The Division of Human Resources works in partnership with colleges and divisions to
serve the human resource needs and strategic goals of our university community.
Dedicated to attracting, developing, and retaining an exceptional workforce, we promote
a culture of inclusion and belonging; provide valued benefits and compensation programs; foster personal and professional
development; and ensure compliance with human resource policies, regulations, and
laws.
Expand all State Service Award Honorees
Congratulations to all the USC colleagues who reached a significant milestone (10,
20, 30, 40 or 50 years) in their service with the University of South Carolina and
the State of South Carolina. The university had 353 honorees from Columbia and system
campuses. These faculty and staff have contributed to USC’s efforts to create an
exceptional student experience while also serving the community, state, and nation.
President Michael Amiridis and First Lady Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis were joined by
Columbia honorees in celebration of their 20 to 50-year career milestones during a
special Living the Legacy Reception at the President’s House on the historic Horseshoe.
The USC system campuses also have celebrations for their colleagues who reached milestones.
We are most appreciative of the role that our most valuable resource, our faculty
and staff, continue to play in the university’s success. Behold the Remarkable We.
State Service Award Honorees - Columbia Campus
State Service Award Honorees - System Campuses
403(b) Tax Deferred Annuity Plan
USC and Human Resources are committed to providing the most competitive retirement
benefits for employees. CAPTRUST, an independent retirement plan consultant, was contacted to assist HR in identifying ways
to enhance the 403(b) Plan relative to appropriate peer university benchmarks. If
you are a USC employee who participates in the 403(b) Plan, you received a Transition Guide with detailed explanations of these enhancements on the 403(b) Plan. Watch the March 15th Town Hall Meeting with HR, CAPTRUST and vendor representatives
for more information by visiting our Benefits web page.
Tax Resources Through MYgroup Employee Assistance Program
The tax season is upon us with the deadline of April 15 quickly approaching. Each
tax season produces countless questions and concerns about where to find the answers.
One resource is our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), MYgroup, that offers a plethora
of work-life services to include tax preparation.
To access tax information, log into the work-life portal at mygroup.com using the company username “USC” and the password “guest”. From the homepage, click
on Living where a search bar will appear. Type in taxes, and a variety of articles
with tax tips will appear to include “Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers .”
This particular article includes resources to programs provided by the Internal Revenue
Services (IRS), such as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling
for the Elderly (TCE). These programs offer free tax preparation for basic tax returns
to qualified individuals generally making $57,000 or less, as well as answering tax
questions. To locate the nearest VITA or TCE site near you, use the VITA Locator Tool
at https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep , or call 800-906-9887.
When looking for a TCE site, many of the sites are operated by the AARP Foundation's
Tax Aide program. To locate the nearest AARP TCE Tax-Aide site between January and
April use the AARP Site Locator Tool at https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/locations.html , or call 888-227-7669.
In addition, the MYgroup Employee Assistance Program provides a link to TaxSlayer, a tax preparation software that includes all the resources needed to file simple state
and federal returns for free, although more complex tax returns may require additional
fees.
Please take the opportunity to check out these resources for a stress-free tax season.
IRS Contribution Limits Increased
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced an increase in the contribution
limit for the 2024 Medical Spending Accounts (MSAs) and limited-use MSAs from $3,050
to $3,200. Because this decision was made after the end of open enrollment, employees
who are eligible to contribute to an MSA may make a new election for 2024. Employees
who elected to contribute to an MSA during open enrollment may also increase their
contribution should they choose, but employees cannot decrease the contribution they elected during open enrollment.
The IRS also increased the carryover amount of unused funds for 2024 with a maximum
carryover amount increased from $610 to $640. Participants may carry over up to $640
in unused funds from their account into 2025, but they will forfeit funds over $640
that remain in their account after the March 31, 2025, reimbursement deadline.
To enroll or increase their contribution, employees must complete a paper Notice of Election (NOE), sign it and return it to their campus Benefits Office by December 1, 2023 . For the Columbia campus, please mail the completed NOE to benefits@mailbox.sc.edu and do not email full social security numbers or sensitive data in unprotected attachments.
MoneyPlus Vendor Update
Update Regarding MoneyPlus Vendor Effective January 1, 2024
Effectively immediately, PEBA is not moving forward with Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC). ASIFlex will
be the third-party administrator for MoneyPlus through December 2025. All MSA participants,
who have cards that are due to expire in December, will be issued renewal cards by
ASIFlex prior to December 31.
Check MSA and other Open Enrollment Changes
Beginning January 8, 2024, employees may sign in to MyBenefits to check their 2024 MSA contribution amount and other open enrollment changes. If
they notice any errors, contact the campus Benefits Office immediately. For the Columbia
campus, please send inquiries to benefits@mailbox.sc.edu .
Benefits and Discounts
Privileges and Discounts
The state of South Carolina offers employee discount programs that enables state employees to save on everyday purchases and services from local
and national vendors. To view other family-friendly privileges and unique discount
opportunities to help you maintain a healthy balance between work and home life, please
visit the Division of Human Resources’ Privileges and Discounts website.
Healthcare Providers Out-of-State or Overseas
State Health Plan members have access to BlueCross’ network of participating doctors
and hospitals throughout the United States through the BlueCard® program and around
the world through BlueCross BlueShield Global® Core.
Network providers throughout the United States through the BlueCard® program agree
to accept the Plan’s negotiated rate, or allowed amount, as their total fee. It is
better to stay in network if possible. Using an out-of-network provider means paying
more for your care. Use the links on the SC Public Benefit Authority’s (PEBA) Find Care webpage to find a network provider, pharmacy, dentist or eye doctor near you.
Through BlueCross BlueShield Global Core, your State Health Plan identification card
gives you access to doctors and hospitals in more than 200 countries and territories
worldwide and to a broad range of medical services. The BlueCross BlueShield Global
Core Service Center can help you find providers in the area where you are traveling.
It can also provide other helpful information about health care overseas. Go to BlueCross BlueShield Global Core for more information. Be sure to always carry your health plan and prescription drug
identification cards when traveling because you may still use them out of state. If
you are covered by the State Health Plan and need behavioral health care outside South
Carolina, call 800.810.2583.
Future Scholar is a 529 plan
Future Scholar is a 529 plan that helps you save today for your child's future college education. A Future Scholar
account can help you grow your savings more efficiently by offering tax advantages,
investment options and flexibility that puts you in control.
Internal Job Board in PeopleAdmin
The Division of Human Resources recognizes the importance of career growth for our
employees, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities for advancement . Whether you are ready to take the next step in your career or explore an entirely
different career, we want you to continue your journey with USC. To ensure you are
aware of exclusive recruitment opportunities within the university, we are excited
to announce the launch of the Internal Job Board in PeopleAdmin, our applicant tracking
system. The internal job board is for employees who are currently in an FTE, research grant or time limited position.
You can now log in to the applicant portal with your university credentials and search
for internal positions that are only available to current USC employees as well as
the external positions that are open to the public. We encourage you to explore the
Internal Job Board and other positions advertised on the USCJobs website when seeking your next career move.
To learn more about how to access the internal job board and who is eligible to apply,
please check the Internal Job Board–Current Employee Guide .
To be notified when jobs are advertised publicly on the USCJobs site , sign up for our USC Job Alerts today!
Procedures for Work Related Injuries
Occasionally work-related accidents or injuries happen. Review the procedures to make sure you know what steps to take if someone is injured while performing their
job duties.
Supervisor Newsletter