Faculty and Certain Employees Retirement Plan - FAQs

Once you join the Pension Plan, you are immediately entitled to the benefits that you earn from the Plan. There is no waiting period before you own your earned pension benefits (in other words, your pension benefits are immediately vested).

You can retire from the Pension Plan as early as 10 years before your normal retirement date with the approval of the University. If you decide to retire early, your monthly pension amount will be reduced to account for the fact that you will likely receive the pension for a longer period of time. For more information consult the Plan document.

Members with a Normal Retirement Date of July 1, 2017 or sooner: If you choose to continue working beyond your normal retirement date, you may elect to continue making full contributions, in which case you will continue to accrue full pensionable earnings and service up to the earlier of your actual retirement date or the end of the year in which you turn age 71 (the year you must cease pension participation and commence receipt of your pension, regardless of your employment status). You can use the Pension Estimator to estimate this benefit based on assumptions that you enter. Alternatively, you may elect to cease active participation and defer receiving your pension to some future date. In this case, contributions cease (as does the University matching contribution) as well as all future pension accrual. At the time you elect to begin receiving your pension, the pension benefit will be calculated based on the account balance at the time your pension commences and your minimum guaranteed benefit will be calculated based on your best average earnings and service at the time your pension participation ceased, actuarially increased to account for the deferred commencement date. Members with a Normal Retirement Date beyond July 1, 2017: If you choose to continue working beyond your normal retirement date, you will continue making full contributions, in which case you will continue to accrue full pensionable earnings and service up to the earlier of your actual retirement date or the end of the year in which you turn age 71 (the year you must cease pension participation and commence receipt of your pension, regardless of your employment status). You can use the Pension Estimator to estimate this benefit based on assumptions that you enter. The Pension Estimator is unable to estimate postponed benefits under a deferred-commencement basis. If you are approaching your normal retirement date and contemplating postponed retirement, please contact Human Resources via email at pensions@uwindsor.ca to discuss your options, and to receive a formal pension estimate under both scenarios.

You are a member of the University of Windsor Retirement Plan for Faculty and Certain Employees, which is a hybrid pension plan. A hybrid pension plan has features of both a defined benefit (DB) and a defined contribution (DC) plan. As in a DC plan, your contributions and the University’s matching contributions are directed into an investment account, where they can grow over time to provide for your retirement income. However, if investment returns are not as high as anticipated, your basic pension amount at retirement is still guaranteed according to a fixed formula that takes into account your salary and the number of years you’ve participated in the Plan, as in a DB plan.
 
To see the formula used to calculate your pension amount at retirement, refer to the Plan document.

Sessional Instructors are eligible to join the Plan once they have been employed for two consecutive years or more and:

(a) have earned 35% of the YMPE ($66,600 for 2023) or more in each of the two preceding calendar years; or

(b) have worked minimum of 700 hours in each of the two preceding calendar years.

Human Resources monitors your eligibility and will contact you once you have satisfied the eligibility requirements.

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Sessional Instructors receive 1/3 of a month credited service for each course taught in a semester, to maximum of three courses (3/3). For example a Sessional Instructor who teaches two courses in the fall semester will receive .6667 credited service for each of the months September, October, November, and December. A Sessional Instructor who teaches three courses in the winter semester will receive a full month credited service for each of the months of January, February, March, and April.

Continued participation during a sabbatical is compulsory. If you are paid 100% of your nominal salary during the sabbatical leave period, your contributions will continue as per usual and you will receive full credited earnings and service during your leave. However, if you are paid a percentage less than 100% during the sabbatical you have the option to continue making contributions based on 100% of your nominal salary, or to contribute based on your reduced sabbatical salary.
 
If you elect to contribute based on 100% of your nominal salary, you will receive full credited earnings and service during your leave. If you elect to contribute based on your reduced sabbatical salary, your credited earnings and service will be reduced accordingly. For example, if you commence an 80% reduced sabbatical for a one-year period, and elect to contribute only on your reduced salary, you will be credited with 80% of one year’s pensionable earnings and service – or 80% earnings and 9.6 months for the year. Please note that you cannot purchase the remaining 2.4 months of missing service at any point in the future.

Active members are permitted to transfer a lump-sum amount into the Faculty and Certain Employees Plan from the registered plan of a previous employer; however there will be no pensionable service or minimum pension entitlement from within the Faculty and Certain Employees Plan attached to the funds. The funds are accounted for separately from your Money Purchase Account as a Special Transfer. The funds are invested in the same manner as the funds in the Money Purchase Account, so the rate of return applied to the funds can be positive or negative. Once transferred into the Faculty and Certain Employees Plan, the funds must remain in the Plan until the earlier of termination of employment, retirement, or death. The funds are administered on a locked-in or non locked-in basis, in accordance with the instructions received from the previous plan’s administrator. Your Special Transfer account balance is updated each year and appears on your annual pension statement. Please contact Human Resources via email at pensions@uwindsor.ca if you would like to receive more information regarding pension fund transfers.

Continued participation during periods of unpaid leave is not permitted under the terms of the Plan, except during maternity/parental leaves, certain ESA legislated leaves or leaves for military service. For more information, consult the Plan document.

You will have the option to continue participation during any paid or unpaid leave of this nature. Human Resources will contact you prior to your leave to discuss your options. For more information consult the Plan document.

During periods of short-term disability contributions are deducted from your pay and you are credited with full pensionable earnings and service. During periods of long-term disability for which you are in receipt of disability benefits, you are no longer required to make contributions to the Plan. Rather, your contributions are deemed to have been made on your behalf. You receive full pension service throughout the disability period up to the earliest of your return to work date, your actual retirement date, or your normal retirement date. Your pensionable earnings are calculated based on the nominal salary you were receiving at the time your long-term disability benefit commenced. For more information, consult the Plan document.
 
Keep in mind, when using the Pension Estimator, if you do not expect to return to work before any pension event such as retirement, you should use a future salary assumption of 0%. For example if using a 2.5% inflation rate, select Inflation minus 2.5% for the salary assumption to equal 0%.

Both you and the University contribute to the Pension Plan. Your required contributions are calculated according to a formula. Currently, the contribution rate is 9% of pensionable earnings.  The University contributes 6% of pensionable earnings to your Money Purchase component account. Contributions to the Money Purchase account are subject to annual ITA limits.  The University is solely responsible to fund the Minimum Guaranteed component of your entitlement.
 
To see the formula used to calculate your required contributions to the Plan, refer to the Plan document.

Plan participation is compulsory for eligible members. Once you are enrolled in the Plan, you are not allowed to opt out of the Plan until such time as your employment ends, you commence retirement, or you reach your normal retirement date. If you choose to continue working beyond your normal retirement date, your pension participation continues to the earlier of your actual retirement date, or to the end of the year in which you turn age 71.

If you leave the University before you retire, you are entitled to receive a benefit from the Pension Plan. Similarly, if you die before retirement, your spouse or beneficiary is entitled to receive a benefit from the Pension Plan. In these situations, you will receive a formal statement of your pension transfer options along with all applicable forms for completion, from Human Resources. You can use the Pension Estimator to estimate this benefit based on assumptions that you enter. The type and amount of benefit will depend on your plan membership and your years of participation in the Plan. 

Not all pensions are the same. You can usually choose from a selection of different "forms" of payment when you start your pension. All forms of pension will pay you a monthly amount for the rest of your life. Some forms will provide that a certain number of payments are guaranteed. Others may provide for a continuation of your pension, or a portion thereof, to continue to your spouse after your death. The amount of pension varies depending on the form elected.
 
Keep in mind that if you have a spouse at retirement, the Pension Benefits Act of Ontario requires that your pension is paid in a form where at least 60% of your pension will continue to your spouse upon your death, unless your spouse has waived his or her right to the pension.
 
For more information on the forms of pension available to you at retirement, refer to the Plan document.

The University of Windsor issues annual pension statements to all plan members within six months of plan year end in accordance with the Pension Benefits Act. Your annual pension statement contains a variety of useful information, as of the applicable plan year end, including:

• Your contributions (both cumulative and for the plan year)

• Your pension service (in years and part years)

• Your normal retirement date

• The pension amount you have earned to date

• The future pension amounts you are expected to receive at retirement

Pension regulations and the official rules of the Pension Plan protect your pension benefit in many ways. First of all, a trustee holds the Pension Plan’s assets, including all employee and University contributions to the Pension Fund, separate from the assets of the University. As a result, the assets of the Pension Plan are protected even if the University should experience financial trouble. In that unlikely situation, pension regulations would prescribe a fair distribution of the Fund to plan members.
 
Pension regulations also protect your pension from your own actions. You can’t withdraw the value of your pension, borrow any portion of it, or use it as collateral for a loan, and your creditors can’t seize it. You can’t promise or assign your pension benefits to anyone, except for income-splitting purposes upon divorce, separation, or annulment, and then only according to a court order or a legal agreement.

You named a beneficiary when you enrolled in the Pension Plan. Your spouse, if applicable, will be the automatic beneficiary of your Pension Plan, unless you and your spouse have completed a Waiver of Pre-retirement Death Benefit (Form 4), and it is on file in your records in Human Resources. This form can be found in the forms section of the Pensions website. You should review your beneficiary designation each year when you receive your annual pension statement, or when your life circumstances change, such as when you retire.

A written request for relevant pension information as at a specified marriage breakdown date must be signed by you and delivered to Human Resources. Requests for information by your spouse must be accompanied by a letter from you, authorizing the University to release this information. You will be provided with information for your lawyer’s reference. It is strongly recommended that both parties obtain independent legal counsel when considering the valuation or assignment of pension assets. 

You can submit an online request to update your records through the Pension Estimator. Alternatively, you can ask to be contacted by sending an email at pensions@uwindsor.ca.

Financial advisers often say that you need around 60% to 80% of your pre-retirement working income to retire comfortably. How much income you’ll need in retirement depends on you. This amount can vary widely based on your lifestyle. If you plan to travel, or take part in expensive hobbies, the percentage may be higher. If your home is paid for and you use public transit, it could be less. In any case, it is always a good idea to plan early for your financial future. Compare your sources of retirement income with what you expect you’ll need. You can use the Pension Estimator to calculate the income you could receive from the Pension Plan. Remember that future inflation will erode your purchasing power, so you should factor this into your plans.

Depending on how long you work for the University and on your expenses during retirement, the Pension Plan may or may not provide all the income you need for a comfortable retirement. For example, if you work at the University for approximately 30 years, the Pension Plan could provide most of your retirement income. The rest will be financed from other sources, so it’s important to understand where retirement income can come from. Your sources of potential retirement income can include: Company pension and retirement plans (from all your employers) Government benefits such as Canada/Quebec Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, provincial supplements Personal savings and investments If you expect that income from these sources won’t provide an adequate amount to finance your retirement, your second retirement planning step is developing a personal financial strategy. This is best done in partnership with a certified financial planner.

The Pension Estimator is a web-based pension planning tool, which can be used by active members of the Retirement Plan for Faculty and Certain Employees to estimate pension values upon ending employment, retirement, or in the event you should die.

The pension plan year runs from July 1st to June 30th of each year. The Pension Estimator can be accessed by active members of the two University sponsored plans with an enrolment date prior to the past June 30th plan year end date. Employees who became Plan members after June 30th of any Plan year will be able to access the Pension Estimator following the end of the first plan year of their membership.

The Pension Estimator should be compatible with all the latest internet browsers; it is possible that the application will not work well with older browsers. In order to keep the user input active throughout the Pension Estimator, the browser’s back button is not functional while in the application. You can move through the screens by selecting menu items from the tool bar, by selecting the X quit box on various screens or by using the Go button when it appears at the bottom of the page. The application requires that the user browser be configured to accept cookies. This is the default setting of most browsers. However, if you changed your browser setting to disable cookies, you will not be able to use the application. If you find you cannot see the whole screen while in the application, try adjusting the text size from the view menu at the top of the screen. If you experience any access or viewing difficulties, contact the Pension Administrator at extension 2053.

The system has been developed using best practice principles.  However, we will continue to improve in the area of accessibility.  It is important for us.

Yes. There are several security mechanisms in place. Such as:

• The Pension Estimator is an HTTPS application. The information flowing to and from the internet is encrypted.

• The Pension Estimator will not let people “guess” your password. After three (3) failed login attempts, the tool will “lock” your user id #. You will need to contact Human Resources to have your account reset. 

• If the Pension Estimator is left open for thirty (30) minutes or more your session will be automatically terminated and you will need to login again in order to access the site.

There are a few ways to ensure your pension information remains protected.

• Just as with many other online tools, your password is the key. Keep your password secret and your information will be protected.

• Make sure you click on the QUIT option when you are finished using the tool. This will exit the tool properly. Do not simply click on the X in the top right hand corner. 

• Never leave the Pension Estimator open on your screen when you are away from your computer. 

• Never leave any printed information in a public area.

Your user ID # is your University of Windsor employee number. Go to /humanresources/faculty-staff/pensions and select the Pension Estimator link. This will direct you to the Pension Estimator sign-on page, where instructions for obtaining your user ID # can be found. To receive your password, select Forgot your password or don’t have one yet and follow the instructions. Your password will be sent to your UWindsor email address. Once you have your user ID # and your password you should be able to enter the tool without any difficulty. If you experience problems, contact Human Resources for assistance.  

You are not able to change your email address unless your employment ends and you elect to retain a deferred pension entitlement. Your UWindsor email address is your official email address for University correspondence and resides in the Pension Estimator as part of the member identification and security control process.

You can receive an online estimate of your pension income at retirement by using the University of Windsor Pension Estimator.
 
If you are planning to retire within the next year, you can request a more precise pension quote by contacting Human Resources via an email at pensions@uwindsor.ca.

Upon sign in, the Pension Estimator will know you have two active records, one for each Plan. You will see an option to select your record by Plan on the far left of the main tool bar once you have signed on to the tool. You may create pension estimates from either Plan. Keep in mind that future service accrual will only take place in the Plan you are currently enrolled in.

At the present time, deferred member access is not yet available. We expect this phase of the project to be completed by the spring of 2021. Deferred members will be contacted and provided with all the information they will need to access the system once this phase of the project is complete. 

While the University of Windsor makes every effort to provide you with reliable resources, it’s important to note that the results from the Pension Estimator are forward looking, and therefore, must be considered estimates only. Your pension benefit can be determined with certainty only on the actual date that you retire, leave the University, or die. You should think of the results from the Pension Estimator as a tool to use in your overall financial planning, and not as definitive data.

In today’s economic environment a future inflation assumption of 2.5% is considered reasonable and has been selected as the default for estimates. The inflation rate will affect values used in pension calculations, such as the projected YMPE (refer to YMPE in the Pension Estimator glossary) used in the calculation of the minimum guaranteed pension benefit formula, as well as in calculating Income Tax Act maximum pension limits for future years. 
 
The salary projection assumption will increase your existing salary rate by the inflation rate of 2.5% plus the % amount you select. For example, if you select a salary assumption of Inflation + ½%, your existing salary will increase by 3% to the effective estimate date you select. For a conservative estimate we recommend you use a 0% salary projection assumption. To do this, select a salary projection assumption of -2.5% which will offset the 2.5% inflation rate bringing the salary increase to 0%.
 
The investment return assumption will increase your existing and future Money Purchase Account balance by the rate you select. Your MPP pension and AVC pension amounts (if any) are highly dependant on Investment returns. The investment return default of Inflation + ½% (3% overall) is consistent with the return rate used in the calculation of your projected pension in your Annual Pension Statement. 

Retirees are now able to access the Retiree Resource Center. Retirees can view their personal data including spousal and beneficiary designations, the form of pension chosen at retirement, and the results of each annual indexing calculation. Retirees who are having difficulty accessing the site should contact the pension office at extension 2053 or via email at pensions@uwindsor.ca. 

Additional information can be obtained by consulting the “My Pension Plan” section in the Pension Estimator. You can also consult the formal Plan document and a comprehensive glossary section, also located within the Pension Estimator.

If you have any questions about using the Pension Estimator or about the results contained in an estimate, contact Human Resources via an email at pensions@uwindsor.ca.

Human Resources can assist you with questions or concerns specific to your situation. We encourage you to contact us via email at pensions@uwindsor.ca and we will set up a time to meet for a face-to-face discussion.