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HRS §88-344

Returning to work after retirement

This law explains what happens if you retire and then go back to work for the State or a county. Your retirement payments stop while you work, and when you retire again, you get a new payment based on your old and new service. Special rules apply if you took an early retirement incentive.

employeesemployers

The statute, as written — Return to service of a retirant

(a) Any retirant who retired under the provisions of this part and returns to service requiring active membership in the system as a class H member shall be reenrolled as an active member, and the retirant's retirement allowance shall be suspended. When the member again retires, the retirement allowance shall be the sum of: (1) The allowance to which the member was entitled under the retirement allowance option selected when the member previously retired and which was suspended; and (2) For the period of service during the member's reemployment, the allowance to which the member is entitled for that service based on the retirement allowance option initially selected and computed for the member's age, average final compensation, and other factors in accordance with the benefit formula of a class H member under section 88-332 in existence at the time of the member's final retirement. (b) Any retirant who retired under the provisions of this part and returns to service requiring active membership in the system as a class A or class B member shall be reenrolled as an active member, and the retirant's retirement allowance shall be suspended. When the member again retires, the retirement allowance shall be the sum of: (1) The allowance to which the member was entitled under the retirement allowance option selected when the member previously retired and which was suspended; and (2) For the period of service during the member's reemployment, the allowance to which the member is entitled for that service based on the retirement allowance option initially selected and computed for the member's age, average final compensation, and other factors in accordance with the benefit formula of a class A or class B member under section 88-74 in existence at the time of the member's final retirement. (c) Any retirant who received the special retirement incentive benefit under Act 253, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, as amended by Act 131, Session Laws of Hawaii 2002, and is reemployed by the State or a county in any capacity shall: (1) Have the retirant's retirement allowance suspended; (2) Forfeit the special retirement incentive benefit and any related benefit provided by this chapter; and (3) Be subject to the age and service requirements under section 88-331 when the member again retires. (d) If a retirant's designation of beneficiary was irrevocable upon the retirant's initial retirement, the retirant may not change the retirant's designated beneficiary when the retirant returns to service or when the former retirant again retires. (e) A retirant who returns to service shall not be considered to be "in service", for the purposes of section 88-334, 88-336, 88-338, or 88-339, or any other provision of this chapter providing for benefits arising out of the disability or death of a member. A retirant who returns to service and dies during the period of reemployment shall be considered to have retired again effective as of the first day of the month following the month in which the death occurs, except for death during the month of December when the effective date of retirement may be the last day of the month. (f) The board shall adopt any rules as may be required to administer this section.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§88-331 Service retirement

§88-332 How your retirement pay is calculated

§88-334 When you can retire due to disability

§88-74 Retirement allowance on service retirement

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.