Your Benefits at UNC-Chapel Hill

Employee Eligibility

• Permanent full-time SHRA, EHRA Non-Faculty and Faculty working 30 or more hours per week are eligible for all benefits.
• Permanent part-time SHRA, EHRA Non-Faculty and Faculty working 20 to 29 hours per week are eligible for all benefit programs, except mandatory retirement, NC 401(k) and Long Term Disability. The employee must pay the full cost of medical plan coverage, which includes the employer portion.

Dependent Eligibility

• Dependent children up to age 26 are eligible. Disabled dependent children may be eligible beyond age 26.
• Domestic partner coverage is available for: UNC Group Term Life and Dental Insurance.
• Legally married spouses are eligible for benefit plans that provide spousal coverage options.

For benefit-eligible employees, the UNC System Office provides an interactive video guide to UNC benefits, which includes information on health, prescription drug, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, cancer insurance, critical illness, group life, accident insurance, disability and retirement programs.

Go to Video

You must enroll in order to be covered by a benefit plan. With the exception of mandatory retirement, benefit plan coverage begins the first of the month following your date of eligibility/employment or qualified life event. Changes made during annual enrollment each October become effective on January 1 of the following year.

Mandatory retirement plan contributions begin on your date of eligibility. Failure to select a mandatory retirement plan within the allowed 60 calendar days from the hire date will result in automatic TSERS enrollment. Mandatory retirement plan deductions of the required 6% are taken retroactively back to the date of employment/eligibility on the next available payroll.

Tax status

• Depending on the benefit plan, the amounts that you pay may not be subject to Social Security/Medicare, federal and North Carolina state income tax or a combination thereof. We call these pre-tax deductions. Some benefit plan premiums/deductions are paid on an after-tax basis.

Timing of Deductions

• Medical plan premiums are paid one month in advance of coverage and all other benefit plan premiums/deductions are taken in the same month that coverage is effective. Mandatory retirement plan contributions begin on day one of eligibility.

NOTE: If you delay enrollment, your first benefit plan deductions could be larger than normal in order to catch up the amount that you owe. This will result in lower take-home pay which is why timely enrollment is important.

Bi-weekly and Monthly Deductions

• If you are paid monthly, the full monthly premium/deduction amount is taken each pay period. If you are paid bi-weekly, one half of the monthly benefit plan premium amount is deducted each pay period. With the exception of mandatory retirement, benefit plan premiums/deductions are not taken when a third bi-weekly pay occurs in a month.

• as a newly hired/eligible faculty or staff member
• after experiencing a qualified life event
• during annual enrollment

• 2023 State Health Plan Comparison Chart
• 2023 State Health Plan Rates
• 2023 NC Flex Enrollment Guide

Use ConnectCarolina to enroll in Benefits and Retirement

• Once you have your UNC Onyen, log in to ConnectCarolina and go to Self Service (click to select option from the middle of the navy menu bar).
• Note: For the system to create your secure connection to the online enrollment portals, after you log in to ConnectCarolina for the first time, you will need to wait at least 30 minutes before you will see a My Benefits tile on the Self Service screen. You will use the My Benefits tile for enrolling in your benefits.
• You will use two enrollment portals for benefits and retirement:

Mandatory Retirement (Select only one plan)

Teachers and State Employees’ Retirement System

• You will enroll through ConnectCarolina Self Service. From the Self Service page, click on the My Benefits tile. Next, on the left side of the page, click on Benefits Enrollment and then select Mandatory Retirement Plan. You must enroll within 60 days of your hire date. When you log into ConnectCarolina for the first time, you will need to wait at least 30 minutes before you will be able to enroll in your benefits. This allows the system to create your secure connection to the online enrollment portals.
• You can register and sign in to the TSERS ORBIT portal to designate beneficiaries. Access to the ORBIT portal becomes available approximately 30 days after your first contribution is made.

University of North Carolina Optional Retirement Program

• You will enroll through ConnectCarolina Self Service. From the Self Service page, click on the My Benefits tile. Next, on the left side of the page, click on Benefits Enrollment and then select Mandatory Retirement Plan. You must enroll within 60 days of your hire date. When you log into ConnectCarolina for the first time, you will need to wait at least 30 minutes before you will be able to enroll in your benefits. This allows the system to create your secure connection to the online enrollment portals. During your enrollment in the UNC Optional Retirement Program you will need to select Fidelity or TIAA for your vendor.

UNC Benefit Plans