Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan
December 3, 2020 2:24 PM

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to announce a new Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan for Academic Professional and Civil Service employees who meet retirement eligibility by May 31, 2021. The goal of the plan is to provide an incentive opportunity and support our employees who may want to retire. Offering this plan will also help the university to navigate budget challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The application window for the plan will open today and will close Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. Eligible employees who wish to voluntarily retire and are accepted under the plan would receive a lump sum payment equal to 20 weeks of their current annual salary, up to a maximum payment of $75,000, less required deductions. For employees in union-represented bargaining units, eligibility shall be addressed through the required collective bargaining process.

Applications will be reviewed by units and Illinois Human Resources, and applicants will be officially notified of a decision in February 2021. For more information on the eligibility criteria, visit this Illinois Human Resources webpage. All eligible employees can expect to hear more details directly from Illinois Human Resources. There will also be a Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan informational session on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at noon. At that time, you can watch the livestream session here.

Please note the following staff members are not eligible for the plan:

• Faculty
• Staff members in positions funded 50% or greater by grant funds
• Staff members in Illinois Fire Service Institute (due to special state appropriation)
• Staff members in the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
• Staff members currently on notice of non-reappointment (NONR), unless the NONR is due to reclassification from academic professional to civil service
• Employees currently in inactive status
• System Offices employees

The plan is a positive strategic initiative to support employees who have served the university faithfully, while also navigating our current and future budget projections. If the plan is relevant and interesting to you, I hope you will explore the opportunity.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor