Employees who have retired from the university may be rehired in an academic or civil service capacity in compliance with the State of Illinois Return to Work law, Board of Trustee policy, and campus guidelines.
- Positions in all employee groups are covered – faculty, clinical/research professional, academic professional, status civil service, extra help, and all other temporary, part-time or seasonal positions – although current and future status civil service appointments are exempt from the provisions of the Return to Work Act, campus procedures (i.e. Retiree Rehire Form) for receiving approval to fill the position with a SURS annuitant must still be followed.
- All SURS annuitants are covered – employees who retired from the University or from any other employer participating in SURS.
- All appointments require prior approval by the appropriate campus or central administrator; approval may be withheld if financial penalties will be incurred, including status Civil Service positions even though they are exempted from the provisions of the Act.
- Each employing unit is responsible for all costs, additional SURS contributions, and penalties associated with exceeding the limit on earnings.
To start the hiring process of a Returning Retiree (SURS Annuitant):
- The hiring unit must complete a statement of justification and submit to Library Human Resources (libraryhr@library.illinois.edu)
- The returning retiree must complete the Statement of SURS Annuity Status form and return to Library Human Resources (libraryhr@library.illinois.edu)
- Library HR will use both forms to submit the request to campus to rehire a retiree. Before an official offer is made, the Proposal for Re-Employment of a SURS Employer Retiree must be approved by campus.
- Once approved, Library Human Resources will notify the hiring unit and the official offer may now be provided to the returning retiree.
- Please Note: The returning retiree will be required to complete the full new hire employee process. This is required due to being in a different employment status. Library Human Resources will reach out to the returning retiree with instructions.
- The returning retiree MUST NOT begin working until full approval from campus has been received. Library HR will notify the hiring unit when work may begin.
- View the Funds Type Descriptions document for the list of fund exemption status.
Policy Highlights
Effective August 1, 2013, there are limits on re-hiring employees who have retired from the University or hiring someone who is receiving an annuity from the State University’s Retirement System (SURS) under Public Act 97-0968 (Return to Work). In response to Public Act 97-0968, the Board of Trustees revised its policy concerning the re-employment of retirees.
When a SURS annuitant is employed in a position that earns more than 40 percent of his/her highest annual rate of earnings earned prior to retirement, Public Act 97-0968 requires the University to make an additional SURS contribution equal to the retiree’s annual annuity. These limits are coordinated when a SURS annuitant works for more than one university or college, and are waived when the position is funded by federal, trust, foundation, or corporate funds, or by a state grant that names a principal investigator.
To ensure that employees and employers are adhering to the 60 day statutory requirement of separation from the University of Illinois, SURS will now require employees to certify on their retirement application as follows:
“I certify that I have no agreement, written or oral, to return to employment in any capacity (paid or unpaid) with my current employer or any other SURS-covered employer after my retirement date.”
It should also be noted that any violation of Section 15-139 would require an employee’s annuity to be cancelled and all annuity payments received would have to be refunded. The employee would continue to participate in the System as though they never “retired.” In addition, any person who knowingly makes any false statement, or falsifies or permits to be falsified any record or records of this system, in any attempt to defraud the system may be subject to criminal prosecution.
Please contact SURS with any questions regarding this information.
1901 Fox Drive
Champaign, IL 61820-7333
PHONE: 1-800-275-7877