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Back to TIG Overview

• PAF Transaction Index
  • Using the PAF
  • ACAD - Leave of Absence for Academic Officer
  • ACAD - Reappoint an Academic Officer
  • ADMIN - Hire a New Administrative Officer or Support Staff
  • ADMIN - Leave of Absence for Administrative Officer or Support Staff Member
  • ADMIN - Promotion of Administrative Officer or Support Staff Member
  • General Data Changes
  • Personal Data Changes
  • Manage Positions
  • Pay Rate Adjustments
  • Retire an Employee
  • Layoff an Officer or Support Staff
  • Employment Termination on MSS and PAF
  • Transfer a Faculty or Staff Member

• Policy
• Process
• Action / Reason Codes
• Required Steps & Field Descriptions
• Exercises

Policy

In general, to be eligible for retirement benefits, an employee must be 55 years or older and have 10 or more years of full-time, continuous benefits-eligible service with the University.  Check with your local HR office if you have specific questions regarding policy.  For support staff in bargaining units, you should also consult the appropriate collective bargaining agreement.

Faculty are ordinarily expected to retire at the end of a term of instruction in order to avoid disrupting the curricular programs of their departments and schools, unless illness prevents them from performing their normal teaching.  Retirement during a term of instruction requires the special permission of the Provost (for more information please refer to the Faculty Handbook, Chapter 3).

Process

Print an Active PAF for the employee from the People @ Columbia system.  Print/type information directly on the form, completing the required fields.  Verify that the form is complete, sign it, and route it to the appropriate office for approval.  The Final Approver will forward the form to the HRPC.

Active PAF: The form is available through the People @ Columbia system: 

1. Log into the MyColumbia portal (www.my.columbia.edu/) and go to the “Administration” page.  Under the “Tools” menu, click on the People @ Columbia — Self Service, then click on Manager Self Service.  This takes you to “People @ Columbia.”

2. On the left navigation bar in “People @ Columbia,” click on the following folder path: Manager Self Service > Job and Personal Information > Employee Personal Information.

3. Click on the employee name. 

4. On the “Employee Information” page, click on Generate PAF for Employee.  This will generate a PAF with the fields populated for the employee’s information.

Additional Documentation: A letter from the employee stating their retirement effective date.

 Action / Reason Codes: Retirement

Action Code	Reason Code	Reason
RET	DIS	Disability Retirement
RET	EAR	Early Retirement (pre-65)
RET	LAY	Layoff (Academic personnel require prior approval of the Provost)
RET	NOR	Normal Retirement (65+)

Required Steps & Field Descriptions

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Step 1 – Top

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Eff. Date, Action, Reason: Indicate Action (e.g., RET) and Reason from the above table, along with the Effective Date for this Action/Reason.

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Step 2 – Termination/Retirement/Layoff

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Action: RET

Action Reason: See Action/Reason Table above.

Effective Date: In this case, the retirement Effective Date is first calendar day following the employee’s last day of work, regardless of the day of the week. Except for Academic personnel where is usually the first day of the month.

Term Vac Pay Days:  Enter the number of vacation days for which a terminated employee is to be paid.

Vacation Pay Amt:  FOR HRPC USE ONLY.

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Step 3 – Authorization/Approvals

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Name, Title, Date:  The names, titles, and dates of approval of you, any other approver in your department, and the Final Approver for your campus.

HRPC, Title, Date: FOR HRPC USE ONLY.

Exercises

Exercise 1 – Retire an Employee
Sample Completed PAF (PDF)

Scenario

• Effective Date: July 1, 2005
• Action: RET
• Reason: NOR
• Date of Birth: July 1, 1948
• Tenure Status: Tenured
• Tenure Begin Date: 1985
• Position Number: 10002345
• Position Department Code: 3810000
• Position Department Name: Physics
• Title: Associate Professor
• Position Entry Date: July 1, 1985
• Grade: FAC
• Salary Plan: Exempt Employee Plan
• Comp. Rate $: 65,000
• Salary Type: Annual
• Pay Frequency Rate: 5,416.67
• Appt./Comp. Rate Effective Date: July 1, 2004
• Annual Rate $: 65,000
• FT/PT: Full Time
• Hours/Week: 35