Full-Time Employment

If you join the Retirement System on the day you begin employment with a participating employer, we calculate your retirement service credit by subtracting your beginning date of employment from the date you actually leave paid employment, as long as:

• You work full-time and continuously; and
• You earn at least the equivalent of New York State’s annual minimum wage (State’s hourly minimum wage × 2,000) for your full career in public service.

“Full-time” is defined by your employer, but must be at least six hours per day, for a five-day week.

Institutional teachers, teachers working at schools for the deaf and blind, employees of school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), and college employees in both classified and unclassified positions who work full-time for the school year receive a full year of service credit. “School year” refers to employment during the months of September through June.

Part-Time Employment

Part-time employment, except as noted below, is credited as the lesser of:

number of days worked ÷ 260 days

or

annual earnings reported ÷ (State’s hourly minimum wage × 2,000)

For institutional teachers:

number of days worked ÷ 200 days

For teachers working at New York State schools for the deaf and blind, and BOCES and school district employees:

number of days worked ÷ 180 days

For college employees:

number of days worked ÷ 170 days

Employers report your days worked and earnings to us.