Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS)

Membership in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) is required for all classified and unclassified staff members who are appointed to work less than 75 percent Full-time Equivalency. Classified and unclassified staff members who are appointed to work at least 75 percent Full-time Equivalency can elect to be members of OPERS or to participate in the Alternative Retirement Plan.

Classified and unclassified staff members are given the option of participating in one of the following plans within OPERS. The plans are the:

• Traditional Pension Plan: Retirement, disability, and survivor benefits are determined by formulas using the employee's age, service credit, and final average salary
• Member-Directed Plan: Retirement benefits are determined by the value of the account, including investment earnings, which the employee accumulates
• Combined Plan: OPERS has closed this plan to new members hired on January 1, 2022, and beyond. Retirement, disability, and survivor benefits are combined with some elements of the other two plans

OPERS has made available an online Plan Selection Workbook, a New Hire video, and a Pension and Healthcare Eligibility Guide (PDF) to give an overview of the benefits provided by each plan. Employees are given 180 days to indicate their plan selection directly to OPERS.

Regardless of the plan selected within OPERS, an employee contribution of 10 percent is deducted on a pre-tax basis from the employee's earnings and is deposited into the employee's personal OPERS account. The university makes an employer contribution in an amount equal to 14 percent of a classified or unclassified staff member’s pay. The percentage of the employer contribution to be deposited into the employee's OPERS account depends on which plan is selected.

Additional information about OPERS is available online at www.opers.org or via phone, 800-222-7377.

Members of OPERS are given 180 days from the date of hire to select one of three retirement plans within OPERS: Traditional Pension Plan or Member Directed Plan. If you would like assistance on deciding which OPERS retirement plan is best for your career and retirement goals, visit www.opers.org and click on "Select a Plan” under the Active Member’s tab or call OPERS at 800-222-7377.