Lehigh University is committed to its employees and their personal welfare. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, adding over 30 percent to compensation. The information below describes the benefits effective January 1 through December 31, 1995 for full time, salaried exempt staff members.
Flexible Benefits
Lehigh's flexible benefits plan lets you develop personalized benefits
choices. With this plan, you may elect medical coverage, life insurance for
yourself and your family, long term disability insurance, and flexible
spending accounts for IRS qualified medical expenses that are not covered by
a medical plan and for dependent care. Eligibility for flexible benefits
begins the first day of the month following your date of hire. The options
selected remain in effect through December 31, 1995, and changes are
permitted only if you experience a "qualifying life event."
Medical Insurance
We offer four medical insurance plans. Blue Cross/Shield (BC/BS)
provides 2 comprehensive plans (with different deductibles and
copayments). A prescription drug plan with National Prescription
Administrators is part of the BC/BS and US Healthcare coverages. Health
Maintenance Organization coverage is extended through US Healthcare and
Keystone Health Plan Central. Lehigh provides credits toward the premiums
to offset your total annual cost.
Life Insurance
You are given flexible benefits credits to purchase life insurance in an
amount determined by your age and benefits base salary. This amount
ranges from 1/ 2 to 2 times your salary. If you do not want life
insurance, you may take these credits as cash or apply them to the cost
of another flexible benefit. Additional life insurance up to 5 times
your salary, and limited coverage for your dependents, is available.
Long Term Disability Insurance
You receive flexible benefits credits to purchase long term disability
insurance to replace 66 2/3 percent of salary. You have the option of
choosing coverage which will replace only 50 percent of salary. You may
take the difference in cash or apply the additional credits to the cost
of another flexible benefit. This can be done on a pre-tax or post-tax
basis.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) enable you to expand your benefit
coverage by paying for eligible expenses on a pre-federal tax basis.
Eligible expenses include unreimbursed medical or dental care costs and
qualified dependent care expen ses. Participation in an FSA is voluntary.
Tuition Benefits
You may be eligible to take up to 2 undergraduate or graduate courses per
semester (2 fall, 2 spring, 1 each summer session). Undergraduate and
graduate courses may be taken at Lehigh. The value of graduate courses is
considered taxable income to you. As a member of the Lehigh Valley
Association of Independent Colleges, Lehigh participates in the LVAIC
exchange program. This program allows you to take 2 undergraduate courses
tuition free each fall and spring at any of the member institutions.
Training subsidies may also be available for job-related seminars.
Your spouse and dependent children may take Lehigh spring and fall semester
undergraduate courses at one-half the full tuition rate. Beginning with the
semester in which you will complete 5 years of eligible service, your spouse
and children are exempt from the entire undergraduate tuition cost. Graduate
courses and summer session undergraduate courses are available to your
spouse and children at no tuition cost. The full-value of any graduate
tuition benefit received by your spouse or children is treated as taxable
income to you. Spouses are also eligible for the same tuition exchange as
you are at the LVAIC colleges. Tuition benefits for a working spouse are
available only if similar benefits are not provided by his/her employer.
Tuition Cash Grant
Lehigh University provides a tuition cash grant to other post-secondary,
degree-granting institutions for each child of an eligible full-time member
of the exempt staff as governed by the program guidelines. The amount of the
award and waiting-period eligibility are determined by your date of hire and
position level. Exempt staff members hired after September 1, 1986 at level
8 and above are eligible for a cash grant to be applied only to tuition in
the amount of 25 percent of Lehigh's tuition or $5,000, whichever is less.
There is a 5 year waiting-period for exempt staff below level 8. Your child
must be enrolled in a regionally accredited two- or four-year, post-
econdary, degree-granting institution as a full-time student pursuing
studies towards an associate's or bachelor's degree. The child must also be
less than age thirty and you must provide 50 per cent or more of the
student's support.
Retirement Plan
The University maintains a fully paid, defined contribution pension plan for
all salaried, full-time exempt staff. If you are 35 years of age or over,
you are eligible to participate in the plan the first day of the month
following your first day of work. If you are under age 35, you will become
eligible to participate in the plan on the first of the month following your
35th birthday, or after you have reached age 21 and completed two years of
service.
The current contribution rate is 5 percent of your benefit base salary, if
you are under age 30 on your annual benefit determination date, which is
July 1. The current contribution rate, if you are over age 30, is 10
percent. University contributions are forwarded to the Teachers Insurance
and Annuity Association/College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA/CREF) for
deposit in your fully-vested individual account.
Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan
To supplement the retirement income provided by social security and the
University's retirement plan, the Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan provides
a vehicle for tax-advantaged retirement savings. You are eligible to
participate in the plan on the first day of the month following your first
day of work. This plan offers you ways to invest part of your current sal-
ary on a pre-tax basis that may eventually provide retirement income or death
benefits. You may direct your investments to the following
companies:
Fidelity Investments
TIAA/CREF
Twentieth Century Investors
The Vanguard Group
Holidays
Lehigh observes twelve paid holidays each year. Typically, New Year's Day,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas
Day are scheduled holidays. Holidays which are not scheduled are treated as
floating holidays, which can be used during the year on dates mutually agreed
upon by you and your supervisor.
Sick Leave/Excused Absence
Short-term Disability Plan
Sick leave/excused absence is available to you for circumstances such as an
illness, caring for dependents, doctor appointments or other appointments
which cannot be scheduled during other than work hours. These absences are
excused at the discretion of your supervisor. Short-term disability
benefits are provided if you are out of work for more than ten continuous
working days.
Vacation
Exempt staff with less than fifteen years of service accrue vacation at a
rate of twenty-two days per year. After fifteen years of service, vacation
is accrued at twenty-five days per year. One year of accumulated vacation
may be carried forward each July 1. Vacation is prorated for the first year
of employment.
Faculty Staff Assistance Program
The Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) seeks to help full-time staff and
their family members, with personal or work-related problems. This program
provides confidential assessment and brief counseling and referral for
personal, family and work-related concerns. Five free visits are available
for you and your dependents each year through the FSAP . The Counseling
Program administers this program externally.
Additional Privileges
Lehigh staff may use the University's wellness programs, fitness center,
swimming pools, indoor/outdoor tracks, family access to athletic
facilities, recreational discount programs, cultural events, libraries,
credit union and savings bonds. The Liberty Mutual Insurance Company offers
a program you may use to purchase car and homeowner's insurance through
payroll deduction.