Employment Status Change
For benefit purposes, a change in employment status means moving from one benefits eligibility category to another. This usually involves a change from ineligibility to eligibility or vice versa, part-time to full-time employment (20 - 29 hours per week to 30+ hours per week) or from SPA to EPA status or vice versa. FTE is Full-time Equivalency. 40 hours per week=1 FTE, 30 hours per week =.75 FTE, 20 hours per week=.5 FTE, etc.
General Rule
Employment status changes cause a new 30-day window to open during which conditional changes to benefit plans may be made (depending on the type of status change). The 30-day window begins with the effective date of the change. Employees who change from ineligible to eligible status will want to attend New Employee Orientation.
| Benefit Plans | SPA or EPA .75 FTE-1.0 FTE |
SPA or EPA .5 FTE- .75 FTE |
Postdocs .75 FTE- 1.0 FTE |
Exceptions |
| State Health Plan | SPA or EPA, employer paid premium for employee (additional cost for the 80/20 plan) | SPA or EPA, employee paid premium for coverage | N/A | |
| Teachers' and State Employees Retirement System (TSERS) | SPA or EPA, mandatory 6% deduction | N/A | N/A | |
| Optional Retirement Program (ORP) | EPA, mandatory 6% deduction | N/A | N/A | |
| NCFlex Program (dental, vision, cancer, critical illness, AD&D, NCFlex Life, flexible spending accounts) | SPA or EPA | SPA or EPA | N/A | Rehired Retiree in a perm p/t position, Phased Retirees |
| Law Enforcement Officers Retirement System (LEORS) | Sworn Campus Police Officers (SPA) | N/A | N/A | |
| State Disability (DIPNC) (after one year in TSERS or ORP-enrollment is automatic) | SPA or EPA | N/A | N/A | |
| TSERS Employer Paid Death Benefit | Only those enrolled in TSERS | N/A | N/A | |
| 401(k) Supplemental Plan (Employer paid 5% contribution) | Sworn Campus Police Officers (SPA) | N/A | N/A | |
| Postdoc Health Insurance | N/A | N/A | Postdocs | |
| Leave Accrual | SPA or EPA | SPA or EPA, prorated | Postdocs | |
| 457 Voluntary Retirement | SPA or EPA | SPA or EPA | Postdocs | Rehired retirees, Phased retirees |
| 401(k) Voluntary Retirement | SPA or EPA | N/A | N/A | |
| 403(b) Voluntary Retirement | SPA or EPA | SPA or EPA | Postdocs | Rehired retirees, Phased retirees |
| Hyatt Legal Plan | SPA or EPA | SPA or EPA | N/A | |
| Liberty Mutual Long Term Disability | SPA or EPA | N/A | N/A | |
| Standard Long Term Disability | SPA or EPA | N/A | N/A |
Forms and Instructions
Visit our Enrolling In or Changing Benefits page for instructions on making changes or enrolling in your benefits.
Continuation and Portability
Employees who become ineligible for coverage can receive COBRA offers, continuation/portability information, directly from the plan, mailed to the home address.