Resigning vs. retiring — what’s the difference?

No, it doesn’t. Resignation is between you and your employer; retirement is between you and the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Since you can’t be on payroll and be retired, you must resign before retiring.

Additionally, for NYSTRS purposes, your resignation date must be at least one day after your effective retirement date. For example, if your last working day is June 30, your earliest retirement day would be July 1.

Schedule a consultation with your human resource or business office, or with your local union representative, to determine your district’s retirement policy.

If you work for a private or a federal employer, you can return to the workforce immediately. If you plan to work for an employer who participates in the NYSTRS system, you MUST have a service break of at least one business day between the date you leave payroll as an active member and the date you return to public employment as a NYSTRS retiree, and weekends and holidays don’t count.

Additionally, if you’re collecting a NYSTRS retirement benefit and you take a job with another New York state public employer, you can’t earn service credit in another retirement system.

For more information, consult the NYSTRS publication, Working in Retirement, nystrs.org/NYSTRS/media/PDF/working.pdf.