Retiree rehire (RR) request forms should be submitted as soon as possible PRIOR to the start of the appointment. The request forms MUST be completed and approved BEFORE each appointment. Prospective retirees MUST complete a Statement of SURS Annuity Status (SOSAS) form must contact SURS for their highest annual earnings (HAE) limitation.

Annuitants will have an HAE limitation, however, those who retired under the self-managed plan or took a lump sum payment from SURS will not have an HAE limitation. Prospective RRs must also be aware of their personal earnings limitation, as provided by SURS. Important terms for SURS annuitants:

• Highest Annual Earnings (HAE): This figure is calculated based on pre-retirement earnings. Non-exempt earnings count towards the annuitant’s HAE, but exempt earnings do not.
• Personal Earnings Limitation: This figure sets the maximum earnings allowed from SURS-covered employers post-retirement. Non-exempt and exempt earnings count toward the annuitant’s personal earnings limitation. The retiree’s annuity may be impacted if the annuitant exceeds their personal earnings limitation.
• Affected Annuitant: An “affected annuitant” is an annuitant with earnings from non-exempt funds exceeded 40% of their HAE during a SURS year. Employing an affected annuitant will result in SURS sending a bill for a full year of the retiree’s annuity. Affected annuitants will remain “affected” and SURS will send a bill for each SURS year that an affected annuitant is employed.

  EXAMPLE: A unit employs an affected annuitant with a yearly annuity of $100,000 from SURS. In this scenario, the unit should expect a bill from SURS for ~$100,000 each SURS year (09/01 – 08/31) the person is employed.

Non-exempt earnings count towards the HAE limitation, however exempt earnings do not count towards the HAE limitation. Regularly check the rehired retiree progress report to ensure non-exempt earnings for annuitants remain below 40% of their HAE limitation. It is recommended to complete the close to affected annuitant template letter (APPENDIX A) and provide it to the annuitant when the annuitant’s estimated earnings from non-exempt funds sources are 35% or more than the annuitant’s HAE.

Contact your Unit Security Contact should you need access to the rehired retiree progress report.

Questions related to Civil Service/Extra Help (EH) appointments – email IHR-CS-RR@illinois.edu.

Questions related to Academic appointments – email IHR-ACAD-RR@illinois.edu.

RR Request Form Processing Guide

Use the following guide to initiate a retiree rehire request form. Additional key points include:

• RR request forms must be approved before the appointment may begin.
• If a retiree holds multiple appointments during a SURS year (09/01 – 08/31), a RR request form must be submitted for each appointment.
• An updated SOSAS form must be attached to each RR request form.
• Always use the TR e-class when adding retirees to HRFE.

SECTION 1: UNIT CONTACT

• The unit HR contact inputs their information.
• Click SAVE AND CONTINUE once the information is input.

SECTION 2: RETIREE INFO

• Input the prospective RR’s name as it appears on their social security card. NOTE: If the prospective RR was a previous University of Illinois employee, this information will be in Banner and on the Notification of Appointment (NOA).
• Input the SSN ONLY if the prospective RR does not have a UIN.
• Input the SURS HAE and the 40% HAE will calculate. The prospective RR MUST complete a Statement of SURS Annuity Status (SOSAS) form for EACH appointment, and the prospective RR must obtain their HAE from SURS, as applicable based upon their SURS retirement plan.
• Attach the annuitant’s signed SOSAS form to section 2.
• Confirm the employee is not a SURS affected annuitant.
• Click SAVE AND CONTINUE once the information is input.

SECTION 3: UI PRE-EMPLOYMENT

• List PAID POSITION(S) at the time of separation. The prospective RR’s appointments at the time of separation can be found on the NOA at the time of separation.

  NOTE: Do not include summer salary or lump sum positions. Other paid positions, including 0% paid stipends, must be included in section 3.

• If Emeritus/Emerita status is applicable, it is effective the day after separation.
• Select YES to add additional position(s) as applicable.
• Click SAVE AND CONTINUE once the information is input.

SECTION 4: PROPOSED APPOINTMENT(S)

• Proposed Retiree Rehire Appointment
  • Campus: UIUC
  • COA (Chart of Accounts): 1
  • Organization: Input the 6-digit org. code.

    NOTE: The dropdown to the right of the org. code, the college, and the department should automatically populate after the 6-digit org. code is entered.

  • Job Title/Classification: Input the prospective RR’s proposed title.
  • Job Level/Employment Group: Select the appropriate employment group for the prospective RR.
  • Service Begin and Service End Dates: Input the begin and end dates of the appointment.

    NOTE: The SURS year is 09/01/XXXX – 08/31/XXXX; appointments MUST begin and end during this period, unless the work is an FTE semester-based teaching appointment.

  • Remaining Fields: Input the pay frequency and financial information for the appointment. If an hourly appointment is chosen, an equivalent FTE field will populate upon saving section 4.

  

• Funding and Labor Distribution
  • Input the FOAP information and click SAVE.
  • Click ADD CFOAP if the retiree will be paid from multiple accounts.

• Proposed Appointment Category
  • Select the appropriate appointment category.

• Proposed Job Description
  • This may be written or attached.

• Justification for Request
  • This may be written or attached.

    NOTE: Ensure points 1, 2, and 3 are explicitly addressed when providing the justification.

• Approval is Being Sought to Reappoint via the Following Employment Procedure
  • Select the appropriate employment procedure used to employ the RR.

• If there ARE additional UIUC appointments to request in a single form:
  • Click SAVE AS DRAFT once the appointment information is input.
  • Click ADD NEW APPT.
  • Repeat the steps from section 4.
• If there ARE NO additional UIUC appointments to add to the request form:
  • Click SAVE AND CONTINUE once the appointment information is input.

    NOTE: Only appointments from UIUC should be added to section 4. Do NOT enter additional appointments at other SURS covered institutions in section 4. Enter additional appointments from other SURS-covered employers in section 5 of RR requests.

SECTION 5: OTHER EMPLOYMENT

• All pending and approved RR appointments for a given SURS year that have been entered in the RR system will populate in section 5.
• If there ARE NO additional appointments at other SURS covered employers to add:
  • Ensure the NO APPOINTMENTS TO ENTER box is checked.
  • Click SAVE AND CONTINUE.

• If there ARE additional appointments from other SURS covered employer to add:
  • Uncheck the NO APPOINTMENTS TO ENTER box.
  • Input the information for that employer in the appropriate fields.
  • Click SAVE AND CONTINUE once additional applicable appointments have been added.

    NOTE: Only appointments from OTHER SURS covered employers should be added to section 5. Do NOT enter additional UIUC appointments in section 5. Enter additional UIUC appointments in section 4 when requesting multiple UIUC appointments on the same form.

SECTION 6: REVIEW STATUS

• Enter any general comments and/or additional information about the RR request; this field is optional.

  

• Once comments have been entered and applicable documents have been attached, the initiator selects the appropriate action from the ACTION TAKEN dropdown and submits the form.

  NOTE: If forwarding the request for an additional level of review, use the APPROVED FOR NEXT LEVEL REVIEW action.

• After selecting the appropriate action, input the University email address of the person the form is going to, and click SUBMIT.

  NOTE: Repeat this step whenever sending the request to another recipient.

• 2 levels of approval are needed prior to forwarding a RR request to IHR for review. An example of second level approval is a college approver for a request form that is initiated by a unit.

  NOTE: The initiator is considered the first approver but may not be the second level approver as well. For units that are not part of a college, a second level approver could be a dean or other high-level administrator (e.g., Executive Director of HR, Assistant Dean of Administration, Chair/Department Head, etc.).

• After the second level of approval has been obtained, route the form to the appropriate IHR inbox for final review and approval.
• CIVIL SERVICE/EXTRA HELP APPOINTMENTS: IHR-CS-RR@illinois.edu

  

• ACADEMIC/STATUS CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: IHR-ACAD-RR@illinois.edu

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• 40 ILCS 5/: Illinois Pension Code
• 40 ILCS 5/15-139.5: Return to Work by Affected Annuitant; Notice and Contribution by Employer
• Statement of SURS Annuity Status (SOSAS) Form
• SURS: Contact Information
• SURS: General Website
• University of Illinois Board of Trustees Policy: Employment of UI Retirees and Other State Universities Retirement System Annuitants

See: Template Letter for Affected Annuitant