All permanent, full-time and part-time employees must join a retirement plan unless
specifically exempted by statute.
All newly hired adjunct and temporary employees may choose to join SCRS (South Carolina
Retirement System) or the State ORP (Optional Retirement Plan). A decision must be
made within 30 days from your date of hire.
Membership starts with your effective date of employment.
Please note that you will automatically be enrolled in the South Carolina Retirement
System if you do not select a plan within 30 days.
In addition, if you already have contributions in an SCRS account, you must continue
with that plan.
The SCRS is the traditional retirement plan for state and public school district employees,
and employees of counties and cities that elect to participate in the Retirement Systems.
SCRS provides members a guaranteed monthly pension based on a formula that includes
your average final compensation, years of service, and a 1.82% benefits multiplier.
If you die in-service with a least one year of service credit, a payment equal to
your current annual earnable compensation will be paid to your designated beneficiary
or trustee.
If your death results from a job related injury, the one-year requirement is waived.
A member of SCRS may be approved for disability retirement benefits from SCRS only
if the member has first been approved for disability benefits from the federal Social
Security Administration, which generally requires an incapacity to perform any gainful
occupation. You are able to find additional information in the SCRS Member Handbook.
To return to work after you retire, you must first have a complete, bona fide severance
or termination of employment. After 30 days of retirement, you may be hired by an
employer covered by the Retirement Systems to return to work. For Class Two members
the TERI period counts toward the 30-day break requirement.
Any retired member who is employed by an agency that adheres to state personnel policies
will be exempt from the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. This means your employment
is at will.
Working retired members must contribute a tax-deferred 8.66 percent of gross pay into
their retirement account. No additional service credit will be applied.
If you join the State ORP, an account is established in your name through the investment provider you select
(Corebridge Financial, Empower, Voya Financial, or TIAA).
You contribute: tax-deferred 9.00% of gross pay into your State ORP account, which
is then invested in the products you select from offerings from your investment provider.
Winthrop contributes: 5% into your State ORP account, which is then invested in the
products you select from offerings from your investment provider.
You may change your investment provider only during an open enrollment period which
is January 1 through March 1.
State ORP participants may irrevocably elect to join SCRS during any open enrollment
period (January 1 through March 1) after the first annual anniversary, but before
the fifth annual anniversary of the person's initial enrollment in the State ORP.
If you die in-service with at least one year of service credit, a payment equal to
your current annual salary will be paid to your designated beneficiary or trustee.
If your death results from a job-related injury, the one-year requirement is waived.
If you die in-service with at least one year of service credit, a payment equal to
your current annual earnable compensation will be paid to your designated beneficiary
or trustee.
If your death results from a job-related injury, the one-year requirement is waived.
Provides a survivor annuity if you are covered and die as a result of an injury by
external accident or violence incurred while undergoing a hazard peculiar to your
employment while in the actual performance of duty, without willful negligence on
your part.
To return to work after you retire, you must first have a complete, bona fide severance
or termination of employment. After 30 days of retirement, you may be hired by an
employer covered by the Retirement Systems to return to work.
Any retired member who is employed by an agency that adheres to state personnel policies
will be exempt from the State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. This means your employment
is at will.
Working retired members must contribute a tax-deferred 9.75% of gross pay into their
retirement account. No additional service credit will be applied.
