HR-309 Short-Term Disability Plan

Summary

The University provides employer-paid short-term disability benefits for a serious health condition that makes the eligible University employee unable to perform the essential functions of the employee's job as certified by a healthcare provider. Additional employee-paid short-term disability benefits are also available to supplement the University provided short-term disability benefits.

This policy applies to regular benefit-eligible administrative, service and support employees and certain non-regular academic employees as approved by the Chancellor and President.

If any part of this policy does not reflect Short-Term Disability Summary Plan Document (SPD) or the Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR), the provisions of the those documents will govern.

HR Policy Provisions

HR-309 policy provisions below are in accordance with Board of Curators action approval on 09-07-22:

Purpose – Provide compensation for time away from work due to the employee's serious health condition, including an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital or other medical facility; any period of incapacity due to pregnancy or for prenatal care; or other serious health condition as defined in policy HR-407 FMLA Paragraph C.
Summary Plan Document – Please visit the Short-Term Disability Summary Plan Document (SPD) at the link located below for details such as:
1. Eligibility
2. Time off available
3. Elimination period requirements
4. Compensation provided by short-term disability benefits
5. Coordination of short-term disability and parental leave
6. Coordination of short-term disability and workers’ compensation
7. Application and documentation requirements
Compensation
1. Elimination period
  1. Employees must use available accrued paid time off (PTO) to cover time associated with the short-term disability elimination period.
  2. Time off must be submitted in the following order, unless otherwise requested:
    
    1. Sick leave
    2. PTO
    3. Vacation
    4. Once all available paid leave is exhausted, time off is without pay.
2. Short-Term Disability period
  1. University paid short-term disability (base plan) is paid based on 60% of the employee’s regular ABBR pay.
  2. Compensation to make up the difference between what is paid by the base plan and the employee’s regular ABBR pay, not to exceed 100%, is provided as follows:
    
    1. Employees may purchase additional short-term disability benefits during the University’s annual benefit open enrollment period which covers 40% of the employees ABBR pay, OR
    
    2. Employees will be compensated using available accrued paid time off to cover 40% of the employee’s ABBR in the following order, unless otherwise requested:
    
    a. Sick leave
    b. PTO
    c. Vacation
    d. Unpaid.
Benefits and Retirement
1. Employees continue to accrue paid time off (PTO) during paid leave of absence (LOA)s.
  1. PTO accruals become available to the employee after returning to work in an active status.
  2. The period of paid and unpaid leaves of absence are counted as length of service in computing PTO accrual rates.
2. Employees eligible for other available leave during approved LOAs (e.g., holiday pay, winter break pay) are eligible to receive such pay during a paid LOA. However, in no case should the combination of paid leaves exceed the employee’s base pay.
3. During a paid and unpaid LOA, employees are eligible to continue participation in the University's employee benefit programs (medical, dental, life, vision, etc.). Employees are responsible for their portion of the premium costs for coverage to continue.
4. During a paid LOA, employee contributions to retirement programs and other required deductions (e.g., garnishments) will continue. Voluntary deductions will continue unless approved or directed to stop by the authorizing organization (e.g., parking, union dues).
5. Whether or not an LOA is credited towards vesting, service, or salary credit for members of the Defined Benefit Plan or Hybrid Plan is based on the type of leave granted (e.g., FMLA Leave or Personal Leave) in accordance with CRR 530.010. For participants in the Defined Contribution Plan, the leave period is not considered a break in service in calculating vesting service.
Procedure Information
1. Short-term disability runs concurrently with other applicable leave types and is subject to approval by the University in accordance with applicable leave.
  1. Other leave types include Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) or medical leave.
  2. If applicable, time off will count against the employee’s FMLA entitlement.
2. Employees requesting short-term disability must follow procedures as identified in the Summary Plan Document (SPD).
3. Employees approved for short-term disability leave must continue to comply with the normal call-in procedures. Failure to do so may result in short-term disability benefits not being approved for payment.
4. Time off for short-term disability must be recorded in the University’s timekeeping system as part of the regular payroll processing cycle.

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