Frequently Asked Questions

A reemployed retiree is anyone receiving a retirement benefit from an Ohio public retirement system or an alternative retirement plan (ARP) 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.

Employers must notify STRS Ohio within 10 business days of the retiree’s first day on payroll. To do this, submit a reemployed retiree notification using ESS or secure file upload. Employers who fail to notify STRS Ohio are responsible for any overpayment of benefits as a result of reemploying a retiree. See Notification Process for more information.

• Retirees cannot work with any Ohio public employer for the first two months following their effective retirement date. After the first two months of retirement, retirees can be reemployed and work an unlimited number of days in an Ohio public position.
• Retirees employed at the time of retirement in positions with more than one employer covered by STRS Ohio, OPERS and SERS, may retire from the highest paying position and continue to work with no waiting period in one or all of the lower paying positions. (Position is defined as all employment with a single employer.) The member must have held the secondary position for at least 12 consecutive months before retirement to be eligible to continue working with the secondary employer with no waiting period.
• STRS Ohio disability benefit recipients are ineligible for reemployment in any paid or volunteer position that performs teaching services.

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.

Disability benefit recipients who perform any paid or volunteer teaching services will lose their disability benefits.

When employing a reemployed retiree, you may receive a request to complete a violation period certification to verify if the retiree returned to work before the end of the two-month waiting period. Section 3307.35, Revised Code, stipulates that anyone receiving a benefit from an Ohio public retirement system or an alternative retirement plan (ARP) is prohibited from returning to work in public employment for two months after their retirement effective date. Any retiree who violates this restriction will forfeit monthly benefits for any month of violation. View instructions for completing this certification in ESS.

No. The reemployed retiree’s contributions accumulate in an account that is separate from the retiree’s original member account.

Yes. However, STRS Ohio health care coverage for reemployed retirees not eligible for Medicare is limited to secondary coverage under STRS Ohio’s Aetna Basic Plan when they: (1) are eligible for medical and prescription coverage through their employer, or (2) hold a position for which other similarly situated employees are eligible for medical and prescription coverage. Please note that the determination similarly situated employee is based on position and employment status (part time/full time), not retirement status.

The rule applies to all reemployed retirees who are not eligible for Medicare, regardless of hire date or type of employment.

Reemployed retirees who qualify only for STRS Ohio secondary coverage would need to obtain primary coverage from the employer or another plan.

View the Understanding Health Insurance Rules for Reemployed Retirees fact sheet for more information. Sample scenarios can also be found the Employment After Retirement brochure on the STRS Ohio member website.