Retirement for disability can already be a cumbersome and confusing process. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s (CalPERS) new and additional mandates – as set forth in its March 30, 2017 Circular Letter – raises the ante. The Letter informs all contracting public agencies of the following six requirements pertaining to the disability retirement of
CalPERS School and Local Agency Members May Now Recover Service Credit and Compensation Earnable Upon Administrative, Arbitral or Judicial Reversals of Terminations
CalPERS contracting agencies and schools should be aware that effective January 1, 2017, if an employee’s termination is overturned on appeal, back pay is not the only thing the employee will be able to recover. On June 21, 2016, we reported that Assembly Member Cooper introduced a new bill, AB 2028, which if passed, would
Discontinuation of a Long-Standing Practice of Accommodating Disabled Employees through Light-Duty May Be a Violation of FEHA
This post was authored by Jennifer Rosner
In a recent decision by a California Court of Appeal, a Court held that it was not unreasonable for the City of Los Angeles to assign temporarily injured recruit officers to light-duty administrative assignments in light of the City’s past policy and practice of doing so.
Plaintiffs were
Are They Ever Coming Back? – Taking a Proactive Approach to Leave Management and Employees who are on Long-Term Leaves of Absence
This post was authored by Michael Youril.
Leaves of absences are one of the most complex and frustrating areas of personnel management that public agency employers face. There are several complex, overlapping, and intersecting laws to apply and navigate. In many situations, it is difficult for the agency to determine its rights and obligations.
Court Affirms that PEPRA Does Not Limit County’s Right to Repeal COLA Pickup
On December 20, 2016, the California Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District reaffirmed the purpose and spirit of the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (“PEPRA”) as a law designed to “limit,” rather than “shield,” public employees’ retirement compensation. In the recent case, San Joaquin County Correctional Officers Association v. County of San Joaquin
CalPERS Explains Impact to Employer Contributions Due to Reduction in the Assumed Rate of Return
On January 19, 2017, CalPERS provided greater clarity on how contracting agency employers, and even some members, will see contribution rate increases due to a decision to reduce the assumed rate of return. On December 20, 2016, we reported that the Board of Administration was poised to, and in fact did, reduce the
CalPERS Poised to Lower Discount Rate Again, Increase Employer Contributions
CalPERS agencies still reeling from the increase in employer contribution rates beginning 2013/2014 may very well experience yet another increase in the next couple of years due to a further reduction in the “discount rate” or rate of return. Simply put, the discount rate or rate of return is the percentage of expected returns on
When Retirees Earn Post-Retirement Income, Is Your Agency Responsible for Their Increased Costs to Medicare?
After the retirement parties are over, some individuals never truly retire. Instead of taking it easy, some retirees choose to perform post-retirement work for non-CalPERS employers. For example, a retired police captain may work for a private security firm and or a retired Human Resources director may open a private consulting practice. While a retiree’s
The Importance of Posting a Salary Schedule
This post was authored by Heather Coffman
We’ve all heard the saying, “If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.” In the context of retirement benefits for PERS members, the saying is slightly modified: “If an employee’s salary isn’t set forth on a properly adopted salary schedule, that individual’s retirement benefits may not pay out
Do You Have Seasonal Workers? What To Know About Health & Retirement Benefit Obligations
This blog post was authored by Erin Kunze
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 benefit obligations?