payrollnews-pr031600
Press Release 3/16/00
| To: | Executive Officers, Associate and Assistant Officers, Academic Deans, Branch Campus Deans, Department Chairs, Superintendents, Academic Heads, Directors, and Supervisors |
| From: | Barry E Johnston, Director – Benefits and Payroll Services |
| Date: | Thursday, March 16, 2000 |
| Subject: | Medical/Dental and Life Insurance Eligibility for Temporary Faculty |
On occasion, newly hired temporary faculty employees are dismayed when they learn that their eligibility for medical insurance has been delayed. In an effort to improve communication and reduce misunderstanding on a somewhat complicated issue, the following documentation is offered on Medical/Dental and Life Insurance Eligibility for Temporary Faculty. Thank you in advance for sharing this information with employees in your college who are involved in making employment offers to temporary faculty.
A newly employed temporary faculty whose original appointment is for half time or more for only one semester is not eligible to apply for Medical/Dental and Life Insurance benefits. This is the case regardless of the “intention” to renew the appointment the next consecutive semester. Should the temporary faculty’s appointment be extended beyond one semester, eligibility commences at the start of the second semester. Spring and fall are considered to be consecutive semesters. If it is your desire to provide the temporary faculty employee with Medical/Dental and Life Insurance benefits at the earliest possible time, the original appointment should be for an academic year.
Please remember that benefits for eligible employees begin the first of the month following the month of employment, unless the employee’s first day of employment is the first working day of the month. If an appointment begins August 16 and the duration of the appointment is for more than one semester, benefits are effective September 1. If an appointment begins January 1 and the duration of the appointment is for more than one semester, benefits are effective January 1.
A temporary faculty who had employer provided benefits and then had to self pay those benefits due to a break in service of eighteen months or less, will be eligible for the restoration of employer provided benefits the first semester that they return to employment. However, if the break in service lasts more than eighteen months, such faculty will not become eligible for employer provided benefits until the start of the second consecutive semester of employment.