Benefits

* Leave earned in excess of the maximum allowable days will be transferred to the employee's sick leave account annually on the employee's anniversary hire date.

Sick Leave

All full-time employees accrue one day (7.5 hours) of sick leave per month, provided they work the major portion of that month.

Bereavement Leave

Leave with pay is granted for three days in the event of the death of an employee's spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parents, grandparents, siblings, stepparents, foster parents, or parents-in-law without charge to the employee's leave time. Two additional days of sick leave may be granted to provide a total of five days of absence for this purpose.

Family Medical Leave

Allows up to twelve work weeks of leave* each year to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. Continued health insurance coverage is provided during the leave period, and the employee is reinstated to the same or an equivalent position once the leave period has ended.

* Leave may or may not be paid leave, depending on the individual employee's leave balances for earned leave.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave is an absence from work granted to any female employee employed in state service for at least 12 consecutive months as a full-time employee. Maternity leave is a combination of sick, annual, or special leave without pay for a period not to exceed four months following the birth of a child.

Military Leave

It is granted in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

Retirement

RetireReadyTN is the state’s retirement program, combining the strengths of:

• One of the nation's strongest defined benefit plans, provided by the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS)
• A 401(k) plan through services provided by Empower Retirement
• Retirement readiness education

As a state employee in Tennessee, you have unique retirement plan options available to you, including an additional savings opportunity through a 457 deferred compensation plan. 

To learn more, visit Retire Ready TN for state employees.

Flexible Benefits Plan

Under this program, specific expenses (e.g., medical and dental insurance premiums, medical expenses, and dependent daycare expenses) can be deducted from an employee's paycheck before taxes, resulting in a lower taxable income level.

Higher Education Fee Waivers Discounts

A 25% discount on undergraduate tuition at any state-operated institution of higher learning in Tennessee is available to children 23 years of age or under of full-time state employees. In addition, full-time state employees with six months of continuous service are eligible to have tuition fees waived for one course per semester at a state institution.

TNStars® College Savings 529 Program

The TNStars® College Savings 529 Program was created to provide families with an affordable and accessible way to save and invest for the costs associated with higher education.  Nationally ranked for investment performance, TNStars® is designed to give families high-quality investment options at a low cost to help them put aside money for future college expenses. TNStars® offers one age-based option and 14 static investment options with annual asset-based fees ranging from 0-35 basis points.

ABLE TN

ABLE TN is a savings program designed to help individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities put aside money to pay for qualified disability expenses. These accounts provide an opportunity to save and invest with tax-free earnings to help participants maintain independence and quality of life. The Tennessee Treasury Department administers ABLETN under State Treasurer David H. Lillard, Jr. For information regarding program eligibility, features and benefit, visit ABLETN.gov.

Wellness Program

The State Employee Wellness Program works to increase employees´ knowledge of options for healthier lifestyles through information and events that focus on improving behaviors affecting your health. Some specific benefits offered through the program include health risk assessments, fitness events, smoking cessation programs, and various other benefits.

ParTNers Health & Wellness Center

The ParTNers Health & Wellness Center (formerly the Employee Health Clinic) has moved to the third floor of the WRS Tennessee Tower. Visit https://www.tn.gov/partnersforhealth/health-options/employee-health-center.html for more updates and about our expanded services. To make an appointment, call (615) 741-1709.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

EAP is a confidential counseling and referral service for all employees and their dependents. All services are strictly confidential and can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visit https://www.tn.gov/partnersforhealth/other-benefits/eap.html to learn more.

State Employee Discount Program

All current and/or retired state employees are eligible to participate in the State Employee Discount Program. To learn more, visit TeamTN.