State ex rel. Clift v. School Emps. Retirement Sys.

**What Happened** A school employee named Clift applied for disability benefits through Ohio's School Employees Retirement System (SERS). However, SERS denied her application, saying she hadn't worked long enough to qualify. The dispute centered on whether time she spent off work while receiving workers' compensation benefits should count toward the required work time needed to apply for disability benefits. Clift argued this time should count as "contributing service," while SERS disagreed. **What the Court Decided** The Ohio appeals court sided with SERS and denied Clift's request. The court ruled that time spent away from work while receiving workers' compensation does not count as "contributing service" for determining when someone becomes eligible to apply for SERS disability benefits. The court upheld an earlier magistrate's decision on this issue. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling affects Ohio school employees who may need both workers' compensation and retirement system disability benefits. Workers should understand that time off due to work injuries - even when receiving workers' compensation - doesn't help them meet the service requirements for retirement system disability benefits. School employees should track their actual working time carefully when planning for potential disability benefit applications.