Benefit Summary Plan for Full-Time Plant Services Union

Full-time union employees work a minimum of 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, and are eligibile for the following benefits.

Health and Welfare Plans

Health/Dental Insurance

Rates listed below are effective July 1, 2008. (Rates change annually on July 1.) Biweekly costs to employee:

Plan Name	Biweekly Family Rate	Biweekly Individual Rate
BCBS NE $1000 Deductible	$99.56	$37.57
BCBS NE Premier Value	$140.80	$53.13
BCBS NE Value Plus	$165.92	$62.61
BCBS Dental Blue 2 - High	$45.19	$13.25
BCBS Dental Blue PPO - Low	$37.29	$10.53

Flexible Benefit Plan (Flexcomp)

Eligible on the first of the month following date of hire. This benefit allows you to reduce your compensation by elected amounts in return for certain non‑taxable benefits (e.g., health/dental insurance premiums, uncovered medical, dental or optical expenses, and dependent care expenses).

Group Life Insurance/AD&D

Eligible for coverage on the first day of the month following date of hire. Value is two (2) times your annual salary up to a maximum of $300,000. WPI pays the entire premium. Group term life insurance in excess of $50,000 must be included in gross income and must be reported on the W-2.

Group Short Term Disability

Eligible on the first of the month following date of hire. Weekly income benefit is 100% of base weekly earnings not to exceed $750/week, beginning with the 13th workday of absence for a maximum of 26 weeks per disability. WPI pays the entire premium.

Group Long Term Disability

Eligible for coverage on the first of month following date of hire. Benefit will pay 60% of your covered monthly salary to a limit of $10,000 per month if you are totally disabled for a continuous period of six (6) months or longer (less any amount received from Social Security or Worker's Compensation). WPI pays entire premium.

Group Supplemental Life Insurance/Supplemental AD&D

Eligible for coverage on the first day of the month following date of hire. The value of the supplemental life insurance can be up to five (5) times your annual salary or $500,000, whichever comes first. The supplemental life insurance is also offered to spouses/domestic partners and dependent children. Spouses/domestic partners are eligible for up to half of what an employee purchases for coverage and dependent children are eligible for up to $10,000 in coverage.

Long Term Care

Eligible for coverage on the first of the month following date of hire. This is an individual, personalized benefit that is paid entirely by the employee. For specific information on coverage and costs, a meeting with a representative is recommended.

Paid Time Off

Vacation

Prorated vacation is awarded the first year, depending on date of hire. Two (2) weeks of vacation are earned after one (1) year of service; three (3) weeks after five (5) years of service; four (4) weeks after ten (10) years of service; and five weeks (5) after twenty‑five (25) years of service. Vacation time is earned during the fiscal year July 1 ‑ June 30 and is taken the following year. Vacation cannot be taken as you earn it and cannot be carried from one year to another.

Holidays

No waiting period. Eleven (11) per year as specified by WPI. Academic year employees receive only those holidays that fall during weeks worked. Two (2) floating holidays are also available during the course of a full year's employment. After the first ninety (90) days of employment, you will have two (2) days if hired between July and December; one (1) day if hired after January.

Sick Days

Paid sick days are earned after successful completion of the 90-day introductory period. From that point forward you will accrue one (1) sick day per month until the following June 30^th. On July 1^st you will be credited with twelve (12) sick days for the coming fiscal year. You are allowed to use up to six (6) sick days of your total accumulated sick days per year to care for a member of your immediate family or household. Immediate family is defined as parent, grandparent, stepparent, sister, brother, child, spouse/domestic partner, or other member of the immediate household.

Bereavement Leave

This benefit commences upon successful completion of the 90-day introductory period. In the event of a death in your immediate family, WPI will grant leave with pay up to a maximum of five (5) consecutive work days to attend the funeral or handle affairs connected with the death. Immediate family is defined as mother, father, mother‑in‑law, father‑in‑law, brother, sister, child, spouse, stepparent, stepchild, or other close relative who is a member of your immediate household. LEAVE WITH PAY MUST BE ARRANGED WITH SUPERVISOR OR DEPARTMENT HEAD.

Retirement Plan

Two retirement plan options are available, TIAA-CREF and Fidelity. Participation can be with one plan or a combination of the two. The choices are outlined below.

Regular Annuity (RA)

Eligible on the first of the month after one year of service. Participation is voluntary. Waiting period will be waived for anyone with one year of continuous service as a non‑student at any non‑profit educational organization or teaching hospital or who is already participating in TIAA-CREF or Fidelity immediately prior to the start of employment at WPI. Employee must contribute a minimum 5% of salary; WPI will contribute 6% of the first $10,800 of salary and 11% of salary in excess of $10,800.

Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA)

Eligible on the first of the month following date of hire. The GSRA is an alternative tax-sheltered annuity for employees who want to set aside funds in addition to the amount being accumulated under the College's retirement plan.

Tuition Assistance

Employee:

After 90 days of employment, any full‑time employee may take one undergraduate course per term or two graduate courses per semester. The employee must be qualified for admission and class hours must not conflict with his/her regular work requirements.

Continuing Education courses are also available if approved by the Department Head. Direct costs of attendance are charged to the employing department.
Courses at other colleges must be approved by the Department Head and Human Resources. After successful completion, the employee will be reimbursed for 75% of tuition costs and mandatory fees.

Dependent Children:

At WPI ‑ After one year of continuous service by the employee, dependent children under age 27 are eligible for up 16 terms of full‑time undergraduate tuition assistance.
Other Colleges/Universities ‑ After three years of continuous service by the employee, dependent children under age 27 enrolled at a fully accredited college or university may receive up to $5200 per year ($2600 per semester) per child for tuition and mandatory fees, to a maximum benefit of $62,400.

Spouse/Domestic Partner:

After one year of continuous service by the employee, spouses/domestic partners may enroll (or audit) undergraduate or graduate courses at WPI with full tuition remission. Enrollment is limited to one undergraduate course per term or two graduate courses per semester and is approved on a space‑available basis.

Tuition Exchange Program Policy

The Tuition Exchange (TE) Program is a national scholarship exchange program encompassing approximately 500 participating colleges and universities. The TE program is available to dependent children of any faculty or staff member who has completed three years of continuous full-time employment at WPI as of August 31^st of the year the employee’s dependent child would matriculate at a TE school.

Colleges and universities participating in this program have agreed to grant tuition scholarships for participants from other member institutions. A member institution may import as many students as it wishes but may not export more than it imports over a predefined period of time.

All applicants must seek admission directly of the TE partner institution, which determines its own admission process and procedures.

Eligibility for the Tuition Exchange program continues for dependent children should the employee retire, die, become totally disabled during service, or undertake a leave (i.e., FMLA, maternity/adoption, or military).

Additional Benefits

Auto/Homeowners Payroll Deduction

The insurance payroll deduction program is available to employees and their family members living in the immediate household through Sullivan, Garrity & Donnelly and the Hanover Insurance Company. Automobile, property (home, condominium, rental), boat, and umbrella policies are offered. Premium discounts for auto insurance are 6% off the regulated Massachusetts rates. Hanover's already competitive rates for property insurance are reduced by an additional 10%. If an employee purchases both auto and property policies, an additional discount can be applied to the property premium. Final prices depend on the unique circumstances of each employee’s current policy. Please call Human Resources for more information.

Child Care

WPI in conjunction with the First Baptist Church has established a relationship with First Friends, an early care and educational center for infants, toddlers and preschool children. First Friends provides a supportive, nurturing, stimulating program that responds to the developmental needs of each child.

First Friends is conveniently located within walking distance of the WPI campus in the First Baptist Church at the corner of Salisbury Street and Park Avenue. For information on rates and availability, please contact the Executive Director of First Friends at 508-791-4884.

Direct Deposit

Effective October 1, 2000, all employees are required to utilize Direct Deposit services. Employees’ salaries are deposited directly into the bank or credit union of their choice such that funds are available as of each pay date.

Domestic Partner Benefits

This benefit allows same sex and opposite sex domestic partners of employees, as well as dependent children of domestic partners, to participate as follows:

Health Insurance coverage under any plan offered by WPI to employees to the extent allowed by WPI health providers.
Tuition Assistance is available only to the dependent children of WPI employees as defined by IRS standards.
Bereavement, FMLA, and Maternity or Adoption Leaves treat the domestic partner as the equivalent of a spouse.

Employee Assistance Program

The EAP is provided to WPI by The Wellness Corporation, a locally owned and operated company specializing in Employee Assistance Programs. Headquartered in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, The Wellness Corporation serves local and national needs with equal ease. At no cost to the employee, the EAP can assist WPI employees and their families in obtaining confidential assessment, counseling, referral and follow-up services for problems covering a wide range of issues including emotional problems, marital and relationship concerns, family problems, parenting issues, stress, work problems, domestic violence, eating disorders, alcohol and drug use, communication problems, depression and suicidal thoughts, budget and debt problems, and legal concerns.

Consultations/assessments are available at no cost to you and your family members. To access the services of the WPI Employee Assistance Program through The Wellness Corporation, call the nationally toll free number (800) 868-6025 or locally (508) 842-2780.

Fitness Center

The WPI Fitness Center located in the lower level of the Alumni Gym is available to members of the WPI Community. The Fitness Center’s hours are posted for the academic year, the summer, and the term breaks in October, March and December, respectively.

Membership to Worcester Art Museum

The Worcester Art Museum’s Institutional Membership Program provides WPI staff, faculty & students FREE admission to the Museum during regular hours.

Parking

Parking in any of the WPI lots is available to all employees at no cost with a WPI parking decal. All vehicles must be registered with the Campus Police Department located on the lower level of Founder's Hall.

Payday

Plant Services Union employees are paid biweekly on Wednesday, when check stubs are distributed to your department.

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Last modified: June 26, 2008 15:19:40