Overview of PERS benefits for your employees

The Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) provides qualifying public employees a pension and an Individual Account Program (IAP) account that provide income during retirement. Some employers also offer the Oregon Savings Growth Plan, a deferred-compensation savings plan. These benefits are defined below.  

PERS also offers a healthcare plan for retirees (see PHIP below). 

PERS functions through the partnership of three state entities: the Oregon Legislature, Oregon State Treasury, and PERS, the agency. Watch the video "How Does PERS Work?" to learn how PERS is run.  

Additional/different benefits  

Certain employers offer a slightly different benefits package, including Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), SAIF, Oregon State Bar, Oregon Legislature, and Oregon Judicial Department. Contact these employers for details.  

PERS members are in one of three programs, depending on when they first became a PERS member:  

1. Tier One.
2. Tier Two.
3. Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP).

Tier One and Tier Two are closed to new members; all new PERS members join OPSRP. (Judges have their own program.) Learn more:  

• What Plan am I in? webpage.
• OPSRP overview webpage.
• Judge Member Program webpage.

PERS pension

A pension provides monthly payments for life. Learn more about the PERS pension on the employers’ About the PERS pension webpage.  

PERS Individual Account Program (IAP)

A portion of every active PERS member’s salary is contributed to their IAP account, which is invested to increase in value until the employee accesses the account at retirement. Some employers cover the 6%-of-salary contribution for their employees.  

• What Is the IAP? webpage.
• Employee Pension Stability Account (EPSA) overview webpage: An explanation of the EPSA, into which a percentage of a member’s IAP goes if they earn over a certain monthly amount.

Earning benefits

Qualifying position  

In general, an employee must work 600 hours or more per calendar year to earn PERS benefits. They must work in a qualifying position (for the same employer) for six months before they begin earning benefits (called “wait time”).  

Job classification  

Employees of PERS-participating employers are placed into one of eight job classifications based on the type of work they do (job classes are listed and defined in the Job Classification Codes quick-reference guide). Classes have different rules, retirement eligibility requirements, and even different benefits. Refer to employer guide 1, Overview of PERS, appendix A, for the special benefits of the five most-common job classes.  

Oregon Savings Growth Plan (OSGP)

OSGP (if your agency participates): This optional deferred-compensation savings plan is another option for employees to save more for retirement. Learn more on the OSGP Employer Benefits webpage.  

PERS Health Insurance Program (PHIP)

PHIP offers both Medicare and non-Medicare health plans to eligible PERS retirees, spouses, and dependents.  

Information and forms for new employees

• Flyer with a QR code for the Welcome to PERS website.
• Designating a Preretirement Beneficiary employer webpage.
• Police, Firefighter, and 911 Telecommunicator Forms webpage.
• Signing up for an Online Member Services Account (PDF).

Information for employees nearing retirement

• Employer reporting guide 16, Reporting a Retirement (PDF): information and instructions to help you guide employees through the retirement process; how retirement benefits are calculated; links to retirement forms.
• Tier One/Two Eligibility to Retire webpage.
• School Employees webpage: Calculating retirement credit for school employees.
• Tier One and Tier Two Steps to Retire webpage.
• OPSRP Steps to Retire webpage.

PERS contact information for members, members' families, retirees, beneficiaries, and alternate payees

Member Services  

Phone: 888-320-7377
Phone hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
Member Services Submit a Question form  

PERS contact information for employers

Employer Service Center  

Phone: 888-320-7377; select option 4 to reach ESC
Phone hours: 8:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday
Employer Support email  

How PERS members stay informed

When to reach out to PERS  

The PERS Member Journey infographic shows when members need to engage with PERS throughout their career.  

Member annual statements  

Every year, all PERS members receive a statement of their retirement pension and account balances. To understand the statement, members should read Member Annual Statement FAQs.  

Email list  

To sign up to receive news and updates from PERS, go to the PERS GovDelivery sign-up webpage, log in by entering your email address, and choose if you would like to receive news by email, text message, or both. Then select the topics in which you are interested. Members can change their subscriber settings at any time by going to the PERS GovDelivery Preferences tab.  

How PERS employers stay informed

Employers are signed up for PERS-employer emails automatically through their EDX account. Do not unsubscribe; the mailing list gets you the monthly employer newsletter and important news and announcements sent by email.  

Yor employees, however, are not automatically signed up for PERS emails. To encourage your employees to sign up, print the posters below and hang them in a common area. You can also email them to remote employees. They include a QR code that you can scan with your phone camera to open the GovDelivery website and opt into emails from PERS.  

Right-click (or control+click on a Macintosh) any or all posters below to download now. Available in letter size (8.5"x11") and legal size (8.5"x14").  

For letter size (8.5x11), select one of the following: 

 

For legal size (11x17”), select one of the following: