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Total Rewards

Graphic for 'Total Rewards; Annual Summary'Your 2023 Total Rewards summary is available in ConnectCarolina. This summary is a snapshot of your total compensation between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023. It includes your salary and taxes, the value of UNC-paid benefits, your accrued sick and vacation days, and the amounts you contributed to your health and retirement plans, flexible spending accounts, and income protection plans during the calendar year.

Human Resources updated its internal system to offer the summary of our total compensation and benefits statements in a digital format. While we recognize that for some, the name feels misleading, it both aligns with industry standards and is the default name produced by our system. Importantly, the information provided in the summary remains the same, and we are optimistic that the electronic delivery of this tool proves valuable for all in our community.

To access your Total Rewards summary:

  • Log in to ConnectCarolina
  • Choose Self Service from the drop-down menu at the top
  • Choose “My Benefits”
  • On the left-side menu, choose “My Total Rewards”
  • You can use the drop-down menu at the top (Rewards Period) to select the time period you want to view.
  • You can also print a copy of the Total Rewards Summary by selecting the Print View link in the upper righthand corner.

Questions?

If you have questions about your Total Rewards summary that are not answered by the FAQ’s, please contact the University Benefits Support Team.

Contact University Benefits Support

Frequently Asked Questions

The Total Rewards Summary (TRS) is an online statement that summarizes the total value of your compensation from UNC-Chapel Hill, including health and retirement plans, paid time off and other benefits. Your compensation package is paid with money that the University and enrolled employees contribute.
  • Log in to ConnectCarolina
  • Choose Self Service from the drop-down menu at the top
  • Choose the “My Benefits” tile
  • On the left-side menu, choose “Total Rewards Summary”
  • You can use the drop-down menu at the top (Rewards Period) to select the period you want to view.
  • You will also be able to download and print a pdf of the summary.

Note: The summary is available to benefits-eligible employees and is updated annually. So, if you are new to the University, depending on your hire date, your Total Rewards Summary may not be available until the next annual refresh.

You may find the Total Rewards Summary useful for several reasons:

  1. Personalized Summary
    The TRS is based on your annual compensation and the benefits you currently use.
  2. Consolidated Compensation Overview
    In addition to the benefits you currently use, the TRS also provides information on other programs, services and plans you may not be using, but may want to take advantage of in the future.
  3. One Convenient Location
    You may visit various websites and review numerous printed statements to find the total value of your earnings, medical and life plans, retirement savings and other benefits, but it may take some time. The TRS aggregates all of these data points so you can see your personalized total rewards in one convenient online location.
All calculations are based on actual payroll earnings and contributions for the selected period. You can review your final pay stub for the year selected in ConnectCarolina under the “My Pay and Taxes” tile.
Total Rewards Summaries were produced for anyone in a regular, benefits eligible role as of December 31, 2022.
An updated TRS will be provided annually.

Many of the benefit amounts on the summary can be found in the year-to-date totals on your last pay statement of the year selected. The TRS is intended to provide you with information about the total value of all your benefits.

The pay statement is a record of actual payment, whereas the TRS is a comprehensive review of all benefits. Not all benefits appear on your pay statement. Pay checks can be viewed in employee Self Service by visiting the “My Pay and Taxes” tile.

The Total Rewards Summary is intended to provide you with information about the value of all your benefits and highlight additional benefits for which you may be eligible. The W-2 is a record of actual payments made in total for a given calendar year.
The total compensation amount is your annual rate of pay as of December 31 for the given calendar year, while the amount in W-2 Box 1 is the taxable amount of your wages for the year. Federal income taxes are not due on pretax deductions such as health insurance premiums, flexible spending accounts, and retirement plan contributions.
In some cases, the TRS and paycheck leave will not match due to timing differences. Please refer to your TIM account for your most accurate, up-to-date leave balances.
At this time, Bonus Leave is not reflected on the Total Rewards Summary.
Some of the benefits, such as Life Insurance, may have had a pending change that did not take effect until after the report was generated. The information on the TRS reflects the benefits that were in effect as of December 31 of that calendear year, and would not reflect any pending elections at that time. If you have questions about your TRS, please contact the Benefits Support Team 919-962-3071 or send an email to benefits@unc.edu.
Many of the benefits on the TRS are provided to you based on your employee category. Once you have made your benefits elections, whether as a new hire, or during annual Open Enrollment, you may not make changes to most of your benefits until the following plan year, due to IRS regulations. Unless you have a qualifying life status change, you will not have another opportunity to change your benefits coverage selection until the next Open Enrollment period.
HR does not know if someone uses or has used EAP services. The amount shown on the summary is a general amount allocated to all those eligible to receive the services and is intended to show the value of the benefit, not related to actual usage.

Amounts reflected on the TRS under Supplemental Retirement Account are voluntary contributions. The amount UNC-Chapel Hill contributes to your retirement plan is calculated on your base pay plus any additional retirement-eligible compensation you may have received.

The amount within your account(s) at TIAA or Fidelity, reflect actual contributions that you and/or UNC-Chapel Hill made towards your retirement and may include gains or losses. The amount on the Total Rewards Summary are contributions that were made by you and/or UNC-Chapel Hill during the given year.