Results from Ohio State’s Total Rewards Survey are now available. This important feedback provides insight into the preferences and value faculty and staff place on various offerings as employees of Ohio State. This feedback is one part of the holistic process used to plan future investments in benefits and compensation over time.
Additionally, the university is not proceeding at this time with a change to the employee tuition assistance that was originally planned for the 2025 fall semester. The change would have required repayment for employees who leave within one year of using the benefit.
Results from the Total Rewards Survey
Ohio State conducted the Total Rewards Survey in January 2025 to better understand how faculty and staff value different total rewards offerings and their satisfaction with various employee benefits.
The overall response rate was 24%, representing 8,500 faculty and staff.
Key findings from the survey include:
- Highest importance Pay, retirement, paid time off, health care and flexible work.
- Satisfaction: High satisfaction with retirement and health care benefits, while paid time off is slightly below the benchmark. The Lifestyle Spending Account scored highest at 79%.
The survey results confirm pay as the top priority for most employees and provide insight into the preferences and value faculty and staff place on various benefits and other offerings. These findings will help inform the university’s total rewards strategy as it evolves over time and in alignment with campus and Wexner Medical Center strategic plans, while balancing talent needs and experience with fiscal responsibility.
View additional information in this Total Rewards Survey Results overview.
Tuition Assistance Repayment Requirement Not Implemented
The university is also not moving forward at this time with the previously communicated implementation of an employee tuition assistance repayment requirement. Initially scheduled to begin with the start of fall semester 2025, the provision would have required employees to repay tuition benefits if they left Ohio State within one year of using it.
Not implementing at this time allows flexibility to align the university’s total rewards strategy with the campus and Wexner Medical Center strategic plans, considering both the overall employee experience and financial resources.
Employees should review the current employee tuition assistance plan document for full plan requirements including eligibility. Individuals who have a change in employment or eligibility during a semester in which the employee tuition assistance is being used may be responsible for the full tuition amount.