Death of a Dependent | Human Resources | Wright State University

The steps you will need to take when you have suffered the loss of a dependent vary slightly depending on whether it is your spouse, domestic partner, or child. Notify Human Resources as soon as possible for assistance.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Benefits

Within thirty one (31) days of your dependents death, please submit a Healthcare Enrollment Form to Human Resources to terminate your dependent’s enrollment. You may also change to another eligible medical plan at this time.

Flexible Spending Account

To change your Health Care and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). In order to do this, you need to submit a Flexible Spending Agreement Form (PDF) within thirty one (31) days of the loss of the dependent.

Within thirty one (31) days of the loss of the dependent, you have the option to:

Begin participating in a Healthcare FSA or change your contributions to the Healthcare FSA.
Begin participating in the Dependent Care FSA or change your current contributions to the Dependent Care FSA.

These changes may only be made in the case of a spouse or child’s death.

Life Insurance

To cancel Dependent Life Insurance, please email HR-Benefits@wright.edu. To change beneficiaries for your Wright State provided life insurance and/or your supplemental Term Life Insurance, complete and submit a Beneficiary Change Form (PDF). To change your beneficiaries for your supplemental Group Universal Life Insurance, please contact Minnesota Life Insurance at 866.293.6047.

Retirement

Contact your retirement vendor to verify and/or update your beneficiary designations. You will also need to notify your vendor of an address or name change. Contact information for the Retirement Vendors may be found on this site.

Faculty and Staff Assistance Program

The death of a loved one can be stressful in many ways. The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) is a free benefit that offers confidential counseling and referral services to you, your household, and dependents living away from home to help with any issues that may arise due to the death of your family member.

Taxes

You should revisit your federal (W-4) and state (IT-4) tax documents to ensure you are claiming the correct number of allowances and exemptions. Submit any changes to our Payroll Department, 301 University Hall.

Leave Programs

Bereavement Leave

Employees are eligible to use up to 5 days of sick leave for bereavement for the death of an immediate family member. For the purpose of this policy, immediate family is defined as spouse, parents, children, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, brother in-law, sister-in-law, father in-law, mother in-law, son in-law, daughter in-law, registered domestic partner, legal guardian or other person who stands in place of a parent. Proof of the death of the immediate family member may be required. If you have any questions, please contact Jamie Henne, Leave and Disability Coordinator, at 937-775-2120 or jamie.henne@wright.edu.