Uncontested Candidates for OPERS 2018 Board of Trustees Election

Four current OPERS trustees were unopposed for their seats in this year’s Board election process and thus will begin new, four-year terms in January 2019. OPERS certified the candidates for the 2018 Board of Trustees election at the August Board meeting. Because all are unopposed, there will not be an election this year. The following current trustees will begin new terms in 2019:

Randy Desposito: Representative for Non-teaching College and University Employees
Christopher Mabe: Representative for State Employees
Ken Thomas: Representative for Municipal Employees
Steve Toth: Representative for Retirees

Health Care Open Enrollment

OPERS health care open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2018. If you have an employee who is retiring and thinking about returning to work in an OPERS-covered position, please encourage them to contact OPERS first to understand how re-employment may impact OPERS health care coverage.

Employees returning to work in an OPERS-covered position following retirement may be eligible to enroll in the OPERS Medical Mutual Pre-Medicare Re-employed Plan or the Medical Mutual Medicare Plan. Eligible benefit recipients will begin to receive open enrollment packets in early October. Should employees have any questions, please encourage them to contact OPERS at 1-800-222-7377.

Re-employed retirees are defined as an OPERS retiree receiving his or her pension while at the same time being employed by an OPERS-covered employer. This also includes a surviving spouse who is employed in an OPERS-covered position and receiving a survivor benefit payment from OPERS.

Planning for the Future: Financial Wellness Education Webinar

The Bridging the Gap to Financial Wellness webinar is now available! This hands-on webinar is designed to promote a better understanding of personal finances and assist members with making sound financial decisions that can lead to a secure future retirement. Employees will review current spending habits, estimate retirement income, identify the "gap" between what they currently have saved and what their ideal retirement will cost and learn about valuable tools and resources available to help fill the gap. Webinars are available in October with more sessions planned throughout the remainder of the year. To register, direct employees to their online OPERS account. Event dates are listed under Tools and Recourses, Seminars and Counseling.

OPERS Member ID: Protector of Personal Information

OPERS has moved to a more secure method of obtaining information from members (and retirees) by using an 11-digit OPERS ID in place of a Social Security number. This unique identifier is designed to increase the security of our members (and retirees) personal information. The OPERS ID can be used in many instances from verifying the accountholder's identity over the phone to submitting OPERS forms, and will remain with the individual throughout their entire OPERS membership. The OPERS ID is not an ID that employers need to be using; it is for members to use when communicating personal information to OPERS.

Should you receive questions from employees about their personal OPERS ID number, please direct them to the homepage of their OPERS online account or to call OPERS at 1-800-222-7377.

Help Us Help You

OPERS forms are updated from time to time, so it’s important to visit opers.org to use the most current version each time one is needed. By ensuring the most current forms are used, you are able to provide necessary information which helps minimize processing time. To access forms, Employers Forms and Documents.

Tips for Reporting Seasonal or Intermittent Employees

Employers are required to ensure OPERS enrollment for all qualified employees, including seasonal associates, which means withholding and remitting retirement contributions. Consider seasonal employees just like any new employee:

  • Complete the Personal History Record (Form A) within 30 days of your employee's first day worked when retirement contributions are withheld. You do not need to complete a new Form A if your seasonal employee is returning within a year.
  • Complete the Notice of Re-employment or Contract Services of an OPERS or Other System Benefit Recipient (SR-6) form if your seasonal employee is a re-employed retiree.
  • Report both new and returning employees with a Pay Period Begin code of "S", seasonal/intermittent status on the Contributions Report,

When the employee terminates for the season:

  • Report final contributions with a Pay Period End code of "Q", quit.
  • If your employee is planning to return next year or intermittently, and you consider them still to be working for you, report the final contribution code the same as the PPB code — "S".
  • Call out: If the proper Pay Period End Code for re-employed retirees in not remitted, there may be a direct impact on the retiree's ability to receive a health reimbursement arrangement allowance.
If the proper Pay Period End Code for re-employed retirees in not remitted, there may be a direct impact on the retiree’s ability to receive a health reimbursement arrangement allowance.

Employer Advisory Council Members

The Employer Advisory Council is not a policy-making group, rather a group that provides valuable feedback and input as OPERS moves forward with retirement initiatives. The council represents OPERS' 3,700 reporting employers on a number of issues such as operations, new initiatives and mandated changes. As always, we look forward to working with each member of the 2018-2020 council.

  • Butler County
  • Central Ohio Transit Authority
  • City of Columbus
  • City of Lima
  • Cuyahoga County Public Library
  • Delaware County
  • Franklin County
  • Great Parks of Hamilton County
  • Memorial Hospital
  • Muskingum County Public Library
  • Ohio House of Representatives
  • Ohio State University
  • University of Toledo
  • Violet Township

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It is your responsibility to be certain that OPERS has your current physical and e-mail address on file. If OPERS is not made aware of address changes, we cannot guarantee that you will receive important information pertaining to your OPERS account. This publication is written in plain language for use by public employers who are subject to coverage under the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. It is not intended as a substitute for the federal or state law, namely the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio Administrative Code, or the Internal Revenue Code, nor will its interpretation prevail should a conflict arise between it and the Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Administrative Code, or Internal Revenue Code. Rules governing the retirement system are subject to change periodically either by statute of the Ohio General Assembly, regulation of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement Board, or regulation of the Internal Revenue Code. If you have questions about this material, please contact our office or seek legal advice from your attorney. OPERS is not required to provide health care coverage to retirees or their dependents and will only do so at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.