SEMA4 Employer Information

Assignments determine which (if any) pension retirement plan applies for each appointment. Assignments are determined by Minnesota state statute and consider the following criteria:

• job code (job title/numeric code),

• employee classification status (classified, unclassified, non-status),

• appointment status (unlimited, limited, temporary, emergency, seasonal, trainee, intern, non-state, probationary, provisional); and

• work hours (full-time, part-time, intermittent).

For each appointment the employee holds, employers must choose the appropriate retirement plan code. Retirement codes indicate the applicable MSRS pension retirement plan and contribution rate for the employee. 

An employee may participate in one or more pension retirement plan simultaneously depending on appointments held.

MSRS Eligibility staff review and confirm that appointments are set up correctly.

Other Information

• Correcting Plan Assignments
• Assignments Requiring Additional Certification

Use the grids below as a guide in determining the appropriate retirement plan code for each appointment. 

• Constitutional / Elected Officer's Departments & SBI (pdf)
• Department of Commerce (pdf)
• Department of Corrections (pdf)
• Department of Human Services (pdf)
• Department of Natural Resources (pdf)
• Department of Public Safety (pdf)
• Judicial (pdf)
• Other SEMA4 Employers (pdf)

Most retirement plan assignments are non-elective, meaning there is no employee choice in the pension retirement plan in which they are covered. The following are some exceptions:

Employee of the Governor or Lieutenant Governor

An employee appointed by the governor or lieutenant governor who is not covered by the General Plan on the date of appointment, may by written election within 90 days of appointment, elect not to be covered by the Plan. This request is retained by the Governor's office. The request is irrevocable while the employee is in the position that entitled the employee to make this election.

          SEMA4 retirement plan code = AN, if elect not to be covered. 

Military Affairs Plan

The Department of Military Affairs notifies MSRS that an employee has been hired in an eligible position (active duty military). MSRS supplies the election form.

          SEMA4 retirement plan code = AP. 
 

Fire Marshal / Arson Investigator

MSRS supplies the election forms to the Department of Public Safety. Once completed, the form is submitted to MSRS and a "welcome" letter and appointment form is sent to the employee.

           SEMA4 retirement plan code = BR. 
 

Department of Education

An employee of the Department of Education engaged in education administration may elect to be covered by either MSRS General Plan or the Teachers Retirement Association (TRA). TRA provides the employee with the appropriate Retirement Plan Election form. The completed form is sent to the applicable retirement plan. 

Judge - 24 years in the Judges Plan

MSRS identifies judges who have been in the Judges Plan for the maximum of 24 years of service. MSRS sends a letter notifying the judge of the change to the Unclassified Retirement Plan and the date of the change. A prospectus is included with the letter. The courts are advised of the date to make this SEMA4 retirement plan code change.

          SEMA4 retirement plan code = BU. 
 

Unclassified Plan Member Transfer Rights

(electing General Employees Retirement Plan)
Some members of the MSRS Unclassified Retirement Plan may elect the General Plan. Excluded from this election are constitutional officers, members of the legislature and judges who elect the Unclassified Retirement Plan after 24 years of Judges Plan membership.

Members, hired after June 30, 2010, may elect by filing an election form no later than thirty days following termination, to terminate participation in the Unclassified Retirement Plan if the member has no more than seven years of allowable service as of the date of election. If the member was employed prior to July 1, 2010, the written election must be submitted no later than thirty days following the termination of covered employment and the member must have at least ten years of allowable service as of the date of the election.

          SEMA4 retirement plan code changes from AQ to AA (after 10 years of service)
          or
          SEMA4 retirement plan code changes from AR to AA (within 7 years of service)
 

GERP membership, electing Unclassified Plan based on previous appointment

When an Unclassified Retirement Plan member is subsequently (without intervening state employment), appointed to an unlimited, full-time, unclassified position normally covered in the General Plan, the employee may elect Unclassified Retirement Plan coverage by written notice to the MSRS Executive Director within one year of appointment. 
 

Employee on leave to serve in a labor organization

If an employee is on leave of absence from a MSRS covered position to serve a labor organization (MAPE, AFSCME, MGEC, etc.), the employee may elect to retain the plan coverage of their permanent appointment.

A supply of election forms are provided to the labor organizations and must be submitted within 90 days of the start of the first leave of absence. The labor organization then submits the ongoing contributions. If payroll commences from the labor organization and there is no election on file, MSRS sends an election form to the member.

Employees serving a labor organization are limited to a salary that does not exceed 75% of the salary of the governor set in section 15A.082.