Classified Employee Retirement Benefits
Classified Employees have only one retirement program option. If you belong to a retirement system, it is most likely the New York State Employees' Retirement System (ERS), a defined benefit plan. *
*If you belong to another retirement system due to an earlier selection when you were not a Classified employee, please see the Professional Retirement section.
Vesting Requirement
Until recently, vesting required 10 years of service for the defined benefits
programs (ERS and TRS). The laws of 1998 changed the vesting requirement
to 5 years of service for these programs.
Vesting basically means that if you leave State service after completing enough time for vesting, you will have some benefit for your service available when you reach retirement age for your tier (see below).
Pension benefits have been adjusted for State retirement programs during the last few years and employee benefits depend upon the date of first membership in a defined benefit program. Following is a summary of benefits for each tier:
Please obtain a benefit estimate from the Employees Retirement System in person or by mail prior to your date of retirement. The Office of Human Resources does not provide estimates for employees. You may contact the Employees Retirement System at phone number 518-474-7736 or you may download an estimate form from their web page.
Other Retirement Benefits
- Health Benefits (Requirements for Coverage in Retirement)
-
Health Insurance (General Information)
- For a detailed description of the interaction of Medicare, your status as a retiree with New York State Health Insurance (NYSHIP), and other details click here and select the option "Employees of New York State" and your union.
- Dental/Vision: Please Contact Your Union Benefit Fund
Applying for Retirement (please read the information above before proceeding to this step)
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