Retirement from University Service

Retirement can be a wonderful and satisfying experience when you feel prepared for the big event! We recommend that you review the information below to develop a more complete understanding of the retirement process and steps an employee should take when considering retirement. You may schedule a retirement consultation with HR if you have questions about the process or your eligibility. Consultations or assistance may be requested by calling (313) 577-3000 (prompt 5). You may also e-mail retirement questions to askhr@wayne.edu.

Commonly asked questions can be found here: Retiring from University Service FAQ

Eligibility

To retire from WSU, you must have attained age 55 and have either 10 years of service with the university or 5 years of university contribution into your retirement savings account. Years of service means the continuous number of years a faculty or staff member has worked at WSU in a benefits-eligible employee classification. For more information about years of service, please read the university policy. To confirm your eligibility, please contact us at askhr@wayne.edu or 313-577-3000.

HR Process

The HR process of retiring begins when you (the employee) confirm your eligibility (you may contact us to confirm) and write a Letter of Retirement (see Step 3 below). Your department is responsible for terminating your employment with the university. Assuming you are eligible and a termination date is in the system, Total Rewards (HR) will process your retirement the week of your last employee paycheck. Between the time you turn in your Letter of Retirement and your last employee paycheck, the Benefits Coordinator in Total Rewards will accommodate your WSU retiree benefit needs.

Timeline Example: An employee decides to retire October 1. Their last day of employment will be September 30. Their Letter of Retirement should be submitted at least 2 weeks before September 30. According to the payroll calendar, their last employee paycheck will be for Pay Period 21 on October 12. The Benefits Coordinator will process the employee's retirement the week of October 12. To better understand what happens with your benefits at the time of retirement, please read Step 2 below.

Steps the Employee Should Take

Step 1 Consult with Your Financial Advisor

You may want to consult with a financial advisor to review your income projections and income options as well as complete forms to initiate any income payment options.

If you have WSU retirement savings accounts, consult with either:

Make an Appointment

1-800-732-8353

Make an Appointment

1-800-642-7131

Step 2 Determine Your Benefit Requirements

Your active employee medical, dental and vision benefits will terminate when you retire, following these guidelines:

Type of Employee	Last Day of Employment (Termination Date)	Benefit Coverage Ends:
12-Month, Less than age 65	1st-14th	14th of month
12-Month, Less than age 65	15th-Last day of month	Last day of month
12-month, Age 65+	1st-Last day of month	Last day of month
9-month, Any age*	End of Fall semester	December 31st
9-month, Any age*	End of Winter semester	August 31st
*9-month deffered employees, please contact us to determine your benefit situation.

You have two WSU options you may opt into for medical, dental and vision insurance when your employee benefits end:

COBRA allows you to continue group medical, dental and/or vision benefits when you or your dependents become ineligible for university benefits. You will receive a COBRA package in the mail after your employment termination date (please be sure to check that WSU has your current address). COBRA is a continuation of your employee coverage, not necessarily a "retiree" plan. Click here to learn more about COBRA.
WSU Retiree Medical Dental and/or Vision. Learn more about WSU Retiree Benefits

Please note: If you or your spouse are age 65+ at the time of your retirement, it is your (or your spouse's) responsibility to enroll in Medicare. WSU is not responsible for enrolling employees, retirees or their spouses in Medicare. Please visit medicare.gov to learn more.

Helpful Resources:

Step 3 Confirm Eligibility & Write a Letter of Retirement
If you've confirmed your eligibility (see requirements above) and decided to retire, determine your last day of employment. If you plan to use vacation time, please know those vacation days are considered dates of employment. Your last day of employment is your termination date and your retirement date is the day after. The two dates should be consecutive. For example, if February 9 is your last day of employment, February 10 is your date of retirement.

Write a Letter of Retirement to your department head or supervisor and the HR Service Center (askhr@wayne.edu) stating your retirement intentions at least 2 weeks prior to your date of retirement. Your Letter of Retirement should include your last day of employment and your date of retirement.

Letter of Retirement Template - Download this fillable PDF to your computer to write your letter. You may write your own letter if you'd prefer, but it should include:
- Your name and date of letter written
- Last day of employment date (your termination date)
- Retirement date (the day after your last day of employment)
- Your address & phone number
- Your 9-digit Banner ID or access ID
- Your preferred e-mail address
After your department receives your Letter of Retirement they will process your termination; however, sending the HR Service Center (askhr@wayne.edu) your Letter of Retirement ensures that you're set up in the system as a retiree and that you'll receive the benefits associated with retiring (group life insurance, email continuation, etc.). Your Letter of Retirement does not mean you are automatically enrolled in COBRA or WSU retiree medical, dental or vision benefits (see step 4).

At this step in the proces it is important that your contact information on file is up to date. Please click here to check your current contact information and update it if needed.

Consultations or assistance from Human Resources during this step is not required, but may be requested by calling (313) 577-3000 (prompt 5). You may also e-mail retirement questions to askhr@wayne.edu.

Step 4 Submit Benefit Forms

You will be mailed a COBRA package after your employment termination date. Election of COBRA benefits (continuation of your active employee benefits) documents must be submitted to Businessolver, Inc. Businessolver, Inc. bills and collects for WSU COBRA benefits. Click here to learn more about COBRA.

If you're interested in WSU retiree medical, dental or vision benefits or would like to convert your life insurance to a personal pay option, you have 30 days from your date of termination to elect these benefits and submit the appropriate forms to the HR Service Center.

If nothing else, please be sure your life insurance beneficiaries and address are up to date. If you need to update your beneficiaries, please submit the Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation Form. Please click here if you need to update your address.

If you've elected COBRA continuation, you may enroll in WSU retiree benefits within 30 days after it ends. It is your responsibility to enroll in WSU retiree benefits at that time. Learn more about WSU Retiree Benefits

Retiree Benefit Forms
Retiree Dental Plan Enrollment Form	Use this form to enroll in, change or terminate retiree dental plan coverage.
Retiree Vision Plan Enrollment Form	Use this form to enroll in, change or terminate retiree vision plan coverage.
Retiree Medical Plan Enrollment Form	Retirees, surviving spouses and long-term disability recipients use this form to enroll in, change or terminate a retiree Wayne State University medical plan.
2022 Aetna Medicare Plan (PPO) Enrollment Form	New Medicare-eligible retirees and their Medicare-eligible spouses use this form to enroll in the Group Aetna Medicare Plan (PPO).
HAP Senior Plus HMO Enrollment Form	New Medicare-eligible retirees and their Medicare-eligible spouses use this form to enroll in the Group HAP Senior Plus HMO Plan.
Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation Form	Retirees and long-term disability recipients use this form to edit life insurance beneficiaries.
Conversion and Portability Application (pdf)	WSU fills this out for you (upon your request) during the conversion and portability process (within 30 days of employment termination). Sun Life Financial will collect your premiums if you convert Life Insurance to a personal pay option.

Step 5 Obtain Your Retiree OneCard and Enjoy Your Retiree Benefits!

Retiree benefits include vacation and illness bank payoffs (please refer to your labor contract or the Non-Represented Employee Manual for details), a $2,500 university paid life insurance policy, continued WSU e-mail access and a Retiree OneCard. Learn more about WSU Retiree Benefits.

To obtain your Retiree OneCard, which will provide you access to other retiree benefits, please visit or contact the OneCard/Parking Service Center after you have received your last active employee paycheck.

Benefit	Contact Information
Illness and vacation bank pay-offs	Payroll Phone: 313-577-2138 Website: https://payroll.wayne.edu/
Retiree OneCard & free university parking (Parking Structures 1-5 & 7-8).	OneCard/Parking Service Center Phone: 313-577-CARD Website: https://onecard.wayne.edu/ Email: onecard@wayne.edu
Continued e-mail access - this is automatically set up for retirees	Computing & Information Technology Phone: 313-577-4357 Website: https://tech.wayne.edu/about/contactus
Discounted rate at Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center (RFC) & Matthaei Center	Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center Phone: 313-577-2348 Website: https://rfc.wayne.edu/membership
Senior Citizen Reduced Tuition	Student Service Center Phone: 313-577-2100 Website: https://wayne.edu/registrar/tuition Email: studentservice@wayne.edu
Library Access	Retiree borrowing privileges
Show Your OneCard & Save Discounts	Website: https://onecard.wayne.edu/show-your-onecard