACERA
Welcome Form. You need to complete and return this form to
your employer. The form provides ACERA with the information
needed to begin your membership.
Once you establish your membership, you may decide you wish to
purchase service
credit to obtain credit for your period(s) of part-time or
ineligible status service.
Changing From Full-Time Permanent to Part-Time, Seasonal,
Intermittent, or Project status
During the course of your ACERA-covered employment, your job
status may change from full-time permanent to part-time,
seasonal, intermittent, or project status. In such an event you
would remain a contributing ACERA
member. Your employee
contributions continue and you continue to earn ACERA service
credit for your hours worked. You cannot discontinue membership
unless you terminate employment.
Moving From One Participating Employer to Another
In general, your move from one participating employer to another
(such as from Alameda County to Alameda Health System) should be
seamless if there is no break in employment. In most cases, no
action on your part is required. However, in the event you
receive an ACERA Termination
Election of Membership Request Form. You should follow these
steps:
- If no break in service (no lapse days), contact your new
employer; let them know you are already an ACERA member. You will
not be required to complete an ACERA Welcome Form.
- Please note, your new employer may not withhold your employee
contribution for the first pay period. If this occurs contact
ACERA member Services for information on making up your missed
contribution to ensure you do not lose credit for that service.
Taking a Job With Another Public Employer
In the event you terminate your ACERA-covered employment and
become a member of another pension system in California by
accepting a position with another public employer (e.g., with the
State of California), within 180 days of termination of your
ACERA covered employment you may be eligible to establish a
reciprocal
agreement between ACERA and your new employer’s retirement
system.
You will need to complete and return an ACERA
Termination Election Form to ACERA. When completing the form,
be sure to complete these sections:
- Elect to defer your membership in Section A
- Elect to establish reciprocity in Section B, and note the
name of your new employer’s retirement system
OR
- Elect to withdraw funds. If you do so, you waive your rights
to future benefits and establishing reciprocity
After returning your form to ACERA, contact your new employer for
information regarding any further action you may need to take to
establish reciprocity.
You are not eligible for reciprocity if your ACERA covered
employment and your new employment overlap (i.e., vacation or
leave time taken with ACERA covered employment and simultaneous
new employment).
Changing Between General and Safety Membership
If you change membership types during the course of your
ACERA-covered employment—for example, moving from a general
member position to a safety member position—contact us to ensure the date of this change is
accurately processed.
When you retire, your benefit under both membership types will be
calculated separately. The appropriate formula will be used for
your general member service and the appropriate formula will be
used for safety member service. Note that all service will count
toward vesting and
retirement
eligibility. Your ACERA member entry date will not change if
there is no break in your service.
Returning to Work From Medical Leave, State Disability Insurance
Leave, or Military Leave
If you take an unpaid medical leave, state disability insurance
leave, or military leave and subsequently return to
work, you have the option to buy that period
as service
credit once you return from the leave. For the medical leave
and state disability insurance leave, you can do this for periods
of up to 12 consecutive months before your next compensation was
received. Other types of unpaid leave are not eligible for
service credit purchase. Other rules and restrictions apply,
so please review our Purchasing and
Redepositing Service Credit page for all of the information
including instructions on how to request a service credit
purchase.
You Will Forfeit Some or All of Your Pension if You’re Convicted
of a Felony Arising Out of Your Work
For details, see ACERA’s
Felony Forfeiture Policy.
