ELIGIBILITY
Faculty, administrative and staff employees who regularly work the
equivalent of .5 FTE (half-time), or more, are generally eligible to
participate in the university’s benefit plans. Certain benefits for
part-time, with benefits employees are pro-rated. Individuals hired in
positions that are less than .5 FTE or that are temporary are not
eligible to participate in the university’s benefit plans. In certain
cases, individuals hired to work long-term temporary assignments
(typically six months or more, and 1040 hours or more) may be eligible
to participate in the university’s benefit plans. Eligibility for
benefits is determined by Human Resource Services.
Refer to the Benefits Summary, the Good Fit Book (PLU Benefits
Booklet), and plan documents for further details about benefit plan
eligibility, waiting periods, and coverage.
DEATH BENEFIT
In the event of the death of a with benefits employee (faculty,
staff or administrator), salary will be paid through the last day
worked. An additional amount equal to one month's salary will also be
paid if death occurs before the commencement of the university's
long-term disability coverage. Final payment will also include any
accrued vacation amount due per PLU’s vacation policy. This benefit is
provided in addition to the life insurance program maintained by the
university.
DOMESTIC PARTNER POLICY & GUIDELINES
Effective June 1, 2001
Introduction
Pacific Lutheran University will extend
benefits to eligible same sex and opposite sex domestic partners of
“with benefits” faculty, staff, and administrators on the same basis
that benefits are extended to legal spouses. The following
information documents the required qualifications and other important
information.
Domestic Partner Criteria
To qualify as a domestic partner, the domestic partners -
'Basic living expenses' means the cost of basic food, shelter and any
other expenses of a domestic partner that are paid at least in part by
a program or benefit for which the partner qualified because of the
Domestic Partnership. The individuals need not contribute equally or
jointly to the cost of these expenses as long as they agree that both
are responsible for the costs.
Children of Domestic Partners Eligibility
PLU employees may also enroll the dependent child (ren) of an eligible domestic partner if the following criteria are met -
Benefits and Premium Rates
The university will make the typical array of benefits available to
eligible domestic partners and their children. Premium rates and
benefit provisions will be consistent for all covered families. At this
time, benefits include:
Enrollment
Enrollment will be consistent with the enrollment periods for all employees and families; either -
Imputed Income Information
The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that if an employee receives
health benefits for a domestic partner or such partner's legally
dependent child (ren), the employee must pay FICA and Federal Income
Taxes on the value of the benefit (i.e. the premium costs contributed
by the employer).
Since the premium costs for all employees' families are currently paid
by employees there are no imputed income expenses to consider for PLU's
domestic partner premium costs currently.
Section 125 Plan for Pre-tax Premium Contributions and Section 129 Plan for Health Care Reimbursement
Out-of-pocket
medical and dental premiums for domestic partners and their children
will be deducted on an after-tax basis unless you attest that they
qualify as your dependent according to the Internal Revenue
Service.
In addition, in order to claim expenses for your
domestic partner and/or his or her children under the Health Care
Reimbursement Plan they must meet those same IRS guidelines.
Briefly,
this means that the domestic partner and/or his or her children must
either be a qualifying child or a qualifying relative:
- The employee’s son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, sibling or stepsibling, or a descendant of any such individual. Or a legally adopted child or a child lawfully placed with the taxpayer for adoption.
- Residing in the taxpayer’s home for more than ½ of the taxable year.
- Under the age of 19 at the end of the tax year (under the age of 24 if full time student). There’s no limiting age for a child who is totally and permanently disabled.
- The child must not have provided more than one-half of his or her own support for the taxable year.
- The employee’s child, stepchild, eligible foster child, sibling, or stepsibling, parent, grandparent (or other direct ancestor), first cousin, aunt or uncle, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law.
- The qualifying relative must not have gross income in excess of $3,200 in 2005 (indexed annually).
- The individual receives more than one-half of his or her support from the taxpayer.
To determine whether you provide more than half your dependent’s
total support you must compare the amount of support you provide with
the amount of support your dependent supplies for himself or
herself. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, medical and
dental care, education and the like. If you believe you might
provide more than half of your dependent’s support, you should use the
support worksheet in IRS publication #501, Exemptions, Standard
Deduction and Filing Information before you complete your enrollment
forms.
Because the determination of whether a person is a
dependent for tax purposes depends on facts solely within your
knowledge, PLU cannot make this determination for you.
Documentation
All employees requesting coverage for domestic partners and their
children must complete a PLU Affidavit of Domestic Partnership Document
that attests to their eligibility. This document allows PLU's benefits
providers to verify with written proof that the family members for whom
coverage is being requested satisfy these eligibility criteria. At
least some of PLU's benefits providers may require a copy of the
Affidavit be sent to them with the enrollment form for coverage.
Further documentation supporting the Affidavit will generally not
be requested. However, PLU reserves the right to
require proof of the domestic partnership in the same way that proof of
Marriage Certificates for married employees may be requested.
Documents that could substantiate domestic partner eligibility might
include –
PLU and/or its applicable benefit providers shall have the sole and
exclusive authority to make a final and binding determination as to
whether any applicant qualifies as a domestic partner under this
policy.
COBRA Continuation Rights
Although federal COBRA regulations do not recognize domestic partners
as covered beneficiaries, PLU and its applicable benefits providers
(the medical and dental insurers) have currently chosen to offer COBRA
elections to domestic partners and their children under the same
conditions as all covered families. PLU and its applicable benefits
providers reserve the right to change this decision at any time in the
future.
HOLIDAYS
The holiday schedule is announced annually by the Director of Human
Resources. It is based upon the following policy. The total number of
holidays will vary from one fiscal year to the next.
|
Holiday |
Occurs |
No. of Days |
|
New Year's Day* |
January 1 and usually one day after if it falls on a
Thursday |
1 or 2 |
|
Martin Luther King's Birthday |
Third Monday in January |
1 |
|
Washington's Birthday |
Third Monday in February |
1 |
|
Good Friday |
Friday before Easter Sunday |
1 |
|
Memorial Day |
Last Monday in May |
1 |
|
Independence Day* |
July 4 |
1 |
|
Labor Day |
First Monday in September |
1 |
|
Thanksgiving Day |
Fourth Thursday and Friday in November |
2 |
|
Christmas Recess* |
December 25 through December 31 |
5 or 6 |
*When New Year's Day, Christmas Day or Independence Day falls on a
Saturday, the university observes Friday as the holiday. When they fall
on a Sunday, Monday will be the holiday.
Employees in a with benefits status who are leaving employment with the
university must work at least one day after a holiday to receive
holiday pay. For example: an employee who resigns during December will
not be paid for the Christmas Recess holiday period unless he or she
actively works at least one day in January.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
For absences due to the death of a relative including a spouse, parent,
grandparent, child, brother, sister (or brothers-, sisters-, parents-,
and grandparents-in-law), bereavement leave may be used. Employees in a
with benefits status who have successfully completed their introductory
period may receive paid leave of up to three days. When long distance
travel is involved, the supervisor may approve an extra one or two days
if necessary. If more time is required, vacation, sick leave, or leave
without pay may be taken. Bereavement leave is not deducted from sick
leave, and may be used as needed.
Dates of absence should be reported on the monthly time sheet, signed
by the supervisor and forwarded to payroll by the monthly due dates. To
ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, it is critical that this
information be sent on time.
EMERGENCY SHARED LEAVE PROGRAM
April 1, 2000
The university has benefit programs in place to provide financial
assistance in the event that qualified staff and administrators
experience either short-term or long-term illness or disability.
Specifically, these are the Sick Leave Policy as described in the
Personnel Manual and the Long-Term Disability Insurance Policy. Even
with these benefits in place, there may be extreme medical situations
in which an employee does not have enough sick leave accumulated to
bridge the gap between paid leave and the initiation of long-term
disability benefits.
The purpose of Emergency Shared Leave is to provide limited financial
assistance in prolonged, life-threatening and catastrophic medical
situations, by allowing certain employees to voluntarily share a
portion of their accrued leave time to help fund the medical leave of
an authorized recipient.
Eligibility to Receive Shared Leave
Administrators and staff members may be eligible to receive donated leave if they meet all of the following requirements:
Eligibility to Donate Shared Leave
Administrators and staff members may donate sick or vacation leave as follows:
Review Process
The steps outlined below will be followed expediently in making
application for, and in review and approval of, Emergency Shared Leave.
Shared Leave Administration
If an employee is approved by the
President's Council to receive Emergency Shared Leave, Human Resource
Services will administer the benefit as follows:
This program will be administered in coordination with the university's
other policies and programs including Sick Leave, Family and Medical
Leave, and long-term disability.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVES OF ABSENCE - Administrators and Staff
Administrative and staff employees in a with benefits employment status
who have completed at least one year of employment with PLU may request
a Family/Medical Leave of Absence (which may be paid or unpaid) for up
to twelve weeks. Eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of
paid or unpaid family or medical leave over any 12-month period. The
12-month period begins with the first day of leave and ends 12 months
from that date.
To be eligible for a Family/Medical Leave, the requesting employee must
have completed at least twelve consecutive months of service prior to
the time of the request. Minimum service for eligibility shall be at
least 1250 hours over the prior twelve-month period.
Leave shall be granted for the following qualifying circumstances:
For purposes of this policy, serious medical condition shall include an
illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition that
involves:
Whenever possible, Family/Medical Leave should be requested at least 30 days prior to commencement of the leave period. The university recognizes that there are emergency circumstances that will make advance notice impossible.
Requests for Family/Medical Leave taken for the serious medical
condition of the employee or that of a parent, child or spouse must be
submitted using the leave of absence request form and accompanied by
appropriate medical certification specifying the serious medical
condition, the amount of leave needed, and the anticipated return to
work date. Requests for Family/Medical Leave should be submitted to the
immediate supervisor, then to the appropriate director or vice
president for signature, and then forwarded to Human Resource Services
for final review and approval. The university reserves the right to
request a second and third medical opinion at the university's expense.
Medical leaves may be instigated by the supervisor if job performance
is affected by an employee's medical condition. The Director of Human
Resources must be consulted prior to formally instituting medical
leave.
The extent to which an approved Family/Medical Leave is fully paid,
partially paid, or unpaid will be determined by the amount of vacation
and paid sick leave accumulated by the employee prior to initiating the
leave. Employees taking approved leaves must use any and all
accumulated paid sick leave, but may not exceed the total amount of
sick time they have accumulated. If necessary, accrued vacation time
will be used to supplement the use of accumulated sick pay. Once the
employee has exhausted accumulated sick and vacation time, then the
duration of an approved Family/Medical Leave will be without pay.
Accrual for benefit calculations, such as vacation, sick leave, or
holiday benefits, will be suspended during any unpaid portions of the
leave and will resume upon return to active employment.
During an approved Family/Medical Leave the university will, in
accordance with policies and plan documents, pay its regular share of
applicable insurance benefits including medical, dental, life and
long-term disability. The employee must continue to pay his/her regular
contribution towards all such benefits. Business travel accident
insurance will not be provided during an approved leave. If the
Family/Medical Leave is provided with pay, then the appropriate and
corresponding amount of retirement contributions will also continue
during the period of the leave.
Employees who sustain a work-related injury will be eligible for a
Family/Medical Leave for the period of disability in accordance with
all applicable laws regarding disability and/or workers' compensation.
Prior to returning to active duty, an employee returning to work from a
Family/Medical Leave that was due to his/her own serious medical
condition must provide appropriate medical certification verifying
medical release and fitness for duty. The university reserves the right
to request a second and third medical opinion at the university's
expense.
Upon return from Family/Medical Leave, the employee will be restored to
his or her original position or to an equivalent position with
equivalent pay and benefits. The use of Family/ Medical Leave will not
result in the loss of benefits which have accrued prior to the leave of
absence.
If an employee fails to report to work promptly at the end of the
approved leave period, PLU will assume that the employee has resigned.
Any employee who fails to return to work from approved leave may be
required to repay any health insurance premiums paid on her/his behalf
during the period of the leave in accordance with applicable state and
federal law.
Requests to return to work on an interim part-time basis will be
considered by the university, whether for medical or for personal
reasons. When an employee requests a reduced work schedule due to
medical reasons, the university may request medical documentation in
support of the request. Decisions regarding part-time work will be
based on a number of factors, including the nature and duration of the
request and the availability of work for which the employee is
qualified. In some cases, an employee may be returned to work on an
interim part-time basis in another position.
Employees who are medically unable to return to work following approved
leave due to their own serious medical condition may be eligible to
apply for long-term disability benefits. Information regarding such
benefits is available from Human Resource Services.
Employees desiring additional leave upon the exhaustion of any approved
Family/ Medical Leave may be placed on inactive status or request an
unpaid Personal Leave of Absence. Any additional leave will be at PLU's
sole discretion.
In the event that this policy conflicts with and provides a lesser
benefit than any statute, law or regulation, the university will follow
the applicable statute, law or regulation.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVES OF ABSENCE - Faculty
Any regular faculty member in a "with benefits" employment status who
has completed at least one year of employment with PLU may request from
the applicable academic administrator a Family/Medical Leave of Absence
(which may be paid or unpaid) for up to one academic semester, or for
up to twelve weeks, whichever is greater. The 12-month period begins
with the first day of leave and ends 12 months from that date.
Eligibility for such leave is set forth in the following paragraphs.
To be eligible for a Family/Medical Leave, the requesting faculty
member must establish faculty service for at least twelve consecutive
months prior to the time of the request. Minimum service for
eligibility shall be at least 1,250 hours over the prior twelve-month
period. Upon request by the university, a faculty member may be
required to provide medical verification of the condition for which
leave is requested.
Leave shall be granted for the following qualifying circumstances:
For purposes of this policy, "serious medical condition" shall
include an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition
that involves:
A period of incapacity or treatment for a chronic
health condition as defined by the Family Medical Leave Act.
Requests for Family/Medical Leave taken for the "serious medical
condition" of the faculty member or parent, child, spouse or other
significant person must be accompanied by a note from the health care
provider setting forth the "serious medical condition."
A faculty member receiving an approved Family/Medical Leave may receive
some or all salary and fringe benefits for the period of leave. The
proportion of pay received during the leave will be evaluated by the
university in advance of the leave based on the individual's length of
service, cost of replacing the individual, length of leave requested,
and other similar factors. During an approved Family/Medical Leave the
university will, in accordance with policies and plan documents, pay
its regular share of applicable insurance benefits including medical,
dental, life and long-term disability. The individual on a leave must
continue to pay his/her regular contribution towards all such benefits.
Business travel accident insurance will not be provided during an
approved leave. If the Family/Medical Leave is provided with pay, then
the appropriate and corresponding amount of retirement contributions
will also continue during the period of the leave.
Paid Family/Medical Leaves may be granted for periods of less than a
full semester, within the university's discretion, depending on the
appropriateness of timing for the university and the needs of the
faculty member's department. However, faculty members are entitled to
unpaid leave of up to twelve weeks for qualifying reasons as set forth
in the paragraphs above.
Requests to return to work on an interim part-time basis will be
considered by the university, whether for medical or for personal
reasons. When a faculty member requests a reduced work schedule due to
medical reasons, the university may request medical documentation in
support of the request.
A faculty member who wishes to request a Family/Medical Leave shall
submit a written request to his/her department chair specifying the
length of leave needed and anticipated return-to-work date. This
request will be reviewed by the chair in consultation with the
appropriate dean, and then forwarded in a timely manner to the
Provost's Office for evaluation of eligibility and a determination of
the period of paid and/or unpaid leave to be provided to the requesting
faculty member.
Whenever possible, Family/Medical Leave should be requested at least 30
days prior to commencement of the leave period. The university
recognizes that there are emergency circumstances that will make
advance notice impossible.
At the conclusion of an approved Family/Medical Leave, the faculty
member shall be returned to the position he or she held before the
leave, with no loss of seniority or other benefits. Upon request by the
university the faculty member returning from leave may be required to
provide medical verification that the faculty member is able to perform
the essential functions of his or her position with or without
reasonable accommodation. With mutual agreement between non-tenured
faculty members and the university, tenure decisions may be delayed or
the probationary period extended, depending on the length of the leave
and other factors, including the policies and guidelines of the
American Association of University Professors. Any delay of a tenure
decision or extension of a probationary period for any untenured
faculty member shall be addressed by written agreement between the
parties at the time that the leave is taken.
Faculty members needing additional leave upon the exhaustion of any
approved Family/Medical Leave may request an unpaid Regular Leave of
Absence in accordance with the Faculty Handbook.
Faculty members who are unable to return to work following approved
leave due to their own "serious medical condition" may be eligible to
apply for long-term disability benefits. Information regarding such
benefits is available from Human Resource Services.
In the event that this policy conflicts with and provides a lesser
benefit than any statute, law or regulation, the university will follow
the applicable statute, law or regulation.
PERSONAL LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Administrators and staff who have been employed at PLU for at least one
year may request a leave of absence without pay for personal reasons.
Leaves are requested at least one month in advance through normal
administrative channels. They are considered on a case-by-case basis
and require approval of the appropriate university officer and Human
Resource Services. Leaves of absence are not normally granted for more
than a one-year period for administrators or for more than a six-month
period for staff.
In personal leave of absence situations, there is no guarantee than in
individuals position will be held open for him/her. When a request for
such a leave is received, the appropriate university officer and the
Director of Human Resource Services will review the request considering
factors such as: length of time off requested, level of performance,
length of service, reason for absence, the nature of the person's job,
feasibility of making arrangements for a temporary replacement, and
other appropriate factors.
In general, approved personal leaves are provided on a without pay and
without benefits basis. Vacation and sick leave do not accrue during
the leave.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Extended Professional Development Leave for Administrators
Purpose
Extended professional development leaves are an integral part of the
university's commitment to life-long learning. A significant block of
time away from usual professional responsibilities encourages and
nurtures administrator improvement through professional development,
education, research, service, or related pursuits. The effective
utilization of such a leave is the professional accountability of every
administrator who is approved for one. The opportunity for extended
leave is a granted privilege and not a right or accrued benefit.
General Provisions
Application and Implementation Process
Pay and Benefits
Administrators on professional development leaves will continue to
accumulate vacation and sick time and to receive regular holiday pay.
SICK LEAVE
Sick leave constitutes short-term disability coverage providing
earnings protection for eligible employees before long-term disability
coverage takes effect. Full-time administrative employees earn sick
leave at the rate of one day per month starting the first month of
employment, while full-time staff employees begin accumulating sick
leave at the completion of their initial introductory period. This
benefit is pro-rated for benefits-eligible staff and administrators
working between .5 FTE and .99 FTE. Up to 100 working days may be
accumulated. The university does not compensate employees for unused
sick leave at termination.
Sick leave may be used only under the following circumstances:
Dates of absence should be reported on the monthly time sheet.
Longer-term absences (five working days or more) should be reported by
the supervisor to Human Resource Services immediately.
Refer to the Family and Medical Leave policy for additional information.
MILITARY CALL TO DUTY
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
offers certain job protections for armed services personnel who are
called-up or volunteer to serve. The university complies with USERRA in
determining its policy on military service and call to duty. The
following guidelines provide general information only. This policy is
not intended to address all possible issues that may arise. If you are
called to duty or have specific questions, please immediately contact
Human Resource Services.
Covered Employees
Employees who volunteer for or are involuntarily inducted into military
service or called to active duty have employment rights protected by
federal law (the USERRA) and accompanying regulations.
Duration of Service
The cumulative length of service that causes a person absences from a
position may not exceed five years. Most types of service will be
cumulatively counted in the computation of the five-year period.
Employee Requirements
The law requires all employees to provide their employers with advance
notice of military service. This notice may be written or oral. No
notice is required if military necessity prevents the giving of notice;
or the giving of notice is otherwise impossible or unreasonable. An
employee’s failure to give advance notice deprives the employee of the
benefits of the law and this policy, unless the employee can
demonstrate that providing notice was impossible, unreasonable or
precluded by military considerations.
Benefits
Military call to duty will be treated as leave of absence without pay.
As with other leaves without pay, vacation and sick time do not accrue
while the employee is on military leave. Vacation time that had accrued
before initiating military service may be used during this leave.
Medical/dental benefits - For absences of less than 30 days, benefits
continue as if the employee had not been absent. For absences of 31
days or more, PLU group coverage stops unless the employee elects to
pay the applicable insurance premium (102% of the then current rate)
for up to 18 months (COBRA). When the employee returns to work at the
university, health insurance will be reinstated with no waiting period,
except for coverage of any illness or injury determined to have been
incurred in or aggravated during military service. If the university
cannot put the employee back to work immediately upon application, the
health insurance will be restored immediately, unless return to work is
not required for the reasons set forth under the law. While in military
service, employees are also eligible for medical/ dental benefits
provided by the military, according to the terms of those benefit
packages.
Retirement plan benefits - Contributions to the retirement plan will
occur as required by federal law. In general, federal law provides that
military service is not a break in service under the retirement plan,
obligates an employer to make certain contributions during military
leave and creates a time period for an employee to make elective
contributions to the retirement plan following a return to work from
military service. The specific provisions and requirements may be
addressed with Human Resource Services prior to or during any military
leave.
Employees in a without benefits status upon taking military leave do
not become eligible for those benefits they did not receive either
during or following leave, unless they return to work in a with
benefits status.
Return to work
Regulations are as follows:
Re-instatement upon return from military leave of absence:
PLU is not required to re-employ a person returning from a military leave if:
RECOGNITION OF EMPLOYEES
ANNIVERSARY RECOGNITION
In appreciation for their long-term service, faculty, staff and
administrators of the university who are regularly employed in a with
benefits status (.5 FTE or more) will receive special recognition
during major anniversary years: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and more.
Anniversary awards (pins, plaques, gift certificates as outlined below)
are typically presented at the university's annual Christmas and
holiday luncheon. At that time, recognition and gifts are given to
acknowledge and celebrate those with major anniversaries falling in the
current fiscal year (i.e. June 1st through May 31st of that particular
year).
Letter of Appreciation
In the month during which their major anniversary occurs, honorees will
receive a personal note signed by the President. For example, someone
hired September 20, 1997 would receive his/her note five years later
during September 2002.
PLU Pin
PLU pins are distributed at the Christmas and holiday luncheon in the
colors corresponding with years of service as noted below:
|
Anniversary |
Pin Color |
|
5 |
Gold |
|
10 |
Light Blue |
|
15 |
Light Green |
|
20 |
Black |
|
25 |
Maroon |
|
30 |
Dark Blue |
|
35 |
Dark Green |
Certificate of Appreciation
At the annual Christmas and holiday luncheon each honoree will receive
a certificate of appreciation signed by the President for their
dedication and length of service.
Gift Certificate
Based on the anniversary being celebrated, honorees will receive a
certificate in the dollar amount noted in the table below. The
certificate may be used to purchase a gift item(s) at either PLU
Northwest or the University Bookstore. Certificates must be used by the
end of the fiscal year (May 31) in which they are awarded.
|
Anniversary |
Dollar Value of
Gift |
|
5 |
$50 |
|
10 |
$75 |
|
15 |
$100 |
|
20 |
$125 |
|
25 |
$150 |
|
30+ years of service |
$175 |
DISTINGUISHED STAFF/ADMINISTRATOR AWARDS PROGRAM
Purpose
The Distinguished Staff/Administrator Awards Program is designed to
recognize outstanding contributions made by employees through their
accomplishments, leadership, and service to the university and its
community members. The awards are presented to up to four university
staff or administrative employees each year. Award recipients receive a
$500 honorarium and special recognition at the university's annual
Christmas and holiday luncheon.
Eligibility
All part-time and full-time staff and administrators with a minimum of
one year of continuous and satisfactory service at the university in a
regular, non-Director level position are eligible for nomination.
(Associate and Assistant Directors may be nominated.)
Award Criteria
Award recipients will be selected for the following kinds of contributions:
Nomination Process
Each fall, Human Resource Services will distribute nomination forms on
campus. Nomination forms are also available in Human Resource Services.
Nominations may be made by faculty, staff, students, co-workers, former
colleagues, or others who have benefited from the employee's service.
Supporting documentation or letters may be attached to the nomination
form, which should cite specific examples of the kinds of contributions
the nominee has made. Completed nomination forms must be returned to
Human Resource Services by the due date established each year.
Employees may be nominated more than once, but may only be selected to
receive an award once in a three-year period.
Selection Process
All nominations will be kept confidential during the selection process.
Human Resource Services will screen nominations to ensure that the
basic requirements have been met regarding length of service and
satisfactory performance. Following that initial review, Human Resource
Services will work with representatives of the Administrative Staff
Council to thoughtfully evaluate the nominations in light of the
program purposes. The Administrative Staff Council and Human Resource
Services will then forward the names of approximately four proposed
award recipients to the President's Council for final consideration and
endorsement. In the event of a close decision, more than four names may
be submitted for the President's Council to make the final
selection.
ROSE WINDOW SOCIETY
The Rose Window Society is comprised of those faculty, staff, and
administrators still actively working who have achieved their 20-year
anniversaries, and all early, phased, and regular retirees who have
served PLU for 20 years or more. The annual Rose Window dinner,
typically held each May, is an opportunity to honor current university
retirees.
Invitees to the Dinner
Recognition
The year's retirees are honored at the Rose Window dinner with a gift from the university and a citation read by a colleague.
RELOCATION
In certain cases when a new faculty member or administrator is hired,
and will be moving from a distant geographic area, relocation
assistance may be provided upon approval of the appropriate budget head
and Human Resource Services. The university recognizes that an
impending move is an important undertaking and that household goods are
valued possessions. Because the university is a privately supported
school, every effort is made to reduce expenditures through sound
business practices and good judgment.
When relocation is offered, the university agrees to pay an allowance
as indicated on the employment contract for the moving expenses to the
new residence. Most of the cost will be for charges incurred in
transferring household goods by commercial carrier. Other costs which
may be reimbursed include: gasoline for truck and/or personal
automobile, motel expenses, U-Haul trailer rental or truck-van rental,
costs for traveling by commercial air carrier or other public
transportation. Proper documentation of expenses is necessary to
receive reimbursement from PLU using original receipts. Some costs not
covered: Payments for meals, temporary living expenses, or compensation
for a personal driver of personal vehicles.
A complete relocation guide defining vendor selections, reimbursement
procedures, and responses to frequently asked questions is available
through Human Resource Services and will accompany applicable contracts
at the time a job offer is made.
RETIREMENT FROM UNIVERSITY EMPLOYMENT
Employees are able to schedule their retirement from university
employment based on their unique needs and lifestyles. Accordingly, the
university encourages quality advance planning on each employee's part
in preparation for retirement from university employment. Normal
retirement is defined as the last day of the month in which age 65 is
attained. Some employees will retire before they reach 65 and others
after age 65. An employee may retire at, before, or after the normal
retirement age.
An employee who plans to retire from university employment should
advise the supervisor of that decision as far in advance as possible.
In any case, the normal notice of resignation (ten working days for
staff and twenty working days for administrative employees) is the
minimum notice period expected.
The following information is provided to assist those who are
contemplating retirement from the university. Please note that this is
a summary for general information only. Additional information is
available in Human Resource Services. In the event of any question,
official plan documents, university policy/procedure, and legal
requirements/considerations will prevail.
These documents do not describe the university's 403(b) Retirement
Plan. Conditions and rules applicable to participation (eligibility),
vesting, participant and university contributions, Plan investments and
payout of benefits are described in and controlled by the Plan, Plan
investment documents and contracts and by applicable law. Please refer
to those documents for details. Note that retirees are not eligible to
make additional contributions to the 403(b) Plan or to receive any
contribution from the university to their Plan account.
Regular Retirees - -
Most employees who retire from PLU are considered "regular retirees".
Generally the following length of service and age requirements must be
met in order to qualify for regular retirement from PLU:
At their own expense, retirees and their eligible dependent(s) may
continue medical and dental coverage on the university's group plans
through COBRA. Information regarding COBRA will be provided at the time
of retirement. Life insurance benefits may be converted, at the
retiree's expense, to an individual policy.
All financial contributions made by PLU to insurance benefits
discontinue at the end of the month in which the person terminates
active employment and begins regular retirement. At that same time,
participation in virtually all benefits discontinues: 403(b) Retirement
Plan, Long Term Disability, Accidental Death & Dismemberment,
Vacation Pay, Sick Leave, etc.
Regular retirees retain the right to reduced tuition under the PLU
tuition remission policy. In addition they may retain their parking
permits, receive an identification card that allows continued use of
the library, athletic facilities and participation in campus events on
a discounted or free basis, and access to Internet usage and email
through Computing and Telecommunications.
Regular retirees are not eligible for ELCA tuition remission or the Tuition Exchange Program.
Phased Retirees - -
Phased retirement is a special benefit made available by PLU to certain
qualified faculty and administrators hired before December 31, 1996.
Staff are not eligible for phased retirement.
Phased retirees receive supplemental retirement compensation from the
university for a certain period of time. As part of the phased
retirement application and approval process, specific payment
arrangements will be made. These supplemental wages are considered
earned income by the IRS and therefore will likely impact the phased
retiree's Social Security benefits.
While they receive this compensation, phased retirees are eligible to
participate in certain PLU benefits. These benefits are made available
at whatever costs are applicable during any given year and include
medical, dental and some life insurance. The retiree may enroll
him/herself and eligible dependent(s) in any or all of these plans.
All financial contributions made by PLU to other insurance benefits
discontinue at the end of the month in which the person terminates
active employment and begins phased retirement. At that same time,
participation in virtually all benefits discontinues: 403(b) Retirement
Plan, Long Term Disability, Accidental Death & Dismemberment,
Vacation Pay, Sick Leave, etc.
Phased retirees retain the right to reduced tuition under the PLU
tuition remission policy, but are not eligible for ELCA tuition
remission or the Tuition Exchange. Phased retirees may retain their
parking permits, receive an identification card that allows continued
use of the library, athletic facilities and participation in campus
events on a discounted or free basis, and access to Internet usage and
email through Computing and Telecommunications.
Specific eligibility requirements and provisions of the phased
retirement plan are addressed in the (Revised) Policies and Procedures
for Reductions in Load and Phased Retirement, Revised June 2004. Please
refer to that document for full details.
TRANSIT PASS BENEFIT POLICY
Objective: To reduce parking demand and meet state mandated goals to
reduce vehicle miles traveled and number of trips to the PLU campus.
Benefit: PLU will subsidize eligible employees and commuter students
for the cost of a monthly transit pass not to exceed $49 per
month. The eligible person must be the same person who uses the
pass. Replacement of lost or stolen transit passes is the
responsibility of the employee or student.
The benefit may include bus, vanpool, ferry, and rail transit, but only
if the use of such transit eliminates driving to and parking at PLU.
Employees may receive the benefit throughout the year. Commuter
students may receive the benefit from September through May.
An eligible student must demonstrate that s/he is reducing the number
of vehicles that travel to and park at PLU by providing their drivers
license number and vehicle plate number on the application form.
Eligibility: You must meet all four of the criteria below to be eligible for the transit pass benefit.
Method of Reimbursement: The easiest way to receive the benefit is to
purchase the pass at the Lute Card & Information Center in the UC.
Eligible employees may also receive the benefit by visiting Human Resource Services.
Parking Passes: Employees or commuter students who participate in the
transit benefit program may obtain a parking decal that may be used on
days when recipients of the transit benefit drive individually. Benefit
recipients must certify that they are not driving to PLU more than two
days per week on average in order to receive the benefit.
Misuse of Benefit: Those who are found misusing the transit benefit program will no longer be eligible to receive the benefit.
Guaranteed Ride Home: Transit benefit recipients shall have a
guaranteed ride home should they or a family member become ill or
experience some other emergency situation. Campus Safety will provide
transportation with a Campus Safety escort, use of a PLU vehicle, or by
arranging a taxi.
TRAVEL MEDICATION REIMBURSEMENT POLICY
In support of the university’s commitments to global education and
healthy lifestyles, Human Resource Services will reimburse eligible
employees for work-related travel medications.
To be eligible for reimbursement you must:
Medication may be prescribed by the Group Health travel nurse, your
personal physician, or another qualified medical provider. This
policy also covers costs associated with follow-up travel medications.
Work-related travel medications may include those needed in a variety
of situations including: attending an international professional
conference, leading a J-term, summer-session or semester-abroad class,
representing PLU on official business, or the pursuit of scholarly
work. PLU will not cover non-work related travel medications or medical
consultation fees. If there is any doubt about whether or not
your planned travel is work-related, please consult with your
supervisor in advance.
TUITION ASSISTANCE
The university has a strong commitment to life-long learning, which it
supports through the following tuition assistance programs and by
offering a number of additional on- and off-campus professional
development programs.
Tuition Exchange
The university participates in two programs, which offer tuition
exchange benefits for qualified dependents of eligible university
employees.
The Tuition Exchange, Inc. is an association of over 500 institutions
all across the United States providing varying levels of tuition
discounts. This is a highly competitive benefit and is not guaranteed.
The benefit is available to full-time employees who have completed
three years of service, and is based upon additional university
criterion. There is a small annual fee associated with participation in
this program. This fee is paid annually by the PLU employee with a
participating dependent in the Tuition Exchange program.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Tuition Plan Program
is a group of colleges and universities related to the ELCA. Some of
these institutions provide tuition remission to PLU qualified
dependents.
Tuition Remission
The waiting period for tuition remission benefits for PLU courses is
the beginning of the school term following completion of 90 days of
service. Once this waiting period has been completed, an eligible
employee and/or eligible dependents may apply for tuition remission.
Dependent eligibility is defined as a legal spouse or a child who is
under the age of 25, is unmarried, and is claimed as a dependent on the
employee's IRS form 1040. The tuition remission benefit available at
PLU is:
|
Employee Length of Service |
Employee |
Eligible Dependent |
|
Less
than 90 days |
-0- |
-0- |
|
At
least 90 days, and up to 1 full year |
75% |
25% |
|
Over
1 full year, and up to 2 full years |
90% |
50% |
|
Over
2 full years of service |
90% |
75% |
Graduate tuition remission is available to employees and spouses and
may be considered taxable income to the employee. Summer tuition rates
may vary.
Those employees working at least half-time but less than full-time may
multiply their full-time equivalence (FTE) by .90 to determine the
percentage of remission. Tuition remission is also prorated for spouses
and dependent children if appropriate. The combination of tuition
remission and other forms of institutionally funded resources will not
exceed PLU tuition cost. No additional remission (such as the
alumni discount of 10%) is available to reduce tuition beyond the 90%
remission level.
Tuition Benefit for MBA International Experience [Revised September 2006]
Beginning Fall 2006 the MBA program at PLU requires that
students participate in an international experience as part of the core
program. Students have the option to
participate in either a local “international” experience or leave the country
on a 10-day international experience.
The PLU tuition benefit does not apply to international experiences and therefore, a PLU employee, spouse or domestic partner who qualifies for either the 75% or 90% tuition benefit will need to 1) elect to participate in the local experience thereby not incurring travel costs, or 2) pay the standard rate out of pocket to participate in the 10-day international experience.
Furthermore, if a PLU employee in the MBA program elects the 10-day international experience and pays the out of pocket expense, the employee must also coordinate the vacation time with their direct supervisor for the duration of their leave.
Tuition Waiver
Eligible employees may receive a benefit of up to 12 credit hours of
courses with the tuition waived - - the equivalent of 100% tuition
remission for those classes. While supervisor approval is required, the
courses need not be directly job-related. This benefit is available at
the beginning of the school term following completion of one year of
service.
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
Pacific Lutheran University pays the total cost of this program for
terminated employees of the university. Weekly benefits are paid by the
Washington State Employment Security Department, which in turn bills
the university for the full amount of the benefits. Details regarding
eligibility are available from Employment Security Offices. Student
workers and those whose work is dependent on, or incidental to, their
student status are not eligible to receive unemployment compensation
(Revised Code of Washington 50.44.040).
VACATION POLICY
Purpose
The university encourages time off from work for change of pace and
relaxation. For this purpose only, the university provides eligible
employees with vacation leave benefits. Accumulated vacation time is
not a form of wages or other cash compensation.
Eligibility
All administrators and staff members on regular “with benefits”
appointments of half-time (.5 FTE) or more are eligible to accrue
vacation time upon hire and may take accrued vacation following
satisfactory completion of their 90-day introductory period.
Temporary employees are typically not eligible for benefits, and
therefore do not generally accumulate vacation time.
Vacation Accrual
Staff Employees in Nonexempt Positions-
Full-time staff accumulate vacation at the following rates:
|
Completed Full
Years of Employment |
Standard
Vacation Days per 12-Month Period |
Standard Monthly
Accrual Rate* |
Maximum Vacation
Accrual |
|
New hire to 4th anniversary |
10 |
6.67 hours |
90 hours |
|
During 5th year to 9th anniversary |
15 |
10 hours |
135 hours |
|
During 10th year and beyond |
20 |
13.33 hours |
180 hours |
Part-time staff members who are eligible for benefits (regularly
scheduled to work .5 FTE or more) accrue vacation on a prorated basis
using the above schedule.
*The actual vacation accrual will vary from month to month for
part-time staff working irregular schedules (i.e. fewer or zero hours
in the summer months; variable hours from one month to the next).
See “Accrual Calculation” section.
Administrative Employees in Exempt Positions –
Full-time administrators accrue vacation at the rate of 14.67 hours per
month, equivalent to 22 days per year. The maximum vacation
accrual is 200 hours. Part-time administrators who are eligible
for benefits (regularly scheduled to work .5 FTE or more) accrue
vacation on a prorated basis. The more liberal vacation plan for
administrators is granted in recognition that administrators work
beyond regularly scheduled hours and are ineligible for overtime pay.
Accrual Calculation –
Vacation time is accrued on most paid hours such as regular work hours,
paid sick time, and paid vacation and holiday time. The standard
annual and monthly vacation amounts noted above are guidelines; the
actual accrual amounts will be determined by each person’s eligibility
status and his/her actual eligible paid hours as calculated each month
by the university’s payroll system.
Vacation time is not accrued on unpaid hours, including personal time
without pay and sick time without pay. Vacation time is also not
accrued on any hours worked over forty (40) within a workweek.
New employees starting after the first of the month will receive a
pro-rated accrual the first month.
Vacation Usage –
Vacations are a time for renewal and rest, and employees are strongly
encouraged to take their earned vacation time each year.
Employees may accumulate up to the maximum vacation accrual amount
appropriate for their position and length of service. However,
once that maximum vacation accrual is reached, the employee will
forfeit additional vacation leave accrual until such time as his/her
vacation balance is under the maximum accrual cap.
Vacation time will not be advanced, but must be accrued prior to the
month in which it is used. Vacation leave accrues on the last day
of the month and is available for use the first day of the next month
subject to the eligibility requirements listed in this policy.
Negative vacation balances are not allowed. Only that vacation
time, which has been earned and accrued by the end of the preceding
month, will be considered eligible vacation pay in any given
month. Other time off will be considered personal leave without
pay, requiring the standard supervisory approvals.
The supervisor must approve all vacation usage in advance.
Employees are encouraged to give as much advance notice as possible
when planning vacation time, preferably two weeks notice or more.
Employees are also encouraged to take vacation during periods that are
less busy in their offices. The vacation date requests preferred
by the employee will be considered whenever practical. However,
the university reserves the right to deny vacation that may hinder the
normal or continuous operation of the department. Supervisors
will be reasonable in allowing the use of vacation and may not
unreasonably deny vacation requests where the result would be
forfeiture of accrued vacation.
If scheduling conflicts arise due to multiple requests for the same
vacation time off, requests will typically be granted based on length
of service with the university (i.e., the longest service employee
being granted first preference for the vacation time), within the
constraints of efficient departmental operation.
Administrators and staff members are responsible for reporting all
vacation taken in an accurate and timely manner using the monthly staff
time sheet. Supervisors and budget heads are responsible for ensuring
the accuracy of all vacation and time reporting.
The Payroll Office maintains records of vacation accrued and
used. Vacation accrual balances are reported to eligible
employees on their monthly payroll deposit advices or paychecks.
Holidays recognized by the university that occur during a scheduled
vacation are considered holiday pay and are not counted as vacation
time.
Illness or injury occurring during a scheduled vacation will not be
charged to sick leave unless the employee or an immediate family member
(see Sick Leave policy in the Personnel Manual) is hospitalized.
The supervisor may request documentation of hospitalization.
Employees applying for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leaves will
generally be required to use accrued vacation and sick time before
unpaid FMLA leave begins. The paid vacation leave will be counted
in determining the employees FMLA leave entitlement of twelve (12)
weeks (see Family Medical Leave Act in the Personnel Manual).
The transfer of vacation time for use by another employee is not permitted.
Vacation – Transfer
An employee transferring from one department to another takes along
unused, accrued vacation. If the transfer involves a change of
employment status (i.e. staff to administrator) the new accrual rate
will become effective the day the new position begins.
Vacation – Termination
Employees are not entitled to receive additional pay in lieu of
accumulated vacation leave upon separation of employment. As a
matter of university policy, however, PLU generally follows these
guidelines:
WORKER'S COMPENSATION
Each employee is insured through the State Industrial Insurance program
that is paid for by the university with a partial contribution made by
each employee through payroll deduction. This insurance covers
work-related injuries, deaths, and occupational illnesses. It does not
cover employees while away from work or while driving to or from work.