DRS Email 21-007, Determining Eligibility During COVID-19

Notice No: 21-007
Date: May 17, 2021
Applies to: All Employers
Subject: DRS Email 21-007, Determining Eligibility During COVID-19

Many employers have seen an impact to the hours worked by positions in their employ due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and we understand how challenging it can be to evaluate positions for retirement system membership eligibility under these conditions. For that reason, DRS has determined that while conducting compliance reviews, we will not examine hours for position eligibility that are reported during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employers are responsible for defining positions and determining eligibility requirements for retirement system membership. This includes annually reviewing, monitoring and documenting determinations of an employee’s eligibility for membership. When evaluating changes in position eligibility, employers should ensure any changes they make are well documented so there is a clear explanation in the event there are questions about a positions’ eligibility in the future. See Chapter 2 in the Employer Handbook for additional details.

If you have any questions regarding this DRS Notice, please contact Employer Support Services at 360-664-7200, option 2, or 800-547-6657, option 6, option 2, or email us