Working After Retirement

If you plan to work after retirement, you may work for a private company that is not performing services for a Colorado PERA employer (or work for a public employer not affiliated with Colorado PERA) without limitations.

If you plan to return to work for a Colorado PERA employer, it is important that you understand the working after retirement rules. Listed below are some of the basic working after retirement rules; please see the Working After Retirement booklet for a complete listing of the working after retirement rules.

• You may volunteer for a Colorado PERA employer as many hours as you desire.

• If you return to work for a Colorado PERA employer during the effective month of retirement, you are subject to additional rules. You may not work on the first business day of the month in which your retirement is effective.

• If you return to work for a Colorado PERA employer, you are limited to 110 days or 720 hours of work per calendar year without a reduction in your benefit.

• You are subject to the working after retirement limit if you are providing services to a Colorado PERA employer as an employee and you cannot be defined as an independent contractor.

• If you work for a Colorado PERA employer, in most cases, employer contributions and working retiree contributions must be paid on salary earned.

• If you are a disability retiree, you have different working after retirement rules.

• As a result of the merger with DPSRS, there are additional rules for both PERA and DPS benefit structure retirees. 

For More Information

See the Working After Retirement booklet for detailed information on working after retirement rules and the forms you must submit if you return to work for a PERA employer.

Select the following links to view/print the working after retirement forms, which are also included in the Working After Retirement booklet:

• Retiree Working for a PERA Employer. Complete this form if you return to PERA employment after you retire. Your employer uses this form to decide if employer and member contributions are required on your pay.

• Effective Month of Retirement Work Report. Complete this form if you work for a PERA employer during the effective month of retirement.

• Disclosure of Compensation. Complete this form if you are performing services as an independent contractor or through an affiliated party for a PERA employer.

• Post-Retirement Work Report. Complete this form if you exceed the 110-day/720-hour working after retirement limit. Send it to PERA no later than March 31 of the year following the calendar year in which you exceeded the limit. You may also report your excess hours or days on a monthly basis so that penalties are applied during the year in which you exceed the limit, instead of being applied in the following year.