Retired, then rehired: How college workers use loophole to boost pay

Nick Perry & Justin Mayo:

Greg Royer ranks among the state's top-paid employees, with a salary of $304,000. But that's just part of his income. For nearly seven years, he's also collected an annual pension of $105,000.

Royer, the vice president for business and finance at Washington State University, tops a long list of college administrative staff members who've been able to boost their incomes by up to 60 percent by exploiting a loophole in state retirement laws.

A Seattle Times investigation has found that at least 40 university or community-college employees retired and were rehired within weeks, often returning to the same job without the position ever being advertised. That has allowed them to double dip by collecting both a salary and a pension.

The pattern of quickie retirements has continued despite the Legislature's efforts to crack down.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 30, 2010 1:01 AM
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