Welcome to the ORS website for state of Michigan employees who are in the Defined Benefit plan. (Not sure if you're in the Defined Benefit or 401(k) Defined Contribution plan? Click here).

We encourage you to and come back often for important information.

Corrected EFT statements (direct deposit) are being printed, mailed and will be delivered next week. If you wish to review your account information please access miAccount, a secure section of our website where you can view, print, and change personal account information including a secure message board where you can discuss personal account information with retirement staff. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Published on June 25, 2009 at 1:05 p.m.

ORS has identified a print/display issue with the June EFT statements (direct deposit) displaying extra information in the "Financial Institution Deposit Summary" section. ORS is confident your pension has been deposited correctly with your financial institution, as you requested. This is strictly a printing issue. ORS is evaluating the extent of the printing problem and will place updates on this website. If you wish to review your account information please access miAccount, a secure section of our website where you can view, print, and change personal account information including a secure message board where you can discuss personal account information with retirement staff. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Published on June 25, 2009 at 11:52 a.m.

State government offices will be closed for six days this summer to help reduce the state's current budget deficit. Our office will be closed on:

• Friday, June 19
• Monday, July 6
• Friday, July 24
• Friday, August 7
• Friday, August 21
• Friday, September 4

Additionally, we will be closed on Friday, July 3, for the Independence Day holiday.

While our office may be closed you may still use miAccount, our secure website where you can view and print your personal account information, make changes, and correspond securely with ORS. miAccount is available to you seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Published on June 11, 2009

Multiple One-Day Layoffs
Section 38.1e(1) of the State Employees Retirement Act says "A member's final average compensation shall not be diminished because of required 1-day layoffs."

Your pension is calculated based on the average of your highest three consecutive years of earnings with the state. This is called your final average compensation, or FAC. If your employee group experiences multiple one-day layoffs with days of work in between, the Office of Retirement Services will calculate your final average compensation using your rate of pay in effect on the days you are laid off as if you had worked on those days. Up to 240 hours of annual leave may also be included in your FAC amount, as long as your FAC period is the last three years of employment.

You will earn service credit for these hours as if you have worked those hours.

Consecutive Layoff Days
Section 38.1c of the State Employees Retirement Act defines a "designated temporary layoff" as a layoff "that does not exceed one month and has a fixed, predetermined, and announced recall date."

Section 38.1e(1) of the Retirement Act states that "The compensation used in computing the final average compensation for a period during which a member is in a voluntary or involuntary pay reduction plan A or on a designated temporary layoff shall include the value of the hours not worked calculated at the member's hourly rate or rates of pay in effect immediately before the applicable final average compensation period."

For example, if your three-year FAC period included six consecutive temporary layoff days, the Office of Retirement Services would go back and pick up six days immediately prior to the three-year FAC period to provide you with a full three years of compensation to calculate your FAC amount. Up to 240 hours of annual leave may be included in your FAC amount, even though your FAC period extended beyond the three years immediately preceding retirement.

You will earn service credit for these hours as if you have worked those hours.

Visit the Civil Service Commission website for a further explanation of any layoff provisions.

Published on May 20, 2009

The Office of Retirement Services is pleased to announce the publication of the March 2009 issue of Connections, our semiannual retiree newsletter.

Articles in this issue include:

• It's Tax Season - Relax!

• Pure Michigan

• Message From the Director

• Ask an Expert

• When to Contact ORS 

• State Employees' Retirement System Financial Information for Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2008

Published on March 25, 2009

The Customer Education Center in Detroit is now open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays each month. Though the office will be open for walk-ins, to ensure the best possible service we encourage customers to make an appointment by calling our Customer Service Center at (800) 381-5111.

Published on January 29, 2009

Retiree insurance rates for 2008-2009 are available on the Employee Benefits Civil Service website. The new insurance rates are effective October 1, 2008. Visit the Civil Service website and then look under 2008-2009 Insurance Rates. Other information that may be of interest to you on the Civil Service website are the newsletters and bulletins and the Retirees' State Health Plan book.

Published on October 21, 2008

Published on July 30, 2008

In an effort to keep our records up-to-date and accurate, we are trying to contact inactive members who may not have a current address on file. If you previously worked for the state of Michigan and are not eligible to receive a pension, you may still have contributions on deposit because of that work and it is important that we have up-to-date contact information for you. See if your name is on our list of people we are attempting to contact.

Published on June 11, 2008