Gashlin v. Prudential Insurance Co. of America Retirement System for the United States Employees & Special Agents

# Gashlin v. Prudential Insurance Company Retirement System ## What Happened Mr. Gashlin worked for Prudential Insurance Company, then left his job. When he returned to work at the company later, he believed his previous years of service should count toward his retirement benefits. However, Prudential's retirement plan contained "Break-in-Service" rules that prevented his earlier service from being restored. ## What the Court Decided The court sided with Prudential. The judge ruled that the company properly excluded Mr. Gashlin's prior service years under the plan's Break-in-Service rules. His earlier work time did not automatically carry over when he returned, and he was not entitled to restore it. ## Why This Matters for Workers This case demonstrates that retirement plans can include rules limiting how previous employment counts toward benefits. When workers leave and return to the same employer, their old service years may not be restored automatically. Workers should carefully review their retirement plan documents, particularly sections about breaks in service, before leaving a job or assuming past service will count toward future benefits.