Employee Benefits

Disability Income

Comprehensive short-term and long-term disability income plans are provided at the employer's expense for permanent employees who are members of the Teacher's and State Employees’ Retirement System and meet certain state service requirements. For additional information refer to The Guilford County Schools Personnel Handbook and The NC Benefits and Enrollment Manual.

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Employee Assistance Program

The Guilford County Schools Employee Assistance Program offers free confidential psychological assistance to employees and their immediate family members through age 26. Counseling for up to three (3) free sessions (per year) is available. The assistance is provided by Cornerstone Psychological Services. CPS offers a broad range of psychological services including problem assessment, consultation, brief and longer-term psychotherapy and, when appropriate, referral to appropriate community resources. CPS clinicians are trained professionals, and are licensed in North Carolina to provide psychological and counseling services. The team is experienced in dealing with a broad range of behavioral, emotional, psychological, relationship, and medically related problems including:

Depression
Anxiety
Alcohol/substance abuse problems
Child and adolescent problems
Work related problems

To schedule an appointment call Cornerstone Psychological Services at 336-540-9400.

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Cafeteria (Flexible) Benefits - Section 125

Permanent full-time employees may participate in our Cafeteria Benefits-Section 125 plan.   This plan is administered by the Mark III Brokerage, Inc.  This plan offers employees opportunities to save money by paying for non-reimbursed medical expenses, dependent care expenses, alternate dental, vision, supplemental hospital and cancer insurance. Supplemental disability insurance and whole life insurance are offered only on an after-tax basis.   The plan year for Cafeteria Benefits is January 1 through December 31 of each year. Annual enrollment for Cafeteria Benefits is held in October.  For additional information call the plan administrator at 800-532-1044 or visit online at Mark III Brokerage Inc.

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Insurance

Health Insurance - State Health Plan of North Carolina - Preferred Provider Organizations Plans (PPO)

The State Health Plan offers two health plan designs: 1. PPO Basic Plan with higher co-pays, coinsurance and deductibles in exchange for reduced premiums for spouse and/ or children and 2. PPO Standard Plan with a higher coverage level than the coverage level of the Basic plan.   Employee coverage is available with premiums paid by the employer for permanent full-time employees.  Employees earning pro-rata benefits may purchase health insurance for self-coverage. Employees eligible for full or pro-rata benefits may purchase health insurance for spouses and/or children.  The plan year for health insurance is July 1 through June 30 of each year.   Annual enrollment for health insurance is held in the spring.  Dates are determined by the State Health Plan.   For additional information, call the State Health Plan’s customer service department at 888-234-2416 or visit online at www.shpnc.org.

Long Term Care - Prudential Insurance Company of America

Long Term Care Insurance can help cover the costs of custodial care that an eligible employee, spouse or dependent may need, including care received at home or in an assisted living facility. Enrollment is done directly between the employee and the Prudential Insurance Company of America. There is no payroll deduction only direct billing to the employee or directly to a personal bank account.  

There is no annual enrollment; employees can enroll at anytime.
For additional information, call 1-800-284-9648 or visit online at www.prudential.com/gltc. Our group name is stateplan and our password is stateplanltc.

Term Life Insurance - Metropolitan Life Insurance

Basic life insurance of $5,000 is provided with premium paid by the employer. Optional employee and dependent coverage is available at minimal cost. Employees may choose additional coverage for themselves (from $10,000 up to $250,000), eligible children (up to $20,000) and spouse (up to $50,000).  There is no annual enrollment for term life insurance.  Employees can enroll at anytime.  If increasing the amount after initial enrollment, additional coverage is approved by MetLife.

Dental Insurance - GCS Direct Reimbursement Plan or Ameritas Dental Plan

Two types of dental plans are offered to permanent full-time employees.  The plans are:

1. GCS Direct Reimbursement Dental Plan-paid claims submitted to our third party administrator for 50% reimbursement.  Paid claims must be submitted within one year of date of service and there is a $1000 limit for each insured member.  For additional information, contact the third party administrator, Benefit Plan Services, Inc., at 336-889-2003 or visit online at www.bpstpa.com .  Our group number is 024.   Claim forms and additional information can be found here.

2. Ameritas Dental-a passive PPO where claims are sent to company for eligible payment and employees pay remaining fees.  This insurance is underwritten by Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation.   For additional information, call Ameritas Group Claims Department at 800-487-5553 or visit online at www.AmeritasGroup.com.  

 Annual enrollment for dental insurance is held in October.

Dental Premium Rates
Direct Reimbursement 12-Month Rates
Employee Only                                     $10.75
Employee/Family                                 $38.60
*Split (both spouses work for GCS) $27.85

Direct Reimbursement 10/11-Month Rates
Employee Only                                     $12.90
Employee/Family                                 $46.32
*Split (both spouses work for GCS) $33.42

Ameritas Dental 12-Month Rates
Employee  Only                                     $31.55
Employee/Family                                  $109.49
*Split (both spouses work for GCS)  $77.94

Ameritas Dental 10/11-Month Rates
Employee Only                                     $37.86
Employee/Family                                 $131.39
*Split (both spouses work for GCS) $93.53

*In order to qualify for “split” rates, both spouses must be enrolled in the same dental plan and one spouse carries the children.

Claim forms and additional information can be found here.

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Comprehensive Legal and Identity Theft Protection

Permanent full-time employees may enroll in a comprehensive legal plan that provides nationwide coverage and includes services such as will preparation, motor vehicle services, mortgage document assistance and IRS audit assistance.  The Identity Theft Protection plan offers free credit reports, continuous credit monitoring and identity restoration.  The plan year is January 1 through December 31 or each year.  Annual enrollment is held in the months of October/November. The plan is administered by Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.  For additional information, call 877-487-2837 or visit online at www.prepaidlegal.com

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Leaves of Absence

Educational, medical for self, military-active duty, military qualifying exigency, military caregiver,  medical for family and parental leave (for birth, adoption or placement of a foster child), or any other reasons approved by the Superintendent and the Board of Education, may be granted to permanent full-time and part-time employees.  Request for a leave of absence must be approved before the leave begins unless an emergency exists.

Employees may obtain "Request for Leave of Absence" forms from the GCS web site here..   For additional information, please call the Benefits Office at 370-8348 or refer to Employee's Guide; Leaves and Absences, Guilford County Schools Personnel Handbook, and the NC Benefits and Employment Manual.

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Leave Days

Annual Leave (Vacation)

Employees earn annual leave (vacation) on a graduated scale based upon total State of North Carolina service. Annual leave includes scheduled and unscheduled leave days. All unscheduled annual leave (vacation) must be approved by the immediate supervisor.

The rate of earnings is based on the length of total State service. Annual vacation leave shall be earned as follows:

Part-time employees (50% for classified employees and 53.3% for licensed employees) earn pro-rated annual leave.

Sick Leave

Sick leave is earned by all permanent employees at the rate of one (1) day for each monthly pay period they are working, or on paid leave for one-half or more of the work days in the pay period. Part-time employees (50% for classified employees and 53.3% for licensed employees) earn pro-rated sick leave.

Extended Sick Leave

Permanent full-time or part-time classroom teachers and media specialists, who are absent due to their own personal illness or injury in excess of their accumulated sick leave shall be allowed extended sick leave of up to twenty (20) workdays throughout the regular term of employment. Employees on extended sick leave receive full salary less the required substitute deduction. This deduction is mandatory whether or not a substitute is employed. The standard deduction is $50.00 a day.

Personal Leave

Personal leave is earned only by permanent full-time or part-time classroom teachers and media specialists. Personal leave is earned at the rate of .20 days for each full month of employment not to exceed two (2) days per year. Part-time (53.3%) classroom teachers and/or media specialists earn pro-rata personal leave.

Personal leave may be accumulated without any applicable maximum until June 30 of each year.  Eligible employees may carry forward to July 1 a maximum of five (5) days of personal leave; the remainder of the personal leave shall be converted to sick leave on June 30.  At the time of retirement, accumulated personal leave may be converted to sick leave for creditable service towards retirement.   

All personal leave must be authorized by the immediate supervisor. Employees using personal leave receive full salary less the required substitute deduction except for using personal leave on non-protected teacher workdays.  Eligible employees using accrued personal leave on non-protected teacher workdays shall receive full salary. For additional information on the use of leave days please refer to the Employee's Guide; Leaves and Absences, Guilford County Schools Personnel Handbook, and the NC Benefits and Employment Manual.

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Longevity

All permanent full-time or part-time (20 hours per week or more) employees who have at least 10 years of total qualifying state service are eligible for longevity payments.

Longevity pay is automatic. Longevity is paid annually the last working day of the employee's anniversary month. Upon separation for any reason, longevity is paid on a prorated basis.

The amount of annual longevity pay is a percentage of the employee's annual rate of pay on the employee's anniversary date. The annual rate of pay does not include bonuses, or pay for extra duties. The percentage is determined by the length of total state service as follows:

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Retirement

All permanent full-time employees are required to join the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System. Eligible employees contribute 6% of their gross salary (pre-taxed) to the Retirement System.  This is a mandatory contribution.  The Guilford County Schools also makes a contribution as established by the North Carolina General Assembly for each permanent full-time employee. Monthly benefits at retirement are based upon the average salary, of the employee’s four (4) highest consecutive years, years of state service, and/or age at retirement. After five (5) years of creditable service an employee is considered "vested" and may be eligible for benefits from the retirement system.

The Guilford County Schools Benefits Department conducts "Retirement Seminars" at various times during the year. These seminars are designed to answer questions regarding retirement and explain the retirement process.  It is advisable that employees begin to attend the seminars at least two (2) years before retirement.   To make an appointment to retire, call the retirement specialist at 370-8165.  Retirements can be processed one hundred and twenty days (120) before the date of retirement.  All retirements are effective the first of a month. To access the seminar dates, retirement seminar presentation and the GCS Retirement Booklet visit online at http://www.gcsnc.net/hr.htm. Employees can access their retirement accounts online, by registering for the ORBIT system, found on the retirement system’s web site. 

For additional information concerning retirement and personal accounts, visit the NC State Retirement System. 

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Workers' Compensation

Employees are entitled to worker's compensation benefits if, while carrying out activities for the benefit of their employer, they suffer an injury by accident, a "specific traumatic incident," resulting in a hernia or back injury, or an "occupational disease." An "accident" is an interruption of the regular work routine and the introduction of unusual circumstances, such as a slip, trip, fall, or other unusual activity, likely to result in unexpected consequences. A "specific traumatic incident," as defined by our courts, includes "injuries that occur during normal work activities." The claimant need not show "an instantaneous occurrence," or "an external cause or unusual conditions." However, "injuries that occur gradually, over long periods of time, are not specific traumatic incidents." If the work-relatedness of a hernia is disputed, an employee must show that the hernia appeared suddenly following an accident and did not exist prior to the accident or incident. All injuries must "arise out of and in the course and scope of" the covered employment to be compensated.  
For additional information concerning Workers’ Compensation and instructions on filing a claim visit the GCS Personnel Handbook online here..

Occupational Disease

Generally, an employee is entitled to benefits for disability due to a condition to which the employment significantly contributed, or if the employment was a significant factor in causing the disease's development, and if the employment exposed the worker to a greater risk of contracting the disease than the public generally. Where an employee is exposed to the same injurious agent at the place of business of more than one employer, the claim should be filed with the employer on whose premises he/she was last injuriously exposed. For additional information call the Ombudsman at 1-800-688-8349.

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Savings Bonds

All permanent employees are eligible to purchase United States Government Savings Bonds through after-taxed payroll deductions. Information may be obtained at Treasury Direct or the Benefits Department

403(b) Annuities

All employees are eligible to participate in the 403(b) Plan available through payroll deduction. The 403(b) plan is administered by a third party administrator, JEM Resource Partners. Participants in the 403(b) Plan are assessed an administrative fee of $1.50 per month via payroll deduction. For additional information call 1-800-943-9179 or visit JEM’s website (http://www.jemtpa.com/home).

Click here to view our approved annuity list.

Supplemental Retirement Income of NC 401(k) Plan

All full-time employees are eligible to participate in the state sponsored 401 (k) Plan available through payroll deduction.   This plan is administered by Prudential Retirement. For additional information call 1-866-627-5267 or visit Prudential's Web site.

457 Deferred Compensation Plan

All permanent employees are eligible to participate in the State of North Carolina 457 Deferred Compensation Plan administered by Prudential. A 457 plan is similar to a 403(b) plan where contributions are made through payroll reduction, occur on a pre-tax basis and accumulate tax-deferred until withdrawn. The minimum monthly contribution is $20. For more information call 1-866-627-5267.

State Employees' Credit Union

All employees, except individuals employed through contracted services, may join the North Carolina State Employees' Credit Union. Upon obtaining membership, the employee's spouse, children, and parents may become members. In addition, substitutes paid by Guilford County Schools are eligible to obtain membership in the credit union. Information may be obtained at the Web site, from the credit union locations in Greensboro and High Point, and from the Benefits Department.

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Wachovia at Work

All employees are eligible to participate in the Wachovia At Work Benefits Program.  This program entitles you to an exclusive program of free and discounted services, financial advice and the convenience of having a wide range of products and services available.  For further information, you can visit https://www.wachovia.com/atworkpremier or call 1-888-353-7375.

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