General Eligibility

Benefits are available for regular employees based on FTE (full-time equivalency) as specified in the table below. 

Most benefits begin on the first of the month following the date the employee becomes eligible for benefits. If an employee begins eligible employment on the first day of the month, or moves from ineligible status to eligible status on the first of the month, benefits begin that day. 

Vacation and sick leave accrue on a prorated basis for regular employees with FTE between .5 and 1.0. Due to the nature of the academic calendar, faculty are not eligible for vacation accrual. Temporary and short hour staff are not eligible for participation in these plans.

NOTES 
⁽¹⁾ Premium amounts are based on full-time or part-time status.  See benefits page for monthly premium rates.   
⁽²⁾ Eligibility depends not on FTE, but on hours worked. Please see University Retirement Plan eligibility requirements.
⁽³⁾ Eligibility depends on enrollment in medical, dental, vision, prior to separation of employment. So if employee waived, not eligible. 
⁽⁴⁾ Assumes employee has not waived medical, dental, vision prior to separation of employment.

Open Enrollment

Each year eligible employees are given the opportunity to make changes in their insurance coverage. Employees may use this opportunity to change insurance plans (for medical insurance) or people covered, to add insurance not previously carried, enroll or re-enroll in flexible spending accounts, and to add or drop dependents. Generally, the university's open enrollment period will during Fall Quarter each year and will be your annual opportunity during the year to make changes to your benefits elections for the following plan year. However, special enrollments and family status changes, such as those shown below, may occur outside open enrollment.

Special Enrollment and Family Status Changes

In some cases, employees may make changes to their benefits outside of Open Enrollment:

• If you or your dependents lose eligibility for other coverage or if the employer stops contributing towards your or your dependents’ other coverage. Ex., spouse loses a job and the corresponding insurance coverage with that job. Enrollment must be requested within 31 days after your coverage ends (or after the employer stops contributing toward the other coverage).

• If you have a new dependent as a result of marriage, birth, adoption, or placement for adoption, you may be able to enroll yourself and your dependents. Enrollment must be requested in most cases within 60 days after the marriage, birth, adoption, or placement for adoption. Likewise, in the case of a divorce, legal separation, annulment, or dependent becoming independent, you must request changes within 31 days of such an event.

• In addition to the above special enrollments, you may also enroll if you previously waived benefits when initially eligible because your position was part-time (.50 -.79 FTE for staff, .50 -.74 FTE for faculty) but recently experienced an increase or decrease in FTE (expected to continue for three months or longer). Changes must be requested within 31 days of such an event.

To determine whether you may make midyear changes to your benefits and to complete respective paperwork, please contact the Office of Human Resources directly at (206) 281-2809.