Enrolling a member
Overview
This section provides background information on the enrolment process and describes the procedures and forms employers must use to enroll a member in the pension plan. Membership in the OPSEU Pension Plan is either mandatory or optional, depending on the individual’s employment status and union representation. For the majority of OPTrust members, enrolment in the Plan is mandatory. In many cases, employees whose membership is not mandatory may have the option of enrolling in the Plan voluntarily. Please review the information below on mandatory membership and optional membership to determine whether the new employee:
is required to become a member of the plan, or
has the option of joining the plan voluntarily.
OPTrust’s welcome package
Once OPTrust starts receiving contributions for a new member, we will email a welcome notice to the individual or send via mail should we not have an email address on file. Depending on the circumstances – including whether OPTrust has all required information and whether a buyback cost quote is required – it may take between two to six weeks before the member receives a welcome notice. This notice includes a welcome to the Plan message with important information and links to key OPTrust publications and information. Where we do not have an email address, members are directed to the website to access the same information. Printed copies of our It’s Your Pension booklet are available upon request.
Mandatory membership
The OPSEU Pension Plan text (Article 3.1) identifies several categories of employment and union representation under which individuals are required to become members of the Plan. All new employees who meet these criteria must be enrolled in the Plan on their date of hire.
Mandatory membership in the OPSEU Pension Plan applies to employees who are less than 65 years old and:
work for an Ontario government ministry or scheduled agency in the Ontario Public Service in permanent classified positions (including full-time, regular part-time and probationary employees) and who are represented by OPSEU
are permanently employed by one of the following organizations and represented by OPSEU:
Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
New Democratic Party Caucus
Niagara Parks Commission
Ontario Pension Board
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board
Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
Liquor Control Board of Ontario and are represented by the Ontario Liquor Board Employees' Division (LBED) of OPSEU
Centre Jules-Leger
Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA)
Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation
are permanently employed by the OPSEU Pension Trust
if are employed by an employer who has successfully applied for and been accepted for participation in the Plan after December 2012 (post-2012 receiving employer or authorized employer) and have been designated for mandatory membership in the participation agreement. Please note that for employees who are employed by one of these employers, not all provisions and benefits necessarily apply (e.g. buyback provisions and post-retirement insured benefits).
In certain situations where there is a divestment or change in employer, those who are members of the OPSEU Pension Plan at the time of the change are "grandfathered." They are allowed to remain as active members of the OPSEU Pension Plan until termination or retirement. See below for a current list of organizations whose employees are grandfathered.
Contributions are mandatory from the day membership starts.
Special case: “Grandfathered” members
In certain divestment situations, employees who are members of the OPSEU Pension Plan at the time of the divestment are allowed to remain as active members in the Plan until their termination or retirement. Members who fall into this “grandfathered” category include employees of the following organizations who are represented by OPSEU:
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH)
St. Joseph’s Care Group
North Bay Regional Health Centre
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion
Ontario Shores for Mental Health Services
Providence Care
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health
However, employees hired by these organizations after the effective date of the divestment are not eligible for membership and cannot be enrolled in the OPSEU Pension Plan.
Note: An employee may waive their right to participate in the OPSEU Pension plan on the grounds of religious beliefs. The employee must complete a Membership Waiver - Religious Exemption from Pension Participation (OPTrust 1074) form and submit it to OPTrust.
Important! Employers must complete the enrolment procedure (see below) for all new employees who are required to join the Plan.
Note: Re-enrolling in the Plan may be mandatory or optional for re-employed OPTrust pensioners, depending on the terms of the individual’s employment.
Once OPTrust receives the completed Membership Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form, we will email a Welcome Notice to each newly enrolled member. This package includes detailed information about the OPSEU Pension Plan.
Optional membership
Employees who do not meet the mandatory membership requirements may be eligible to join the OPSEU Pension Plan at any time starting from the first day of employment if they are an OPSEU-represented employee and are employed on a non-permanent basis:
by the Crown under the Public Service Act (i.e. unclassified employees in the Ontario Public Service)
by an agency, board, commission, foundation or organization that is a participating employer in the Public Service Pension Plan (before December 31, 1994)
by an agency that is participating in the OPSEU Pension Plan (after December 31, 1994)
if they are employed by an employer who has successfully applied for and been accepted for participation in the Plan after December 2012 (post-2012 receiving employer or authorized employer) and have been designated for optional membership in the participation agreement.
Important! Employees who elect to join the plan voluntarily cannot cancel their membership at a later date, unless they terminate their employment and membership or retire.
Important! Employers are required to inform eligible employees of their option to join the Plan. Employers should provide these employees with a copy of the booklet It’s Your Pension and refer them to the OPTrust website (www.optrust.com) or our Member and Pensioner Services staff (416-681-6100 or 1-800-637-0024) for additional information about the Plan.
Once OPTrust receives the signed Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form, the member is assumed to be enrolled in the pension plan. The plan membership date (PMD) will be the date pension contributions start and deductions are remitted to OPTrust.
Additional information for employees who have the option of enrolling voluntarily are found on Joining the Plan.
Employment and membership dates
When completing the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form, employers must provide the employee’s continuous employment date and their plan membership date.
Note: OPTrust does not use the continuous service date for pension administration purposes.
Continuous employment date
The continuous employment date is the first day of the employee’s most recent period of unbroken employment – whether in a permanent/classified, contract/unclassified, or seasonal position. Employers must provide this date when completing the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form.
The continuous employment date is separate from the plan membership date, which is the date when a member joins the Plan. The continuous employment date is also separate from the continuous service date, which may be adjusted to reflect periods of prior service that pre-date the continuous employment date.
Important! The continuous employment date is used by OPTrust to determine whether the enrolling member is eligible to buyback a period of prior non-contributory service. The employer must enter the correct continuous employment date on the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form so that OPTrust can provide the member with an automatic buyback quote at enrolment. Please see Buybacks at Enrolment for more information.
Continuous service date
Employers use the continuous service date to calculate seniority, entitlement to severance payments and entitlement to benefits such as vacation for permanent/classified employees. The continuous service date is not directly linked to the member’s credit in the OPSEU Pension Plan, which can vary as a result of contract/unclassified service, leaves of absence, buybacks, transfers, part-time work and other factors. An adjustment to the continuous service date does not affect the member’s eligibility to purchase credit for periods of past service under the Pension Plan. Upon enrolment, a member may apply to buy back any prior service, including non-credited government service. Strict application timelines must be met.
Plan membership date
The plan membership date is the first day of the employee’s most recent period of unbroken membership in the Plan. This may be different from an employee’s continuous service date and/or continuous employment date. The plan membership date is not directly linked to credit earned in the Plan, which may vary due to unpaid leaves of absence, part-time work, buybacks, transfers and other factors.
Examples: Continuous employment and plan membership dates
The relationship between the continuous employment date and the plan membership date may vary depending on the employee’s circumstances.
Example 1: Sunil starts working in a classified position with the Ministry of Transportation on July 1, 2014, with no prior service. Therefore, July 1, 2014 is his continuous employment date. Because enrolment in the Plan is mandatory for permanent employees, July 1, 2014 is also Sunil’s plan membership date.
Example 2: Barbara joins the Ministry of Natural Resources as an unclassified employee on May 1, 2014. Barbara later decides to enrol in the plan voluntarily, starting Sept. 1, 2015. Barbara’s continuous employment date is May 1, 2014, while her plan membership date is Sept. 1, 2015.
When OPTrust receives Barbara’s Membership Enrolment form from her employer, we use both dates to determine how much non-contributory service Barbara is eligible to buy back. In this case, we would mail her a cost quote for purchasing credit for her 16 months of service between May 1, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015.
Note: OPTrust no longer uses the “pension credit date” in calculating a members’ credit or entitlement.
Enrolment procedures
Employers must complete the following procedures to enroll a new employee in the OPSEU Pension Plan. The same enrolment procedures should be followed whether membership is mandatory, or whether it's optional and the member elects to join.
1. Complete the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form and, if applicable, the Transfer of Membership Between the OPSEU Pension Plan and the Public Service Pension Plan (OPTrust 1040) form
Employers must complete OPTrust’s Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form with the employee and submit it to OPTrust. *Please complete the Member Enrolment form using the link on your Online Services employer landing page.
For mandatory enrolments, the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form must be completed and submitted to OPTrust at the time the member begins employment.
For optional enrolments, the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form must be completed at the time the member elects to join the Plan.
When the employee has credit in the PSPP and is joining the OPSEU Pension Plan with no break in service, the mandatory transfer provision applies. In this case, employers must complete the Transfer of Membership Between the OPSEU Pension Plan and the Public Service Pension Plan (OPTrust 1040) form as well.
Important! Both the employer and member must sign the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form. The Transfer of Membership Between the OPSEU Pension Plan and the Public Service Pension Plan (OPTrust 1040) form only needs to be signed by the employer.
2. Complete additional forms and provide documentation
OPTrust also suggests new members complete the following forms and documents for enrolling members. This information may be submitted to OPTrust at the same time as the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form or at a later date. Employers should request that members provide this information to OPTrust:
Application for Past Pension Service (OPTrust 1036) form, if applicable. Please note that timelines apply for submitting an application to buy back past credit for past service.
copy of spouse’s proof of birth (e.g., birth certificate, passport), if applicable
copy of proof of marriage or common-law status, if applicable.
See OPTrust’s Information Sheet: How to Prove Your Spousal Relationship for a list of documents that are acceptable as proof of the member’s spousal relationship.
Important! Please send the Member Enrolment (OPTrust 1005) form and if applicable, the Transfer of Membership Between the OPSEU Pension Plan and the Public Service Pension Plan (OPTrust 1040) form to OPTrust promptly as soon as the form is completed. Forwarding this form should not be delayed.
3. Set up automatic payroll deductions
Employers must ensure that all newly enrolled members of the OPSEU Pension Plan are promptly set up for correct pension payroll deductions, starting from the employee’s Plan membership date.
Tip: For optional membership, employers may want to begin Plan membership and pension contributions to match the pay period start date.
For additional information, please see the section on Reporting Pension Data.