In 1935, the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) began a tradition of providing excellent retirement benefits for state employees. Today the System provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefit programs for public employees throughout the state who are not covered by another state or local retirement system. PERS serves more than 400,000 active and inactive members and over 100,000 retirants and surviving beneficiaries who receive monthly benefits.

The OPERS office is located at 277 East Town Street, Columbus, 43215-4642, in the central part of the city. You are welcome to come to the office, call us, or write with your questions. The office is open daily, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., except holidays, for your convenience. Free parking for visitors is available in our private parking lot. If you call for general information, the telephone number is (614)466-2085 in the Columbus area or 1-800-222-PERS(7377) outside Columbus. If you write, please remember to include your Social Security number and signature. You can also review information on our web site at OPERS.

As a member of OPERS you are required to make contributions to the System through payroll deductions. The current member contribution rate on earnings is 10% of earnable salary. Members in the OPERSLE ( law enforcement) division contribute 10.10% on earnings. These contributions are credited to your savings account. BGSU contributes 14% of your salary to OPERS and 17.40% to OPERSLE. A statement of savings of your account as of the previous December 31 is mailed to you during the first quarter of each year.

OPERS now has information on their web site regarding the new retirement plan options available to OPERS members with fewer than five years of total OPERS service and available to eligible new hires on or after January 1, 2003.