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Transfers and Prior Service Credit

Types of Service Credit

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 University of California in an eligible appointment. In general, an eligible appointment is at least 50 percent time for one year or longer. The maximum service credit a member can earn for one year of full-time work is one year. Part-time or variable-time work results in a proportionate amount of service credit; for example, a member who worked 50 percent time for one year receives a one-half year of retirement service credit. Service credit is not earned for overtime or other work outside the normal, regular appointment.

If you have questions about your Retirement Service Credit, please contact the Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC).

Employment Service Credit
All University of California, DOE Laboratories, and State of California service (including service with the State Universities and Hastings College) at 50 percent time or more is counted to determine an employee's employment service credit. Additionally;
 
  • Periods of leave with pay, military leave, and leave without pay due to a work-incurred injury or illness are included when calculating length of employment service.
  • Periods of leave without pay are not included when calculating length of employment service.
  • If you are on pay status less than 50 percent time in a pay period, University Service credit is not earned for that pay period

Prior service months at a qualifying State Agency, CSU, or other UC campus can impact your vacation and sick time accruals as defined by PPSM-2.210 Absence from Work.

Please note, Employment Service Credit is separate and distinct from Retirement Service Credit as listed above.

Intercampus Transfers

Transfers between UC locations include transfers between UC Merced and any of the following UC locations:

  • UC Campuses, including Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
  • 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 UCRAY and view your current years of UCRP service credit. If you believe that your retirement service credit is incorrect, please contact the UC Retirement Administrative Service Center (RASC).

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, UCPath Center 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 as your benefits will transfer from your former campus.

For other benefits, the following applies:

  • HCRA (Health Care Reimbursement Accounts): The UCPath Center coordinates with your prior UC location on your annual contribution amount.
  • DepCare: The UCPath Center coordinates with your prior UC location on your annual contribution amount.
  • Retirement Savings Programs: The UCPath Center 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 UCPath System:

  • Retirement Service Credit: To verify your total retirement service credit, sign on to UCRAY to view years of UCRP service credit. If you believe that your retirement service credit is incorrect, please contact the RASC.
  • Employment Service Credit: 
    • Sign on to UCPath
    • Go to Submit An Inquiry
    • Select Topic: Leave Balances
    • Select Category: Leave Balances Inquiry
    • Enter Subject: Service Month
    • Enter your Descriptions:
    • Click Add attachment (if necessary)
    • Click Submit

Transfers Between State of California Agencies and University of California

Transfers between state agencies and the University of California include transfers between UC Merced and any of the following agencies:

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) 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

  1. complete the UBEN 157 Election of Reciprocity Form in the UCRP/CalPERS Reciprocity Factsheet
  2. return the UBEN 157 Election of Reciprocity Form to UC Retirement Adminstration Service Center (RASC) the address noted on the form.
Employment service credit will follow an employee transferring from one UC location to another, but this is not an automatic process. Employees are responsible for requesting verification of prior UC, CSU, DOE, and State of California employment service credit to ensure an accurate account of their total employee service credit. UCPath and/or the employee’s are responsible for the verification process. 

 

In order to have any state agency service credit accounted for:

  1.   The employee will need to log into UCPath and navigate to Forms Library>Access Forms>State Agency Prior Service Verification.
  2.   Complete the State Agency Prior Service Verification (e-Form) in the search field enter your employee ID, select search below, complete the information and verify it was saved successfully. Take record of the form ID number located at the top right.
  3.   UCPath will send an email to the employee informing them of the steps that they must complete.
                 a.  The email will come from ucpath-notifications@universityofcalifornia.edu
                 b.  Do not dispose of the email, because there is a link within the instructions that will help the employee
                      complete the final steps.     
 
    The email will read as follows:
 
        You must complete the following steps before it will be submitted for approval:
               1. print the PDF version of the form
               2. mail the form to the state agency
               3. when the state agency returns the form back to you, Click Here to access the form
               4. enter the data from the completed form and attach it
               5. submit the form for approval.
 
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact UCPath at 855-982-7284 | M-F | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  
 

Note: Employment Service Credit does not accrue in the same way as, and should not be confused with, UCRP Retirement Service Credit. To verify your total UCRP Retirement Service Credit sign on to UCRAY to see your current years of UCRP service credit. If you believe that your retirement service credit is incorrect, please contact the RASC.