The following definitions are given for the terms that are used in the PSERS sections of the Employer Handbook. For additional terms, refer to the Glossary of Terms.
Authorized means required as a part of the job to perform a certain duty. A person may not perform the duty on a daily basis.
Compensation earnable means salaries or wages earned by a member during a payroll period for personal services, including overtime payments, and deferred compensation wages; and payments as specified in RCW 41.37.010(6).
Corrections Department refers to a city or county that has a department whose employees meet at least one of the four PSERS position member criteria. Your corrections department may be identified by a different name.
Criminal Justice training course means a course provided by the WA State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC). The CJTC Web address is: https://fortress.wa.gov/cjtc/www/
Custody and Security means the detention and compliance of incarcerated or probationary individuals. Refer to the PSERS Eligibility Worksheet, question five, for more information.
Election window means the period from July 1, 2006 through September 30, 2006 when current PERS Plan 2 or Plan 3 members working in PSERS eligible positions have the option to remain in PERS, or to choose PSERS.
Eligible position means any permanent, full-time position included in the PSERS employer and member criteria.[RCW 41.37.010(22)
Employer who is PSERS eligible includes the following:
Full time means an employee who is regularly scheduled to provide at least 160 hours of compensated service for an employer each calendar month. An employee does not have to work 160 hours during a given month to be considered full time during that month, provided that the person is regularly scheduled to work 160 hours each month.
Limited authority Washington law enforcement agency means any agency, political subdivision, or unit of local government of this state, and any agency, department, or division of state government, having as one of its functions the apprehension or detection of persons committing infractions or violating the traffic or criminal laws relating to limited subject areas, including but not limited to, the state departments of natural resources and social and health services, the state gambling commission, the state lottery commission, the state parks and recreation commission, the state utilities and transportation commission, the state liquor control board, and the state department of corrections. [RCW 10.93.020(2)]
Limited authority Washington peace officer means any full-time, fully compensated officer of a limited authority Washington law enforcement agency empowered by that agency to detect or apprehend violators of the laws in some or all of the limited subject areas for which that agency is responsible. A limited authority Washington peace officer may be a specially commissioned Washington peace officer if otherwise qualified for such status under this chapter. [RCW 10.93.020(4)]
Member Criteria includes the following four categories of job duties. A PSERS employer must evaluate whether an employee meets at least one of the four Member Criteria listed below.
To satisfy the criteria, all items listed in that criteria must be met. For example, in Member Criteria #1, if the member does not have the authority to arrest, the member does not qualify.
Permanent means means that you do not foresee a time when the position would not exist.
Plan 2 refers to employees who established membership in the Public Safety Employees Retirement System on or after July 1, 2006. [RCW 41.37.010(29)]
Primary responsibility of a position means the main basis or reason for the position.
Retiree means any person who has begun accruing a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by RCW 41.37 resulting from service rendered to an employer while a member. [RCW 41.37.010(25)]
State elective position means any position held by any person elected or appointed to statewide office or elected or appointed as a member of the legislature. [RCW 41.37.010(27)]