3.3 Part-time Employees

Enrolment in HOOPP is optional for part-time employees (and other non full-time employees) on the first day they start work at a HOOPP employer. Enrolment is not mandatory for these employees, it is up to the employee to decide if they want to join HOOPP or not.

Part-time employees who do not enrol immediately may join HOOPP on any subsequent date. Part-time employees include part-time, contract, temporary, casual and all other employees not classified as full-time by their employer. There are several situations in which an employer will classify employees who are working full-time hours as a part-time employee for the purposes of joining HOOPP. For example, if an employee is hired on a temporary contract or is hired on a temporary basis to fill a permanent and continuing position (i.e. to backfill for a parental leave) and their employment is not expected to continue beyond the end of the employment contract, the employer may choose to classify the employee as part-time.

All part-time employees must be given a copy of the member information booklet The HOOPP Handbook, even if they choose not to join the Plan, when they are first hired by you. See 3.1 Getting Started for further details (Click Here).

If a part-time employee chooses to join HOOPP they must continue to make contributions on their pensionable earnings as long as they are employed by you. They can only choose to stop making contributions at an employer where they work part-time if they later become a full-time employee at another HOOPP employer.

Inform Part-time Employees They Have the Option to Join HOOPP

If a part-time employee chooses not to join HOOPP you do not have to notify HOOPP of this decision. However, for your own records HOOPP recommends that employers have part-time employees who choose not to join HOOPP sign a waiver to ensure that the employer can show that enrolment was offered. Please refer to the sample HOOPP Enrolment Waiver for Part-time and Other Non-full-time Employees document (available from HOOPP Insight). It is important to note that this is sample wording only, HOOPP strongly encourages employers to determine what documentation they require from an employee and to prepare their own forms to meet their needs, as appropriate.

If a part-time employee does not join HOOPP on their date of hire they can still choose to join the Plan at any time in the future while employed by the employer.

Part-Time Employee Already Contributing Through Other Part-time Employment
Since September 1, 2017, part-time employees can make independent enrolment decisions at each of their part-time employers. This provides members with flexibility regarding their level of participation in HOOPP. You are required to offer them enrolment in HOOPP, as discussed above.

Participating at More Than One HOOPP Employer
Members who participate in the Plan at more than one employer will:

• Build contributory service in the Plan each year at all employers where they work (up to the 52 week annual limit)

• Have their annualized earnings for pension purposes calculated by HOOPP based on their total contributions on pensionable earnings up to their full-time equivalent at each of their employers

• Be able to start their benefit from HOOPP when they terminate their employment at all employers where they’ve enrolled in HOOPP and are contributing. They do not have to terminate any other part-time positions where they were not enrolled in HOOPP, even if that employer is a HOOPP participating employer.

Once an employee is enrolled in HOOPP they are required to remain enrolled and continue contributing to HOOPP until that employment ends, with a few limited exceptions which are set out below.

Waiver of Contributions upon Change in Position 

There are limited circumstances in which a member can waive their right to make HOOPP contributions that are tied to an employment event. This provides the member with flexibility to adjust their Plan participation in line with their new employment status. By making this election, the member stops contributing to HOOPP, and ceases to build contributory and eligibility service for the employment(s), subject to the waiver.

A member may waive their right to make HOOPP contributions only in the following situations:

• Part-Time Member with New Full-Time Position
  A part-time member who subsequently obtains a second, full-time position with an employer (a new employer or an existing employer) will be enrolled in HOOPP for their new full-time position, and they may elect to cease making contributions in respect of their part-time position at the time they obtain their new full-time position. If the member is employed part-time with more than one employer, they can waive their contributions at one, or all of their part-time employments.

• Full-Time to Part-Time Employment
  A member who changes their employment status from full-time to part-time is eligible to waive contributions for their part-time employment(s). This can occur where:  

The option to cease making HOOPP contributions is based on the member’s change in employment status. The waiver effective date must be the date of the triggering employment event (i.e. enrolment at a different employer where they work full-time or change of status from full-time to part-time at your organization or at a different employer). A sample HOOPP Member Contribution Waiver is available from HOOPP Insight. Keep a copy for your records. You do not need to submit a copy to HOOPP.

The member may resume making contributions to HOOPP on a go forward basis by notifying their employer. The member will not be able to make up waived contributions later or to purchase the period of past service when contributions were waived.

A member who has elected to waive making contributions as described above can access their HOOPP pension provided they terminate their employment at all employers where they are enrolled in HOOPP and contributing.