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Benefits Information������Retirement������Educational Assistance������Payroll������Other Benefits and Resources

Benefits Information

Benefits are available to full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week on a regular basis.

Explore your benefits options using the  for programs like health, vision, dental, life insurance and more. There are great tools like a benefits summary and a comparison guide, information about the Family and Medical Leave Act, and help for when your family status or life status changes.

Retirement

All full-time employees of the University System of Georgia are required to participate in a mandatory retirement plan. Salaried employees have the opportunity to elect to participate in the USG’s Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) or Teachers Retirement System (TRS). Hourly employees are required to participate in TRS. Review the information below and on the .

Teachers Retirement System (TRS)

TRS is a defined benefit plan that currently requires a 6% base salary employee contribution and is supplemented by a 21.14% employer contribution. Ten years of creditable service are required for vesting, after which vested employees are eligible to draw a pension upon retirement. Employees leaving the USG with less than ten years of creditable service are entitled only to their employee contributions and interest. Find more information on the .

Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)

ORP is a defined contribution plan (401a) that currently requires a 6% base salary employee contribution, and is supplemented by a 9.24% employer contribution. Under this plan, employees are immediately vested and select one or more financial vendors who invest the contributions under the direction of the employee. Learn more about .

Voluntary Retirement Savings Plans

�������� offers two voluntary retirement savings plans to supplement employees’ TRS or ORP contributions: a 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity plan and a 457(b) deferred compensation plan. An employee may reduce his/her taxable income by contributing a portion of his/her income into a retirement savings account on a pre-tax basis. You decide how much to contribute through payroll deduction, and you may change your contribution amounts at any time during the year. 2019 contribution limits are $19,000 for participants under age 50, and $25,000 for participants age 50 and older. Employer matching is not available for either of these plans. All benefit-eligible employees may participate in either of these plans.

Approved financial vendors for 403(b) and 457(b) plans include the following:

Establishing New Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan Accounts or Updating Your Current Account

It’s now even easier to access University System of Georgia (USG) retirement plans with , designed for you to get a complete picture of your savings. From one website, you can now:

• Enroll in the 403(b) and 457(b) voluntary plans.
• Select vendors and research investments for all plans.
• View your USG retirement plan balances for all plans, regardless of vendor.
• Change your voluntary contribution amounts.
• Access investment tools and calculators.

Get started with the user guides for the ,�����ǰ���. For assistance, call My Retirement@Work at 844.231.7917, weekdays 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. – 6 p.m (ET).

For additional details regarding voluntary retirement savings plans, please schedule an appointment with the GGC benefits manager or contact one of the financial advisors listed below.

TIAA

800.732.8353
Sarah Mvula, 770.512.3521,��@email

AIG (formerly VALIC)

800.448.2542
Alva O'Neal, 470.701.2397,��@email

Fidelity

800.642.7131
Isaiah Simpson, 800.343.0860,��@email

CAPTRUST

800.967.9948

Educational Assistance Programs

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

As part of its desire to foster the professional growth and development of its employees, the University System of Georgia (USG) provides a . Full-time employees who have been in position for at least 6 months are eligible to take up to 9 credit hours per semester at any of the 26 USG institutions and receive a waiver of tuition and certain fees. (Please note: professional programs, executive and premiere graduate programs are excluded from TAP.) To apply for this benefit, please contact the Office of Payroll and Benefits or send your inquiry to Zachary Hoxie,��@email. To participate in TAP you must (1) complete the admissions process with the University System institution you wish to attend, and (2) turn in your completed TAP application with supervisor approval by the application deadline each semester.

• Read the . You are responsible for knowing the policies and procedures and you verify your understanding of these policies and agreement to abide by them with your signature on the TAP application.
• Tuition assistance is the waiver of tuition and the waiver of certain fees. The following fees are waived by all USG institutions for TAP attendees: tuition, student late registration fee, student technology fee, student health insurance fee, and student athletic/recreation fee. TAP attendees whose student health fee, student activity fee, and athletic fee are waived are ineligible for the services sponsored by these fees unless the fees are paid separately.
• Other student fees and charges, as defined by the “teaching institution,” are not waived for TAP attendees, and must be paid as required by the course or institution. Examples of these fees include, but are not limited to, transcript fees, graduation fees, exam and testing fees, and lab fees.
• If you register prior to the specified TAP registration period, you will be responsible for all tuition and fees.
• TAP is a supplemental educational assistance program. An employee who is eligible for HOPE Scholarship, HOPE Grants and/or Pell Grants must apply those monies toward tuition and fees before receiving a TAP waiver. If TAP funds are applied first, and the employee subsequently receives other financial aid, the employee will be responsible for returning aid that they have received in excess through TAP and/or HOPE or Pell.

Path2College 529 Plan

Full-time employees of the USG may set aside pre-tax dollars in a 529 Savings Plan to pay for a child’s college education. TIAA serves as the program manager and offers seven different investment options with no start-up fees and no maintenance fees. You designate the beneficiary and control the funds in the account before and during college. Funds may be used at virtually any college or university in the U.S., and if your child decides not to attend college, or uses a scholarship, you can change the beneficiary to another family member. Georgia taxpayers are eligible to receive federal and state income tax deductions for their contributions to this plan. For more information, explore information on the �����Ի���.

Payroll

Payroll Processes

• Regular and special payroll processing
• Garnishment of pay
• Tax administration
• Time and attendance administration
• Work schedule
• Recording transactions in the college's accounting system
• Ensuring all accounts are reconciled routinely and timely

Pay Dates

• Biweekly employees, including student workers, are paid every other Friday.
• Monthly employees are paid on the last business day of each month.

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is a condition of employment with the University System of Georgia (USG). All USG employees, including employees of ��������, are required to use direct deposit. Direct deposit can be set up by employees through the  or by visiting the Payroll and Benefits office and providing a valid photo ID and a voided check or a printout from their bank with both the routing and account numbers. Hand-written information, except on bank letterhead, will not be accepted as direct deposit documentation.

Tax Withholding

Tax withholding elections can be made via the .

The W-4 and G-4 are available online. The portal also allows employees to have their W-2 sent electronically, view prior W-2 information and print a copy. Paper tax withholding forms and worksheets are also accepted and kept on file with Payroll and Benefits. Any questions or changes pertaining to your withholding status can be made by contacting the payroll office.

Other Benefits and Resources

Shared Sick Leave Program

Explore information about the .

Workers Compensation

All �������� employees are covered by the provisions of the Georgia Workers Compensation Act. This act provides payment for medical and hospital expenses, as well as disability compensation, in the event an employee is injured while performing his/her job duties. It is imperative that proper and timely reporting of accidents occurs, as Workers Compensation claims cannot be paid under any other insurance, including disability insurance. Thus, to ensure proper coverage, employees should notify their supervisors immediately upon incurring a work-related injury. Supervisors should in turn immediately notify the Office of Payroll and Benefits.

OneUSG Connect Employee Self Service

�ճ���� is your toolkit to manage your personal information. Self service allows you to manage personal information without the need for emails and phone calls to Payroll and Benefits or Human Resources. This portal provides one convenient location to update your contact information, to view your paystubs and W-2s, and to manage your timecard, benefit elections, life events, direct deposit information and tax withholdings.

Additional Discounts

There are a number of discounts for local attractions, entertainment and sporting events, technology and wireless services, shopping, and travel that are available to state of Georgia employees through GGC's �����Ի���.

Employee Well-being

The University System of Georgia (USG) and GGC care about your health and well-being. That’s why USG provides employees with a variety of tools that make it easy for you to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life. Stay connected through The Pulse and the  to participate in GGC well-being events.