You want to reduce your work schedule before you retire
Important!
After the Act amending mainly Acts establishing public-sector pension plans (S.Q. 2024, chapter 33) was assented to, amendments were made to the provisions of
RREGOP and/or the
PPMP,
PPFEQ,
TPP,
CSSP and PPCT. The
legislative amendments, which are not included on this page, mainly concern:
- the extension of a phased departure agreement;
- membership of an employee under a pension plan until 30 December of the year during which he or she turns 71;
- the renewal of notwithstanding clauses in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that provide provisions that are more advantageous for women.
Here are answers to questions often asked by people who want to reduce their work schedule before they retire.
Phased departure
Can I reduce my work hours before I retire?
Yes. If your working conditions so provide, you can ask your employer to sign a phased departure agreement with you, which allows you to reduce your work schedule for a period between 12 and 60 months. However, you must retire at the end of that period.
For the duration of the agreement, your new work schedule must not be less than 40% of the full-time schedule of an equivalent job. To be eligible for phased departure, you must first work full-time or part-time and hold regular employment. Phased departure does not apply to casual or seasonal employees.
You can also extend the duration of your initial agreement for a period between 12 to 60 months by signing a written agreement with your employer at least 6 months before the end date of your initial agreement. However, the total duration of the agreement, once extended, may not exceed seven years.
What do I have to do to benefit from phased departure?
First, it is important to note that it is up to your employer to decide whether or not you may enter into a phased departure agreement and to fix the terms of the agreement with you.
Therefore, before signing a phased departure agreement, you must meet with the public-sector pension plan administrator at your current workplace, generally in the human resources department.
He or she will help you complete a form entitled Demande de confirmation d'admissibilité au départ progressif d'un régime de retraite du secteur public 
(RSP-267) (this form is available in French only) in order for us to confirm to your employer your eligibility for a public-sector retirement pension at the expiry of the agreement.
Will signing a phased departure agreement affect my public-sector retirement pension when I retire?
No. Your contributions to your public-sector pension plan during the agreement are calculated on the salary you would have received had you not entered into such an agreement.
You will be credited the same service and salary you would have been credited under your pension plan had you not benefited from an agreement.
Time management and work reduction
Phased departure is not an option for me because I am not ready to commit to retiring on a specific date. Are there any other programs that would allow me to reduce my work hours without affecting the public-sector retirement pension I will receive later?
Yes. If your working conditions so provide, you can reduce the number of hours you work by taking part in the Time Management and Reduction program offered by your employer. This will have no impact on your future retirement pension since you will be credited the same service and salary you would have been credited under your pension plan had you not taken part in the program, even if your work hours and salary are reduced.
Note that the Time Management and Reduction program may be known under different names depending on whether you work in the public-service sector, the health and social services sector or the education sector.
For further information in this regard, contact the public-sector pension plan administrator at your place of work, generally in the human resources department.
Do I have to apply to your organization to take part in this program?
No. It is up to your employer to decide whether or not you may participate in this program. Once you have signed a Time Management and Reduction program agreement with your employer, he or she will provide us with the information necessary to have the service and salary corresponding to your work schedule reduction recognized under your public-sector pension plan.
Gradual retirement at age 65
When I turn 65, can I reduce my work hours and start receiving my public-sector retirement pension?
Yes. If you are 65 or over and continue to hold a job covered by a public-sector pension plan we administer, you can take part in a Gradual Retirement program which, under certain conditions, will allow you to receive both your salary and your retirement pension.
As a rule, the total of the salary and pension you receive during gradual retirement cannot exceed the salary you would have received had you not reduced your work schedule.
Will benefiting from a gradual retirement agreement have an effect on the public-sector retirement pension I will receive later?
Yes. It is important to note that if you benefit from a gradual retirement agreement, you are deemed to have retired and are no longer a member of your public-sector pension plan.
Consequently, for the duration of your gradual retirement, you will not contribute to your pension plan and will not accumulate years of service. Therefore, your public-sector retirement pension will be calculated taking into account the date on which you begin your gradual retirement.
Note that gradual retirement must ends no later than 30 December of the year you turn 69 if you are a member of the RREGOP, or 71 if you are a member of the PPMP. Consequently, if you continue working, you will automatically receive your full pension in addition to your salary as of 31 December of the same year.
What do I have to do to benefit from gradual retirement?
It is up to your employer to decide whether or not you may enter into a gradual retirement agreement and to fix the terms of the agreement with you.
Once you have set the terms of the agreement with your employer, you must meet with the public-sector pension plan administrator at your place of work, generally in the human resources department. He or she will help you complete the Application for Gradual Retirement (RSP-121A-PAR) form, which you must then send to us.
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