Members who cease working and begin collecting workers’ compensation benefits continue to accrue retirement service credit with the URS Defined Benefit pension, if their employers have signed a workers’ compensation benefit protection contract with URS.
According to the contract, the employers agree to remit the required retirement contributions necessary to maintain active status for such members. There is no retirement coverage before the effective date of the contract unless members elect to purchase workers’ compensation benefit periods for which they were paid but no workers’ compensation benefit protection contract existed.
Employers may establish a workers’ compensation benefit protection contract through completion of the Benefit Protection Contract Request (Form BPCR-1). Members of the Tier 1 Public Safety Retirement System and members of the Tier 2 Public Safety and Firefighter Retirement System must be provided with either workers’ compensation or long-term disability (LTD) benefit protection coverage. Please see the Long-Term Disability (LTD) section for further information.
Employers may contact Employer Services at 801-366-7318 or 800-753-7318 for further details.
Members should contact our Retirement Benefits Department to find out how receiving these benefits may impact their retirement service credit.
Procedures
1. To avoid paying interest charges, report contributions during the workers’ compensation benefit period as part of the regular contribution file data; or
2. Delay reporting contributions until the member returns to work.
a. This will require completion of Sections A and B of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) at the commencement of the leave if the contributions reported during the leave will represent hours under the minimum required for eligibility in a URS retirement system.
b. Once the member returns from the leave, complete Section C of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) and submit a copy to our office.
c. Our office will calculate a contribution adjustment and bill the employer with interest. For computing purposes, the member’s compensation is based on the normal number of hours worked per week and the salary rate at the time of the injury.
1. If sick or annual leave payments equal less than 20 hours per week or teaching is less than half time, complete Sections A and B of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) and submit a copy to our office.
2. Discontinue reporting retirement contributions on your file transmissions if the member’s hours fall below 20 per week.
3. Even without a benefit protection contract in place, continue to include file records for employees who are paid sick or annual leave as required under current eligibility standards for their positions. (See Eligibility & Certification for detailed information).
4. When the member returns from leave, complete Section C of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) and submit a copy to our office.
1. To avoid paying interest charges, report contributions during the workers’ compensation benefit period as part of the regular contribution file data; or
2. Delay reporting contributions until the member returns to work.
a. This will require completion of Sections A and B of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) at the commencement of the leave if the contributions reported during the leave will represent hours under the minimum required for eligibility in a URS retirement system.
b. Once the member returns from the leave, complete Section C of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) and submit a copy to our office.
c. Our office will calculate a contribution adjustment and bill the employer with interest. For computing purposes, the member’s compensation is based on the normal number of hours worked per week and the salary rate at the time of the injury.
1. If sick or annual leave payments equal less than 40 hours per week, complete Sections A and B of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1) and submit a copy to our office.
3. Once the member returns from leave, complete Section C of the Leave Notification (Form MELV-1)and submit a copy to our office.