While your employer will report all re-employment service to us, you’re required to track your days and contact us if you plan to work after the month in which you exceed the limit.
50-day limit extended to 95 days for some re-employment
For the period September 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, the re-employment limit has been extended to 95 days if all re-employment beyond the end of the month in which you exceed the 50-day limit meets all the following three conditions:
- You’re employed by:
a. a school board in Ontario;
b. the Provincial Schools Authority;
c. the Centre Jules-Léger Consortium;
d. a designated private school that operates on a reserve; or
e. a designated organization that operates on a reserve - You work in a school (includes virtual, online and remote).
- The position requires you to hold valid teaching certification from the Ontario College of Teachers or Ministry of Education (e.g. teacher, vice principal, principal, guidance counsellor, librarian in a publicly-funded school).
If you meet all these conditions, you can work until the end of the month in which you exceed the 95-day limit during this period, without affecting your pension.
Your pension will be suspended if even one of these conditions isn’t met, or if you exceed the 50-day limit by the end of June 2023 and continue working in July or August.
Exceeding the limit
You can work until the end of the month in which you exceed the limit without affecting your pension.
If you continue to work after the month in which you exceed the limit, even if for only part of a day, you won’t receive your pension for that month. Your pension will resume on the earlier of:
- the month in which you have no re-employment service, or
- September 1 following the school year in which your pension was suspended.
Example – 50-day limit
Jocelyn plans to do some supply teaching in the upcoming school year. Here’s a possible scenario to help illustrate what Jocelyn needs to do, and when, once she becomes re-employed.
Jocelyn’s 50th day of re-employment would occur in February. She would exceed the limit in April.
Jocelyn can work until the end of April without affecting her pension. Since she’ll work additional days past April of that school year, she must notify us as soon as she exceeds the limit. We’ll suspend her pension beginning in May.
If she changes her mind and doesn’t work beyond April of that school year, she doesn’t need to contact us.
Examples – 95-day limit (September 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 only)
- Kelly works for a school board as a teacher in the classroom and as a school secretary. If she continues to work both positions, her pension will be suspended the month following the month in which she exceeds the 50-day limit, since the work as a school secretary does not require her to hold valid teaching certification.
To be eligible for the 95-day limit, Kelly would have to stop working as a school secretary by the end of the month in which she exceeds the 50-day limit. If she continues to work only as a teacher in the classroom, she can work to the end of the month in which she exceeds the 95-day limit without affecting her pension. Kelly’s pension would be suspended if she works in July or August. - Brian is filling in as a principal in a public school and has also been asked by the school board to conduct interviews for a few days at the board office. Since the interviews are not being conducted “in a school”, if he continues to work both types of work, his pension will be suspended the month following the month in which he exceeds the 50-day limit.
To be eligible for the 95-day limit, Brian would have to stop conducting interviews for the school board at the board office by the end of the month in which he exceeds the 50-day limit. If he continues to work only as a principal in a public school, he can work to the end of the month in which he exceeds the 95-day limit without affecting his pension. Brian’s pension would be suspended if he works in July or August.
Working in August
You may be asked to work in August to set up for the next school year.
Days you work in August will only be included in the subsequent school year if they’re part of the existing calendar associated with your position. If they’re not, and you’ve already exceeded your re-employment limit for the current school year, these days will count toward the current school year. As a result, your pension will be suspended in August and resume in September.
Counting your days
You must count all work days, including paid non-working days, such as professional development days and sick days. If you normally count statutory holidays as work days, they should also be included if you become re-employed.
Don’t count days you worked before you retired. For example, if you retire and return to work in the same school year, the days you worked before the month of your first pension payment don’t count toward the limit.
Contract employees
If you’re hired on a part-time basis, days count in direct proportion to your contract percentage. For example, if you’re on a 33% contract and work one-third of a day, three days would count as one day of re-employment.
Hourly and task-based employees
If you’re paid by the hour, or hired for a specific task, check with your employer to determine what constitutes a working day for someone in that position. With that information, you’ll be able to accurately count the days you work.
We recognize a day to be anywhere from 5.5 to 9 hours of work. For example, if your employer reports your normal working day as 4 hours and you work 110 hours, you’ll accumulate the equivalent of 20 days toward the limit, as follows: 110 hours ÷ 5.5 hours per day (minimum) = 20 days.
Even though you worked only 4 hours a day, we recognize a day to be a minimum of 5.5 hours. If you worked 10 hours in a day, we recognize only 9 hours.
Failure to report
Under the Teachers’ Pension Act, you must record the number of days worked in education. You’re obligated to supply the details of your return to work in circumstances where we require additional information. If you fail to provide this information within a reasonable time after it’s requested, your pension will be suspended. Any pension payments you weren’t entitled to receive must be returned, with interest.