Baton Rouge Community College is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefits program to support our valued employees. All insurance elections and changes resulting from qualifying life events must be completed through the BenefitFocus portal, which can be accessed via the Employee Resources card in LoLA.
Questions related to benefits may be directed to BRCCBenefits@mybrcc.edu.
The Office of Group Benefits (OGB) administers group medical and life insurance for state employees. The plan year is from January 1st through December 31st of each calendar year. You may review medical plan options at info.groupbenefits.org.
Waiting Period: As a new employee, a waiting period applies before coverage begins. Coverage for new hires becomes effective on the first of the month following one full month of employment.
- Example: If your hire date is January 1st, coverage begins February 1st.
- Example: If your hire date is between January 2nd and January 31st, coverage begins March 1st.
Enrollment Deadline: If an employee does not enroll in coverage within 30 days of the hire date, enrollment may occur during the annual open enrollment period in October.
Premiums: Current employees may view deduction amounts on the Benefits Summary page within BenefitFocus.
- 12-month employees: Premiums are deducted from 24 of the 26 annual pay periods.
- 9- or 10-month employees: Standard premiums are deducted during the academic year, along with an additional deduction to ensure continuous coverage during the summer months.
Flexible benefits, offered through OGB, allow employees to set aside funds from their paychecks on a pre-tax basis. The following plans are available:
- General Purpose Flexible Spending Arrangement (GPFSA): Used for eligible medical and medical supply expenses. (Note: This plan cannot be paired with the Pelican HSA775 Health Plan).
- Limited Purpose Dental/Vision Flexible Spending Arrangement (LPFSA): Used for eligible dental and vision expenses.
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Arrangement (DCFSA): Used for eligible childcare, elder care, or care for a disabled dependent spouse.
- Health Savings Account (HSA): Used for eligible medical expenses and may only be paired with the Pelican HSA775 Health Plan.
Premium Conversion Plan: Employees enrolled in OGB health or life insurance plans are automatically enrolled in the Premium Conversion Plan. This allows plans to roll over from year to year without the employee having to re-elect it each year. Additional information is available on the OGB Flexible Benefits page.
Information regarding supplemental benefit plans—including coverage details and premium rates for dental, vision, disability, term life, AD&D, hospital indemnity, critical illness, accident, and identity theft protection—is available through the BenefitFocus portal in LoLA.
The Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) Plan is the retirement plan for unclassified staff and faculty positions at BRCC. Unclassified positions are those not covered by the Department of State Civil Service regulations. The standard retirement plan is a defined benefit plan that vests in 5 years.
The Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (LASERS) is the retirement plan for classified positions at BRCC. Classified positions are those governed by the Department of State Civil Service.
Retirement plan participation is required by state law. The current TRSL and LASERS employee contribution rate is 8% of gross salary.
You may access information via the TRSL website and the LASERS website.
Government employees in Louisiana do not contribute to Social Security. The monies that would normally be contributed to Social Security are used as your contribution to a state retirement plan.
Social Security Fairness Act: The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025, eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). As a result, governmental employees in positions not covered by Social Security will no longer experience a reduction in their Social Security benefits due to receipt of, or eligibility for, retirement benefits from TRSL and/or LASERS.
Deferred Compensation Plan (IRC §457): This plan allows eligible employees to contribute a portion of their compensation on a pre-tax basis to support long-term retirement savings. Employee contributions fund the plan; there is no employer match. More information including instructions for opening an account may be found on the Louisiana Deferred Compensation Plan website.
403(b) Annuity: This retirement savings plan allows employees to contribute a portion of their compensation through payroll deductions on either a pre-tax or post-tax basis. This plan is funded solely by employee contributions; no employer matching contributions are provided.
LCTCS partners with several authorized vendors offering 403(b) plans, including, but not limited to:
- Voya
- Corebridge
- TIAA
Additional information regarding these plans is available on the LCTCS Benefits page.
As a Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) institution, BRCC employees are required to participate in direct deposit of net pay unless certain conditions exist to exempt the employee from this requirement.
The Mandatory Direct Deposit Policy 207 can be found on the Human Resources Policies page.
Direct deposit forms are located under Human Resources and Payroll Forms page.
As an educational institution, the holidays declared by BRCC are not declared by the Governor of Louisiana. BRCC has 14 paid holidays a year. The approved holiday calendar can be found on the BRCC website.
For unclassified, non-Civil Service employees, the College has formally adopted the LCTCS Policy #6.003 Leave for Unclassified Employees as its official policy. Regulations regarding all forms of leave are addressed in LCTCS Policy #6.003.
Leave for classified, Civil Service employees is governed by the Civil Service rules and regulations for the State of Louisiana. These rules can be accessed at the Civil Service Rules / Chapter 11 website.
HigherEd EAP is the division of the ESI Group that offers resources and solutions for help with your emotional and mental well-being. Employees of BRCC are provided benefits offered by HigherEd EAP at no cost.
Visit HigherEdEAP.com for more information. Employees may call 1-800-252-4555 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to reach a professional.
The Tuition Assistance Program is available to eligible Baton Rouge Community College employees, as well as their eligible spouses and children/dependents. Detailed information regarding eligibility criteria and program requirements may be found in the following BRCC policies:
- Tuition and Fee Exemption for Full-Time Employees (Policy 216): Applicable to enrollment at LCTCS colleges.
- Tuition Assistance for Full-Time Employees (Policy 217): Applicable to enrollment at Louisiana colleges and universities.
- Reduced Tuition for Dependents or Spouses of Full-Time Employees (Policy 218): Applicable to spouses, children, or dependents enrolled at an LCTCS college.
Questions regarding tuition assistance should be directed to the Human Resources Benefits Team at BRCCBenefits@mybrcc.edu.