Transfers and Prior Service Credit
Types of Service Credit
Intercampus Transfers
Benefits for Intercampus Transfers
Prior UC Service
Transfers Between State Agencies and UC
Prior State Service
Retirement Service Credit
Retirement service credit is earned whenever a member of the retirement system is on pay status and receives "covered compensation" for an eligible appointment. Retirement service credit includes all time worked at the
Employment Service Credit
All
Intercampus Transfers
Transfers between UC locations include transfers between UC Merced and any of the following UC locations:
· UC Campuses, including:
· UC Laboratories, including: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and Los Alamos National Lab.
Retirement Service Credit
Retirement service credit automatically follows an employee transferring from one UC location to another. To verify your total retirement service credit, sign on to At Your Service and select "Retirement Estimates." Scroll down until you see your current years of UCRP service credit. If you believe that your retirement service credit is incorrect, please contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ucmerced.edu.
Employment Service Credit
Employment service credit will also follow an employee transferring from one UC location to another. When UC Merced learns that an employee is transferring from another campus, the Payroll Office contacts the employee's former campus and requests employment service and benefits information to be included in the employee's file.
Benefits
When an employee transfers from one UC location to another, the benefits enrollment process is different than for new employees. For intercampus transfers, you may not sign up for benefits online, but must instead use a UPAY 850 Enrollment Form. You must also sign up for the same benefits at the same coverage amounts you had while you were at the prior UC location.
For other benefits, the following applies:
· HCRA: The Benefits Office coordinates with your prior UC location on your annual contribution amount.
· DepCare: The Benefits Office coordinates with your prior UC location on your annual contribution amount.
· Retirement Savings Programs: The Benefits Office coordinates with your prior UC location on your Maximum Annual Contribution. For restarting your payroll deductions into your 403(b) or 457(b) accounts, please contact Fidelity Retirement Services at 1-866-682-7787 and tell them that you are a UC transfer and need to "re-accept" or change your payroll deduction. Please note that going online may not be sufficient to restart your payroll deductions after a transfer.
Prior UC Service
If you have prior service with a UC location and had a break in service before coming to UC Merced, you must take action in order to ensure that your service credit is correct in the UC Merced Payroll/Personnel System:
· Retirement Service Credit: To verify your total retirement service credit, sign on to At Your Service and select "Retirement Estimates." Scroll down until you see your current years of UCRP service credit. If you believe that your retirement service credit is incorrect, please contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ucmerced.edu.
· Employment Service Credit: Contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ucmerced.edu to request a Request for Verification of Previous Employment form, which you can complete and forward to your prior UC location for verification of your previous employment.
Transfers Between State of California Agencies and
Transfers between state agencies and the
·
·
· Attorney General’s Office
· other
Retirement Service Credit
Retirement service credit does not automatically transfer with you when you transfer to UC Merced from a CalPERS agency. The University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP)
and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) (new link: http://www.calpers.ca.gov/) have a reciprocal agreement for UC or CalPERS members. The reciprocal agreement applies to those who join UC or CalPERS within 180 days after leaving the other system’s (UC or CalPERS) employment. UCRP/CalPERS reciprocal agreement can affect service credit, highest average plan compensation (HAPC), and the formula used to calculate disability, retirement, and/or death benefits under each system.
To determine whether you are eligible for reciprocity between the UCRP and CalPERS, read the UCRP/CalPERS Reciprocity Factsheet. If you believe that you are eligible for reciprocity, complete the UBEN 157 Election of Reciprocity Form in the UCRP/CalPERS Reciprocity Factsheet and return to the address noted on the form.
Employment Service Credit
To determine whether your state agency employment service can be used to increase your vacation accrual rate or transfer all or part of your sick leave balance, please contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ucmerced.edu to request a Request for Verification of Previous Employment form, which you can complete and forward to your prior employer for verification of your previous employment.
If you have prior service with a state agency and had a break in service before coming to UC Merced, you must take action in order to ensure that your service credit is correct in the UC Merced Payroll/Personnel System:
· Employment Service Credit: Contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ucmerced.edu to request a Request for Verification of Previous Employment form, which you can complete and forward to your prior state agency for verification of your previous employment.
