The Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL) and State Teachers’ Retirement Law (STRL) provide defined benefit retirement plans administered by CalPERS or CalSTRS, respectively, for eligible employees of participating public agencies (“employers”). To fund these plans, public education agency employers report member compensation to either CalPERS or CalSTRS directly, or through their county offices of education.
This post appeared in August 2016. It has been reviewed and is up to date.
CalPERS issued a Circular Letter on July 12, 2016, which provided information on its compliance review process and its most common findings, including employing retired annuitants. In our practice, we have also observed some confusion surrounding the specifics on
Background
On September 27, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 278, which adds Government Code section 20164.5 and will go into effect on January 1, 2022. SB 278 greatly increases the potential costs to CalPERS agencies for reporting errors, by creating new and in some cases retroactive financial exposure for CalPERS agencies already
When working with employees with disabilities, employers need to keep track of various laws that govern whether the employee may be entitled to leaves, accommodation, or even a disability retirement. What makes matters more complicated is that the definition of disability is not the same under each law. So, while a medical condition may meet
This article was originally published in June 2014. The information has been reviewed and is up-to-date as of August 2021.
It is a common phrase that most in the public sector have heard of – a “PERS audit.” However, despite having heard of CalPERS (“PERS”) audits occurring, many have not experienced an audit firsthand and
This article was reviewed in July 2021 and is up-to-date.
As the summer season winds down, so do public agency departments that hire seasonal workers to staff summer camps, pools, extended park and recreation hours, and a myriad of season-specific facilities and activities. But, just how do seasonal workers impact the agency’s health and retirement
The problems facing public agencies, many of which are struggling just to keep their heads above water, may get much worse in the near future. The California Legislature is currently debating Senate Bill (SB) 278 (Leyva), which if passed would create new and in some cases retroactive financial burdens and uncertainties for local public agencies
As public agencies head into the end of the 2020-2021 fiscal year and prepare for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, it is the perfect time of year for agencies that contract with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”) to refresh their knowledge about upcoming deadlines and requirements. Below are the key CalPERS deadlines and requirements
On July 30, 2020, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Alameda County Deputy Sheriff’s Assn. v. Alameda County Employees’ Retirement Assn. (Alameda). It was anticipated that the Court would address the continuing viability of the “California Rule.” Under the California Rule, a public employee is vested in a pension benefit
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”) has answered several outstanding questions concerning how paid leave hours taken under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) should be tracked and reported. On April 16, 2020, CalPERS issued Circular Letter No. 200-021-20 which explains how to report compensation and track hours for employees taking leave under