Termination Overview

Revised: June 2009 Print this page Email the link

This section provides background information on the termination process and the options that are available to members, depending on their individual circumstances. It also describes the procedures and forms employers must use when an OPTrust member terminates employment and/or membership in the Plan.

Termination of Plan Membership

To be eligible for a pension benefit from the OPSEU Pension Plan, an employee must first terminate his or her plan membership. An employee’s membership is terminated in the following circumstances:

1. The individual’s employment is terminated. This is defined as a complete severance of the employee-employer relationship, either before retirement, at retirement, or due to the death of the member.
2. The employee permanently moves to a non-OPSEU bargaining unit or excluded position with no break in employment and becomes a member of the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP).
3. The employee is terminally ill and has a life expectancy of less than 24 months.

 Note! An employee’s plan membership is not affected when he or she accepts a temporary or acting assignment to a position that is covered by another pension plan.

In This Section

This section of the Employer Manual describes members’ options – and the required procedures, forms and other documentation – when terminating Plan membership before retirement under 1) and 2) above. 

Special provisions apply to members who are transferred to a new employer and join that employer’s pension plan as part of a divestment. For more information, please see the separate Divestments section. 

 Note! For information on retiring with an immediate pension under the OPSEU Pension Plan, please see the Retirement section of this manual.
Future sections of this manual will provide information on pension procedures relating to:

• the death of a member before retirement
• disability pensions
• benefits payable to members with limited life expectancy.