2022 Benefits Guide
Read Smith’s COVID-19 guidelines for the spring 2022 semester.
Benefits
Benefits are an important investment for Smith College. We’re proud of these offerings and know that, together with the continued dedication and support of our outstanding faculty and staff, they form the basis of what makes Smith College a great place to work.
About Smith’s Benefits Program
Smith College provides a competitive and flexible benefits program so that you can make the best choices for your needs and budget. We routinely evaluate the market to remain competitive. For 2022, several exciting changes were made including:
- adding a new PPO plan with out-of-area coverage
- expanding coverage of gender-affirming benefits
- adding a $150 reimbursement for participating in a qualified fitness program or buying qualified fitness equipment, and $150 for a qualified weight-loss program
- adopting a new Mind & Body $100/year reimbursement for qualifying massage therapy, hypnosis, acupuncture, meditation, tai chi programs and more
- offering a new diabetes support program through OptumRx & pet health insurance through Nationwide
- holding health and dental rates the same for the third year in a row!
For complete information on a particular benefit plan offered at Smith, please check out the details below.
Smith offers a variety of benefits designed to support the wellbeing of employees and their family. Benefits generally begin on the first day of the month following your start date.
Deduction Tier Structure
Who you enroll in each plan will determine your deduction tier for health, dental and vision coverages:
- Employee
- Employee plus Spouse
- Employee plus Child(ren)
- Family—Employee, Spouse, plus Child(ren)
Please note the deduction differences between tiers and what defines them. If you see any inconsistencies between your tier and your listed dependent(s), please contact HR.
Helpful Tools
When your other onboarding tasks are complete, you will receive your new hire benefits enrollment task in your Workday inbox. When you’re ready, click on the enrollment task and follow the prompts. Remember, you must enroll within 30 days after your first day of work.
Once you’ve decided which benefit plans you want to enroll in, you should:
- update your home address in Workday, if needed
- collect social security numbers, dates of birth, and primary care doctors’ names and addresses for dependents you will cover under your benefits
Job aids for completing benefit-related tasks, including new employee benefits onboarding, changing benefits for qualifying events and changing your voluntary retirement contributions can be found on the Workday Help site.
Please Note: Workday enrollment data is sent to vendors once a week. It can take two+ weeks for your member cards to arrive in the mail. If you need to obtain your member ID information or follow-up on receipt of your cards, please call the appropriate customer service number below or visit their website listed.
Benefits Customer Service Numbers
- Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance: 800-782-3675
- OptumRx prescription coverage: 888-374-8127
- Delta Dental: 800-872-0500
- EyeMed vision insurance: 866-939-3633
- Health Equity health savings accounts (HSA):
866-346-5800 - Benefit Strategies flexible spending accounts (FSA):
888-401-3539 - Voya Financial 403(b) retirement plan recordkeeper:
800-584-6001 - Allstate identity theft coverage: 800-789-2720
- ComPsych / Guidance Resources Employee Assistance Program (EAP): 800-828-6025
Each year there is an open enrollment period during which you have the opportunity to change or update your benefits. Be sure to check the regular news and policy updates from HR.
Non-Benefits Eligible Employees
For those employees who are not benefits-eligible, you’ll find health insurance options through the Commonwealth Health Connector by calling 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765) or by visiting mahealthconnector.org.
Beneficiaries
You are encouraged to designate beneficiaries for all accounts with a potential monetary benefit (e.g. life insurance, retirement accounts, health savings accounts). Beneficiaries for life insurance are designated and maintained in Workday. For the retirement plan, you may call Voya Financial at 1-800-584-6001 once your Voya account has been established. HealthEquity will record your beneficiary designation for your Health Savings Account (HSA).
Plan Names and Group Numbers
|
Smith College Plan Name |
BCBS Product Name |
Prefix |
BCBS Group# |
|
HMO |
Network Blue New England Active |
MTN |
004068736 |
|
HMO Value |
Network Blue New England Deductible Active |
MTN |
004068739 |
|
POS |
Blue Choice New England Plan 2 Active |
MTP |
004068742 |
|
HDHP |
Blue Care Elect Saver with Coinsurance Active |
XXP |
002373452 |
|
PPO |
Blue Care Elect Preferred |
XXP |
002375053 |
HMO Plan
The HMO plan covers in-network services only. There is no annual deductible.
Referrals from your PCP are required for services such as hospital services and surgery as well as office visits to specialists.
To find a PCP/provider, please visit the Blue Cross Blue Shield website.
You can find more information about this plan in the Summary of Benefits.
NOTICE: Each of our plans cover out-of-network medical emergencies. If you are hospitalized, you, or someone on your behalf (family, attending physician, etc.), must call your PCP within 48 hours. If covered under the HMO plan, any follow-up care must be done in-network in order to receive coverage.
Plan Documents
FIND A DOCTOR
Use the zip code of your provider(s), then enter the code MTN to continue.
Value HMO Plan
This plan has an annual deductible of $500 per person, embedded, and $1,000 for plans covering two or more on diagnostic services (tests) and procedures.
Hospital services and surgery, outpatient co-pay, inpatient co-pay, physical/occupational therapy, and mental health/substance abuse inpatient care are subject to the deductible, but are covered in full after the deductible is met.
Referrals from your PCP are required for services such as hospital services and surgery as well as office visits to specialists.
To find a PCP/provider, please visit the BCBS website.
You can find more information about this plan in the Summary of Benefits.
NOTICE: Each of our plans cover out-of-network medical emergencies. If you are hospitalized, you, or someone on your behalf (family, attending physician, etc.), must call your PCP within 48 hours. If covered under the Value HMO, any follow-up care must be done in-network in order to receive coverage.
Plan Documents
FIND A DOCTOR
Use the zip code of your provider(s), then enter the code MTN to continue.
Point of Service (POS) Plan
The POS plan offers both in-network and out-of-network services. You do not need a referral from your PCP in order to receive out-of-network services. Anything out-of-network typically results in higher out-of-pocket costs.
There is no in-network annual deductible. However, the out-of-network annual deductible is $400 per person, embedded, and $800 for plans covering two or more.After the deductible is met, you pay 20% for out-of-network services.
You can find more information about this plan in the Summary of Benefits.
At the point of electing any medical service, you decide whether or not to use in-network or out-of-network services. If you go in-network you need to get a Primary Care Physician referral. With a referral, services are typically covered in full after you pay a co-payment. Without a referral, the services will be considered out-of-network and you will pay initial charges (a “deductible”) and then a percentage of the following charges (“coinsurance”) before the plan begins paying fully. You and your providers must fill out claim forms. The option to bypass the referral is thus more expensive, but does provide you with freedom of choice.
Plan Documents
FIND A DOCTOR
Use the zip code of your provider(s), then enter the code MTP to continue.
High Deducticle Health Plan with Health Savings Account
The HDHP with HSA offers both in-network and out-of-network services. If you go in-network you need to get a Primary Care Physician referral. Without a referral, the services will be considered out-of-network. Out-of-network services have a higher out-of-pocket cost than in-network.
For in-network care, the annual deductible is $1,500 per person, and $3,000 for plans covering two or more. For out-of-network, the deductible is $3,000 and $6,000 respectively. Prior approval is required for certain out-of-network benefits. These deductibles are not "embedded." Any one family member can be responsible for the entire deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
For in-network care, the annual out-of-pocket maximum is $3,000 for individual plans, and $6,000 for plans covering two or more. For out-of-network, the out-of-pocket maximum is $6,000 and $12,000, respectively.
NOTICE: Each of our plans cover out-of-network medical emergencies. If you are hospitalized, you, or someone on your behalf (family, attending physician, etc.), must call BCBSMA within 48 hours.
Plan Documents
HealthEquity - Health Savings Account
Smith College contributes $500 for an individual plan or $1,000 for plans covering two or more to a Health Savings Account (HSA) in your name. Note for new hires who join Smith on or after July 1, these amounts are prorated to $250 for an individual plan or $500 if covering two or more.
New members or members with expired cards will receive new cards in the mail.
NOTICE: Anyone enrolled in a HSA cannot enroll in a healthcare flexible spending account (FSA). This includes being claimed as a dependent on your spouse's FSA. However, you can elect the Dependent Care FSA.
Additional Information
The maximum contribution for 2022 is $3,650 per individual and $7,300 for plans covering two or more. For age 55+, you can contribute an additional $1,000. The maximum includes the Smith contribution to your HSA.
With a PPO, you aren’t required to choose a PCP. You don't need a referral to see specialists. You can visit in-network and out-of-network providers, but you’ll pay lower out-of-pocket costs for care.
You can find more information about this plan in the Schedule of Benefits.
Plan Documents
FIND A DOCTORUse the zip code of your provider(s), then enter the code MTN to continue.
OptumRx offers a variety of pharmacy and prescription services. If you have any questions, please log onto OptumRx.com or call 1-888-374-8127.
Prescription Deductible
Smith College’s health plan includes an annual prescription deductible. This deductible only applies to Tier 2 and Tier 3 prescriptions, preferred brand name and non-preferred brand name respectively.
Generic prescriptions are only subject to the copay and are a less expensive alternative to brand name drugs.
The prescription deductible is $100 per person, embedded, and $200 for plans of two or more. If the deductible applies to you, you would pay $100 and the copay for your prescription for the first month. Once the deductible is met, you will pay the copay for the following months until the end of the year.
Online Account
Once you receive your Blue Cross Blue Shield ID card, please create an account at OptumRx.com to see your deductible and copays, or download the OptumRx app. There, you can set up mail order prescriptions, and compare generic and brand name drugs.
NOTICE: If you view a drug cost list without logging in, it will show you the regular market price of the medication without your insurance coverage.
HOME DELIVERY
Prescriptions through OptumRx can be picked up at your pharmacy or delivered through mail order. To receive your prescription through mail order, please visit OptumRx.com or talk to your doctor.
HASSLE-FREE FILL
You have the option to set up a recurring, automatic refill for any eligible home delivery medication. Using the OptumRx website, you can adjust the refill date or cancel a refill at any time.
SPECIALTY PHARMACY
Optum Specialty Pharmacy is the specialty pharmacy for OptumRx, and is included as a benefit. Optum Specialty Pharmacy provides specialty medications and some clinical support for complex conditions, including cancer, arthritis, etc.
In addition to this coverage, OptumRX provides a service to members called PillarRX. If applicable, members of PillarRX will reach out to you regarding enrollment information and you could potentially have a lower copay on your specialty prescriptions.
To contact Optum Specialty Pharmacy, call 1-855-427-4682 or visit Optum Specialty Pharmacy.
Contact OptumRx
Customer Service and Home Delivery: 1-888-374-8127
TTY: 711
Website Issues & Password Resets: 1-800-788-4863
Flexible Spending Accounts
Smith College will continue offering the healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) to employees for 2022 through Voya Financial (formerly known as Benefit Strategies).
The money you elect to set aside is taken from your paycheck before taxes in equal increments throughout the calendar year. IRS regulations state that any unused funds remaining in the accounts at year-end must be forfeited, and the changes or terminations of contributions during the plan year can only be made under specific conditions.
Healthcare FSA
This account allows you to set aside up to $2,850 per year on a pretax basis to pay for out-of-pocket health, dental or vision care costs.
Dependent Care FSA
To help with the high cost of day care, this account allows you to set aside up to $5,000—or $2,500 if you are married and filing separately—of your pretax earnings to pay for qualified dependent care expenses.
Contact Information
Benefit Strategies Customer Service Center: 888-401-FLEX (3539)
Online Portal: Voya Financial (Benefits Strategies) Login
Additional Information
Delta Dental
Delta Dental of Massachusetts is Smith College's current dental insurance provider.
High Plan
The “High Plan” has a maximum benefit of $2,000 per family member per calendar year, includes 50 percent coverage for orthodontics (up to a lifetime maximum of $1,500) and 50 percent coverage for major restorative work.
Value Plan
The “Value Plan” includes a deductible of $50 per individual, embedded, and /$100 for plans with two or more, which is waived for diagnostic and preventative categories. The calendar year maximum benefit is $1,000 per person. New dentures, bridges, implants and crowns are NOT covered. See coverage summaries for details.
Contact Information
Delta Dental Customer Service Center: 800-872-0500
Online Portal: www.deltamass.com
Additional Information
EyeMed is our vision insurance provider.
Visit in-network providers for an annual exam (with dilation as necessary) at no cost, as well as allowances and discounts on eyewear. Download the EyeMed app to track claims, find a provider and save your vision prescription.
Contact Information
Customer Service: 1-866-804-0982
Online Portal: EyeMed Member Login
Additional Information
At times in our lives, we all have personal concerns that are too difficult to deal with ourselves.
The program, offered through ComPsych, is a confidential and voluntary counseling referral service provided free of charge to employees and members of their family household.
EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
ComPsych offers twelve sessions, per issue, per contract year (November 1 to October 31).* The EAP can help with a variety of issues including: anxiety, grief, communication problems, drinking or drug use, domestic violence, marital/family concerns, mood swings, depression, parenting, stress (at work or home, or financial), work issues, suicidal thoughts and more.
*If you think you may need more than twelve sessions with a counselor and you have Blue Cross, you may want to ask ComPsych if they can help you set up an appointment with a counselor who is also a Blue Cross provider.
For more information about the Blue Cross Blue Shield Mental Health Benefit, call 800-444-2426.
LEGAL CONSULTATION & REFERRALS
Call to be connected to a free, 30-minute consultation with an advice attorney for most legal matters. Should your matter be more complex, you will be referred to an attorney at a 25% discount.
FINANCIAL CONSULTATION & REFERRALS
Financial professionals are available to provide free telephonic consultation on most financial issues.
FAMILY & CAREGIVING RESOURCES & REFERRALS
Specialists can provide in-depth consultation, resources and referrals on concerns such as childcare, eldercare, pet care, special needs programs and more.
Contact
To utilize this benefit, call ComPsych, at 855-784-2056, identify yourself as a Smith College employee or dependent, and the staff will help you set up an appointment with a licensed counselor near your home or workplace.
You can call anytime, 24 hours a day, even on weekends and holidays. Or visit guidanceresources.com, and use the Web ID SmithEAP.
Health Care Expense Subsidy
All employees enrolled in a Smith College health insurance plan covering two or more members are eligible to apply for the Health Care Expense Subsidy program. Potentially eligible employees will receive an email from HRBenefits@smith.edu stating that applications are open and the deadline for receiving the full amount of the subsidy. If eligible for the additional payroll amount, the funds will be distributed from April to December of the given calendar year.
Employees can submit an application through Workday. Applications typically open up mid-March of a given year.
Applications will remain open after the deadline, though the additional payroll amount will not account for retroactive payments.
Smith College provides Basic Life Insurance, Basic AD&D Insurance, and Long-Term Disability Insurance with no cost to employees.
Basic Life Insurance coverage is equal to your annual salary rounded to the next highest $1,000. You have the option to purchase additional supplemental coverage equal to one, two, three, four or five times your annual salary. You also have the option to purchase supplemental life insurance for a spouse, and/or a child(ren). Please see the rate sheet below.
Important note: Certain life insurance elections and/or changes require you to submit evidence of insurability (EOI) to Lincoln Financial Group in order for your coverage to be approved. While Workday will often trigger an EOI task after you submit a life insurance coverage request, you can access and submit your Evidence of Insurability directly via Lincoln’s secure website at http://www.mylincolnportal.com/. First time users should register using company code Smith-EE.
Lincoln Financial may reach out to you for more information and with your application status. If approved, your coverage and premiums will be updated in Workday.
Pet insurance helps defray the cost of some veterinarian bills by covering eligible vet expenses from common illnesses to serious or chronic conditions. You can use any veterinarian, there is no network or pre-approval required. There is a $250 deductible and you can choose between a 50% and 70% reimbursement for claims. The plan covers not only cats and dogs, but also birds and exotic pets.
Enroll in the pet insurance benefit at any time.
1. Go directly to the Nationwide dedicated URL for Smith pet insurance.
2. Call 877-738-7874 and mention that you are a Smith College employee to receive preferred pricing.
Retirement
Retirement Plan Eligibility
All employees are welcome to make voluntary contributions to the retirement plan. Employees may start, change, or stop their contributions through their Workday account at any time.
To be eligible for employer retirement contributions paid by Smith College, an employee must:
- Be 26 or older
- Have a year of service with Smith College
- Have 910 hours worked in their anniversary year or a subsequent calendar year
Employees who worked at another college or university within 90 days of their date of hire at Smith College may be eligible to receive employer contributions earlier. To qualify, a “Retirement Eligibility Verification” form, completed by the previous institution, is required.
If you are interested in rolling over money from another retirement plan, please contact Oxander Caballero, account consolidation representative at Voya Financial by phone at 612-217-9694 or email him at oxander.caballero@voya.com. You will need to have a Voya account set up in order to arrange for a rollover. The easiest way to have your account set up at Voya is to start a voluntary contribution.
Overview
The decision to retire should be made after several years of careful thought and planning. Financial considerations are a major factor in this decision, and the retirement plan's options may help you to meet your goals.
The college’s retirement plan provides a significant contribution to income replacement for employees upon retirement. The plan is fully funded by the college, and you are not required to make any matching contribution.
The college contributes 9 percent of your eligible earnings up to an integration level, and 13.3 percent of your earnings above the integration level, to your retirement account. The college's contributions to your retirement account are fully vested beginning with the first contribution.
The integration level is established each year. It is $71,514 for 2023.
All employees are welcome to make voluntary contributions to the retirement plan. Participation is optional and there is no waiting period.
Employees may start, change or stop their voluntary contributions through Workday.
The IRS limits the money individuals are allowed to contribute in any particular tax year, for 2022, the limit is $20,500 for those age 49 and younger, and $27,000 (including the $6,500 catch-up provision) for those turning age 50 this year or older.
SMITH COLLEGE STUDENTS EMPLOYED IN THE SUMMER
Smith College students who work at Smith in the summer are eligible to contribute a percentage of their summer earnings to the Smith College Defined Contribution Retirement Plan. If a student does not wish to contribute, they must waive the Voluntary Pre-Tax and Roth After-Tax elections in Workday.
PLAN INFORMATION AND TOOLS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Visit smithcollege.beready2retire.com for convenient access to a variety of information including an overview of the plan, frequently asked questions, and investment-related information. You may also schedule an appointment to meet with your local Voya Representative, Mary Ellen Gordon.
Within My Learning Center, there are planning tools and calculators, including My Retirement Overview®. This tool may help you identify any potential future shortfalls in your retirement savings and give you a better understanding of what's needed to meet your retirement income objectives. Are you ahead, or do you have some catching up to do? It’s an easy and quick way to check where you stand.
The Seminar Library provides online educational seminars covering a variety of financial education topics that you may view at your own pace whenever and wherever it is convenient for you.
REQUESTING A RETIREMENT PLAN TRANSACTION
To request rollovers out of the plan, withdrawals, or other transactions, simply contact the retirement services provider (Voya, TIAA-CREF, Fidelity, etc.) directly.
Smith College transaction approvals are now handled online; there is no need to bring your paperwork to the college for a signature.
Loans are limited and are only available through Voya. To apply for a loan, contact Voya directly.
About Voya
An overview of Voya, including the company's U.S. history and frequently asked questions can be found on its website, voya.com.
Account statements are uploaded to participants' online accounts on a quarterly basis. Voya will mail a paper copy upon request.
MOVING RETIREMENT ASSETS TO VOYA
You may exchange, or transfer, funds to Voya from American Century, Fidelity or TIAA-CREF for no fee; however, your prior retirement vendor may have fees or withdrawal restrictions on existing contracts. We encourage you to talk with a Voya representative to discuss your specific account to determine the best course of action for your situation.
For instructions and information about the exchange or transfer process contact one of Voya's dedicated specialists:
CONTACT VOYA
866-865-2660
8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday–Thursday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday
Individual Consultations
To help with your retirement planning, Smith recommends that you meet with a financial advisor for an individual consultation. You may arrange for an individual appointment with Mary Ellen Gordon at no additional cost to you.
To choose from available appointment times with Mary Ellen Gordon, go to smithcollege.beready2retire.com or call 877-645-5206. You may also send questions to Mary Ellen by email at maryellen.gordon@voyafa.com.
Retirement Service Providers’ Websites
Contact information is provided below for Voya, the plan's current record keeper, and former retirement service providers. For detailed plan information, go to smithcollege.beready2retire.com.
- Voya: 1-800-584-6001 or smithcollege.beready2retire.com
- TIAA: 1-800-842-2776 or tiaa-cref.org
- Fidelity: 1-800-343-0860 or fidelity.com
- American Century: 1-800-345-3533 or americancentury.com
- Pax World: 1-800-372-7827 or paxworld.com
Getting Ready to Choose Your Retirement Date?
You will have many questions as you start thinking about when you want to retire. Human Resources prepared the document below to assist you with your planning:
Preparing for Retirement - Information & Resources
Health Insurance for Early Retirees (ERO)
Employees who retire from Smith College between the ages of 62 and 65, and who have a minimum of 10 years of consecutive service in a regular position at Smith College immediately prior to retirement, may continue to participate in the college's group health plan until age 65, with the college continuing to pay half of the employer portion toward health and dental benefits. To enroll for this program, please email HRBenefits@smith.edu.
For other retiring employees, Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) are available beginning at age 65.
Medicare Supplemental Health Plan for Smith College Retirees
Smith College retirees and spouses may elect coverage for supplemental plans offered by MountainOne Insurance through the Benistar Employee Services Trust Program. The Benistar plans include two supplement plans that allow you to see any Medicare participating provider nationally.
VIDEO—MEDICARE WITH MOUNTAINONE
Questions?
For questions regarding retirement benefits, contact our Benefits team at hrbenefits@smith.edu
Smith College, like other nonprofit institutions, is subject to increased oversight of its retirement plan. The college is required to review and monitor the performance of funds available for retirement investments instead of simply offering a menu of choices. To comply with these regulations, the president formed a Retirement Plan Investment Committee.
The committee works with an investment or fiduciary advisory firm to establish Smith's internal governance procedures, and to select and monitor investment choices. The key objectives of the committee are to:
- Ensure that decisions about the retirement plan are in the best interests of the plan participants (employees)
- Select mutual fund investment offerings
- Monitor the retirement vendors and the funds offered using measures and benchmarks in various areas affecting plan assets, including investment performance, fees and expenses
Committee Members
David DeSwert
Vice President for Finance & Administration
Anne-Marie Szmyt
Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Katie Bowling
Director of Total Rewards
Bill Peterson
Associate Provost
Susan Sayre
Associate Professor, Economics
Cailyn Reed
Endowment & Investment Account Manager
Maria Feuerstein
Associate Vice President for Financial Planning
Benefited Leaves
Family-Related Leaves
Childbearing and other family-related issues can present significant challenges to employees. Balancing work and other college commitments while coping with a new baby or a family emergency can be stressful. Smith works hard to achieve an environment that is supportive of family needs by offering family leave, paternal leave, adoption leave and flexible work schedules.
See the Employee Handbook for terms and eligibility.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Wherever possible Smith strives to be flexible to help employees achieve a balance between work and home responsibilities. Managers will carefully consider requests for arrangements such as flextime, job sharing and part-time employment.
See the Employee Handbook for terms and eligibility.
Holidays
Smith observes a number of holidays throughout the year. Whenever possible, department heads are encouraged to grant time off for the observance of religious and other holidays that are not official college holidays. This time off may be taken as personal time, vacation or short-term absence without pay.
See the Employee Handbook for terms and eligibility.
Personal Time
Paid personal time is available for use in the case of family illness or emergencies, or to meet other personal obligations that arise. You may also use your personal time to observe a religious or other holiday that is not an official college holiday or in the event of inclement weather when the college is not officially closed.
Other Requested Personal Time
Additional personal time off is granted by Smith for bereavement leave, jury duty leave, military reserve training and active military duty leave.
See the Employee Handbook for terms and eligibility.
Vacation Overview
Vacations are important for rest and relaxation and Smith encourages you to use your full vacation allotment each year. Vacation entitlement varies depending on whether you work an academic or full-year position.
See the Employee Handbook for specific terms, eligibility and conditions.
Vacation Accrual
Administrative support staff in regular positions accrue vacation weekly, depending on years of service. Administrative staff in academic-year positions are entitled to approximately 10 recess days per year to be taken during official school recess periods. In regular positions, employees accrue vacation at 1.67 days per month up to 20 days per year.
Smith’s commitment to academic achievement and lifelong learning is what we are all about. In support of this commitment, we make a significant investment in providing employees with rich opportunities for professional growth and development. Tuition assistance is available to eligible employees, their spouse, and their children.
SMITH COLLEGE EMPLOYEES
SPOUSES OF ELIGIBLE SMITH COLLEGE EMPLOYEES
COLLEGE-AGE CHILDREN
- grants for daughters attending Smith College
- grants for children attending other colleges and universities
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
- Tuition discount for Campus School of Smith College
INFANTS & PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
- Tuition assistance at Fort Hill Center for Early Childhood Education
Auto & Home Insurance Discounts
Local insurance agencies offering insurance discounts to Smith College employees:
We have continued to look for ways to support our employees during this very trying time. Our childcare grants and pandemic leave are a few of the programs we introduced. In an effort to provide additional resources and support, we are pleased to announce a new benefit for all Smith employees.
Effective February 15, 2021, we are launching the Care@Work benefit to support your efforts to find caregiver services during the pandemic. This benefit will provide you with a membership to Care.com, the largest online community for finding trusted providers for your specific needs. Care.com is a family care service that can help you find caregivers for your whole family, including your child, parents/grandparents and/or pet as well as your home. There is no limit to the number of times you can access the services.
Smith College will cover the monthly membership costs from February 15, 2022 to February 14, 2023.
Here is more information about the Care@Work benefit and ways you can take advantage of it:
Who is eligible for the Care@Work benefit?
- All benefit-eligible employees of Smith College are eligible.
What does the Care.com Membership include?
- You get unlimited access to the world’s largest network of caregivers. There, you can explore detailed caregiver profiles in your area, post a job for caregivers to apply to, access the Care.com Safety Center and background check options, send real-time payments to caregivers, and even learn about household payroll and tax assistance.
Is there a cost to use the Care.com benefit?
- There is no cost to find care providers on the self-service site. Once you hire them, the cost of care should be discussed with your caregiver.
How do I sign up for the Care.com benefit?
- To activate your benefit, go to smithcollege.care.com and select “Let’s Get Started” or call 855-781-1303 or email careteam@care.com for assistance.
- You must enter your college email address to validate your employment. Care.com will send a verification email to your work email address.
- Once enrolled, you can then access the benefit by downloading the Care.com app.
Is there a limit to the number of times I can use the Care.com benefit?
- There is no limit to the number of times you can use the self-service website.
What will occur if I have a current Care.com account outside of Smith College?
- Visit smithcollege.care.com
- Click "Let’s Get Started"
- When asked if you are new to Care.com? Click “No”
- The prompts will ask you to enter in your credentials for your current account and for your College email to validate you as an employee.
- Need help? Dial our member care team at 855-781-1303 or email careteam@care.com
How do I learn more about the Care.com benefit?
You can learn more about the Care.com benefit by visiting our customized website: smithcollege.care.com
Who do I contact if I have questions about Care.com?
If you have questions about this benefit, please contact Care.com at 855-781-1303 or careteam@care.com.
Additional Information
Care@Work Membership Information
Distance Learning Supported by Care.com
Video Resources
Employee Discount Program
Smith partners with several vendors in the Northampton area to provide an Employee Discount Program. All discounts offered are individual by the respective vendors.
These discounts vary widely from vendor to vendor. Often the discount does not apply to all store items. Call ahead or ask whether the discount applies before making your purchase.
Smith College recognizes that faculty and staff commuting to campus as the sole occupants of vehicles has an impact to the environment and imposes stress to availability of campus parking.
This policy:
- Has been developed to complement a series of transportation demand management policies including parking opt-out, free passage on five college buses during the academic year, parking pass fees, free ride home and availability of two ride-sharing services all designed to work in concert to reduce the number of commuter trips by individuals in vehicles.
- Creates a more equitable transit subsidy system where employees who live in areas not served by Five College bus routes (those routes that are subsidized through Five Colleges, Inc. – PVTA routes B38, B39, M40 and B43) are eligible for reduced fares on other routes.
- Supports compliance with Massachusetts Rideshare regulations (310 CMR 7.16) (a state-wide air quality regulation and is part of the Commonwealth's plan to reduce air pollution and to achieve and maintain health-based federal quality standards).
- Satisfies Smith’s commitment to the "Provision of Public Transportation," one of the "tangible actions" included within the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. This action is defined as follows: Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors to your institution.
The subsidy is valid only for employees who do not live in the area served by the Five College bus routes (those routes that are subsidized through Five Colleges Inc. – PVTA routes B38, B39, M40 and B43) which already offer free passage during the academic year.
Maximum IRS reimbursement limit is $255 per month. Reimbursement is not subject to income taxes per IRS Publication 15-B.
To receive reimbursement for a monthly or weekly transit pass, employees must fill out and submit a Transit Pass Reimbursement Form and provide proof of purchase (receipt) to Human Resources.
Smith offers a variety of time-off programs to support employees, including vacation, sick, holidays, leaves and even time off to volunteer. For more information please visit the leave plans section of the Employee Handbook.
Smith College offers identity theft protection. This is available to all employees, regardless of benefits eligibility status, and is completely voluntary. You can opt in and out of the plan at any time during the year.
The family plan will cover any individuals in your household even if they are not a dependent on your insurance. For example, if you have a parent physically living in your household who is financially dependent on you, they are eligible for identity theft protection through your Allstate Identity Protection Family Plan.
The Emerson-Lewis Fund was established in 1921 by the Smith Class of 1901 in memory of two classmates. Income from the Fund, which is administered by a committee, is used to assist employees of the college community in times of emergency when a gift of money would come in useful. While the funds at its disposal are limited, the committee hopes that they will not only provide financial assistance, but will also convey the support of a caring community.
Written applications to the Fund may be made either by an individual or by the individual's supervisor. Applications should be addressed to Elena Palladino, Board of Trustees Office, College Hall 207. They should explain the circumstances of the emergency, request a specific sum, and be accompanied by proof of expenditures.
Get Fit Smith
Get Fit Smith classes are open to the entire Smith community on a drop-in, first-come basis. With fun and relaxation in mind, workshops include yoga, Pilates, awesome abs, strength and conditioning training, personal training and aerobics.
Exercise & Sport Studies Courses
Employees are eligible for employee tuition assistance when they enroll in courses offered through the Exercise & Sport Studies Program. Courses include yoga, fencing, golf, swimming, diving, aqua-aerobics, tennis, badminton, kick boxing, kayaking, canoeing and more. To find course listings, go to the Smith College Course Catalog.
For information on the tuition benefit policy, see the Employee Handbook.
As a Smith College employee, you and your family may become members of the UMass Five College Federal Credit Union. The credit union offers many services and programs to assist members with college tuition costs: