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Retired annuitant rule enforcement and coding errors leave substitute and part‑time retirees sidelined, callers say
Summary
Multiple callers told CalPERS during a town hall that recent enforcement or reinterpretation of retired‑annuitant rules and employer coding has led school districts to cut substitute and part‑time retired workers; CalPERS staff said the issue is ongoing and advised members to use posted circular letters and stakeholder relations.
Several CalPERS retirees told the board representative that enforcement of retired‑annuitant work limits, and school districts’ use of incorrect employer codes, have caused districts to end substitutes’ assignments and bar part‑time retirees from working.
Callers described similar experiences: one retired substitute (Paul) said two of three districts stopped employing his wife after circular letters and code clarifications; a retired school bus driver (Dana) said a district informed her she could no longer work as a part‑time behavioral aide and that the rule had “hurt a lot of retirees.”
Paul cited language he received from a district referencing “government code sections 7,522.5622 or 2 1 2 2 4, 2 1 2 2 7, and 2 1 2 2 9” and said the rewritten statute language appeared to have been interpreted in ways that treated intermittent substitute work as limited‑duration employment. Callers and Walker agreed the core problem often stems from districts reporting retired annuitant work under incorrect payroll codes.
CalPERS’ representative, Yvonne Walker, said staff have been conducting outreach and had issued circular letters to agencies. She asked members to check the CalPERS website (search “circular letter”) where those agency notices are posted and said CalPERS will try to reissue or clarify communications. She suggested members and unions (CSEA was named by a caller) also engage local districts to correct coding and implementation.
Why it matters: The issue affects retirees who rely on part‑time substitute work for income and can create staffing gaps for districts that depend on substitutes; correct coding and clear employer guidance determine whether retired annuitants may continue limited work under CalPERS rules.
Ending: CalPERS staff said they would continue education and outreach to districts, and Walker said she had taken down district names to follow up; members were also advised to consult circular letters posted on the CalPERS website and to contact stakeholder relations for help.
