Overview

As a TRS member, you may obtain a maximum of two years of service credit at retirement for unused, uncompensated sick leave. Some or all of the unused, uncompensated sick leave may have been earned with former Illinois employers.

To be creditable for retirement purposes, sick leave must have actually been available for your use in the event of illness. Service credit is not available for sick leave days added to your record at the time of termination of service for the purpose of increasing your retirement service credit.

We will grant service credit for unused, uncompensated personal leave days if they were available for use in the event of illness. We will not grant credit for unused vacation days.

If you receive a payment that was reported to us as creditable earnings from your employer for accumulated sick leave days, your employer cannot report the days compensated to us for service credit on their sick leave report or supplementary report.

Employer reporting

Employers annually certify the number of unused, uncompensated sick leave days for all members who terminated employment during the past school year. Your last employer certifies the number of unused sick leave days accrued on your supplementary report.

Certifying unused, uncompensated sick leave

To certify sick leave from former employers prior to 1987-88, you should have each employer complete a TRS former employer sick leave certification. Certification forms are available from us.

Certification of unused, uncompensated sick leave must be based on your district's attendance records. If sick leave records are unavailable, we will accept a certificate signed by a school official with knowledge of your attendance history. The certification must include the following information:

• the dates you were employed by the district,
• the number of sick leave days established by board policy or employment contract during the time you were employed,
• the number of unused accumulated sick days,
• certification by the school district official based on attendance records or their independent recollection of your attendance history, and
• an explanation for the unavailability of actual records if the certification is based on the individual recollection of a school district official.

If a currently employed school official is unable to certify the unused sick leave, a former official of the district who is familiar with your attendance history may provide the certification provided it contains the information listed above.

Acceptable officials include superintendents, principals, bookkeepers, administrative personnel staff, and regional superintendents. Certification of sick leave based on your recollection alone is not accepted.

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact us.

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