Employee Separations

The retiring employee is responsible for initiating the retirement process by first contacting and meeting with Office Human Resources, Retirement Services to engage University retirement benefits. Then they follow the process below:

1. An employee submits a letter of retirement to her/his immediate supervisor (alternatively, the employee can provide a notice to retire to the Retirement Services, who in turn will provide a copy of the notice to the HR Strategic Business Partner (HRBP)). The supervisor must provide a copy of the retirement letter to her/his departmental manager and to the department’s assigned HRBP.
2. The departmental manager and the HRBP will establish terms of the employee’s off-boarding and will provide a written response to the employee making clear what that process is and what the employee’s last work day is and when the employee will receive his/her final pay.
3. The HRBP will submit the retirement letter to the Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) division of OHR to initiate electronic processing of the retirement.
4. HRIS will create an ePAR-TERM (Retirement) for recording the employee separation date.
   1. The ePAR-TERM is then post-dated for the day after last day of employment.
   2. If the employee departs voluntarily on the date he/she requested, the employee will receive his/her last pay earnings on the subsequent pay cycle following the employees last day of work.
   3. If the employee’s termination date is determined by the University, he/she must be paid all wages and unused annual leave within one business day.
5. The HRBP will also provide a copy of the retirement letter to the ER/HRS Generalist, who will then:
   1. Schedule and conduct an exit interview.
   2. Work with the department to ensure that the employee has completed an exit checklist and returned all University equipment and property.
   3. Ensure that retirement letter and exit checklists are included in the employee’s official personnel file.

Retirement Services Process Workflow

1. Impending Retiree selects a retirement date.
2. Impending Retiree meets with Dean/Chair/Manager to confirm decision (optional)
3. Retiree sends intent to retire letter to Retirement Services and Dean/Chair/Dean or Manager
4. Supervisor confers with HR, and acceptance is acknowledged by supervisor in writing.
5. Impending Retiree meets with HR/Retirement department for retirement counselling (benefit analysis, pension calculation and application, retirement information) 
6. Pension eligible retiree submits application for pension benefits, if applicable. 
7. HR/Retirement sends out notifications to HR/Benefits to remit retiree health or Mercer 365 Medical package to impending retiree (365 goes to those over 65).
8. Retiree visits Social Security and Medicare offices to apply for benefits, if applicable.
9. If retiree is over 65, once Mercer package has been received, retiree calls Mercer 365 to set up appointment for counselling and to start supplemental benefits. If retiree is under 65, retiree submits election of retiree health benefits to HR.
10. Over 65 retiree then returns form CMS-40B to HR for execution.
11. Retirement Services sends notification to OHR team about Retiree’s intended retirement date (last day of work)
12. If applicable, HR/Retirement submits pension calculation to Mercer for vetting and approval.
13. Mercer sends pension approval to HR/Retirement.
14. HR/Retirement enters pension information and start date into BNY-Mellon system.
15. HR /Retirement contacts retiree to inform them of approval and confirm pension start date.
16. HR/Retirement coordinates exit interview.
17. Retiree schedules exit interview with HRBP, and schedules date and time by which he/she will have cleaned out office and returned keys to Dean/Chair/Manager.
18. Retiree has exit interview on the last day of work, HR Generalist collects HU ID badge and HU parking pass and, has Retiree signs final paperwork.