When you get married, you may want to add your spouse to the University's health care plan, you may want to change your life insurance and/or pension beneficiary, and you may want to change your participation in flexible spending accounts. Some benefits require that you add your spouse within 31 days of marriage to avoid waiting periods for coverage.

• Change of Health Care (to add or delete dependents)
• Benefits for Regular Full-Time Faculty and Staff
• Benefits for Foreign Nationals Employed by the University
• Life Insurance Plans
• Life Insurance Beneficiary Change Form
• SERS Beneficiary change form
• TIAA-CREF Beneficiary Change Form
• Flexible Benefits

Yes, the Employee Assistance Program is available to provide counseling on a wide-variety of topics.

• Information about the EAP Program

The tuition discount is available to your spouse if you have worked full-time for the University for at least two years.

• Grant-in-Aid for Dependents of Faculty, Staff, and Retirees

You may want to add your new dependent(s) to the University's health care plan, you may want to revise your life insurance and/or pension beneficiary, and you may want to change your participation in flexible spending accounts. Some benefits require that you add your child within 31 days of the birth or the date of Intent to Adopt to avoid waiting periods for coverage.

• Change of Health Care (to add or delete dependents)
• Benefits for Regular Full-Time Faculty and Staff
• Benefits for Foreign Nationals Employed by the University
• Life Insurance Plans
• Life Insurance Beneficiary Change Form
• SERS Beneficiary change form
• TIAA-CREF Beneficiary Change Form
• Flexible Benefits

This absence will be for an FMLA qualifying reason, therefore we have to think of FMLA as well as University policies - they run concurrently. Let's look at University policies first.

There are two University policies to reference: HRG-7, Absence From Work for Pregnancy or Childbirth, and HRG-11, Family and Medical Leave. HRG-7 covers the period of time when a woman is pregnant and the period of disability following childbirth. In summary, given a normal pregnancy and a normal delivery, the woman can start her maternity leave anytime during the eighth month of pregnancy up until the day the baby is born - that decision is up to the woman. The maternity leave would last until the baby's six-week birthday. If there is a problem with the pregnancy and/or the delivery, then the length of the maternity leave may change. Pay continuance for faculty is outlined in HRG-18, Paid Parental Leave for Faculty.

During the maternity leave (6 to 14 weeks, depending on how long before delivery the maternity leave started) a staff employee uses accumulated sick days to cover the absence. If she runs out of sick days, then she has the option to use vacation days or go on a leave without pay. As long as the employee is in pay status, she will accrue additional sick days and vacation days while she is absent. If the woman goes on a maternity leave without pay, then healthcare insurances may be continued at the regular employee contribution rates.

Normally at the baby's six-week birthday the woman no longer is considered to be disabled. So we look to HRG-11 for guidance. In summary, a male or female may take a child care leave for the birth of a child for any length of time up until the baby is one year of age. In the case of adoption, such a leave is granted from the date the child begins to reside with the employee and continues up to twelve months.

During this absence, a staff employee elects to use some or all vacation days (not sick, because the employee is not disabled) and then takes a leave without pay. If the employee takes a child care leave without pay, healthcare insurance coverages may be continued, the cost to the employee is dependent upon how long the employee has been absent. (See below).

Now, for FMLA. Three items here. First, all employees should receive the employee notification form (a medical certification form is not necessary for leaves related to the birth or adoption of a child) from the supervisor. Second, the time off needs to be recorded as FMLA on the vacation/sick leave card for staff and as a note in the file for faculty. And, the third item is the employee contribution rate during a child care leave.

During a child care leave without pay, how much the employee pays for healthcare coverages will depend on how many of the FMLA 12-weeks already have been used. For example, if the employee has been absent for 8 weeks in pay status (maternity and child care leaves combined) and then goes on a child care leave without pay, then for the first four weeks of the leave without pay the employee pays the regular employee contribution rate for healthcare coverages. Starting with the 13th week of absence, the employee is charged the full cost for healthcare coverages.

• Leave of Absence Without Salary
• Absence from Work Resulting from Pregnancy or Childbirth
• Family Medical Leave
• Paid Parental Leave for Faculty
• Staying of the Provisional Period for tenure-track faculty
• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff

FMLA entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons. The law contains provisions on employee eligibility for the law's benefits; entitlement to leave, medical certification; maintenance of health benefits during leave, and job restoration after leave; notice and certification of the need for FMLA leave; and, protection for employees who request or take FMLA leave. The law also requires employers to keep certain records.

University policies frequently provide for leaves in excess of the 12-weeks provided in the FMLA. Therefore, it is important to consult University policies when considering a leave of absence.

• Family Medical Leave

The promotion and tenure policy provides for the staying of the provisional period for tenure-track faculty. Upon the written request of a faculty member, the Executive Vice President and Provost may grant a temporary staying of the tenure provisional period, if in his/her judgment, the academic performance of the provisional faculty member would be adversely affected by: the responsibility as primary care giver after the birth or adoption of a child, a serious personal illness, the provision of care for a seriously ill family member, or any similar situation.

• Staying of the Provisional Period for tenure-track faculty

Five University locations provide on-site child care: College of Medicine, Penn State Erie, Penn State Fayette, Penn State Harrisburg, and University Park. The Work/Life website provides a variety of information including helpful tips in selecting a child care provider, a resource guide for Centre County, parenting links, etc.

• Penn State Work Life Child Care Family Resources
• Child Care Program Policy

Alternate work arrangements are encouraged when, in the opinion of the supervisor, the University's work needs can be met efficiently and effectively. The purpose of flexible work schedules is to provide a greater capability for each employee to establish her/his own program of working hours within the workweek without changing the number of hours to be worked. Telecommuting is a work arrangement in which employees, for a portion of their scheduled work hours, perform their regular job responsibilities away from their primary business location utilizing telecommunication and information technology as appropriate. These arrangements can be either temporary or ongoing.

University and departmental demands are a priority throughout any alternative work arrangement - the arrangement must be transparent to customers in terms of service and quality. Alternative work arrangements are flexible and subject to change as business needs change.

• Flexible Work Schedules
• Telecommuting

Upon request, a leave not to exceed three calendar months shall be granted if the employee's partner, parent, or child has a serious health condition and the employee is needed to care for such family member. During the leave, the employee shall first use all sick family days, accumulated vacation, personal holiday, service days, and compensatory time off, as applicable, prior to commencement of no-pay status for the balance of the leave.

If, in the 12-month period immediately preceding the requested leave, the employee has been absent without pay for the purposes of child care, family illness, or due to the employee's own illness, such absence shall be included in calculating the three-month-leave-time limit.

If the employee requests to continue on leave without pay after the family illness leave has expired, such request for additional leave shall be considered on the same basis as any other request for leave for personal reasons, and the conditions applicable to such general personal leaves shall apply. If the additional time is granted, any immediate prior leave time shall be included in calculating the leave-time limit for the new leave in accordance with HR16, Leave of Absence Without Salary.

• Family Medical Leave
• Sick Family Days
• Leave of Absence Without Salary
• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff

Full-time employees in staff and technical service positions earn one sick day per month. There is no maximum cap on the number of sick days that can be accumulated. With the exception of the Applied Research Laboratory and the University Libraries, employees on full-time academic appointments do not have a defined paid sick day program - the amount of paid time off is determined by the past practice of the college.

• Staff Paid Sick Days

Sick days are to be used

• when the employee is unable to perform her/his duties because of her/his illness or injury, or
• to account for time off for an employee's routine appointment with a physician, dentist, hospital, or optometrist, or
• to care for a sick family member (up to five days of accumulated sick leave per calendar year to care for a sick family member
  • Staff Paid Sick Days

If a full-time employee expends all accumulated sick leave, additional absence, at the option of the employee, shall be charged to accumulated vacation. If the employee expends all accumulated vacation, or elects not to charge the absence to accumulated vacation, the employee shall be granted a leave of absence without pay in accordance with HR16, Leave of Absence Without Salary. In addition, both a short-term and a long-term disability program may be available.

• Staff Paid Sick Days
• Use of "no pay" days in Lieu of Short Term Leave of Absence
• Leaves of Absence Without Salary (HR-16)
• Sickness and Accident Supplement Policy
• Long Term Disability (LTD)

FMLA entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons. The law contains provisions on employee eligibility for the law's benefits; entitlement to leave, medical certification; maintenance of health benefits during leave, and job restoration after leave; notice and certification of the need for FMLA leave; and, protection for employees who request or take FMLA leave. The law also requires employers to keep certain records.

University policies frequently provide for leaves in excess of the 12-weeks provided in the FMLA. Therefore, it is important to consult University policies when considering a leave of absence.

• Family Medical Leave

On the unfortunate occasion when a personal catastrophe results in an employee being absent from work for a prolonged period of time, University policies outline procedures for the use of applicable paid time off and leaves of absence without pay. In the event that the employee exhausts all applicable paid time off, coworkers in the employee's work unit may want to donate some of their accumulated vacation time to the absent employee.

• Vacation donation guidelines

The promotion and tenure policy provides for the staying of the provisional period for tenure-track faculty. Upon the written request of a faculty member, the Executive Vice President and Provost may grant a temporary staying of the tenure provisional period, if in his/her judgment, the academic performance of the provisional faculty member would be adversely affected by: the responsibility as primary care giver after the birth or adoption of a child, a serious personal illness, the provision of care for a seriously ill family member, or any similar situation.

• Staying of the Provisional Period for tenure-track faculty

As long as the employee is in pay status, all health care insurances in which the employee is enrolled continue. Such coverages may be continued during a leave without pay - the cost will be dependent on the reason for the leave of absence. Please note: a decision not to continue in insurances is considered a break in continuous benefits participation and may have an adverse effect on the employee's eligibility to continue the insurances after retirement. If coverage is not continued during the leave and is requested at a later date, some restrictions will apply.

• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff
• Leave of Absence Without Salary
• Family Medical Leave

Each of us incurs some cost for our benefits. For some, it may be limited to the amounts that are deducted from each pay for our health care premiums. Others regularly may incur expenses for deductibles or co-payments for health care services. Or, some might incur expenses for child and/or elder care. Flexible benefits allow participants to minimize their tax liability and maximize their purchasing power.

• Frequently Asked Questions about Flexible Benefits

The Employee Assistance Program provides Counseling, Wellness, Self-Help, Crisis Intervention, etc.

• Information about the EAP Program

Staff in the Employee Benefits office are available to answer your questions, or you can talk your Human Resources Representative.

• Benefit Staff Contacts
• List of Human Resources Representatives

Each college/administrative area has an assigned Human Resources Representative. This individual is responsible for the management of the University's human resources program in that specific college or major administrative unit.

• List of Human Resources Representatives

In addition, the central Office of Human Resources has placed a variety of information in its website.

• The Office of Human Resources at Penn State

The University's Hospital, Surgical, Major Medical Plan (Plan A) as well as the PPO (Healthpass in those areas where HealthAmerica administers the plan; Open Choice where Aetna is the plan administrator) are each subject to lifetime coverage maximums. The maximum benefit for each covered individual (either employee or dependent) is $500,000. There are, however, provisions for the restoration of some or all of the amounts previously used.

On January first of each year, each covered person who has had health care services provided by their health plan will automatically have an amount restored for future use. The amount restored each year will be either the amount needed to bring the maximum back to the full amount or $1,000, whichever is less.

Additionally, at any time after the amount charged toward an individual's overall maximum has exceeded $1,000, that individual may request a full restoration of the benefit by furnishing satisfactory proof that he or she is in good health. The decision to grant full restoration is at the discretion of the health plan administrator. Questions regarding the restoration process can be directed to the Employee Benefits Division at (814) 865-1473 or by email to benefits@psu.edu.

Long term care insurance is designed to help defray the cost of extended care without using your income, retirement savings, and other investments. Long term care may be required for the elderly as a result of the effects of aging, but also for others because of chronic disease or while recuperating from an accident or serious illness.

Long term care insurance normally pays for nursing home care, home and community based care, and care received in assisted living Alzheimer's facilities and hospices. Special benefits include respite care, durable medical equipment, caregiver training, emergency response systems, care management, bed reservations, and alternate care services. Optional benefits, such as inflation protection (increase in dollar coverage amount over time), survivor waiver of premium, shared care, and non forfeiture are available. Families should view a variety of plans and carefully review the plan provisions prior to selecting a long term care insurance carrier.

Long term care coverage is available from a number of insurance companies and can be purchased on an individual basis. Information and assistance in making an informed choice among long-term plans is available from several websites, including The Pennsylvania State Department of Aging, The American Associate of Long Term Care Insurers and The American Association of Retired Persons. References and links to other websites can be found at AARP The Magazine

Additionally, long term care plans are available from the following insurance companies currently providing other services to the University. This list is provided to supplement information that may be obtained from the websites listed above.

Please note that the University has not evaluated any of these long-term care plans and offers no endorsement of any of the plans listed. Many insurance agents and brokers will be able to provide information on these and additional long term care insurance products.

The Employee Assistance Program provides Counseling, Wellness, Self-Help, Crisis Intervention, etc.

• Information about the EAP Program

Yes, dependents of eligible faculty and staff receive a 75% discount on tuition.

• Grant-in-Aid for Dependents of Faculty, Staff, and Retirees

A dependent child can be covered under your health care plan until age nineteen or until age twenty-four if he/she is a full-time student.

• Summary of Benefits
• COBRA Election Form

Once a child ceases to be a full-time student and is over the age of nineteen, that child is no longer considered to be an eligible dependent for benefits under your health care plan. At the time your child is no longer eligible, please contact the Employee Benefits office if you wish to inquire about continuing benefits under COBRA.

• COBRA Election Form

An individualized Statement of Benefits is available online for employees. If you are the spouse of a University employee, please contact the Employee Benefits Office at 814-865-1473.

• Benefits Statement - review of current benefits

Employees can add or delete dependents online or by calling the Employee Benefits Office at 814-865-1473.

• Request for Change of Health Care (to add or delete dependents)

These forms can be found online or can be obtained from the Employee Benefits Office at 814-865-1473.

• SERS Beneficiary change form
• TIAA-CREF Beneficiary Change Form

Yes, The Employee Assistance Program is available to provide counseling on a a wide-variety of topics.

• Information about the EAP Program

While you are not required to make any changes to your Flexible Spending Account, a divorce or the death of a dependent is considered, by the IRS, to be a qualified change in family status that would allow you to reduce the amount of your contribution or to stop contributions to the account completely. The request to reduce or stop the amount must be made within 60 days of the date that the divorce decree was granted or within 60 days of the death of your dependent.

• Frequently Asked Questions about Flexible Benefits
• Flexible Benefits Request for Reimbursement

The best place to obtain information is by contacting the Employee Benefits Division at 814-865-1473. They can provide information regarding all of your spouse's benefits; such as, his/her life insurance, VADD plan, retirement plan, final pay, vacation pay, tax-deferred annuity plans, flexible benefits plans, etc. In addition they can provide advice regarding filing claims for certain benefits and counsel you regarding your eligibility to continue medical, dental and vision coverage. For more detailed information, refer to another portion of this website entitled, "Leaving the University", Section III, "Death of an Employee".

Upon request, a leave not to exceed three calendar months shall be granted if the employee's partner, parent, or child has a serious health condition and the employee is needed to care for such family member. During the leave, the employee shall first use all sick family days, accumulated vacation, personal holiday, service days, and compensatory time off, as applicable, prior to commencement of no-pay status for the balance of the leave.

If, in the 12-month period immediately preceding the requested leave, the employee has been absent without pay for the purposes of child care, family illness, or due to the employee's own illness, such absence shall be included in calculating the three-month-leave-time limit.

If the employee requests to continue on leave without pay after the family illness leave has expired, such request for additional leave shall be considered on the same basis as any other request for leave for personal reasons, and the conditions applicable to such general personal leaves shall apply. If the additional time is granted, any immediate prior leave time shall be included in calculating the leave-time limit for the new leave in accordance with HR16, Leave of Absence Without Salary.

• Family Medical Leave
• Sick Family Days
• Leave of Absence without Salary
• Option to Continue Benefits Form During Periods of Non-Employment For Faculty and Staff

The Penn State Gerontology Center strives to carry out research, instruction, and community-service programs of the highest quality and to make those resources available to the Commonwealth and the nation. In addition, the Work/Life website provides links to federal and state resources.

• The Penn State Gerontology Center
• Work/Life Elder Care

The answer depends on what type of expenses you incur. Flexible Spending Account reimbursement is limited to expenses that are deductible as medical and/or dependent care expenses on your income tax.

• Flexible Benefits Information
• Frequently Asked Questions about Flexible Benefits

Long term care insurance is designed to help defray the cost of extended care without using your income, retirement savings, and other investments. Long term care may be required for the elderly as a result of the effects of aging, but also for others because of chronic disease or while recuperating from an accident or serious illness.

Long term care insurance normally pays for nursing home care, home and community based care, and care received in assisted living Alzheimer's facilities and hospices. Special benefits include respite care, durable medical equipment, caregiver training, emergency response systems, care management, bed reservations, and alternate care services. Optional benefits, such as inflation protection (increase in dollar coverage amount over time), survivor waiver of premium, shared care, and non forfeiture are available. Families should view a variety of plans and carefully review the plan provisions prior to selecting a long term care insurance carrier.

Long term care coverage is available from a number of insurance companies and can be purchased on an individual basis. Information and assistance in making an informed choice among long-term plans is available from several websites, including The Pennsylvania State Department of Aging, The American Associate of Long Term Care Insurers and The American Association of Retired Persons. References and links to other websites can be found at AARP The Magazine

Additionally, long term care plans are available from the following insurance companies currently providing other services to the University. This list is provided to supplement information that may be obtained from the websites listed above.

Please note that the University has not evaluated any of these long-term care plans and offers no endorsement of any of the plans listed. Many insurance agents and brokers will be able to provide information on these and additional long term care insurance products.