These payments are generally made at regular intervals, for life, and based on the employee having met one or more of the following criterion:

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  Attained a specified age; or

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  Worked for the employer a required number of years; or

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  Discontinued or substantially reduced their services to the employer.

Some employers, hoping to encourage early retirement, offer their employees pre-retirement leave payments which normally represent a percentage of the employee's regular pay.

Plans providing for such payments are generally based on:

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  The employee having met a length of service requirement; or

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  Payments being made for a limited time immediately prior to and up to the retirement date; or

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  The employee having stopped all work for the employer, is not on standby or subject-to-call, and is not expected to return to work; or

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  Benefits such as medical protection are continued, and amounts paid prior to normal retirement are counted in determining the benefit amount.