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COVID-19 FAQs for Public School Employees

COVID-19 FAQs for Public School Employees

Frequently Asked Questions (last updated Jan. 05, 2023)

General

  1. I’ve already applied for retirement and want to change my retirement effective date or cancel my application. What do I do?

Please log in to miAccount and send a Message Board using the Retirement Application category. Tell us what your new plans are for terminating employment, retirement effective date, and insurance start date. You can also click Apply for Retirement and edit each step of your online application, which would allow you to change more than just the effective dates. Be sure to submit the new checklist and any new required documents to our office.

  1.  Is ORS still conducting retirement workshops?

No. While our in-person workshops and office visits are on hiatus during the COVID-19 emergency, please know that we’re working on ways to serve you online. For your convenience, we’ve created two online five-step presentations for members who are within five years of retirement: Planning Your Retirement for public school employees (in the Defined Benefit pension plan first hired before July 1, 2010) and the Pre-Retirement Orientation presentation for state employees in the Defined Benefit plan. These electronic presentations cover the exact same information as our traditional live workshops. Once a determination has been made to resume offering live workshops, an updated schedule will be available again on our website.

  1. Is ORS accepting office visitors for meetings at this time?

 No.

  1. If state employees are encouraged to work from home, is anyone available to answer my questions?

There are customer service agents available to answer your questions Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

  1. I’ve heard in the news about the market declining. How does the decline affect my pension benefits?

With the recent fluctuations of the stock market, we understand the concern about receiving your pension benefit. Please rest assured that the pension plans administered by ORS are guaranteed by the Michigan Constitution and are payable regardless of market conditions. You will receive your monthly pension benefits.

  1. I’m concerned that my 401(k) and/or 457 plan dropped due to the market conditions. Who can I talk to about my options?

Voya Financial manages your 401(k) or 457 plan. For more information, call the Plan Information Line at 800-748-6128 or go to Voya’s website.

  1. How can I stay connected to what’s going on at ORS?

To stay connected, please visit our website or Facebook page.