FRENQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Transcription

1 FRENQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q1. How do I qualify to participate in the Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out? A1. You qualify to participate in the Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out option if you have unused hours in your Annual Sick Leave account and have at least 80 hours in your Banked Sick Leave account (prorated for part-time/benefit-eligible employees) in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. If you have less than 80 hours in your Banked Sick Leave account, any available unused Annual Sick Leave hours will automatically be rolled over to your Banked Sick Leave account to bring your account balance up to 80 hours to qualify you for an Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out election at the 50% payout level. For example, if in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date you have 60 hours of Banked Sick Leave and have 40 hours of Annual Sick Leave, 20 Annual Sick Leave hours will automatically be rolled over to your Banked Sick Leave account to bring your balance up to 80 hours. You will then be able to make a cashout election based on the 20 unused Annual Sick Leave hours remaining in your Annual Sick Leave account at 50% of value. Q2. What is an Anniversary Leave Accrual Date? A2. Your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date is generally your original date of hire. However, your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date may be a different date than your original date of hire if you have had a break in service either because you were on an unpaid leave of absence, or you terminated employment and were rehired at a later date without bridging of benefits, or at the time of hire, you were in a non-benefited position. Q3. How can I verify my Anniversary Leave Accrual Date? A3. You may view your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date on My HR under the My Profile link in the Time Off section. Q4. Will I lose any sick leave hours as we transition to the Anniversary Leave Accrual Date? A4. No. You will not lose any sick leave hours because of moving to an Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. To ensure there is no gap or missed hours for 2011, you will receive a onetime prorated amount of Annual Sick Leave hours to cover the time between the first pay period of 2011 and the pay period preceding your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. You will receive your full ASL accrual and future accruals in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. Q5. How is the one-time 2011 Annual Sick Leave proration calculated? A5. The Annual Sick Leave (ASL) hours you receive in the first pay period of the 2011 payroll year (which starts mid or late December 2010), will be a proration of your annual accrual for the first pay period of 2011 through the pay period preceding the one that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. In the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date in 2011, you will receive your full ASL accrual for the next 12-month period. From then on, you will receive your full ASL hours each year in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. ASL Cash-Out FAQs (LMP Unions excl. HNA) page 1 of 6

2 For example, if your ASL accrual is 120 hours and your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date is February 9 (which falls in pay period 4), in the first pay period of 2011 you will receive ASL hours. In February 2011 and every year thereafter, in the pay period that includes February 9 (your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date), you will receive 120 hours, which is your full year s ASL accrual. Note that if your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date falls in pay period 1, you will receive 100% of your ASL accrual in pay period 1. Therefore, the 2011 proration and cash out will not apply to you. To estimate your proration amount for 2011, you may use the table provided below based on when your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date falls in Keep in mind this is to be used only as a reference to estimate your proration award. If Your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date Falls in Pay Period (PP) Proration Percentage Table Your Pay Period 1 Proration Will Be If Your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date Falls in Pay Period (PP) Your Pay Period 1 Proration Will Be PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % PP % Note: The 2010 and 2011 pay period dates for your region are available on My HR, under the KP & Me tab, Benefits, Pay & Employment more link. Q6. When will I know if I am eligible to make a cash-out election? A6. Your eligibility will be determined each year in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date instead of the end of each payroll year. If you want to be considered for a payout, you need to make an election during the Annual Sick Leave Cash- Out election period in November. You will have to make your election based on what you anticipate your Annual Sick Leave and Banked Sick Leave account balances will be in the pay period of your next year s Anniversary Leave Accrual Date and make your cash-out election accordingly. You may view your current balances at any time on your pay statement or under My Profile on My HR. ASL Cash-Out FAQs (LMP Unions excl. HNA) page 2 of 6

3 Q7. Do I have the option of choosing my percentage level (50% versus 75%)? A7. The percentage level of the payout you receive is automatically determined for you based on your Annual Sick Leave (ASL) and Banked Sick Leave (BSL) account balances available in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. Q8. How will I qualify for the 75% payout level? A8. You will be eligible for the 75% payout level if in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date, your existing BSL account balance (which shows up as BKS POST on your pay statement) is equal to or greater than your full year s ASL award. Q9. If I get sick, before I receive an Annual Sick Leave (ASL) payout, will I be able to use my ASL hours? A9.Yes. When you make a cash-out election during the Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out election period, these hours will be earmarked for a payout in the system. However, if during the year you become ill and need to use those ASL hours, you will be able to do so. Keep in mind that if you use your Annual Sick Leave hours during the year, your payout amount may be reduced or you may not be eligible to receive a payout at all if you do not have enough unused hours in your Annual Sick Leave and Banked Sick Leave accounts as of your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. Q10. Why do I have to make two cash-out elections during the transition period? A10. The reason you are making two elections during the transition period is to give you the opportunity to cash out any 2010 unused Annual Sick Leave (ASL) hours as well as make an election for the prorated ASL hours you will receive at the beginning of the 2011 year. The first election coming up in November 2010 is for your one-time 2011 prorated Annual Sick Leave hours. The election you make in January 2011is for your 2010 unused ASL hours. From November 2011onward, you will make an election each November. Q11. Will I know how many hours I have available for a cash-out election each year? A11. For the election period in November 2011 and following years, you will have to make your cash-out election based on what you anticipate your BSL balance and your ASL balance will be on your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. ASL Cash-Out FAQs (LMP Unions excl. HNA) page 3 of 6

4 Q12. When will I know if I am going to receive a payout at 50% or 75% of value? A12. You will see whether the ASL payout is at 50% or at 75% of value when you receive your payout amount in the regular paycheck you receive in the pay period following your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. In the interim, you can determine what your ASL payout level will be by checking your Banked Sick Leave balance: If you have at least one year s worth of Annual Sick Leave hours in your Banked Sick Leave account in the pay period when the cash-out will occur, you will be eligible for the 75% payout level. If you have at least 80 Banked Sick Leave hours, but less than one times your Annual Sick Leave accrual, you will be eligible for the 50% payout level. If you do not have at least 80 Banked Sick Leave hours, any unused Annual Sick Leave hours you have will first go toward meeting the 80-hour Banked Sick Leave minimum hours requirement, and you will get a payout of any remaining unused Annual Sick Leave hours up to 80 (prorated for part-time employees) that you elected, at the 50% payout level. Q13. If I make a cash-out election, does that guarantee that I ll receive a payout? A13. No. As long as your BSL balance meets the minimum-hours requirement in the pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date and you have the necessary unused ASL hours available, you will receive the hours you elected during the cash-out period. If you do not have enough hours to qualify for a cash-out, then you will not receive a payout. However, any unused ASL hours will transfer to your BSL account at 100% of value. Keep in mind that any ASL hours you use during the year may reduce your ASL payout amount. Q14. Will I be able to make my cash-out election online like I did in previous years? A14. Yes. You will be able to make your cash-out election online at If you do not have access to the internet or a computer, you may call Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time and a representative will help you make your election. Keep in mind that because the election period ends on a Sunday, a representative will be available until Friday, November 19, Q15. Whom do I contact if I have questions about my ASL hours? A15. During the November Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out Election period (November 1 through November 21, 2010) you may call , Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time and a representative will answer your question or help you make your election. ASL Cash-Out FAQs (LMP Unions excl. HNA) page 4 of 6

5 Q16. What is the maximum number of hours I may cash out as a full-time or parttime/benefit-eligible employee? A16. If you are a full-time employee regularly scheduled/coded to work 40 hours per week, you may cash out a maximum of 80 unused Annual Sick Leave hours (prorated for parttime/benefit-eligible employees). If you are a part-time/benefit-eligible employee regularly scheduled/coded to work less than 40 hours per week, the number of hours you may cash out and the number of hours you need in your Banked Sick Leave account are prorated based on your scheduled (or coded) hours. For example, if you are regularly scheduled/coded to work 20 hours per week, you must have 40 hours in your Banked Sick and you can cash out up to 40 hours at 50% of value. See the table below: Number of scheduled/coded hours as of pay period that includes your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date Minimum number of hours required to have in Banked Sick Leave to be eligible for Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out at 50% of value Maximum number of unused Annual Sick Leave hours that may be cashed out Keep in mind, to be eligible for the 75% of value payout, your Banked Sick Leave account balance must be equal to or more than your full year s Annual Sick Leave award, without rolling over any hours from your Annual Sick Leave account. Q17. What happens if I do not take any action during the November election period? A17. If you do not make an election during the November election period, any unused Annual Sick Leave hours will automatically be rolled over to your Banked Sick Leave account at 100% of value. Q18. May I change my elections after I submit them? A18. Yes. You may change your elections as many times as you like during the election period November 1 through November 21, However, once the election period is over, you cannot make any further changes to your cash-out election. The last election on file on November 21, 2010, will be processed. ASL Cash-Out FAQs (LMP Unions excl. HNA) page 5 of 6

6 Q19. When will I receive my cash-out payment? A19. You will receive your cash-out payment as part of your regular paycheck for the pay period following your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date. Q20. Will my cash-out amount be taxed at the supplemental rate? A20. No. The cash-out amount will be included in your regular paycheck and taxed as regular income. Q21. Are Banked Sick Leave hours eligible for a cash-out during the Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out election period? A21. No. You cannot cash out Banked Sick Leave hours. Only Annual Sick Leave hours are eligible for a cash-out, provided you meet eligibility requirements. Q22. What happens if I retiree, terminate employment or die in service after I make a cash-out election but before I receive a payout? A22. If you retire, terminate employment or die in service prior to your Anniversary Leave Accrual Date, you or your beneficiary, as applicable, will not be eligible for a payout. Q23. Who do I call for technical support if I have problems with the election tool? A23. You may contact the National KP-IT Help Desk for technical support at or from Kaiser Permanente facilities in California. Q24. Which ASL hours will my November 2010 cash-out election be based on? A24. You need to make an election during the 2010 November Annual Sick Leave Cash-Out Election period (November 1 through November 21) based on the one-time 2011 prorated hours you will receive in the first pay period of the 2011 payroll year. Your next year s election in November 2011 will be based on your full year s ASL award. ASL Cash-Out FAQs (LMP Unions excl. HNA) page 6 of 6