Section 5 Personnel Employee Benefits Salary Administration Working Hours, Holidays, Vacations. Sick Leave Parental & Family Leaves Insurance Coverage Other Benefits Retirement & Other Savings Termination Continuation of Coverage
Employee Benefits Faculty members with appointments of half-time (.50 FTE) or more with a duration of 90 days or longer are eligible for most employee benefits. Faculty members with questions about their eligibility should contact the Office of Human Resources. Salary Administration Oregon Tech's faculty are essential to accomplishing its mission. A fundamental element of the mission is teaching students, and it is the faculty who provide such instruction. Faculty are also compensated for their contributions to advising, research and scholarship, and service to the institution. Salary determination processes at Oregon Tech are nondiscriminatory. Initial salary offers, periodic increases, and other salary adjustments are not based on considerations related to the race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, age, religion, marital status, gender identification or sexual orientation of the person being considered. Overall administration of the Faculty Compensation Policy is the responsibility of the provost in collaboration with the Faculty Compensation Committee (FCC) and the vice president of finance and administration, and subject to the direction of the president. The FCC is a Faculty Senate standing committee whose membership is appointed by the Faculty Senate president. Initial faculty salaries are established at the time of hire in keeping with the Faculty Compensation Plan. Increases to base salary for faculty may occur through promotion in rank, post-tenure review, tenure relinquishment, doctoral degree adjustment, cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), equity adjustments, adjustments to the institutional floors, adjustments to the comparator averages, and merit pay. In addition, salary enhancement may be obtained through stipends, interim positions, overload teaching, online teaching, or grant administration. General salary increase guidelines for the faculty are set by the State Board of Higher Education, which allocates funds to the various institutions for this purpose and delegates authority to the institution presidents to determine the details of the salary increase process. If a salary increase is allocated across-the-board, a percentage of salary is allocated to all faculty members whose service has been fully satisfactory. If a salary increase is based upon merit, the merit factors will be the same as those set by university policy for other evaluation purposes. Salary increase funds are also allocated from time to time to deal with inequities and market factors. When this is the case, the board or the institution will define the salary system problems these funds are designated to address. Normally, nine-month faculty members receive ten paychecks from the university. One-half month s salary is paid on September 30, a full month s salary is paid on the last working day of the month in October through May, and another half month s salary is paid at the end of June. Nine-month faculty members may arrange for their salaries to be paid out in installments throughout the 12-month year. Twelve-month pay distribution forms are available in the Office of Human Resources. Enrollment forms must be submitted to the Human Resources Office no later than September 15. Election to participate in the plan is irrevocable during the plan year and will continue in ensuing years until the employee terminates the plan by completing termination of payroll redistribution plan form. This Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 70
form must, again, be into the Human Resources Office by September 15 of the year the plan is to be changed back to a 9-month pay plan. Nine-month faculty members are eligible to teach during Summer Session based upon departmental and university priorities and faculty availability. Summer Session offers a separate contract to the faculty. Eleven-month faculty are paid over 11 months. There is not a 12-month pay option; however, an 11-month faculty can opt to have a certain amount of money taken out of their pay each month and routed to a different savings/checking account if they wish. Twelve-month faculty members receive salary on the last working day of each of the 12 months. Draws on Salary. Under certain emergency situations, employees may request an advance of up to 60 percent of their gross pay earned up to the day in the month on which the advance is requested. Requests should be made by calling Human Resources. Checks for draw requests are processed each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Advances are only allowed once a year for each employee. Working Hours, Holidays, Vacations, and Sick Leave Working Hours. The state board has delegated the responsibility for determining workloads to the president. The president has further delegated this responsibility to the vice presidents. University Policy 580-021-0020 reads as follows: Working Hours: The varied nature of the work of faculty members whose duties are administrative, instructional, research or extension makes it impractical to define the exact number of working hours. All such faculty members are required to give the institution their undivided efforts. Determination of time of service is the responsibility of the president. As a further guide, University Policy 580-21-0025 on outside employment and activities is as follows: Outside Employment: No full-time employee of the Department or of any other institutions or divisions shall engage in any outside employment that substantially interferes with duties. As a matter of policy, Oregon Institute of Technology has adopted the one-day-in-seven rule which places an upper limit on the amount of time a faculty member may spend on non-university related activities, whether paid or unpaid. Although university policy says full-time faculty members are expected to give the institution their undivided effort, we recognize that faculty members are often called upon as experts and consultants to other organizations and that this kind of activity often returns directly or indirectly to the benefit of Oregon Tech. Therefore, the university permits the faculty to participate in outside professional activity that does not exceed one day a week. This maximum time allowance presupposes that the faculty member s officially assigned responsibilities such as meeting classes and holding office hours will be met. An Outside Activity Approval Request must be filled out and approval obtained from the dean and provost. Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 71
Holidays. The state board has declared the following days as holidays on which the university will be closed and no classes will be held: Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Veteran s Day, November 11. Thanksgiving Day, the last Thursday in November. The Friday following Thanksgiving Day. Christmas Day, December 25. New Year s Day, January 1. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday in January. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. Independence Day, July 4. The president may require those employees whose responsibilities are necessary to the continued functioning of the institution to report to work on a holiday, but because classes are not held, faculty members are rarely required to be present on holidays. The governor of Oregon has the authority to declare a Governor s Holiday for state employees. When this happens, faculty and unclassified staff use this holiday in connection with the Christmas or New Year holidays. In all situations in which the governor declares a holiday as a discretionary matter, the details of the holiday are well publicized, giving everyone time to make appropriate plans. Vacations. Only faculty members appointed at half-time or more on 12-month appointments accrue vacation. Vacation is not a benefit accorded to faculty members of less than 12-month appointments. University policy 580-021-0030 defines vacation and the allocation of vacation time. For details about vacation eligibility, see that policy. Full-time 12-month faculty members earn vacation on a monthly accrual system at a rate of 15 hours per month credited at the end of each month. Eligible part-time 12-month faculty members earn a proportional amount. New 12-month faculty members start accruing vacation on the date of hire, but must wait six months before using accrued vacation. While employees are allowed to accrue a maximum of 260 hours during employment, only 180 hours can be paid off upon termination of employment. Vacations must be scheduled in consultation with the faculty member s supervisor, to assure that work of the unit will not be disrupted. However, all employees are entitled to take their earned vacations, and must be given reasonable opportunities to do so. Faculty members who are eligible for vacation may wish to consult with the staff in HR when planning to resign or retire from the university. Earned vacation can make a difference in the final paycheck in relationship to taxes and other benefits. Sick Leave. Faculty members appointed at half-time or greater are eligible for sick leave. The state board has set out its sick leave policy for the faculty in University Policy 580-021-0040. The sick leave policy is designed to work with the university s optional long-term disability insurance policy to assure that faculty members can protect themselves against major financial losses due to a long illness. The sick-leave policy has two parts. First, all full-time faculty members accrue sick leave at a rate of eight hours each month during the appointment. Eligible part-time faculty members accrue sick leave proportionally. There is no limit on how many hours may be accumulated over a lifetime of service. Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 72
Long-term disability insurance policies may go into effect after 90 days or 180 days of incapacitating illness or injury dependent upon which policy the employee purchased. These policies provide coverage for both partial and total disability. While long-term disability insurance is not required, the university urges every member of the faculty to exercise the option of enrolling in the available group policy. A relatively new member of the faculty will not have had the opportunity to accumulate sufficient sick leave to cover the period of lost work time prior to a disability policy going into effect. Therefore, the university allows faculty members the right to borrow sick leave hours up to a total of 520 hours in a seven-year period, to maintain a salary over the initial period of illness. When the faculty member returns to work, future earned sick leave is used to repay the hours loaned. Unused sick leave continues to accumulate until resignation or retirement. When an employee resigns or retires, sick leave has no monetary value. Should an employee return to Oregon Tech within two years of resignation, accrued sick leave will be restored for the employee s future use. Parental and Family Leaves The university complies with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA). Oregon Tech encourages consideration and reasonable accommodation for employees seeking to balance their work, educational, and family responsibilities. Vicepresidents, directors, department heads, and supervisors are asked to recognize the existence and importance of family responsibilities, and work with employees to understand and accommodate their needs, and to establish and implement flexible and responsive practices whenever possible to accommodate employee needs in ways that remain consistent with department goals. To determine if a current employee is eligible for FMLA and/or OFLA leave, Oregon Tech uses the rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date an employee needs or begins a new FMLA/OFLA leave. FMLA and OFLA provide job protection for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for qualifying reasons, such as the serious health condition of an employee or employee s family member or for parental (baby bonding) leave. Application for FMLA/OFLA leave should be made in writing to the appropriate department chair who will, in turn, forward it to Human Resources. Final approval that an event qualifies for FMLA/OFLA leave resides with the Office of Human Resources, who makes the decisions in compliance with FMLA/OFLA regulations. Faculty members must use accrued sick leave before applying for leave without pay. Those with accrued vacation leave may elect to use their vacation pay before applying for leave without pay. Requests for reasonable accommodation due to family responsibilities may also include, but are not limited to, reasonable accommodation in committee meeting times and assignments, flexible work schedules, accommodation of space and times for nursing mothers, adjustments to student and faculty deadlines and the allocation of resources. University Policy 580-021-0040(2) describes the appropriate use of sick leave for academic employees. Essentially, sick leave must be used during the time of actual disability due to pregnancy, just as it is used for any temporary disability, and may include pre-birth difficulties, delivery, and post-delivery healing. An employee, who is an immediate family member of a new mother, may use accrued sick leave to care for her while she is disabled due to pregnancy or delivery. It is also possible to use sick leave to care for a sick child. In addition, fathers as well as mothers on parental Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 73
leave may use sick leave. Time taken as parental leave does not count as probationary service time accumulated toward tenure. It is possible for those faculty members eligible for employee benefits (such as health, dental, and life insurance) to continue coverage while on leave without pay. More information on benefits continuation while on parental or family leave is available from the Office of Human Resources. Military Leave. Military leave without pay will be granted upon written application and documentation and those so serving will not lose any of the rights and benefits to which they are entitled. Members of the faculty called to military duty in a national emergency will be granted a leave without pay for the duration of the emergency or for five years, whichever is less. Oregon Tech will continue medical and dental insurance coverage for up to 24 months while the employee is on military leave. As well, coverage can be continued at the employee s expense through COBRA, after the initial 24 months. Leave Without Pay. A faculty member may apply for leave without pay for either personal or professional reasons. Approval for leave is based in part upon what disruption the faculty member s absence may cause within the program. A period of approved leave without pay does not break the continuity of appointment, but time spent on leave without pay does not count toward eligibility for sabbatical leave and retirement. Insurance benefits are not provided to members of the faculty on leave without pay. Contact HR to determine whether you are eligible for the Continuation of Benefits Rights Act COBRA. Worker s Compensation. Oregon Tech employees are covered by workers compensation insurance through the State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) Corporation. This coverage is for occupational injury or illness that arises out of or in the course and scope of employment. The university has procedures for reporting and filing workers compensation claims. If an accident occurs, the injured employee s department chair should immediately complete the Oregon Tech Incident Report. If the accident requires medical care, a workers compensation claim form (801) should be filed with HR within 24 hours. Your building secretary can provide you with these forms. Benefits provided by SAIF Corporation include temporary total disability payments, which are computed at two-thirds of the average weekly wage up to a maximum established by the legislature. Medical expenses (with some exclusions) as well as mileage and prescription costs may be reimbursed. An injured employee may not receive both salary compensation from workers compensation benefits and sick leave pay when such payment results in the claimant s receiving more than the regular monthly salary. If through error you should receive payments from both sources, you will be required to repay any overpayments. Upon receipt of a claim form, HR will provide you with an information packet regarding worker s compensation benefits and provide answers to the most commonly asked questions. Insurance Coverage The university offers all its employees appointed.50 FTE or more for at least 90 days, a comprehensive package of employee benefits and services. New employees will receive benefit information that describes the options and coverage available. New faculty members must enroll in Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 74
the benefits program within 30 days of their hire date. Coverage is effective the first of the month flowing submission of enrollment forms. The benefit package includes medical, dental, life, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term care insurance, retirement programs, pre-tax savings, post-tax savings, pre-tax deductions for dependent care and health care and staff fee privileges. Coverage is also available for dependents. Because there are so many choices, faculty members are encouraged to make an appointment with the benefits officer in HR to ensure they are making the best selections. Members of the faculty nearing retirement should also contact HR and attend one of the retirement planning seminars sponsored by the university. The Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB) is the state agency authorized to develop insurance plans for faculty. The PEBB benefit program offers faculty a menu of plans and options. Benefit choices and options are regularly adjusted with program changes announced in the fall for the future calendar year. To ensure that all employees can afford insurance coverage, employees receive an employer contribution, plus an employer subsidy based on the cost of the plan selected. Employees are required to pay 5% of the premium. Medical Insurance. The program offers medical insurance through a number of insurance plans including preferred provider options (PPO), point of service (POS), and health maintenance organizations (HMO). Currently, no HMO or POS plan is available in Klamath Falls but is available for our employees in the Portland area. Coverage is available for employee, spouse/domestic partner, and/or children. If you have coverage through another employer-sponsored group medical plan, you may choose to opt out of PEBB medical coverage. If you have both medical and dental coverage through another employer-sponsored group health plan, you can opt out of the combination of PEBB medical and dental coverage. If you opt out, you may receive a portion of the monthly benefit amount as cash in your pay. Dental Insurance. Faculty members have several choices for dental coverage. Spouse/domestic partner and children are also eligible. All of the plans offer coverage for orthodontia. Faculty members are required to enroll in a dental plan, at least for themselves. If you have other employerprovided group health coverage for both, you may opt out of the combination of PEBB medical and dental coverage. Life Insurance. Each faculty member is automatically enrolled for $5,000 of Basic life insurance at no cost to the employee. Employees may also purchase up to $600,000 of term life insurance through the university s benefits program. Life insurance is also available for spouses/domestic partners and other dependents. Disability Insurance. The university offers both short and long-term disability insurance. Employees can choose from various benefit amounts calculated as a percentage of monthly salary. Disability protection is optional and is paid for by the employee. Accidental Death and Dismemberment. Insurance is available to provide lump-sum payments in the case of accidental death or the accidental loss of body parts and/or major functions. Employees have the option of insuring themselves only or themselves and dependents. Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 75
Long-Term Care Insurance. Long-term care coverage is available to cover the cost of nursing homes, adult foster care, assisted living facilities, and professional or total home care. Coverage is also available to extended family members. Other Benefits Liability Coverage. If someone alleges that he or she was injured because of the acts or omissions of a faculty member or other university employee undertaken in the normal scope of employment, the State of Oregon normally will provide legal assistance and indemnification for damages up to a certain limit. Liability coverage is not available for activities outside the scope of employment, or for any willfully inflicted injuries. Faculty Grievance Procedure. The Faculty Grievance Procedure is outlined in Appendix D. Staff Fee Privileges. Employees working half-time or more on a regular basis are eligible for reduced tuition at the rate of 30% of undergraduate tuition for up to 12 credits. This benefit can be used at any Oregon public university excluding the Oregon Health and Sciences University, although the rate of reduced tuition may vary between universities. Employees are allowed to transfer this privilege to a family member who is considered an IRS dependent or a domestic partner. Staff fee benefits are useable only once per term by a single family member. Some academic programs are excluded from the staff fee privilege; contact Human Resources for further information and application assistance. Parking Fees. Fees for parking at Oregon Tech must be charged to users by statute. Employees can have this fee deducted from their gross pay before state and federal taxes are calculated by using payroll deductions. Retirement and other Savings Programs Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP)/Optional Retirement Plan. After six months of employment, university faculty members, who meet the eligibility requirements, must make a onetime, irrevocable decision to enroll in one of two retirement plans: the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP) or the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). The ORP is intended to give faculty members more choice and portability in their retirement plans and greater control over how retirement funds are invested. It is mandatory that faculty members participate in either the OPSRP/PERS or the ORP plan. Benefits paid from the ORP and OPSRP/PERS are funded by both employee and employer contributions and earnings. The 1981 Legislature set employee contributions at 6% of salary. The university currently pays the 6% employee contribution, meaning there is no reduction in pay. In addition, the university also pays an employer contribution which can vary depending on the amount actuaries determine is needed to fund the retirement system. Faculty members who leave state employment before they are vested are entitled only to a reimbursement of their employee contributions plus earnings (employer money would be forfeited). Members who leave after they are vested will be eligible to receive retirement benefits if certain requirements are met. Please contact HR for vesting information. HR sponsors retirement planning seminars for faculty members who are nearing their planned retirement date. Personal consultations with staff in HR are available and recommended. Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 76
Other Savings Options. The university system offers employees the option of deferring taxation on some compensation while building savings for retirement or other future needs. The plans and their past performance vary, and a decision about participating should be made only after investigating the various options available. HR has information available on all options, but leaves the decision to participate strictly up to the employee. Dependent Care and Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts. Employees with children needing day care or other dependents who need care while the employee is at work or who have medical expenses not covered by insurance may set up a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Under IRS regulations, up to $5,000 per year of an employee s pre-tax salary may be set aside to cover the costs of eligible dependent care and $2,500 for health care expenses. The funds are held centrally and employees with such accounts are reimbursed for their dependent care or health care expenses from the funds of their accounts. For employees with significant eligible expenses, the FSA can be real money saving assistance. Because the plan is based upon IRS regulations, the eligible uses must meet federal requirements. Continuation of Coverage Termination Medical/Dental Insurance. A federal law, COBRA, permits you and your eligible dependents to continue medical and dental coverage for up to 18 months after employment ends, unless eligible for other group coverage. You will be required to pay premiums plus an additional 2% administrative fee during the months you are eligible for the continued coverage. At the end of the 18 months, you may convert your group medical coverage to an individual plan. If you have been covered by your medical plan for at least 180 days, another option is to convert (or port) your group medical insurance to a private plan offered by your insurance company. You can choose this option before, during or after your COBRA continuation coverage ends. Life/Disability/Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance. If termination is for reasons other than disability or retirement, employees may port employee and spouse life insurance but cannot port the $5,000 basic life or dependent life policies. There are no conversion rights for short or long-term disability or AD&D. Long-Term Care Insurance. Long-Term Care Insurance coverage can be converted to a private plan regardless of termination reason. This means that the same coverage can be continued on a direct pay basis. A request to convert coverage must be made within 31 days of the date group coverage ends and premiums are to be made directly to UNUM. An Election for Conversion Coverage form is available in HR. Oregon Tech Faculty Handbook, 2016-2017 77