What happens if I am temporarily absent from work?
If you are away from work for a long period, the way your benefits are treated may depend on the reason for your absence, and which plan you belong to.
Maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave
If you are on this type of leave, your pension will continue building up as normal while you are still being paid.
During unpaid leave of this type, your contributions will stop. On your return to work, you then have the choice of buying back your missing pensionable service or not – in which case you will not have benefits relating to that period.
You will be told the cost of buying back this pensionable service at the time. If you die while you are on leave of this type, the same benefits payable on death will apply as in normal pensionable service, whether the leave is paid or unpaid. The benefits will generally be based on your pensionable salary at the date you went on leave.
Career break
If you take a career break, you will not make contributions while you are away, and your pension will not build up over that period. You will not qualify for death benefits during the career break.
Other unpaid leave
If you are away from work for less than a month, the single contribution payment will still be collected, based on your full monthly pay. Your pension will build up as normal, and you will still qualify for the same benefits on death as in normal pensionable service.
For longer-term unpaid leave (such as unpaid sickness absence), you have the choice of making up the missing contributions on returning to work (so your pensionable service is uninterrupted) or not – in which case you will not build up pension for that period.
However, the same benefits payable on death will apply as in normal pensionable service, as if you had continued your contributions. The benefits will generally be based on your pensionable salary at the date you went on leave.
Paid sickness
Your pension builds up as normal (that is, based on full pay) during paid sick leave. The same benefits apply on death as in normal pensionable service.