CHAPTER 2 ELIGIBILITY RULES

A plan must specify how an employee becomes a participant. In other words, what are the plan's eligibility conditions? ERISA establishes minimum standards relating to age and service requirements for eligibility purposes. The plan's eligibility conditions, however, may go beyond age and service requirements. For example, the plan might exclude certain employees by employment classification (e.g., hourly paid employees). This Chapter 2 discusses the minimum standards for age and service requirements, and when an employee becomes a participant after satisfying such requirements.