Membership

1. Who is considered an STRS Ohio member?
2. What is the employer’s responsibility when hiring a member?
3. What happens if we fail to notify STRS Ohio of new hires?
4. How is the “first date on the payroll” defined?
5. I understand that the new hire notifications are required because new members have retirement plan options at STRS Ohio. Do employers have to track the elections made by new members?
6. If we hire a substitute teacher without a teaching license, does that teacher have to contribute to STRS Ohio?
7. Why am I receiving the no new hire letter when I have already submitted a new hire for this employee?
8. If we hire someone that does have a teaching license but the position they are in doesn’t require one, would they qualify for STRS Ohio membership?

1. Who is considered an STRS Ohio member?
   Membership is defined under Section 3307.01, Revised Code. Members include:
   • Any school employee in a position where a valid teaching license is required,
   • Any university or college employee with faculty status,
   • Any person employed as a teacher by a community school, or
   • Any other teacher in Ohio public schools.

   Examples include:

   • Classroom teachers,
   • College or university faculty,
   • Tutors,
   • Substitutes,
   • Principals,
   • Superintendents,
   • Community School Directors,
   • Coaches with teaching licenses, and
   • Athletic directors.
2. What is the employer’s responsibility when hiring a member?
   Employers must notify STRS Ohio of a newly hired teacher within 10 calendar days of the teacher’s first date on payroll using one of the following formats:
   • New hire notification via Web-based application.
   • New hire notification via electronic transmission.
   • Sending a completed New Hire Notification form.

   The Social Security Protection Act requires state and local government employers, hiring for jobs not covered under Social Security, to notify new hires about how public employment will affect Social Security benefits by completing form SSA-1945 (Statement Concerning Your Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security).
   
   In addition, employers are required to remit member and employer contributions on compensation earned via payroll reports. Also, the Annual Report should report current fiscal year contributions for each member.

3. What happens if we fail to notify STRS Ohio of new hires or do not submit the SSA-1945 form?
   If an employee is included on a payroll report but STRS Ohio has not received a new hire notification, STRS Ohio will send you a Payroll Report Employer Notification report requesting information about the new employee.

   Why STRS Ohio needs this information:

   • Establishes membership in system.
   • Used to contact member if eligible to select Defined Benefit, Defined Contribution or Combined Plan.
   • Used for actuarial calculations.
4. How is the “first date on payroll” defined?
   First date on payroll is the first date the teacher worked. For example:
   • A full-time teacher is hired by the board in May, but does not begin work until the following Aug. 21. The employer must notify STRS Ohio of the teacher’s hire no later than Aug. 31.
   • A substitute teacher is hired by the board in September, but does not get called in to work until the following Feb. 15. The employer must notify STRS Ohio of the teacher’s hire by Feb. 25.
5. I understand that the new hire notifications are required because new members have retirement plan options at STRS Ohio.  Do employers have to track the elections made by new members?
   No. STRS Ohio will handle mailing, follow-up and receipt of election forms directly with members who have the right to elect the Defined Contribution Plan or the Combined Plan.
6. If we hire a substitute teacher without a teaching license, does that teacher have to contribute to STRS Ohio?
   Yes. STRS Ohio membership includes any individual employed with public funds in a position for which a teaching license is required. Teaching licenses, including temporary teaching licenses, are issued pursuant to Sections 3319.22 through 3319.31 of the Revised Code.

   State Board of Education Rule 3301-23-44 (E)(1) permits a school to employ a qualified individual with a four-year degree as a short-term substitute teacher for up to five days in a given classroom. Section 3319.301, Revised Code, allows a school to employ a qualified individual who is not licensed, but who holds a permit under the section, to teach classes for up to 12 hours per week. Any individual teaching under either of these rules is required to make STRS Ohio contributions on the teaching duties.

7. Why am I receiving the no new hire letter when I have already submitted a new hire for this employee?
   There are 3 possibilities for why you are still receiving the report. 1) Check the SSN that was reported. See if the number that was reported agrees with the SSN listed on the report. 2) The member is a substitute teacher who has not worked at the school for more than 1 year, or 3) the new hire was mailed or faxed to us fairly recently and hasn’t been entered in to the system yet.
   
8. If we hire someone that does have a teaching license but the position they are in doesn’t require one, would they qualify for STRS Ohio membership?
   Any school employee in a position where a valid teaching license is required would be eligible for STRS Ohio membership. The determining factor is whether the position requires a license and not the individual. The only exception to this rule would be coaches. For coaches if the person has a license, then STRS Ohio membership is required.

Return to Top of Page