Service Credit
Service credit is based upon your work history with the City, the Board of Education or the Retirement Boards. Pension contributions must be received in order for service credit to be granted.
One full month of work in a calendar year constitutes one-half year of service credit. Furthermore, working in five additional months constitutes one full year of service credit. Additional service credit is earned by working for a participating system (as defined in the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act) if you elect to retire as a reciprocal annuitant with them.
The following periods of time are considered service credit for annuity and ordinary disability purposes when the required contributions are made:
- time during which the member performed the duties of his or her position;
- paid vacations (except final vacation);
- leaves of absence with whole or part pay; leaves of absence without pay not longer than 90 days (leave of absence without pay does not count for minimum annuity purposes or ordinary disability credit);
- leaves of absence without pay during which the member is employed full-time by a local labor organization;
- periods of disability for which the employee receives disability benefits from LABF (periods of ordinary disability do not further increase ordinary disability credit);
- periods of disability because of heart attacks, strokes, or coronary disease for which the employee is not eligible for Duty Disability benefits but is receiving payments from Workers’ Compensation.
No credit will be granted toward any type of benefit for periods of time while on a suspension. (back to top)
Local Labor Organizations/Union Service
LABF provides that certain employees of local labor organizations that represent employees of the City of Chicago or Board of Education may continue to accrue service credit in the pension plan. Full-time employees of local labor organizations, who are on a leave of absence without pay from the City of Chicago or Board of Education and do not receive credit in any pension plan established by your local labor organization, are eligible to continue to accrue service credit. (back to top)