Frequently Asked Questions
Q. | How is Past Service Credit determined? |
A. |
You will be entitled to Past Service Credit if you were employed by a(n):
Past Service Credit will be based on your continuous service with your employer before the applicable date above. The maximum Past Service Credit is 10 years. Under the last category above, Past Service Credit may be limited to fewer than 10 years. [3.1] |
Q. | What is a Break in Service? |
A. |
A Break in Service occurs if you have two consecutive Plan Years during which you do not work any covered hours in each year. |
Q. | What types of absences can prevent a Break in Service? |
A. |
Military service, absence for pregnancy, birth, or care of a newborn child, disability and certain other employment may prevent a Break in Service. [Sections 1.10, 2.2, and 3.3] |
Q. | What happens if I have a Break in Service? |
A. |
If you have a Break in Service and you have fewer than five years of Vesting Service, then your participation under the Plan ends, and you could lose your Pension Credit. Special rules may apply, such as when you transfer to employment covered by a pension fund that participates in a formal pro rata Pension Credit agreement with the Plan. If you have five or more years of Vesting Service, then you have a vested right to future Retirement Benefits. Benefits that are vested cannot be lost even if you have a Break in Service. [3.4] |
Q. | What happens if I have a Break in Service with fewer than five years of Vesting Service, and I later return to work covered by the Plan? Can I forfeit Service? |
A. |
If you have fewer than five years of Vesting Service (and fewer than five years of Minimum Vesting Service) and you have no hours of Covered Employment for five consecutive years following your Break in Service, then you have a Forfeiture of Service. If you subsequently return to work in Covered Employment, you are treated as if you are working in Covered Employment for the first time. If you return to Covered Employment sooner, the credit you had at the time of your Break in Service will not be forfeited. Different rules apply if you had a Break in Service before May 1, 1985. [Section 3.4] |