Human resources
Employee benefits overview
Benefits for teaching & administrative faculty, professional
staff and office & physical plant staff
Below are general description of the benefits, exclusions, limitations
and other provisions of the benefits plans for Goshen College
employees. Complete details of employee benefits and policies
are outlined in the Staff Handbook
or Faculty Handbook. Complete
descriptions of benefits and policies are available in the VP
for Finance's Office and the Human Resources Office. The VP for
Finance is the administrator responsible for all employee benefits.
'Open Enrollment' -- May 1
- May 14 -- During this period you may change health care
plans, sign up for additional life insurance coverage, decide
how much of your salary you wish to set aside for health care
expenses (Section 125) and more. Follow the link for forms and
details.
Dental Insurance
All ongoing employees working 1,000 or more hours per year are eligible
to enroll in a comprehensive group dental plan. The premium paid by the employee.
Dependent coverage is also available. Application must be made within
30 days of hire and coverage may normally be changed in June of
each year.
See:
http://www.goshen.edu/policy/Benefit_Plan_Summaries
Disability insurance
Total disability – All ongoing full-time employees are
eligible to participate after 12 consecutive months of full-time service.
It is the responsibility of the employee to fill out proper application
forms in the Human Resources office. The plan, with few exceptions,
provides benefits after three consecutive months of disability from
injury or illness. Together with Social Security and/or worker's compensation,
the benefits approximate 60 percent of one's normal salary during
total disability until one reaches age 65. The plan also provides
continued payments into the retirement program during such disability
so that the disability does not impair retirement benefits. Employees
may use accumulated sick leave to cover the first three months of
disability.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – An EAP through Guidance Resources is available to employees and family members. Free
telephone and up to 3 in-person sessions with a professional counselor
are available along with referral services..
Faculty-only benefits
Professional improvement – All full-time teaching faculty
are eligible for a $500 annual professional allowance. Part-time (.5-.749 FTE) receive a pro-rated allowance.
Sabbatical – All full-time faculty are eligible to apply
for a sabbatical leave after 10 years of employment. The dean's
office approves all sabbatical leaves; administrative faculty sabbaticals
are processed through the Provost's Office. There is a limit on
the number of sabbaticals granted each year. Subsequent sabbaticals
may be applied for after seven years of additional employment. Full
pay is given for six months, two-thirds pay for nine months, or
one-half pay for 12 months.
Health insurance
Eligibility – All ongoing employees working 1,000 or more
hours per year (half-time). Employees between one-half and three-fourths
time share a pro-rata portion of costs. Spouse and unmarried dependent
children through age 24 (employee pays a portion of the cost) of
eligible employees. Health insurance coverage begins with a signed
application at the beginning of employment. Application must be
made within the first 30 days of employment. The plan year is July
1 - June 30.
Plan Highlights – A comprehensive Preferred Provider Organization plan is available with national and some international provider coverage.
Specific details are given in the plan documents in the Human Resources Office or on the web site listed below.
See:
http://www.goshen.edu/policy/Benefit_Plan_Summaries
Administrative faculty, professional staff and staff have the following
holidays:
If a holiday occurs when school is in session and the employee
is at work, it is considered a floating holiday and may be used
at another time.
Life insurance
All full-time employees, are included in the plan upon date of
employment and completion of application. The college will pay
the full premium for the plan, which offers coverage for full-time
employees. The value of coverage for each individual covered is
1.5 times gross salary to a $100,000 maximum. This amount is reduced
after age 65.
Accidental death and dismemberment – All ongoing employees
working half-time (1,000 hours) or more are eligible. Upon signed
applications, insurance valued at 1.5 times gross salary up to
$100,000 maximum is provided against accidental death. A lesser
amount is provided for faculty and staff dismembered in an accident.
See:
http://www.goshen.edu/policy/Benefit_Plan_Summaries
Payroll Information
Contracts are issued to teaching faculty based on a 42-week year,
(but paid over 12 months); administrative faculty and professional
staff are normally on a 12-month year. Statements of agreement are
issued to staff employees based on hourly wages. Contracts and agreements
are based on a fiscal year of July 1 to June 30. Payroll is paid
twice each month. Direct deposit is required and available from
any credit union or bank.
Retirement plan
Mennonite Retirement Trust (MRT)
Teachers Insurance Annuity Association (TIAA)
College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF)
Any faculty or staff member is eligible to participate provided the
person has worked at GC at least half time (1,000 hours) or more for
one year and is at least 21 years old. The college will begin retirement
plan payments after the employee is eligible. Waiting period is waived
if new employee participated in a not-for-profit organization retirement
plan immediately prior to start of employment.
The Retirement Plan offers options for investment through TIAA-CREF and Mennonite Retirement Trust.
Each employee decides in which funds he or she wishes to place the
Goshen College contribution. Goshen College contributes an amount
equal to 9 percent of employees' regular salary. The employee may
make additional contributions to a plan on a tax-deferred basis.
Additional contributions are made under an agreement for salary
reduction at the time of eligibility for participation in the basic
retirement plan or at any time thereafter. Increases or decreases
in the amount to be deferred may be made several times per year.
Since this plan is voluntary, the participant can discontinue at
any time. Employees may elect to use both TIAA CREF and MRT for their retirement savings but may not divide contributions of the college contribution or salary reduction between them.
See:
TIAA-CREF website
Mennonite Retirement Trust web site
Sick leave
Full-time employees earn sick pay at the rate of one day per month (4 hours per pay) with a maximum
of 100 days accumulation. Sick leave is intended primarily to recover
the loss of income due to actual illness, but it may be applied to
personal and immediate family doctor and dental appointments and absence
for emergency care of an immediate family member (dependent child,
spouse or dependent parent), if other arrangements are impossible. It also may be applied to maternity/paternity leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Part-time employees earn pro-rated sick leave hours.
Supplemental Insurance (AFLAC)
Four supplemental insurance products are offered to employees through AFLAC: Cancer, Accident, Specified Health (includes heart, stroke, and other illnesses), and Life Insurance. Family members can be included. The employee is responsible for the premium, and various levels of coverage are available.
Social security
Participation is a condition of employment through payroll deduction
for all employees, except ordained ministers in the exercise of their
ministry whose participation is on a "self-employed" basis.
The college contributes an amount equal to employee contributions
for these "self-employed" employees. In addition to retirement
benefits, this program provides survivor and disability benefits.
Tuition discounts
Employee eligibility – Employee spouse and dependent
children under 25 are eligible if the employee works one-half
time or more. Full-time employees (defined as 75 percent employment
or greater) receive full tuition-discount benefits; part-time
employees (employed 50 percent to 74 percent) receive a pro-rata
share of tuition discounts. Employees are eligible to take up
to two classes per semester at 100 percent tuition discount, if
work schedule permits and the supervisor approves. Discounts for
classes in the Adult Programs are pro-rated on a different schedule.
Employee spouse eligibility – Employee spouses are
eligible for a 75 percent tuition discount during the first two
years of employment and a 100 percent discount beginning the third
year.
Employee dependent children eligibility – Dependent
children are eligible for a 50 percent tuition discount during
the first two years of employment and a 75 percent discount beginning
the third year.
Part-time employee eligibility – Tuition discount
policies for part-time employees are outlined in the employee
handbook and are available in the Financial aid office.
Former employee eligibility – Discounts are available
for dependents of former employees who began employment before July 1, 2003 and who have worked 10 years or
more for the college with the exception of persons who worked at least 4 years between 1968 and 1989, who will receive dependent tuition discount of 5% for each year of full time employment. A maximum of 15 years employment (75% discount) is counted for this benefit.
Tuition discounts
Tuition discounts are not automatic and must be applied for at
the financial aid office. Undergraduate tuition discounts are
nontaxable benefits. Tuition discounts are coordinated with other
types of financial aid.
Section 125
All ongoing employees working half-time time (1,000 hours) or
more are eligible. Employees are permitted to use pretax dollars
for health and dental insurance premiums, unreimbursed medical
expenses, dental and optical expenses and dependent-care costs.
Election of eligible expenses is made at the time of employment
and the annual benefit open enrollment period. It is the responsibility
of the employee to fill out proper application forms in the Human
Resources Office.
Vision Service Plan
Employees working half-time and above and their dependents may enroll in the Vision Service Plan (VSP) benefit. The employee is responsible for paying the premium. Benefits include discounts on annual examinations, lenses (including contact lenses), and frames. Applications are available from the Human Resources Office.
Vacation
Part-time employees (1/2 time to 3/4 time) – receive pro-rata
time for vacation and holidays.
Each
full-time staff member and administrator is eligible
for paid vacation time accrued each pay, calculated according to the schedule
listed below.
