Section 71-05-04-08 - Conversion of sick leaveTo convert unused sick leave to service credit, the member must notify the office, in writing, of the amount of unused sick leave to be converted and the member's employer must confirm the member's unused balance of accumulated sick leave as of the date the member terminates employment. For members transferring from one participating employer to another participating employer without terminating eligible employment, the public employees retirement system will record unused sick leave of a participating member if the new employer certifies that it will not transfer that leave. The certification must include documentation from the previous employer detailing the number of hours of sick leave. The public employees retirement system must receive the certification within sixty days after the member leaves employment with the former employer.
One month of service credit must be awarded for each one hundred seventy-three and three-tenths hours of unused accumulated sick leave. The cost to convert unused sick leave into service credit must be paid with after tax employee contributions.
1. Aftertax payments may be accepted from the member as early as six months prior to termination if the following requirements are met: a. A notice of termination or application for monthly benefits form is on file with the public employees retirement system. b. A written certification by the member's employer, as to the member's unused balance of accumulated sick leave as of the date the member wishes to begin payment, is on file with the public employees retirement system. c. At termination, the sick leave conversion payment must be recalculated using the member's unused balance of accumulated sick leave, confirmed by the member's employer, and the member's final average salary as of that date. d. If there is a difference between the sick leave conversion payment amount and the amount the member has paid, any overpayment must be refunded to the member and any underpayment must be collected from the member by the fifteenth of the month following the month of the member's date of termination. e. The member's record must be updated with the additional service credit once payment is made in full and the member has terminated employment. 2. Pretax rollover or transfer payments may be accepted from the member as early as sixty days prior to termination if the following requirements are met: a. A notice of termination or application for monthly benefits form is on file with the public employees retirement system. b. A written certification by the member's employer, as to the member's projected unused balance of accumulated sick leave no sooner than sixty days prior to the date of termination, is on file with the public employees retirement system. This certification must also include a certification by the employer of the projected salaries to be reported to the public employees retirement system during the final months of employment. c. At termination, the sick leave conversion payment must be recalculated using the member's unused balance of accumulated sick leave confirmed by the member's employer, and the member's final average salary as of that date. If there is a difference between the sick leave balance or conversion payment amount and the amount the member has paid, then only the amount of sick leave available as of the termination date will be added to the member's record. The member account balance will be credited with the full amount of funds from the rollover or transfer. d. If an underpayment has occurred, then the remaining amount must be collected from the member by the fifteenth of the month following the month of the member's date of termination. e. The retiree health credit portion must be paid as a personal aftertax payment. 3. The member's record must be updated with the additional service credit once payment is made and the member has terminated employment. N.D. Admin Code 71-05-04-08
Effective June 1, 1996; amended effective April 1, 2002; May 1, 2004; July 1, 2006; April 1, 2008.General Authority: NDCC 39-03.1-06
Law Implemented: NDCC 39-03.1-30