You will become a member of the Plan on the first of the month following the completion of the qualifying hours of work with a Contributing Employer – typically 500 hours. These qualifying hours may vary depending on your collective agreement. A Contributing Employer is an employer who has been approved to make contributions to the Plan.
If your employer was not a Contributing Employer on your hire date but later became a Contributing Employer, when you join the Plan will depend on when you completed the qualifying hours of work:
- If you had already completed the qualifying hours by the date your employer starts
contributing, then you became a member of the Plan on the same day as your employer. - If you had not completed the qualifying hours on the date your employer starts
contributing, then you will become a member on the first of the month following the
month you complete the qualifying hours.
If you have a Break in Service and are later re-hired by the same or another Contributing Employer, you will once again have to satisfy the eligibility requirements for new members.
Once a member, you and your employer will make contributions to the Plan. Your contributions will automatically be deducted from your before-tax pay and sent to InBenefits along with your employer’s contributions. These contributions, along with investment returns from the pension fund, will be used to provide your pension benefits at retirement.
