New Employees: Don’t Forget to Enroll in the Benefits Plan

New 10-month MCPS employees who work at least 20 hours a week may enroll in the Employee Benefit Plan within 60 days of date of hire. You can learn more about benefit options on the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC) website. To enroll, visit the Employee Self-Service web page and click on Benefits enrollment for new employees, which you will find under the blue My Benefits banner. Log in using your Outlook username and password and follow the on-screen instructions.

Don’t miss your deadline!

• If you enroll by September 20, coverage will begin October 1.
• If you enroll by October 20, coverage will begin November 1.

You also may enroll in or make changes to your benefits each fall during Employee Benefits Open Enrollment, with coverage effective January 1 of the following year. Open Enrollment—to be held October 12–November 6, 2020—is held online. Details and instructions for enrolling online will be available in early October.

Get to Know the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC)!

ERSC is a one-stop shop for all your employee-related needs. This includes benefits, leave, pay, retirement and the employee wellness program.

Be sure to check out the following helpful resources from ERSC:

• The ERSC website is full of important information for employees and is updated regularly. Check back often for important and timely information and forms.
• ERSC maintains the Employee Self-Service (ESS) webpage, where you will find handy links for accessing your employee profile, as well as your benefits, pay and retirement information. Need to view and print your W-2 or check on your current benefits? ESS is the place to start.
• From ESS, you can also find a link to ePaystub. ePaystub keeps employees informed of essential information, such as the net pay deposited to your bank account, hours worked, deductions, and leave balances. You will receive an informative email reminder when your ePaystub is ready, including a link to ESS. This takes place each Monday before payday, unless the Monday falls on a holiday. If it does, you will receive your ePaystub the next day.
• PenPoint, an online self-service retirement system for MCPS employees, provides access to your yearly retirement benefit statement and lets you estimate your MCPS core and supplemental retirement benefit amounts based on different scenarios. You also can get to PenPoint from ESS.
• Watch for an email in early October announcing the fall issue of For Your Benefit, an online newsletter to keep you informed about essential employee benefits (including Open Enrollment, wellness initiatives, leave, pay and retirement information.
• During the school year, ERSC publishes the Well Aware eNews on the first Friday of each month. This newsletter contains articles on health and wellness along with information about upcoming wellness events such as educational webinars, health screenings, and more. In addition to finding it online, you can find the Well Aware eNews in your MCPS Outlook email inbox.

Despite our best efforts, you may find you have a concern or question that is not addressed online. ERSC staff currently are available to answer your questions by telephone at 301-517-8100 and via email. Due to the pandemic, ERSC is closed for in-person service.