Worthy v. New Orleans Employers International Longshoremen's Ass'n

**What Happened** Mr. Worthy worked for the New Orleans longshoremen's union and voluntarily gave up his salary for several years while continuing to work without pay. Later, when he tried to claim pension benefits, he wanted credit for those unpaid work years to count toward his retirement benefits. The union's benefit plan administrator said no - those years without pay didn't qualify for pension credits under the plan rules. **What the Court Decided** The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the union. The court ruled that the benefit plan administrator was correct in interpreting the pension plan rules. Since Worthy chose to work without receiving wages during those years, he couldn't earn pension benefit credits for that time period. The court upheld the lower court's decision dismissing Worthy's case. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that pension benefits are strictly tied to actual paid work time. Even if you're performing job duties, working without pay - even by your own choice - may not count toward your retirement benefits. Workers should carefully review their pension plan documents and understand that benefit calculations typically require actual wage payments, not just time spent working.