51·çÁ÷ provides a comprehensive benefit package with time away from work when necessary — including disability benefits, leaves of absence, bereavement time, and more.
Disability Benefits
The disability benefits available to employees work together to help them pay household expenses if they become disabled and cannot work. Short-term and long-term benefits are provided by 51·çÁ÷ at no cost to employees.
*Employees are eligible for disability benefits offered through Symetra after 30 days of employment.
Short-term disability insurance provides income protection and covers medically necessary, non-occupational disabilities.
Administrators, Staff Coaches, Language Interns, and Faculty
Employees with less than one year of service will receive 60% of monthly earnings. Employees with at least one year of service will receive 100% of monthly pay. Benefits begin after one day of disability and are payable for a maximum of six months.
Technicians, Support Staff, Campus Safety Officers, and Facilities Employees
Coverage replaces 60% of weekly earnings to a maximum of $350 per week. Benefits begin after seven days of disability and are payable for a maximum of 26 weekly payments.
You may apply for coverage, if you remain disabled for 180 days due to the same illness or injury. Benefits pay 60% of your monthly earnings to a maximum of $12,500 per month.
Long-Term Disability Certificate: Employees Under 52
Long-Term Disability Certificate: Employees Over 52
Long-Term Disability Certificate: Facilities Bargaining Unit Employees
Family Leave
Paid Family Leave Benefits
Paid Family Leave (PFL) is a mandatory benefit in New York State, providing eligible employees with job protection and paid time off for certain qualifying events.
Qualifying events include:
- Providing physical or psychological care due to a serious health condition of an employee's family member
- Bonding with the employee’s child:
- during the first 12 months after the child’s birth;
- during the first 12 months after child's adoption or foster care placement;
- absences required from work before an adoption or foster care placement
- needs that arise from deployment, active military service or impending deployment order for employee's spouse, domestic partner, child or parent
Maternity Leave/Parental Leave
Leave associated with pregnancy or childbirth are subject to the short-term disability and sick time policy.
Less than one year of service
Employees who qualify for benefits but have less than a year of service can request an unpaid maternity/parental leave for up to four months in addition to the period of disability. All parental leaves run concurrently with Paid Family Leave.
To be eligible for this benefit, employees must complete three months of employment – or complete the introductory period for hourly staff.
More than one year of service
Employees with more than a year of employment can request up to six months off to care for their newborn or newly adopted child.
University-paid benefits continue during approved parental leaves. Employees may use accrued vacation during this time. Sick time cannot be used unless there is a serious illness.
Breast Milk Expression Policy
51·çÁ÷ understands that employees returning to work following the birth of a child may need to express breast milk. The University will provide reasonable break times and a suitable, private location (not a restroom) where an employee may express breast milk.
Generally, these paid breaks are up to 30 minutes as-needed. Employees are entitled to breast milk expression time for up to three years after giving birth.
To ensure proper accommodations are available, employees should reach out to their supervisor or Human Resources.
Leave of Absence
Regular full-time and part-time employees who have completed one year of service with the University may be eligible for a personal leave of absence for up to one year without pay.
Requests should be submitted to the Human Resources Department with written approval from the employee’s supervisor.
During this time, seniority that has accumulated will remain. University-paid benefits are suspended unless they continue at the employee’s expense, and arrangements must be made in advance for employee payments of life and medical insurance during the leave.
If the employee works elsewhere during a leave of absence without prior permission from the Associate Vice President for Human Resources or fails to return at the end of their scheduled leave, the employee’s employment will voluntarily end.
Employees on a leave of absence are not guaranteed reinstatement to their regular position but will be considered for any available positions for which they qualify.
Any full-time and part-time employee may request military leave under the University’s Leave of Absence policy. These leaves are not limited to one year.
Employees who serve in the reserves are eligible for leaves to participate in active duty necessary to maintain military rank. This leave can be granted for up to two weeks and is in addition to vacation. The University will pay the difference between the employee’s regular base salary and military pay during the two-week period. If leave is required for more than for a longer period of time, employees will be granted the time under the University’s Leave of Absence policy.
Additional Time Away From Work
The University provides an insurance benefit with partial income replacement and coverage of medical costs for illness or injury that occurs as a result of employment with 51·çÁ÷.
Regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible for leave with pay when serving jury duty. Employees must reimburse the University for any jury duty pay (minus mileage payments) received from the State during the time the employee is also receiving pay from 51·çÁ÷.
Part-time, casual and temporary employees will be paid their regular pay (up to $40 per day) for the first three days of jury duty, if serving when scheduled to work at 51·çÁ÷.
Employees selected for jury duty and later excused early by the court are expected to report to work.
Employees are eligible for up to three days off with pay when an immediate family member dies.
Immediate family includes mother, father, husband, wife, domestic partner, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, grandchildren, aunt, uncle, and persons in comparable relationships. Foster parents and stepparents also fall under this definition of immediate family.
Supervisor approval for time off is required.
51·çÁ÷ encourages employees to fulfill their civic responsibilities by voting. Registered voters may take up to two hours with pay to vote. This perk is a benefit of New York election law, which states that registered voters should have at least four consecutive hours to vote from when polls open to the beginning of their shift or between the end of their workday and when polls close.
Employees should notify supervisors of their intent to take time off for voting between two and 10 days before any election.
Questions
An overview of these benefits is detailed in the Employee Handbook.
If you have additional questions, contact Human Resources at benefits@colgate.edu or 315-228-7565.