year
(5) Breaks in service (A) General rule Except as otherwise provided in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), all years of service with the employer or employers maintaining the plan shall be taken into account in computing the period of service for purposes of paragraph (1). (B) Employees under 2-year 100 percent vesting In the case of any employee who has any 1-year break in service (as defined in section 411(a)(6)(A) ) under a plan to which the service requirements of clause (i) of paragraph (1)(B) apply, if such employee has not satisfied such requirements, service before such break shall not be required to be taken into account. (C) 1-year break in service In computing an employee’s period of service for purposes of paragraph (1) in the case of any participant who has any 1-year break in service (as defined in section 411(a)(6)(A) ), service before such break shall not be required to be taken into account under the plan until he has completed a year of service (as defined in paragraph (3)) after his return. (D) Nonvested participants (i) In general For purposes of paragraph (1), in the case of a nonvested participant, years of service with the employer or employers maintaining the plan before any period of consecutive 1-year breaks in service shall not be required to be taken into account in computing the period of service if the number of consecutive 1-year breaks in service within such period equals or exceeds the greater of— (I) 5, or (II) the aggregate number of years of service before such period. (ii) Years of service not taken into account If any years of service are not required to be taken into account by reason of a period of breaks in service to which clause (i) applies, such years of service shall not be taken into account in applying clause (i) to a subsequent period of breaks in service. (iii) Nonvested participant defined For purposes of clause (i), the term “nonvested participant” means a participant who does not have any nonforfeitable right under the plan to an accrued benefit derived from employer contributions. (E) Special rule for maternity or paternity absences (i) General rule In the case of each individual who is absent from work for any period— (I) by reason of the pregnancy of the individual, (II) by reason of the birth of a child of the individual, (III) by reason of the placement of a child with the individual in connection with the adoption of such child by such individual, or (IV) for purposes of caring for such child for a period beginning immediately following such birth or placement, the plan shall treat as hours of service, solely for purposes of determining under this paragraph whether a 1-year break in service (as defined in section 411(a)(6)(A) ) has occurred, the hours described in clause (ii). (ii) Hours treated as hours of service The hours described in this clause are— (I) the hours of service which otherwise would normally have been credited to such individual but for such absence, or (II) in any case in which the plan is unable to determine the hours described in subclause (I), 8 hours of service per day of such absence, except that the total number of hours treated as hours of service under this clause by reason of any such pregnancy or placement shall not exceed 501 hours. (iii) Year to which hours are credited The hours described in clause (ii) shall be treated as hours of service as provided in this subparagraph— (I) only in the year in which the absence from work begins, if a participant would be prevented from incurring a 1-year break in service in such year solely because the period of absence is treated as hours of service as provided in clause (i); or (II) in any other case, in the immediately following year. (iv) Year defined For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “year” means the period used in computations pursuant to paragraph (3). (v) Information required to be filed A plan shall not fail to satisfy the requirements of this subparagraph solely because it provides that no credit will be given pursuant to this subparagraph unless the individual furnishes to the plan administrator such timely information as the plan may reasonably require to establish— (I) that the absence from work is for reasons referred to in clause (i), and (II) the number of days for which there was such an absence.