Do RTW laws affect me?
Once you cash or deposit (includes direct deposit) your first TRSL retirement check, you are officially retired. RTW laws affect TRSL retirees who are reemployed directly or by contract/corporate contract in positions eligible for TRSL membership.
Break in service: To be able to return to work in a position eligible for TRSL membership, you must have a break in service of at least one weekday (Monday through Friday). For example, if your last day of work is Friday, your retirement date would be Saturday. You could return to work on Tuesday. Monday would be the one weekday break in service.
Waiting period: Retirees who return to work in positions eligible for TRSL membership are subject to a mandatory waiting period during which their TRSL benefits will be suspended. The waiting period begins on the date of retirement, and the duration of the waiting period is determined by the RTW law to which you are subject (as described below).
How will my benefits be affected if I return to work?
As of June 2022, there are three different RTW laws—the 2010 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710); the 2020 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710.1); and the 2022 RTW Law - Higher Education Only (La. R.S. 11:710.2). The law that applies to you is determined by when you retired. All RTW laws stipulate how your TRSL retirement benefit will be affected if you return to work.
Which RTW law do I fall under?
What if my position is not eligible for TRSL membership?
Retirees who return to work in positions not eligible for TRSL membership are not subject to return-to-work laws governing TRSL. However, it is important to note that unless they have converted to a service retirement, retirees who receive a TRSL disability benefit will have their benefits terminated if they become employed in the field of public or private education, even if the position is not eligible for TRSL membership.
Questions?
Ask TRSL. Contact us about your reemployment position and RTW laws that could impact your retirement benefits.
Once you cash or deposit (includes direct deposit) your first TRSL retirement check, you are officially retired. RTW laws affect TRSL retirees who are reemployed directly or by contract/corporate contract in positions eligible for TRSL membership.
Break in service: To be able to return to work in a position eligible for TRSL membership, you must have a break in service of at least one weekday (Monday through Friday). For example, if your last day of work is Friday, your retirement date would be Saturday. You could return to work on Tuesday. Monday would be the one weekday break in service.
Waiting period: Retirees who return to work in positions eligible for TRSL membership are subject to a mandatory waiting period during which their TRSL benefits will be suspended. The waiting period begins on the date of retirement, and the duration of the waiting period is determined by the RTW law to which you are subject (as described below).
How will my benefits be affected if I return to work?
As of June 2022, there are three different RTW laws—the 2010 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710); the 2020 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710.1); and the 2022 RTW Law - Higher Education Only (La. R.S. 11:710.2). The law that applies to you is determined by when you retired. All RTW laws stipulate how your TRSL retirement benefit will be affected if you return to work.
Which RTW law do I fall under?
- 2010 Group: Individuals who retired before July 1, 2020 are subject to the 2010 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710). NOTE: Some individuals who retired before July 1, 2020 are in the 2020 RTW Group because the date of their first reemployment was on or after July 1, 2020. Under Acts 549 and 601 of 2022, these individuals can now elect to transfer to the 2010 RTW Group. The transfer is not available to anyone who previously exercised an option to transfer from the 2010 RTW Group to the 2020 RTW Group. Retirees in the special transfer group who elect to transfer from the 2020 RTW Group to the 2010 RTW Group cannot transfer back to the 2020 RTW Group until July 1, 2027.
- 2020 Group: Individuals who retired on or after July 1, 2020 are subject to the 2020 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710.1). Additionally, this group includes retirees who meet criteria for the 2010 RTW Group, but who make an irrevocable election to be in the 2020 RTW Group.
- 2022 Group - Higher Education Only (NEW): Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible for the 2022 RTW Group and can be subject to the 2022 RTW Law (La. R.S. 11:710.2), which allows direct reemployment as an adjunct professor, as defined, in La R.S. 11:710(A)(1), in a nursing program at a public post-secondary education institution where a critical shortage exists. NOTE: The 2022 RTW Law is optional, and is only applicable when the retiree’s reemployment scenario meets the eligibility criteria. Otherwise, the retiree’s reemployment would be subject to the 2010 RTW Group or 2020 RTW Group.
- Retired before July 1, 2020;
- At least age 62; and
- Has at least 30 years of creditable service
| NOTE FOR DISABILITY RETIREES: Retirees who receive a TRSL disability benefit will have their benefits terminated if they become employed in the field of public or private education, unless they have converted to a service retirement. However, these retirees can have earnings outside the education field, but there is a limit on the amount that can be earned. For more information on disability retirement refer to TRSL’s Disability Retirement brochure. |
Retirees who return to work in positions not eligible for TRSL membership are not subject to return-to-work laws governing TRSL. However, it is important to note that unless they have converted to a service retirement, retirees who receive a TRSL disability benefit will have their benefits terminated if they become employed in the field of public or private education, even if the position is not eligible for TRSL membership.
Questions?
Ask TRSL. Contact us about your reemployment position and RTW laws that could impact your retirement benefits.