Understanding Service and Break Rules
Service rules can be very complex. The system has three components, each containing parameters specific to a particular service calculation method. Service rules present options for the elapsed time, hours counting, and hours equivalence calculation methods. In addition, there is a separate component to define break rule and service restoration.
Note: In contributory plans, employees who forfeit service if they withdraw their contributions may be able to buy back the forfeited service, if rehired, by repaying the withdrawn amount. Also, some contributory plans allow employees to purchase service for certain eligible time periods.