Question about pensions.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

Alright, here's the dilemma.

Instead of a raise, because I've been at my job for 2 years now, I have been enrolled in a pension plan. However, I NEEDED that raise, because I'm fucking poor. So I asked my boss if I could skip the pension and just get the money to my paycheck. He told me that this wasn't possible because under federal law, after you've been working at the same place for a certain amount of time, it's something that automatically kicks in.

So the question is: is this bullshit or no?

[papau]

1. He is talking "participation" and "vesting" rules - and these do exist

For the record the amount of extra money is usually minimal

But - you can suggest you will waive the current years accrual in return for more cash -

my administrative charge will exceed the extra monies you get - but if this boss really wants to go an extra mile - an extra hundred miles - for you he can allow the wavier to happen.

It would be cheaper for him to simply hire a replacement for you.

[murphymom]

2. I think he's correct

When a company offers a pension plan for their employees, I believe they have to extend it equally to everyone who meets the criteria they set up: such-and-such length of employment, number of hours worked per week, etc.

Husband and I are self-employed, and in the past when we had employees, we had to really think out the benefits we gave ourselves to make sure that we could afford to exend them to everybody.