PERS Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form
What is the “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form?”
Reciprocity is an agreement among public retirement systems to allow members to move from one public employer to another public employer within a specific time limit without losing some valuable retirement and related benefit rights.
PEPRA allows a PERS member after 01/01/2013 to retain his/her “classic” membership if he/she continues his/her membership with all previous California Public Retirement System(s) and enters employment that results in CalPERS membership within six months of break in service.
The information completed in the “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” is used by the employer and CalPERS solely to determine if a new PERS membership enrollment qualifies the new employee as a “new” PERS member or “classic” PERS member under PEPRA hence applies the appropriate benefit formulas. The form does not establish reciprocity, nor is it a request to establish reciprocity.
Where can the “Member Self Certification Form” be found?
The form can be found on “CalPERS Online” website as Enclosure to Circular Letter 200-063-12. Below are the links to the form and the circular letter.
http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/about/pubs/employer/er-forms/ret-forms/self-certification.pdf
http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/employer/cir-ltrs/2012/200-063-12.pdf
Instructions:
1. Employers must provide the “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” to all new employees upon hire. However, the information on the form will not be used until the employee becomes eligible for PERS membership and the employer enrolls the employee in my|calPERS.
2. Employer must sign and date the “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” on the date the form is given to the employee.
3. The employee must return the completed “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” to the employer within 10 business days of employment.
4. Employer must enter the date the employee returns the completed “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form.”
5. If the employee is not eligible for PERS membership, e.g. part-time or temporary, retain the form on employee’s employment records for future use.
6. Once the employee becomes eligible for PERS membership, whether upon hiring or later, the employer will enroll the employee into my|CalPERS based on the information provided on the “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form.”
7. my|CalPERS will determine the proper retirement formula.
8. If the employer believes the retirement benefit formula is incorrect, the employer may contact CalPERS at 1-888-225-7377.
9. Employees must be correctly enrolled before payroll can be submitted.
10. Payroll contributions must reflect the appropriate rate depending on if the employee is a “new” or “classic” member under PEPRA.
11. It is the employer’s responsibility to retain the completed “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” in the employee’s employment records for auditing purposes. PERS does not need to receive this form.
District Questions (and Answers):
1. Does the form go to all new employees?
Yes, although the information completed on the form will not be needed until the employee becomes eligible for PERS membership enrollment.
2. Does the form go to students under 18?
Yes to err on the side of caution. PERS membership does not require someone to be 18 or older. Typically student employment is temporary or part-time employment that does not qualify for PERS membership. In this case, the “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” is not needed. However, if the student’s part-time employment results in PERS eligibility or the student under 18 is full-time and permanently employed hence eligible for PERS membership, the form will be needed. Again to err on the side of caution, always have the form completed when hiring a new employee, so that later when you need to enroll an employee into PERS, you have the form ready.
3. We have a lot of employees who are members of PERS who resign in June. They then return in August. That is less than 6 months. Do they fill out the form upon returning?
The response below is based on the assumption that the word “resign” means that the member was permanently separated from the position they resigned from.
PERS’s directive is: “Employers must provide the Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form to all new employees upon hire.”
The “Member Reciprocal Self-Certification Form” is for new employees to certify if or not they were with another (non-PERS) public retirement system before enrolling for PERS membership through his/her newest employment with the current employer, so that appropriate membership (“new” or “classic”) can be determined. The form does not really apply when an old PERS member returns to PERS. However, again to err on the side of caution, since a previous separated but now returning employee is considered a new hire, the employer can give the form to returning employees until we receive further clarifications from PERS.
4. What is the significance of break in service at 6-months (for returning employees)?
Under PEPRA, all school employers are considered one employer.
Scenario I: If a person became a PERS member with a school employer before 12/31/2012, that person was a “classic” member. If that person resigns and returns to the same or different school employer, the person is still a “classic” member, even if the break in service is longer than 6 months.
Scenario II: If the person became a PERS member with a school employer on or after 01/01/2013, that person is a “new” member under PEPRA. If the person resigns and returns to the same or different school employer, the person will still be a “new” member, whether the break in service is less than 6 months or not.
When you enroll the previously resigned employee again in my|CalPERS after they return, my|CalPERS already has in the system the historical appointment(s) the employee resigned from and will determine the employee’s membership status depending which of the above two scenarios the employee fits in. For the two scenarios above only, the employees will return to the membership status they resigned from.