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Should a serious illness or injury prevent
you from working on a partial or total basis for an extended period of time, you
may be eligible for long-term disability (LTD) leave, with income benefits paid by
the college’s LTD insurance carrier. If eligible, LTD benefits begin after
the first six months of disability.
For specific details about the LTD benefit, see
the Summary Plan Description (SPD).
Eligibility
If you are employed in a regular or limited-term position
of half time or more, you are covered under the college's LTD insurance plan. If
you work less than half time or hold a temporary position, you are not eligible for
LTD insurance coverage.
If you have been certified as eligible to receive benefits
under the college's LTD insurance plan, you are considered to be on partial or total
LTD leave. LTD leave begins on the date you are eligible to begin receiving LTD income
benefits.
Pay Status: LTD income benefits are paid by the
insurance company, and the college makes no supplemental salary payments (except
in the case of partial disability where an employee may continue to work part-time).
You may use sick, vacation, and/or personal time up to six months prior to applying
for LTD leave. Once on an approved LTD leave, you are no longer eligible to use accrued
paid time off. If you have not accumulated enough paid time to cover the entire six-month
period between the date you are disabled and the date you are eligible for LTD income
benefits, you may apply for extended sick leave under the Sick Leave Bank (where
applicable), FMLA leave, or a leave without pay.
Benefit and Leave Eligibility
While on LTD leave for total disability, you are not
eligible to accumulate credit toward paid holidays, vacation, personal time, sick
leave, bereavement leave, jury duty leave, or any other paid leave. While on LTD
leave for partial disability, you accumulate and are eligible for paid time off in
proportion to the number of hours you actually work.
While on LTD leave for partial or total disability,
you are entitled to employee benefits as follows. You remain subject to the specific
terms of each insurance contract.
Health, Dental, Life, and LTD Insurance Plans: You may continue to participate in the college's group health, dental, life, and LTD insurance plans for up to two years from the beginning of an LTD approval, so long as you are deemed disabled by the LTD Carrier. Your life and LTD insurance will continue at the salary level in effect at the time the LTD leave began. You remain subject to the specific terms of each insurance contract.
The college will continue to pay its normal share of
the premiums toward your coverage and you will be billed for your share. You must
pay your share of the premiums within 30 days of the billing date to ensure continued
coverage.
After two years you may qualify for Medicare benefits
or you may elect to participate in the health and dental plans under COBRA. You also
have the option to convert to non-group life and LTD insurance policies.
Tuition Assistance Program: You continue to be
eligible for tuition benefits for up to two years from the beginning of an LTD leave.
Retirement Plan: If you were participating in
the college's retirement plan at the beginning of your LTD leave, you may continue
to participate for up to two years. The college will continue to contribute to your
retirement contracts at the rate in effect at the time your disability occurred or
at the time you go off paid sick leave, whichever is later.
Application Procedures
If you are partially or totally disabled for 30 days
and it appears that you will continue to be disabled for more than six months, you
should contact the Office of Human Resources to discuss your situation. An LTD leave,
like any extended leave of absence for medical reasons, must be supported by medical
statements and arranged with your department head in consultation with the Office
of Human Resources.
It is important for supervisors and department heads
to maintain contact with a disabled employee, both to monitor the disabled employee’s
progress and likelihood of returning to work and to provide him or her with support
and a continuous connection to the college. If you are absent on LTD leave, you should
maintain contact with your supervisor to discuss your situation and inform him/her
of your progress.
Return to Work Certification
If you are cleared to return to work (either full-time
or part-time), you should ask your doctor to complete the Physician's
Approval to Return to Work form. You must provide your department
head with this completed form.
To ensure your ability to resume the duties of your
job, the college may require an examination by a college-designated physician before
your return to work.
Replacement of Staff on Medical Leave or Disability
Under normal circumstances, the college will hold a
position open for a regular full- or part-time employee with a serious illness or
disability during the first 12 months of an authorized paid or unpaid leave. During
such an authorized leave, the employee's position will normally be filled on a temporary
basis only. Following 12 months of absence, the staff member's employment will be
terminated. Termination of employment will not affect an employee's eligibility to
continue receiving LTD income benefits.
The college reserves the right to fill a position on
a regular basis prior to 12 months in situations such as the following: 1) in the
case of senior administrators who occupy strategic positions; 2) when the college's
or the department's needs require this action; or 3) where it appears highly unlikely
that the employee will be able to return to work. The decision to fill a position
prior to 12 months must be approved by the Executive Director of Human Resources.
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