Service Date Information

Three types of service credit are maintained for SPA employees. Specific uses of each type of service are made for various policy and fringe benefits applications. The types of service credit are:

• Total State Service,
• Continuous State Service
• Creditable Retirement Service

Each of these types is explained below.

This service credit is the grand total of all permanent, probationary, and trainee time, either full-time or part-time (regularly scheduled 20 hours or more each work week), that an employee has served in State government or other recognized public sector systems. This type of service does not have to be continuous; however, breaks in service are not counted in the computation for credit. Total State Service time is credited for employment with:

• Any State agency (subject to or exempt from the State Personnel Act);
• Any governmental unit now a State agency. Examples are county highway maintenance forces, War Manpower Commission, and the Judicial System;
• Local units of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources (mental health, public health, and social service) or any local Emergency Management Agency (civil defense) time;
• County Agricultural Extension Service;
• Community college or public school system;
• North Carolina General Assembly; and
• Other public sector employers as directed and approved by the Office of State Personnel.

Military leave (under certain conditions) and workers' compensation leave are creditable to Total State Service. Paid leave or paid time off are also credited. Leave paid at termination is not credited to Total State Service.

Total State Service time is used for determining eligibility for:

• longevity pay
• vacation leave earning rates
• service appreciation program awards
• selection for layoff (reduction-in-force)
• priority reemployment following a layoff

NOTE: TSSD is not used to calculate retirement date (see Creditable Retirement Date below).

Special Provisions

Credit is given for any month in which an employee is in pay status for one-half or more of the regularly scheduled work days and paid holidays in that month.

Permanent part-time employees earn service time on the same basis as permanent full-time employees. It is not prorated.

Records Location

Records are maintained in the HR Records & Information Department, Office of Human Resources.

An employee who believes his/her records are incorrect should contact his/her supervisor, the Human Resources Facilitator, or HR Records to review and correct the record, based on appropriate documentation.

This type of service is the period of unbroken employment for employees under the State Personnel Act. Only permanent uninterrupted employment status under the State Personnel Act is creditable toward this time.

This type of service is used to establish eligibility for filing grievance appeals to the State Personnel Commission. Please refer to the Dispute Resolution and Staff Grievance Procedure Policy for more information.

The HR Records & Information Department, Office of Human Resources, maintains these records, and can calculate this service for an employee. It may be necessary for HR Records to work with the Office of State Personnel to make a final determination.

This type of service is the length of time an employee has made contributions to the State Retirement System. This service time is used to determine eligibility for a retirement benefit (pension) and the amount of the retirement benefit.

Special Provisions

Sick leave is credited toward this type of service at retirement time. Each 20 days of accumulated unused sick leave, or portion thereof, counts as one month of service. The maximum number of sick days that can be added at retirement is 12 days for each year of membership service.

Any part of a month in which the employee contributed to the retirement system, or any portion of sick leave over a 20-day period, is counted as a full month of creditable retirement service.

Creditable service may also be earned for military service, out-of-state service, and local government service. Restrictions do apply. Individual situations need to be discussed with the Benefit Program Administration Department to determine eligibility.

These records are maintained by the State Retirement System. The Benefits Administration Department can assist employees with information about obtaining service information.