Working after your pension starts

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If you are receiving a pension from the OPSEU Pension Plan and start working again, who you work for may affect your pension. If you work for an employer who does not contribute to the Plan, your pension is not affected. If you are re-employed or engaged by an employer who contributes to the Plan, the impact on your pension depends on your salary and whether or not you rejoin the Plan. Please contact OPTrust before you decide to work again for an employer who contributes to the Plan. It is your responsibility to inform a participating employer that you are currently receiving a pension from OPTrust.

Without rejoining the Plan

Your monthly pension is subject to a re-employment earnings maximum each calendar quarter (e.g., January – March) if:

1. you are re-employed or engaged by an employer who contributes to the Plan, and
2. you do not rejoin the Plan as a contributing member.

Your earnings maximum is determined by subtracting your gross quarterly OPTrust pension income from your final quarterly pre-retirement salary (annual salary rate).

The remaining amount is the maximum amount you can earn in any calendar quarter from re-employment before we reduce your pension. This amount is provided on your Retirement Statement when you retire, and your Pensioner Information Change Statement. If you are unsure of the limit, please call OPTrust. If you do exceed your limit for the quarter, we will reduce future pension payments by the amount you have exceeded your maximum in the previous quarter.

Rejoining the Plan

Depending on the nature of your re-employment and your age, you may have the option, or may be required to rejoin the Plan. If you rejoin, your pension stops immediately. While you are making contributions to the Plan, you are accruing additional pension service so when your employment ends, we will recalculate your pension.

OPTrust recalculates your pension at the end of your re-employment period to include the additional pension service you accrued. However, if you were previously receiving an age-reduced pension, your new pension amount will be actuarially adjusted to take into account any pension payments you have already received.