Reemployed Retirees

1. What is a reemployed retiree?
2. What are the restrictions for an STRS Ohio retiree who wants to return to teaching?
3. What happens if a retiree violates the reemployment restrictions?
4. Are there any situations in which a retiree may return to work immediately after retirement without penalty?
5. What is the employer’s responsibility when hiring a retiree?
6. Are reemployed retirees eligible to participate in the Defined Contribution Plan or the Combined Plan?
7. Is the first of the month the only day a member can retire? If so, when can they return as a reemployed retiree without being penalized?

1. What is a reemployed retiree?
   A reemployed retiree is anyone receiving a retirement benefit from an Ohio public retirement system or the City of Cincinnati Retirement System who has returned to Ohio public employment. Retirees of federal, out-of-state or private employment who are working with an Ohio public employer are not considered reemployed retirees.
2. What are the restrictions for an STRS Ohio retiree who wants to return to teaching?
   • A retiree cannot work or volunteer with any public employer for the first two months following his or her effective retirement date.
   • After the first two months of retirement, a retiree can be reemployed and work an unlimited number of days in an STRS Ohio-covered position.
   • Retirees employed at the time of retirement in positions with more than one employer covered by STRS Ohio, OPERS and SERS, who retire from the highest paying position, may continue to work with no waiting period in one or all of the lower paying, or secondary, positions. Position is defined as all employment with a single employer. The retiree must wait two months before returning to any other public employment.
   • STRS Ohio members receiving disability retirement or disability allowance benefits also are ineligible for reemployment in an STRS Ohio-covered position.
3. What happens if a retiree violates the reemployment restrictions?
   Violations of the two-month restriction will result in loss of retirement benefits for the months of violation. The amount of compensation paid to a retiree for service does not change or eliminate reemployment restrictions. In other words, retirees who volunteer their services are subject to the same two-month restriction as those who receive compensation.
4. Are there situations in which a retiree may return to work immediately after retirement without penalty?
   Yes. If a member is employed at the time of retirement in positions with more than one employer covered by STRS Ohio, OPERS and SERS, the member may retire from the highest paying position and continue to work with no waiting period in one or all of the lower paying, or secondary, positions. Position is defined as all employment with a single employer. However, the retiree must wait two months before returning to any other public employment.
5. What is the employer’s responsibility when hiring a retiree?
   Employers are required to notify STRS Ohio within one month of employing a retiree. Notification is completed by submitting a Reemployed Retiree Notification form. Employers who fail to notify STRS Ohio are responsible for any overpayment of benefits as a result of reemploying a retiree.
   
   Employers are required to remit 10% reemployed retiree contributions as well as 14% employer contributions on compensation earned by a reemployed retiree. The contributions should be identified as reemployed retiree contributions, not member contributions, on the Annual Report.
6. Are reemployed retirees eligible to participate in the Defined Contribution Plan or the Combined Plan?
   No. A reemployed retiree is not eligible to contribute to STRS Ohio as a member with an option to select the Defined Contribution Plan or the Combined Plan. The reemployed retiree’s contributions accumulate in an account that is separate from the retiree’s original member account.
7. Is the first of the month the only day a member can retire? If so, when can they return as a reemployed retiree without being penalized?
   STRS Ohio members are only eligible to retirement the first day of the month. If the member wants to return to employment, they must wait at least two months before returning without violating the reemployment restrictions.

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