Avoiding A Permanent Break In Service

This plan has one break in service rule that may help you avoid a permanent break in service:

Five Year Rule

You can avoid a permanent break in service if you have at least 500 hours of covered service in a plan year before incurring five consecutive one-year breaks in service. For example, if you have four consecutive one-year breaks in service (years in which you worked less than 500 covered hours), you must have at least 500 covered hours in the fifth year to avoid a permanent break in service. Reinstatement is retroactive to your first year out but does not include permanently forfeited service. The five year rule became effective January 1, 1989.

Prior to January 1, 1989, the plan had the rule of parity but this rule did not impact participants because of the vesting requirements in place at that time.

The example on the following page illustrates how the five year rule works. In this example,  the participant must work 500 or more covered hours in 2005 or he will experience five consecutive one-year breaks in service and forfeit all previous service. If, in 2005, he works 500 or more covered hours he will avoid a permanent break in service and become vested because he will have five years of credited service without experiencing a permanent break in service.

For additional information about the five year rule, please see Article 2.5.