(1)
PERS Plan 1: Severance pay earned over time is reportable compensation. Conversely, severance pay not earned over time is not reportable compensation (see WAC
415-108-488). The difference is that severance pay earned over time is deferred compensation for services previously provided.
Severance pay is earned over time if the employment contract(s) or compensation policies in effect at the beginning of a given period of employment specify that a certain amount of severance pay will be earned during that period in consideration for services provided.
Example: | Mr. Jones is a PERS Plan 1 member employed as a city manager. Since the beginning of his term of employment with the city, his contract has specified that he will earn one week of severance pay for every year of his employment. The earned severance pay will be paid at the time of his separation. His severance pay is reportable compensation. When Mr. Jones retires, the two weeks severance pay that he earned during his two highest paid years (i.e., one week per year for two years) will be included in his PERS Plan 1 retirement calculation. |
To the extent that severance pay qualifies as reportable compensation and is earned within your average final compensation period, the severance pay is excess compensation. See RCW
41.50.150.
(2)
PERS Plans 2 and 3: All forms of severance pay are excluded from earnable compensation. See RCW
41.40.010 (8)(b).
[Statutory Authority: RCW
41.50.050(5) and
41.40.010(8). WSR 02-03-120, § 415-108-458, filed 1/23/02, effective 3/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW
41.50.050. WSR 98-09-059, § 415-108-458, filed 4/17/98, effective 5/18/98.]