Reemployment Limitations

Overview

STRS Ohio members who choose to be reemployed after retirement should be aware of the rules associated with reemployment and their service retirement benefit.

Reemployment limitations apply to any individual who is receiving a retirement benefit from an Ohio public retirement system or alternative retirement plan (ARP) who returns to Ohio public employment. The six Ohio public retirement systems are STRS Ohio, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System, Highway Patrol Retirement System, Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund and City of Cincinnati Retirement System.

Retirees of federal, out-of-state or private employment who are working with an Ohio public employer are not considered reemployed retirees.

For a comprehensive overview of reemployment rules, please see the Employment After Retirement brochure on the STRS Ohio member website.

Limitations in Ohio Public Employment

Members planning to return to Ohio public employment must terminate employment from their primary (highest paying) public employer to be eligible for retirement benefits. Reemployment cannot begin until after the retirement is effective.

STRS Ohio disability benefit recipients are ineligible for reemployment as a teacher while receiving benefits. If they perform any paid or volunteer teaching services, their disability benefit will be terminated.

One-Day Break in Service

To be eligible for retirement, there must be a minimum one-day break in service between the last day of employment as an active member and the first day of employment as a reemployed retiree. This one day must be the last workday of the month before the retirement date or the first workday of the retirement month. The one-day break must be a normal workday and cannot be a Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

For example, if the member’s retirement date is July 1 and:

  • The member’s last paid workday is between June 1 and June 29, the first day the member can return to work to be eligible to retire will be July 1 (as long as June 30 is a normal workday).
  • The member’s last paid workday is June 30, the first day the member can return to work to be eligible to retire will be July 2 (as long as July 1 is a normal workday).

Working during the first two months of retirement may cause a loss of retirement benefits. See below for details.

Single Employer

If a member is employed by only one Ohio public employer at the time of retirement, the member must wait two months after the retirement effective date to return to public employment. Also, a member cannot volunteer in the same position from which he or she retired for the first two months following the retirement effective date.

If a member is reemployed within the first two months of retirement or continues in the same position as a nonpaid volunteer, the member will be in violation of the two-month waiting period and will forfeit retirement benefits for any month of violation. If the member volunteers, he or she can never be paid for the services rendered during the volunteer period. Simply deferring payment until later will not eliminate the violation.

Multiple Employers (Defined Benefit Plan Members Only)

If a member is employed at the time of retirement by more than one employer covered by STRS Ohio, OPERS or SERS, the member may retire with the highest paying (primary) employer and continue to work with one or all of the lower paying (secondary) employers with no waiting period. To be eligible to continue to work with a secondary employer, the member must have worked and earned compensation from that employer for each of the 12 months before and in the month of retirement.

For example, if the retirement date is July 1, 2024, the member must be working in the secondary position in July 2023 and continue to work in each of the next 12 months into July 2024.

A secondary employer is defined as any STRS Ohio, OPERS or SERS employer with which the member earned less compensation than was earned with the highest paying employer (in that fiscal year or in the previous 12-month period) and the member is continuing employment with that employer in the first month of retirement.

If the secondary employer is covered by OPERS or SERS, the member must also combine that account with their STRS Ohio account at retirement to avoid a forfeiture of benefits. Members may have more than one secondary employer. The “one-day break in service” referenced above does not apply to employment with a secondary employer.