What is creditable service?

You earn creditable service towards your retirement allowance for the period during which you are contributing to the retirement system. If your are a member that is permanently employed 20 hours a week or more, this service time will start accruing on the first day of your employment and continues until you separate from service.

Effective December 19, 2016, Creditable Service is as follows:

Members of the Bristol County Retirement System shall receive creditable service, in whole month increments, consistent with this regulation in the following manner:

• For a member in service who is employed in a full-time capacity, he/she will receive one (1) month of creditable service for each full month for which the employee receives regular compensation and remits the appropriate contributions to the Bristol County Retirement System (“System”), with said service not to exceed one (1) year of creditable service in any calendar year.

• For a member in service who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her entire career, he/she will receive one (1) month of creditable service for each full month for which the employee receives regular compensation and remits the appropriate contributions to the Bristol County Retirement System (“System”), with said service not to exceed one (1) year of creditable service in any calendar year.

• For a member who has rendered membership service in the System in both a full-time and part-time capacity, the member shall receive full credit for all full-time service and prorated credit for part-time service based on the full-time equivalency of 150 hours being the equivalent of one (1) month of service.

• For a member who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her career but who either purchases past refunded service, or has transferred into the System previous service rendered in a full-time capacity, the member’s part-time service shall be prorated based on the full-time equivalency of 150 hours per month.

• For Non-certified School Department employees serving in a non-teaching capacity who are continuously employed full time from on or about September 1st to on or about June 30th, including but not limited to cafeteria workers, clerical and secretarial staff, teacher’s assistant and teaching professionals, such as therapists, said employees shall receive one month of creditable service for each full month the employee is receiving regular compensation, with ten (10) months being the equivalent of one (1) year of creditable service.  School Department employees who are employed in a part-time capacity shall have their creditable service prorated in the same manner as all members of the System as set forth in this regulation.

• The Board recognizes that certain School Department employees, including but not limited to custodians and secretaries, are required to work the entire calendar year, and in such a situation, said employee’s creditable service will be calculated based on a twelve (12) month year.

• Creditable service for 10 month employees shall be based on 1,500 hours being the equivalent of 1 year, whereas creditable service for 12 month employees shall be based on 1,800 hours per year.

• Members of the System may only purchase and receive credit for past non-membership service rendered in a member unit of the System consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(c), or service rendered in a member unit of the System as a reserve or permanent-intermittent or [sic] police officer or as a reserve, permanent-intermittent or call firefighter pursuant to Section 4(2)(b), or if the past service was rendered under the jurisdiction of another retirement system, such service may only be purchased if rendered in a temporary, provisional or substitute capacity, provided that the individual was excluded from membership in the other retirement system.  All prior non-membership service shall be calculated with 150 hours being the equivalent of one (1) month of creditable service.