Employee Matters

The Employee Compensation and Benefits Services staff prepares this column.

Wisconsin Retirement System Initial Eligibility (Part 1)

Why is WRS eligibility important?
An employee eligible for WRS coverage has contributions made to a retirement account on her or his behalf, and the account becomes vested immediately. The benefits offered to employees covered by the retirement system vary from those offered to graduate assistants and short-term academic staff.

What are the general requirements to be eligible for WRS coverage?
Graduate assistant and short-term academic staff appointments are not eligible for retirement system coverage. An employee must meet both of the following criteria, and if the criteria are met s/he must be enrolled in WRS:

• the employee is expected to work one-third of full time per year (600 hours for non-teaching employees and 440 hours for teachers); and
• the employee is expected to be employed for at least one year (365 consecutive days, 366 in leap year) from date of hire. If the employee will be employed for a year in one appointment or in several sequential appointments, the duration criterion is met. If an employee is expected to work nine or 10 months per year, but is expected to return year after year, the one-year requirement is met.

Is each appointment evaluated separately for WRS coverage?
No. An employee with one or more appointments eligible for WRS per the above two critieria would have the hours and duration of the appointments combined to meet the criteria. If the employee has multiple appointments, all expected hours must be added to determine whether the employee meets the 440 or 600 hours.

If I meet WRS eligibility criteria, am I required to be enrolled?
Yes. Determination of participation is an employer responsibility; it is not the employee’s choice. If you are eligible, you will be enrolled.

I have two appointments, classified and unclassified. Do I have to meet the 600-hour or 440-hour threshold to be covered?
If you have two appointments, concurrent or consecutive, the appointment with the greatest number of hours must be used to determine whether the 440- or 600-hour rule is applied to determine eligibility.

I have two appointments but they are at two UW campuses. How would this affect my eligibility?
All UW campuses are considered to be one employer. Any employment for which an employee receives earnings for personal services rendered at one employer must be included in determining WRS eligibility.

How do my two appointments at different state agencies affect my WRS eligibility?
Because each state agency is considered a separate employer, hours worked and duration of appointment cannot be combined to determine WRS eligibility.

What happens if I am WRS eligible and then my hours drop below the required number of hours?
Once you become eligible at the university you continue to be eligible for WRS coverage unless you have a break in service of more than 12 months.

If I do not meet WRS eligibility criteria upon being hired, can I become eligible later?
Yes. If you are in a position that is eligible for retirement coverage, but that does not meet the two criteria mentioned above, you may become WRS eligible later. The next Wisconsin Week article will address how employees become eligible at a later time.