Frequently Asked Questions

• Hiring Supervisor

Personnel/Human Resource Office Staff

1. What is the Boomerang, State of California Retirees Job Connection?
The Boomerang program is an Internet-based database that contains the names and relevant experience, skills and abilities of former state employees that have indicated an interest in accepting part-time, temporary work assignments as a retired annuitant.

2. Can I have access to the Boomerang program and how do I request it?
In order to participate, each department will need to identify two individuals to serve as the Department Administrator. The Department Administrator will be responsible for authorizing departmental users (e.g. hiring supervisors, personnel office staff, etc.) to access the Boomerang Program. The Department Administrator will also be responsible for forwarding any information, problems or issues with the Boomerang Program to the CalHR Administrator for resolution.

Departments may register online at https://boomerang.ca.gov . Once you register, an approval notice will be sent via email. Once approved, the department Administrators will have access 24/7 to: search the database for prospective retirees, edit information, and change passwords. The CalHR Administrator is responsible for approving the Department Administrator for authorized state departments. For additional information, please contact the CalHR Administrator at Boomerang@calhr.ca.gov or call 1-866-844-8671.

3. Why would my department want to participate or use the Boomerang program?
The Boomerang program provides on-line access to a database of state retirees that have indicated an interest in accepting employment as a retired annuitant. The Boomerang program will enable you to have ready access to experienced workers that are available to fill your temporary hiring needs. Hiring supervisors can identify job matches by browsing information by the retiree’s classification and job title prior to retirement, any skills he/she has identified, and employment preferences. The Boomerang program will save you time and effort in locating retired annuitants that can meet your temporary employment needs.

4. Is there a cost involved with using the Boomerang program?
Currently, there is no charge to participating departments.

5. Is my department already a user and how do I get additional information?
To determine if your department is participating or get additional information, contact your department’s Personnel Officer or your designated Department Administrator.

6. If my department were to become a user of the Boomerang program, what are our responsibilities?
Participating state departments would be responsible for identifying two individuals to serve as the Department Administrator. The Department Administrator would be responsible for authorizing departmental users (e.g., hiring supervisors, personnel office staff, etc.) for access to the Boomerang program. The Department Administrator would also be responsible for forwarding any information, problems or issues with the Boomerang program to the CalHR Administrator for resolution. This would include removal of retirees for various reasons – e.g. death, not a former state employee, inaccurate information, removing Department Administrator, etc.

7. Why can't I see the "Conditions of Use" from the registration page?
The “Conditions of Use” feature on the Boomerang web site requires that your system allows pop-up windows. If you are unable to view the “Conditions of Use” information, you may have a pop-up blocking program running on your computer. A pop-up blocker is any program that is designed to prevent pop-up ads from appearing while you browse the Internet. In order to read the Boomerang “Conditions of Use”, you may need to temporarily disable your pop-up blocker.

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1. Why should I register/use this tool?
The Boomerang program assists hiring supervisors in identifying retired state employees that are potential job matches for their vacancies. It provides hiring supervisors with access to a readily available pool of potential applicants who have self-identified their skills and employment preferences.

2. Can I use the Boomerang program to locate a retiree?
You should contact your department’s Personnel Office to determine whether your department is participating in the Boomerang program and to identify your Department Administrator. Once you become an authorized user, you may access the Boomerang program to locate retirees.

3. What are the steps to register and how does the Boomerang program work?
You should contact your department’s Personnel Office to identify your Department Administrator. Your Department Administrator will be responsible for approving requests to obtain access to the Boomerang program. Once you have established a user ID and password, you will be able to access the Boomerang program via the Internet.

4. Who do I contact for more information?
Hiring supervisors should contact your Department Administrator to obtain additional information regarding the Boomerang program. If you do not know who your Department Administrator is, you should contact your department’s Personnel Office.

5. Can I hire a retiree who is not registered?
The Boomerang program is just one of the tools available to hiring supervisors to assist in identifying potential applicants for their temporary vacancies. A retiree is not required to register on the Boomerang program to be considered for employment as a retired annuitant. It is very unlikely that you would be limited to only hiring applicants in the Boomerang program; however, this would be determined by your department. You should check with your Personnel Office to verify its hiring process.

6. Do I have to advertise to fill a vacancy?
Having immediate access to the Boomerang program can make it possible for hiring supervisors to locate potential retiree applicants without the need to advertise and recruit for their vacancy. However, every department has the authority to establish its own hiring procedures. You should check with your department’s Personnel Office to identify its hiring process.

7. Who contacts the retiree(s)?
The Boomerang program provides hiring supervisors with all of the information necessary to identify and contact potential applicants. However, it is up to your department’s Personnel Office to establish the hiring procedures for retired annuitants.

8. How long will this process take?
The Boomerang program is accessible 24/7. The timeframe to complete the hiring process can vary depending on your department’s hiring procedures. However, using this system can significantly reduce the time it takes for hiring supervisors to locate potential applicants.

9. How do I locate a retiree for a specific type of work?
When a retiree registers in the Boomerang program, he/she has the opportunity to self-identify his/her last classification and job title, skills and employment preferences. The Boomerang program will enable you to search to identify potential applicants that match your requirements.

10. What information about a retiree is available from the Boomerang program?
You will be able to identify the last classification and department in which the retiree worked, the skills he/she has identified, as well as his/her availability (workdays, hours, location, etc.)

11. Will the Department’s Personnel Office pre-screen the retirees?
Your Personnel Office may choose to verify the eligibility of retirees or conduct other types of pre-screening (e.g., background checks) of potential applicants. You should contact your department’s Personnel Office for clarification.

12. How do I determine/verify the applicant’s eligibility?
There are specific requirements for working as a retired annuitant that can only be verified by your Personnel Office. Hiring supervisors should contact the Personnel Office to determine when verification of a retiree’s eligibility for appointment is required. Additionally, if the Personnel Office determines an individual is not eligible for consideration, they will be responsible for maintaining this information and informing the hiring supervisors.

If a retiree is found ineligible to be in the Boomerang program, e.g. not a state retiree, the Personnel Office will work with the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to remove ineligible applicants.

13. Are retirees “self-identifying” their skills/experience & eligibility?
The retiree identifies their skills and experience. It is always the hiring supervisor’s responsibility to verify the individual’s qualifications. Hiring supervisors should work with their Personnel Office to verify a retiree’s eligibility for appointment and to address any issues.

14. Do I have to interview retiree applicants?
Whether or not you choose to conduct interviews is dependent on your department’s hiring procedures for retired annuitants. You should check with your department’s Personnel Office.

15. What if the Boomerang program does not identify retirees that match the criteria for my vacancy?
You may want to review your search criteria to determine if the reason you could not find any potential applicants is based on the conditions you used to conduct a search. Hiring supervisors should search on the most important criteria and then add other requirements, as needed.

If you are still unable to locate retirees for your vacancy, contact your Personnel Office for additional assistance.

16. How many hours can the retired annuitant work?
A retired annuitant can work a maximum of 960 hours per fiscal year (July-June). This maximum applies to the individual, not the job. It is very important that hiring supervisors coordinate with their department’s Personnel Office to track a retired annuitant’s work hours to ensure they do not exceed this maximum.

17. Are there a minimum number of hours the retired annuitant can work?
There is no minimum number of hours a retired annuitant can work; however, the retiree may identify in his/her employment preferences, his/her desired work hours (availability).