Legislative action increases the limit on hours for retired public employees from 960 to 1,200 annually

As part of the FY2022 state budget process, the post-retirement hours limit was increased from 960 to 1,200 hours per calendar year, retroactive to July 1, 2021. The earnings restrictions on post-retirement employment remain unchanged.

As a reminder, due to waivers enacted through the COVID-19 State of Emergency, the hours accrued and earnings received between January 1, 2021 and June 14, 2021 are excluded from the calculation of a retiree’s earnings for calendar year 2021. These waivers ended June 15, 2021.

In determining a retiree’s allowable hours and earnings for calendar year 2021, the retiree and employer should apply the updated hours restriction (1,200) from July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 and existing earnings restrictions from June 15, 2021 through December 31, 2021.

Adherence to post-retirement restrictions is the statutory responsibility of the employer and employee. To learn more about post-retirement hours and earnings restrictions, visit our Rehiring a Massachusetts public retiree page.

Contact your employer’s assigned Employer Services Representative, or Robert George, Director of Employer Services, at 617-679-6869 or robert.george@trb.state.ma.us if you have any questions.

As a reminder, an updated version of MyTRS is coming at the end of November 2021 and features compatibility with all modern web browsers, including Chrome and Edge, and enhanced login security with two-factor authentication.
Watch your inbox and the MTRS website for forthcoming details and readiness materials as we prepare for the updated version of MyTRS.