Required Membership

Newly hired employees are required to become contributing members of TSERS, as a condition of employment, on the date they are hired, if they are: 

• A permanent full-time teacher or employee of a state-supported board of education or community college 
• A permanent employee of the state (or any of its agencies, departments, bureaus, or institutions) and work at least 30 hours per week for nine months per year 
• A retired member of TSERS who is later re-employed by employers as stated above 
• A permanent employee of a charter school that has elected to participate in the Retirement System and who works at least 30 hours per week for nine months per year 
• A community college President hired after June 30, 2018.

Any newly hired employee should be enrolled as a member of TSERS using the enrollment process. Membership is effective on the first day of employment.

Optional Retirement Program (ORP) Membership

On their date of hire, the following employees who are eligible for membership in TSERS may make a one-time decision to join the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TSERS:

• Administrators and faculty of the University of North Carolina (UNC) System with the rank of instructor or above
• The President and employees of the UNC System who are appointed by the Board of Governors on the recommendation of the President or who are appointed by the Board of Trustees of a constituent institution of the UNC System upon recommendation of the Chancellor
• Non-faculty UNC System instructional and research staff who are exempt from the State Human Resources Act and the faculty of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
• Field faculty of the Cooperative Agricultural Extension Service and tenure track faculty in the North Carolina State University agricultural research programs who are exempt from the State Human Resources Act
• Eligible employees of UNC Health Care
• All employees hired on or after January 1, 2013, by the UNC System
• A community college president hired on or before June 30, 2018.

Law Enforcement Officer Membership

A newly hired law enforcement officer (LEO) is required to become a contributing member of TSERS on the date he or she is hired. These members are eligible for the additional benefits that are provided to a TSERS LEO, if he or she meets all of the following conditions:

• Be a permanent, full-time paid employee of the state (or any of its agencies, departments, bureaus, or educational institutions)
• Be actively serving in a position with assigned primary duties and responsibilities for the prevention and detection of crime or the general enforcement of the criminal laws of the state, or serving civil processes
• Possess the power of arrest by virtue of an oath administered under the authority of the state

In many cases, an employee may perform ancillary duties which fall within the boundaries of the definition of a LEO. However, it is the employee’s primary duties that qualify him or her for LEO benefits.

Probation and Parole Officers

Probation and parole officers are eligible for some, but not all, law enforcement benefits. Probation and parole officers are eligible for:

• Separate Insurance Benefits Plan
• Special Separation Allowance
• Line of duty death benefit

Probation and parole officers are not eligible for Automatic membership in the NC 401(k) Plan. If your employees do not qualify for TSERS LEO benefits, they may still qualify for retirement benefits as a TSERS.

As of July 1, 2017, probation and parole officers will earn service credit as a law enforcement officer (LEO). A current probation/parole officer with no prior service as a LEO must work at least five years (vesting) from this date to be eligible for an unreduced retirement as a LEO at age 55. Prior service as a non-LEO (including service as a probation or parole officer prior to July 1, 2017) will not count toward the five-year vesting as a LEO.

The special separation allowance is administered by the employer and has an additional eligibility requirement. Half of the creditable service must be as a LEO or as a probation/parole officer, and LEO service prior to July 1, 2017, may be used to meet this requirement. If a probation/parole officer had two years of prior probation/parole officer or LEO service, the two years can be added to the LEO service accrued after July 1, 2017, to count toward separation allowance eligibility.

Employees Not Eligible for Membership

A new employee is NOT eligible to become a contributing member if he or she is:
 

• An employee who meets the eligibility requirements described under “Optional Retirement Program (ORP) Membership” who elects to join the Optional Retirement Program in lieu of this Retirement System.
• An agricultural extension service employee who is a member of the Federal Employees’ Retirement System.
• An exchange teacher defined as a nonimmigrant alien teacher participating in an exchange visitor program designated by the U.S. Department of State.
• Any other person whose employment requires less service than described under “Required Membership,” except for a part-time magistrate under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Office of the Courts.