Employment Service Credit
Under certain circumstances, the RF recognizes employment with other organizations in meeting service requirements for participation and vesting in its retirement plan.
This does not affect your contribution tier. Continuous, non-student employment with an eligible employer immediately preceding your RF appointment will be considered for qualified service credit.
In order to be qualified service, your employment must have terminated no more than one year before your RF appointment and must have been with:
- an accredited college or university in the United States, including State University of New York, or
- a private, non-profit research organization incorporated in the United States under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The primary function of this organization must be research.
For dates of hire on or after April 1, 2000, SUNY service immediately preceding employment with the RF will be disregarded if it disadvantages an employee with a longer period of qualified service from another institution.
Service with the other institution must have ended within 12 months prior to RF employment.
Non-student employment with SUNY, which is concurrent with RF employment will also be counted toward the waiting period. Concurrent service with other employers will not be counted.
Effective January 1, 2018, employees will only be credited with Prior Service if the Employee submits an application for Prior Service Credit within the following time periods:
- For employees hired on or after January 1, 2018, an application for Prior Service Credit must be submitted no later than six (6) months from the Employee’s Employment Commencement Date.
- For employees hired prior to January 1, 2018, an application for Prior Service Credit must be submitted no later than September 30, 2018.
- Effective January 1, 2018, terminated employees are not permitted to submit an application for Prior Service Credit.
- For employees with Summer Appointments, submission of the Prior Service Credit application will be accepted after September 30, 2018. If submitted after September 30, 2018, credit will only be processed based on current appointment date.