Can we ask to get our overtime reckonable for (public service) pension purposes?

Hi
I was just wondering that seeing as I'm going to be levied on my overtime which I'm contractually obliged to do can I request that it is pensioned. I really dont see why I'm being levied on part of my salary that is not considered pensionable.
Has anyone ever done this?
Lara

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Lara,
You can ask.......but dont expect a positive response. It may be called a Pension Levy but in reality its a salary reduction (but not one that subsequently impacts on your pension benefits).

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

if the pensions levy gets the same consideration for tax relief as contributions surely the levy can only be on pensionable income, do does anyone know if they have been challenged on this. they messed up with the tax relief maybe this is another area they messed up on too.

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Yes good point I hadn't thought about that- does anyone have any ideas whats going on i'm sure we're a big enough group.........

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Seriously!! We can't possibly pay a levy on our overtime if its not considered for our pensions! Is this what is happening? (am out on maternity leave so a bit in the dark as to what is going on). I earn a small basic salary and alot of my income comes from overtime. This makes no sense whatsoever.

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

I work in a hospital, so when you get sick at 4am on chistmas morning I'll be the sucker you'll be coming to. Getting paid a little extra for this is surely not being overly greedy?
I would love to work 35 hrs 9-5 but it is a reality that nurses, guards, those who work in prisons and many others do work extra unsocial hours. Some overtime is necessary even in these hard times.

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

The whole point of the levy is as a pay reduction mechanism; it wasn't designed to deliver benefits to public service employees other than as an alternative to lay-offs or short-time working.

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Public service superannuation (and other public sector and private sector DB) schemes are designed to allow the employee retire on a proportion of their basic final salary based on the number of years service.

There are some exceptions but generally the employee pays a percentage of their basic wage. Overtime, bonuses and other additional payments are not reckonable for either the contribution of the benefit.

You or your union can ask to have your non superannuationable earnings made reckonable but you will be told the the rules of the scheme do not allow for this.

As an aside if you work for 30 years and make contributions on your overtime etc...now suppose for the last 10 years there you earn no overtime, or similar allowances. You will retire on a proportion of your final earnings (averaged over a few years) but will have paid into to the scheme for no additional gain in benefit.

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Lara,

I have removed vexatious and off topic post.

I have also removed your understandable but equally off topic reply.

The question is "can we ask to get our overtime reckonable for pension purposes"?

This question is equally as valid for public and private DB schemes.

I know there are some parts of the public sector which simply would not work with out overtime that the trade unions have negotiated to have some of the overtime reckonable for superannuation.

Have a look at my answer above and see let us know what you think.

aj

I have saved some important facts from your post.

Lara said:

I work in the health service, I get paid just over €40,000 per annum (hardly a kings ransom) and i have been doing this job for 14 years and I have 2 degrees and a postgraduate (which is standard). I am paid to work a 35 hour week 9-5 (equal to 140 hours per month) and I am CONTRACTUALLY obliged work on-call after that to cover the rest of the 24 hour period.

As there are 3 of us in the department that means I have to do an additional 133 hours or more of on-call per month so I am effectively doing 2 jobs.

I work in a critical care area and my job involves peoples lives- would you prefer that these people wait until 9am so i can stick to a 9-5?

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Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Regularly occurring overtime is pensionable. I work a 41 hour week and get paid 2 hours overtime. This when I retire makes up part of my pension.

Re: Can we ask to be pensioned on our overtime?

Grinch said:

Regularly occurring overtime is pensionable.

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This may be true in your employment but this is far from a universal.

One would have to check the rules of your particular DB scheme and with your HR department/trade union as to the custom and practice in your employment.