The parties agree to and acknowledge the following: a. A governmental retirement plan must meet certain minimum benefit or contribution standards to qualify as a public retirement system.It's designed to be a supplement to your pension and is an additional way to invest long-term directly from your pay. Deferred compensation refers to money received in one year for work performed in a previous year often many years earlier. Deferred compensation plans are designed for state and municipal workers, as well as employees of some tax-exempt organizations.