- The coverage shall be that established by the Board of Supervisors and the Board of Retirement for employees under the County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937, the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 and the Social Security Act. Coverage by the Retirement System is described by plan brochures which are available at the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (“SamCERA”).
1.2. Employees Hired before August 7, 2011
Effective March 13, 2005, the County implemented the 2%@55.5 retirement enhancement (Government Code Section 31676.14) for employees in Plans 1, 2 or 4.
The enhancement applies to all future service and all service back to the date of employment pursuant to the Board of Supervisors’ authority under Government Code section 31678.2(a). Government Code section 31678.2(b) authorizes the collection, from employees, of all or part of the contributions by a member or employer or both, that would have been required if section 31676.14 had been in effect during the time period specified in the resolution adopting section 31676.14, and that the time period specified in the resolution will be all future and past general service back to the date of employment. Based upon this understanding and agreement, employees will share in the cost of the 31676.14 enhancement through increased retirement contributions by way of payroll deductions and shall contribute 3% of compensation earnable as defined in SamCERA regulations.
Plan 3: Non-contributory plan, Plan 3 is closed to all employees hired on or after December 23, 2012. If an employee is already in Plan 3, the employee has the option to transfer to Plan 2 or 4 after providing the equivalent of five years of consecutive service (10,400 hours) to the County. These employees may elect to transfer by entering into an agreement with the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (SamCERA) to pay all of the incremental employee and employer contributions that would have been required if the employee had been in Plan 2 or Plan 4 since the date of employment, plus interest.
1.3. Employees hired Between August 7, 2011 and December 31, 2012
The retirement benefit options shall be:
Plan 5: 1.725% @ 58 (pre‐enhancement tier) with no 3% cost share. Current Plan 4: 2% @ 55.5 (as described in 2.2 above) is closed to new employees hired on or after the effective date of the commencement of Plan 5. However, employees may transfer into Plan 4 after providing the equivalent of ten years (20,800 hours) of service in Plan 5, and entering into an agreement with the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association to pay all of the employee and employer contributions that would have been required if the employee had been in Plan 4 since the date of employment, plus interest.
Plan 3: Plan 3 is closed to all employees hired on or after December 23, 2012. If an employee is already in Plan 3 with the option to transfer to Plan 5 after providing the equivalent of five years of service (10,400 hours) to the County that option is for future Plan 5 service only. After providing the equivalent of ten years of service (20,800 hours) to the County, employees may elect to transfer to Plan 4 by entering into an agreement with the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (SamCERA) to pay all of the incremental employee and employer contributions that would have been required if the employee had been in Plan 4 since the date of employment, plus interest.
1.4. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013
Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 will be placed by SamCERA into Plan 5 or Plan 7 (2%@62) depending upon their eligibility.
Plan 5: Employees who are placed in Plan 5 by SamCERA will only be subject to the applicable provisions of sections 2.1, 2.3 and 2.5.
Plan 7: Employees who are placed in Plan 7 by SamCERA will not be subject any provisions in sections 2.2-2.3 and 2.5. The County will not make any contributions toward the employees’ required contribution to the Retirement System for Plan 7 members.
1.5. Retirement COLA
All employees, regardless of plan or hire date, will pay 50% of the Retirement COLA costs as determined by SamCERA.