Benefits


1. Holidays

The approved holidays are listed below (normally including the Friday preceding any listed holiday which falls on Saturday and the Monday following any listed holiday which falls on Sunday). The holidays are:

  • New Year's Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day following Thanksgiving Day
  • Day before Christmas Day
  • Christmas Day
  • Day before New Year's Day

Two (2) floating holidays scheduled during the Christmas break; plus up to two (2) additional floating holidays scheduled during the Christmas-New Year's break, if the University is officially closed.

Staff members wanting time off to observe a religious holiday may use lost time or vacation, at their discretion, by advance arrangement with their supervisor.

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, causing the Friday to also be considered a holiday, only one day of holiday pay will result, likewise when a holiday falls on a Sunday, causing the Monday to also be considered a holiday.

A staff member will be eligible for holiday with pay, provided the staff member:

   A. Is a regular or probationary full-time or part-time staff member on the day of the holiday;

   B. Is not receiving salary continuation, short-term disability, long-term disability, worker's compensation, or is on an unpaid leave of absence or layoff at the time of the holiday;

   C. Worked on the holiday if scheduled to work on that day, unless excused by their supervisor;

   D. Is not an academic year staff member who is on their scheduled break at the time of the holiday.

Staff members required to work on an approved calendar holiday, in addition to holiday pay, will be compensated at the rate of two (2) times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked on the holiday.

Holiday pay shall be eight (8) hours if full-time or four (4) hours if part-time, at the staff member's hourly rate.


2. Allowance and Accrual

A. Accrual:  Effective October 1, 2017 regular full-time and regular part-time staff members accrue .077 hours of vacation time for each regular hour worked up to a total of 20 vacation days annually.

B. Vacation Carry Over:  No more than two hundred (200) hours (one hundred (100) hours for part-time staff members) of earned vacation may be carried from one calendar year to the next calendar year.

C. Use of Vacation Time:  Approval of vacation time is the responsibility of the appropriate supervisor.  A staff member is eligible to use vacation time after they have completed six (6) months of employment.

D. Termination of Employment:  Staff members shall receive compensation for accrued but unused vacation (up to 160 hours) upon leaving the employ of the University provided that the staff member gives at least four (4) weeks notice (or two (2) weeks if approved by the department for non-Executive Assistant staff) of their intention to leave. Vacation time shall not be used to continue employment beyond the last day worked for the University.


3. Salary Continuation

Regular full-time staff members who have completed six (6) months of employment shall have the first ten (10) working days of any disability fully paid. Regular full-time staff members who have completed one (1) year of employment shall have the first twenty (20) working days of any disability fully paid.  Eligibility for a full ten (10) or twenty (20) days of salary continuation shall be restored for any disability after the staff member has returned to work for five (5) full consecutive working days. Regular full-time staff members with less than six (6) months service will have one day per calendar month of salary continuation, if needed (non-accumulative).  Regular part-time staff members will only receive salary continuation for the actual number of hours missed due to a disability up to a maximum of forty (40) working hours per calendar year. Working hours are defined as the number of hours the part-time staff member is scheduled to work.

Salary continuation may be used for:

   A.  Staff member or staff member's child, spouse, household member, parent, or parent-in-laws (living in staff member’s household) illness or injury, hospitalization and appointment pertaining to health.

   B. Impending death of staff member's parent-in-law to a maximum of three (3) working days, if needed.

   C. Death of staff member's child, stepchild, foster child, spouse, household member,  brother, brother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law to a maximum of five (5) working days, if needed. Extension may be granted in extenuating circumstances by Human Resources.

   D. Attendance at a funeral of a relative other than above (maximum of one (1) day).

   E.  With the supervisor's approval, a staff member may be released from work for that part of that day needed to attend the funeral of a faculty/staff member of the University.

   F.  Staff members may use salary continuation for days the University is officially closed due to inclement weather. One additional day (8 hours) may be used by each eligible staff member each calendar year, if necessary, due to inclement weather.

   G.  A staff member may elect to transfer four (4) or eight (8) hours of vacation, on no more than 2 occasions, each calendar year to another APSS, CPSS, or EAPSS member who is on short-term or long-term disability, to enable the employee on disability to replace some of the wages lost. The hours transferred will be deducted from the vacation balance of the employee donating the hours, in the calendar year that the Transfer Authorization Form is received by the Payroll Office. A separate Transfer Authorization Form must be completed for each transfer requested. The staff member receiving the transfer can receive no more than the equivalent of eighty (80) hours, per pay period. The total number of hours paid to a staff member on disability will not exceed one hundred forty-four (144) hours in a calendar year. The University will notify staff when a total of one hundred forty-four (144) hours have been donated. Any vacation donations over one hundred forty-four (144) hours will be returned to the donor. Any donated but unpaid vacation hours shall be paid upon the death of a staff member on disability.

A. All Confidential Professional Support Staff members must meet their employment obligation of regular and reasonable attendance. It is clearly intended that salary continuation as herein provided is primarily intended to protect the income of staff members while disabled and that no use of sick leave may be used beyond what is considered reasonable. Intentional misuse of the benefit may result in the denial of salary continuation usage in that instance and disciplinary action up to and including termination.

   B. The staff member shall notify their supervisor of an absence in advance and shall state the expected duration thereof when possible.

   C. If requested by the University, acceptable proof shall be furnished regarding the need for the absence. The University will then determine whether the reason qualified for use of salary continuation.

   D. Staff members engaging in other employment or profit making activities while collecting salary continuation may lose rights to salary continuation as well as to continuation of employment.

   E. Human Resources will review salary continuation usage. Typically, it will occur in June and December of each year. If usage exceeds 48 hours in a given 6 month period the Human Resources Specialist will discuss the results of the salary continuation review with the affected supervisors. Supervisors may have a conversation with the Confidential Professional Support Staff member regarding usage of salary continuation to determine if further resources or actions are necessary. If no plan of action has been agreed upon, then a committee of the Director of Employee Relations and the Work Life Consultant, may convene to outline the action with the supervisor and Confidential Professional Support Staff member.

The University shall provide regular full-time staff members with short-term disability insurance for those absences caused by illness or injury for a period longer than twenty (20) days and less than six (6) months, subject to the conditions of the master policy.

The University shall provide regular full-time staff members a program of long-term disability for those absences caused by illness or injury for a period longer than six (6) months, subject to the conditions of the master policy.

The University shall provide for continued participation in the appropriate University's retirement program for any eligible staff member receiving benefits under its disability program.


4. Retirement

4.1 Retirement Plan. Based on their date of hire, the staff members shall be eligible to participate in either the Professional Support Staff Employees Retirement Plan A or Plan B.

4.2 Medical Insurance for Retirees. The University will make available a medical insurance program for official retirees in the same manner and on the same basis as it applies to the University's other officials and retirees.

An official retiree (including early retirees) for purposes of this benefit, will be defined as any regular staff member who is employed by the University at the time of retirement, and whose years of University service and age total a minimum of 75.  Coverage for the spouse of the retiree or early retiree is available on the same basis as for other University official retirees.

The University retains the right to modify or terminate this plan upon reasonable notice to staff and retirees.


5. Insurance

5.1 Group Life, Medical and Dental Insurance. The University will provide coverage for all regular staff members appointed one-half time or more and their dependents to the extent of the group insurance policies in effect providing the staff member's appropriate payments are maintained.  The schedule of benefits provided and their cost are described in materials available through Human Resources.


6. Job Share Benefits

6.1 Benefits will be provided to employees in a job-share position as follows:

Medical Insurance will be made available. The cost of coverage to the University shall not exceed the cost of coverage for one staff member.

      i. If both job-share employees do not elect coverage, each will receive 50% of the credit given to regular full and part-time staff.

      ii. If one job-share employee elects medical insurance and the other does not:  the employee without coverage will receive 50% of the credit given to regular full and part-time employees, the other job-share employee will pay the cost of the credit given to the other employee plus the cost charged to regular full and part-time employees for the option that they select.

      iii. If both job-share employees elect medical coverage, each employee will pay 50% of the group cost for the plan chosen.  The University will pay the remaining 50%.  Group costs will change annually.

Dental Insurance will be made available. The cost of coverage to the University shall not exceed the cost of coverage for one staff member.

      i. If both job-share employees do not elect coverage, each will receive 50% of the credit given to regular full and part-time staff.

      ii. If one job-share employee elects dental insurance and the other does not: the employee without coverage will receive 50% of the credit given to regular full and part-time employees, the other job-share employee will pay the cost of the credit given to the other employee plus the cost charged to regular full and part-time employees for the option that they select.

      iii. If both job-share employees elect dental coverage, each employee will pay 50% of the group cost for the plan chosen.  The University will pay the remaining 50%.  Group costs will change annually.

Life Insurance will be provided equal to their base hourly rate of pay times 1040 hours.
 

Vision Insurance will be made available to the same extent and at the same rate as is available to other University employees.

Employees will be paid 4 hours for each approved holiday as outlined in section 2.1.

Vacation will be accrued according to the provisions for part-time employees as outlined in section 2.2.

Salary Continuation will be provided according to the provisions for part-time employees as outlined in section 2.3.

A Retirement Plan will be provided according to the provisions for part-time employees outlined in the plan document.

Medical Insurance for Retirees will be made available to the same extent and in the same manner as is available to other part-time University employees.

Unless specially addressed above, other provisions of the Confidential PSS Handbook apply to job share employees within this classification.


7. Worker's Compensation

This policy covers all faculty and staff, as well as students, on the University payroll.  It will cover medical expenses and lost wages, according to the laws of the State of Michigan, incurred by staff members through injuries suffered while acting within the scope of their duties or performing services on behalf of or under the direction of the University.

Work-related injuries must be reported to the supervisor and Human Resources immediately, regardless of the severity.  The injured individual and supervisor must complete a Workers’ Compensation Injury Report Form.  The form is available in Human Resources or online. For online forms, go to www.gvsu.edu/hro, select forms, benefits, other forms, worker’s compensation injury report form.  The form must be completed and returned to that office within 24 hours.  More detailed instructions are outlined on the Human Resources Worker's Compensation website.


8. Tuition Reduction

8.1 Academic Participation for Staff and Retirees.  A regular employee may, with approval of their supervisor, enroll in Grand Valley State University courses tuition free, one of which may be taken during working hours each fiscal year.  With the supervisor’s approval, a staff member may take a second course during the staff member’s lunch hour provided that travel and attendance at the class does not exceed their lunch hour.  Staff members who take a class during lunch are not permitted to take additional paid time to eat lunch.  If additional time is needed to attend the course and the supervisor approves, it must be made up during the same workday, taken as lost time, or taken as vacation.  Retirees may enroll with the approval of Human Resources.  The materials describing the program are available through Human Resources.

8.2 Reduced Tuition for Spouses, Household Member and Eligible Dependents of Staff and Retirees. Spouses, household member and eligible dependents of regular employees and retirees are eligible for a fifty percent (50%) reduction of their tuition costs for all Grand Valley State University courses.  Spouses and eligible dependents of regular employees and retirees who use this benefit are subject to the admission and academic requirements of the University.  The materials describing the program are available through Human Resources.


9. Attendance at Community Events

The University encourages staff members to participate in the University's community events not directly job-related.  This may be during office hours whenever such attendance does not unreasonably interfere with the ongoing work.  Attendance during working hours is subject to the approval of the supervisor.


10. Leaves

10.1 Leave of Absence Without Pay.  A leave of absence without pay may be granted to a staff member for personal reasons for a period of up to twelve (12) months. A request for a leave of absence stating the reason for the request, shall be submitted in writing to the direct supervisor and Human Resources. The conditions under which the leave is granted shall be specified at the time of approval.  Credited service for the purposes of fringe benefits will not accrue during the leave period although the staff member's regular employment is not considered to have been interrupted.

A leave of absence for less than one (1) month will be considered lost time and is subject to the approval of the direct supervisor. Staff members on a leave of absence of more than one (1) month shall be entitled to purchase health and/or dental and/or life insurance benefits at the group rate.

10.2 Leave of Absence With Pay.

An employee on salary continuation or short-term disability shall be entitled to return to their previous position provided that they are released to return to their position within six (6) months from their last day worked. The University will continue benefits for employees receiving salary continuation or short-term disability pay.

When an employee’s salary continuation and short-term disability pay have been exhausted, the employee may request to be placed on extended sick leave if the employee continues to be unable to perform the duties of their position due to the illness or accident.  Such request must be made thirty (30) days prior to the expiration of short-term disability payments.  Human Resources shall notify the staff member of the imminent exhaustion of short-term disability pay in time for the staff member to meet the thirty (30) day request notice as specified above. Extended sick leave may continue for up to eighteen (18) months from the employee’s last day worked.  The time period may be extended by the University. If the employee is released to return to work during their extended sick leave, they will be offered the next available position for which they are qualified. The University will pay the cost of COBRA medical coverage during the first twelve (12) months of extended sick leave.


11. Jury Duty

A staff member who loses time from their assigned responsibilities because of jury duty will receive the difference between pay for jury duty and regular pay, provided the staff member works as much as possible when not on jury duty.


12. Pay for Military Duty

A staff member who loses time from work during their regular scheduled hours because of military training as a reservist or National Guardsman or due to a civil disturbance, not exceeding four (4) weeks per year, shall be paid the difference between their base military pay and their regular pay.


13. Travel Expense Reimbursement

If a staff member is authorized by the University to travel off-campus, the staff member will be reimbursed for expenses at a rate and in the same manner consistent with the Grand Valley State University Travel Policy.


14. The Family Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act will be followed in administering benefits. Handbook provisions that provide greater benefits will be followed.


15. Adoption Assistance

Effective January 1, 2001 all regular full time and part time faculty and staff are eligible for adoption assistance. The benefits provided are described in materials available through Human Resources.



Page last modified December 9, 2020