New Employee
NC State offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to provide a variety of choices to fit your needs and the needs of your family. Our web site provides useful links to news, information, forms and resources to help plan and make smart decisions. If you need help or have questions, the Benefits Staff is just a click or call away.
- New Employee Orientation
- Benefits Eligibility
- Dependent Eligibility
- Enrollment Period
- Choosing a Retirement System
- Sharing the Cost
New Employee Orientation
To help acclimate new employees to the University and ensure a successful beginning, all regular employees, part-time and full-time, must attend New Employee Orientation (NEO) within their first 30 days of employment. A comprehensive review of employee benefit plans is presented and participants receive plan materials and enrollment instructions.
Benefits Eligibility
Most employees are either SPA(Subject to State Personnel Act), EPA (Exempt from State Personnell Act) or a Postdoc. NC State benefit plan participation begins with an EPA or SPA employment status of .50 FTE (20 hours per week) on a non-temporary basis. Participation in the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System (EPA/SPA) or Optional Retirement Program (EPA only) is mandatory for employees with a status of .75 FTE (full-time equivalent; 30 hours or more per week) for nine or more months per year, on a non-temporary basis
| 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 non-temp, part-time 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 |
Dependent Eligibility
For the MetLife Group Term Life plans, children can remain on the plan up to age 19, or age 25 if a full-time student and spouses can remain on the plan up to age 70. For all other benefit plans, coverage is available to eligible employees, legally married spouses, and dependent children up to the age of 26. Dependent eligibility rules may vary for some plans.
Enrollment Period
Newly hired employees are granted a 30-day window during which benefit plan enrollment is permitted. The 30-day window begins with the first day of employment. Failure to enroll when first eligible may cause a delay in future enrollment opportunities and significant waiting periods for some benefits. Keep in mind that benefits begin the first day of the month following the employment start date. If a faculty member is hired in July but does not begin their actual contract start date until August, benefits enrolled in can begin on September 1.
Choosing a Retirement System
Benefits-eligible SPA employees are automatically enrolled into Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System.
EPA faculty and staff are granted an additional 30 days to select either the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System or the Optional Retirement Program. Once the choice of retirement system is made, the election is irrevocable. Failure to select and enroll in a specific plan will result in default enrollment into the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System.
Sharing the Cost
NC State makes a contribution towards the cost of employee benefit plans.