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Staff Liaison
 


General Information

Classified Staff Benefits

This document provides a summary of benefits for employees of Wright State University. The summary does not list all the provisions and does not supersede the individual provisions of the group insurance contracts, benefit plans, and university policies that it describes. Similarly, the issuance of this summary does not guarantee that the university, the state of Ohio, and/or others responsible for these contracts, plans, programs and policies will not make future changes in the provisions applicable to each.

Retirement Plan

Hourly paid (classified) staff members are enrolled in a state retirement plan, the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).

OPERS offers new classified staff members the option to select one of three OPERS plans. (1) The OPERS Traditional Pension Plan where retirement, disability, and survivor benefits are determined by formulas using the employee's age, service credit, and final average salary at retirement.  (2) The OPERS Member-Directed Plan where retirement benefits are determined by the amount of money, including investment earnings, which the accumulates.  (3) The OPERS Combined Plan where the employee's retirement benefit is partially determined by a formula using the employee's age, service credit, and final average salary at retirement and partially determined by the amount of money, including investment earnings, which the employee has accumulated in an individual account.  The employee contribution to any of the three OPERS plans is currently 10 percent of pay and is deducted on a pre-tax basis from the employee's earnings.

When an employee enrolls in OPERS, the university contributes an amount currently equal to 14 percent of the employee's earnings.  With the Traditional Plan and the Combined Plan the 14 percent is not deposited in the employee's account but funds formula-based retirement, survivor, disability benefits, and potential health benefits at retirement.  With the Member-Directed Plan currently an amount equal to 10 percent of the employee's earnings is deposited in the employee's account and an amount equal to 4.81 percent of the employee's pay is deposited in a Retiree Medical Account for the employee.

Classified staff members are exempt from Social Security contributions on earnings.  Staff hired after March 31, 1986 are required to pay a Medicare contribution of 1.45 percent of earnings.

Medical Insurance

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work at least 75 percent of full-time based on a 12-month period are eligible to enroll for medical insurance with a pre-tax employee contribution based on the employee’s annualized full-time equivalent earnings and the number of family members enrolled for coverage. Enrollment for medical coverage includes enrollment for dental and vision coverages.

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work from 51percent to 74percent of full-time based on a 12-month period are also eligible to enroll for medical, dental and vision coverages. However, the pre-tax employee contribution for these employees is equal to 50 percent of the cost of the coverages.

Employees living in Ohio are eligible for coverage through the Anthem Blue Access (PPO) Plan or through the Anthem Blue Preferred Primary (HMO) Plan.

The Anthem Blue Access (PPO) Plan provides benefits for covered treatment from any provider. Higher-level benefits (90 percent benefits for most services) with lower employee out of pocket costs are paid when you receive care from an Anthem Blue Access Network provider and lower level benefits (70 percent benefits for most services) with higher employee out of pocket costs are paid when you receive care from a Non-Network provider. You can choose either a network provider or a non-network provider each time you seek care. The Anthem Blue Access (PPO) Plan includes in-network coverage for prescription drugs with a co-payment at the time of service when the prescription is dispensed at a network pharmacy. If the prescription is dispensed by a non-network pharmacy, a claim may be filed for a 50 percent reimbursement after the annual $250 deductible per individual, $500 per family is met.

The Anthem Blue Preferred Primary (HMO) Plan provides 100 percent benefits for most covered services when services are provided by a Network provider. There is a $15 office visit co-payment and a $250 co-payment for inpatient hospitalization. There are no benefits payable for a provider outside the network except in emergency situations. The HMO Plan includes coverage for prescription drugs when the prescription is dispensed at a network pharmacy.

Employees who live outside the state of Ohio may enroll in the Anthem Blue Traditional Plan. This plan provides indemnity benefits (80 percent benefits for most services) for covered care including prescription drugs.

A Maintenance Drug Plan is included with any of the three listed medical plans. Maintenance drug benefits are available from Express Scripts, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is provided through Delta Dental Plan of Ohio. An insured employee or dependent can receive care from any licensed dentist. Care from a dentist in one of Delta Dental's networks of participating dentists (the Delta Preferred Option network or the Delta Premier network) has lower out-of-pocket costs than does care from a non-network dentist.

Vision Coverage

Vision insurance is provided through Vision Service Plan (VSP).  VSP provides a benefit for one eye exam and one pair of lenses each calendar year.  A benefit for eyeglass frames is provided once in two calendar years.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work at least 51 percent of full-time based on a 12-month period are eligible for a flexible spending account (FSA). FSA’s allow employees to pay for nonreimbursed health care expenses and day care expenses using pre-tax dollars. You save federal and state income tax on your flexible spending account contributions.

Two types of FSA’s are offered. The Health Care Account is used for pre-tax reimbursement of medical, dental, and vision care costs for you and your dependents that are not reimbursed by an insurance plan and incurred during the contract period. These costs may include deductible expenses, co-payments, and costs not covered by an insurance plan. The Dependent Care Account is used for pre-tax reimbursement of dependent care expenses that enable you and your spouse to work. These expenses include the cost of care in a licensed day care center, preschool tuition, and care provided in or outside your home. The minimum contribution for either type of FSA account is $10 per month; the maximum is $500 per month for a Health Care Account and $5,000 per year for a Dependent Care Account.

Federal tax laws regulate Flexible Spending Accounts. Any FSA election you make is binding for the remainder of the calendar year unless you incur a qualified change in family status, e.g., divorce, marriage, birth or death of a dependent, or change in your spouse's employment. FSA contributions are made on a "use it or lose it" basis.

Long-Term Disability Income Coverage

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work at least 75 percent of full-time based on a 12­month period are provided long-term disability income coverage.

Disability benefits are provided through the Standard Insurance Company.  This coverage pays a disability income benefit beginning after six months of total disability.  The benefit amount is equal to 60 percent of your current WSU monthly earnings (with a maximum benefit of $10,000 per month) less any income benefits payable by OPERS, STRS, Social Security, or Workers' Compensation. In addition, the plan contributes 10 percent of your usual monthly earnings to a retirement annuity during each month you receive group disability benefits. The value of this annuity contract is payable on a lifetime income basis when monthly disability benefits cease (usually at age 65 or when disability ends).

Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work at least 51 percent of full-time based on a 12­month period receive life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance effective the first day of employment. Term life insurance equal to two times your annual base earnings and an equal amount of accidental death and dismemberment insurance is provided.

Educational Benefits

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work at least 75 percent of full-time based on a 12­month period are provided fee remission for courses taken at the university. Fee remission benefits for eligible employees are provided for bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. level courses. Benefits for eligible employees are limited to the total tuition and instructional and general fee costs for 8 credit hours per quarter. Qualifying dependents (spouse, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter) of an eligible employee receive fee remission benefits for bachelor's and master's level courses with no limit on the number of courses per quarter. An eligible dependent pays a cost equal to 20 percent of the current undergraduate fee for courses taken with fee remission benefits.

Sick Leave Benefits

Hourly paid (classified) staff members earn sick leave at the rate of 4.6 hours of sick leave for each 80 hours of work. There is no limit on the accrual of sick leave hours. Sick leave hours may be used for your illness or injury or for the illness, injury, or death of a member of your immediate family. Sick leave with pay may be requested only for sick time earned.

Vacation Benefits

Hourly paid (classified) staff members who are appointed to work at least 51percent of full-time based on a 12-­month period earn paid vacation. Employees are eligible to begin using vacation leave after completing their initial probationary period.

Earned but unused vacation leave is paid to the employee at termination provided that the employee has completed one year of state service in Ohio. Hourly paid (classified) staff members working full time earn vacation annually according to the following schedule:

Years of Service
Vacation
Maximum Accrual
0-7 years 80 hours 240 hours
8-14 years 120 hours 360 hours
15-24 years 160 hours 480 hours
25 or more years 200 hours 600 hours

Vacation accrual is prorated for part-time classified staff appointed to work at least 51 percent of full time over a 12-month period.

Holidays

There are 10 paid holidays each year.

Tax-Deferred Annuities and Custodial Accounts and Deferred Compensation Program

Tax-deferred annuities and custodial accounts enable you to save for retirement without paying current federal and Ohio income taxes on the amount saved.  Hourly paid (classified) staff members can contribute on a voluntary basis to one or more tax-deferred annuity carriers and mutual fund groups. A list of approved companies is available in Human Resources and on our website, www.wright.edu/hr. Contributions are made by payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis. Hourly paid (classified) staff members can also make voluntary contributions to any approved deferred compensation program.

Employee Assistance Plan Benefits

Effective May 1, 2008, the Wright State University Employee Assistance Program (EAP) changed to the Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP). BMA impact, our new vendor for these services, will provide all of the services of our previous vendor in addition to some new services that we think you will find beneficial. 

To view information about this new program, go to http://www.wright.edu/hr/benefits/fsap.html

The previous EAP benefit is no longer in effect.

Additional Voluntary Benefits Available

  • Long-Term Care Coverage
  • Supplemental Life Insurance

Questions

Questions about any of the listed benefits can be directed to Human Resources, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, OH 45435-0001, (937) 775-2120.

Revised January, 2004

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