Participating Service

Participating service is a member’s period of employment and participation in OPERS after the entry date of their employer into this System. Participating service credit will be granted for the period of actual employment for which required employee and employer contributions have been paid in full, either by payroll deductions or by the employer on behalf of the member.

An approved leave of absence of 2 years or less shall not constitute a break in service, but it shall not be counted as credited service. An employee who is not receiving pay and for whom contributions are not being paid is not accruing participating service. Members do not accrue service credit while receiving Workers’ Compensation payments. All part-time employment or periods of leave without pay are prorated in relation to full-time employment. For service prior to July 1, 1979, such members will receive a full month’s credit for each calendar month in which he or she received salary and for which retirement contributions were paid on that salary, regardless of the number of hours worked in that calendar month. No deductions in service credit or salary are made for involuntary furloughs as provided for by OAC 530:10-15-48 or as otherwise approved by the Office of Personnel Management.