When working as a part-time hourly or part-time per diem employee for several Pennsylvania public school employers, you may qualify for PSERS membership if you meet the minimum service requirements of 80 days, 500 hours, or the equivalent combination of days and hours where the service credit calculation is equal to .44 service credits. All employees must be reported to PSERS from their first day of school service whether or not they qualify for membership. Part-time hourly or per diem employees who have not qualified in previous fiscal years may or may not have contributions withheld from the first day of school service dependent on employer policy. The notice to withhold contributions to the employer is optional until combined service in a fiscal year (July to June) from all employers meet the minimum service requirements.
When a school employee meets the minimum service requirements, PSERS notifies the employer(s) through the employer reporting system that the employee now qualifies for membership. With this notification, employers must begin to withhold contributions. Employees do not need to contact their employers because PSERS sends the information to the employer.
Part-time salaried employees are qualified from the first day of paid service and contributions will be withheld regardless of hours or days reported. If an employee is part-time salaried with one employer and part-time hourly with another employer, both employers are notified that contributions must be withheld.
A state employee (participating with the State Employees’ Retirement System or SERS) who also works part-time for a Pennsylvania public school employer must meet minimum PSERS membership requirements to qualify for multiple service membership.
