The College provides a group hospitalization and medical insurance plan for full-time employees, their spouses, domestic partner, and eligible dependents. Such insurance becomes effective on the first day of employment. The premium for such insurance shall be shared by the College and employees.
The College also provides a medical buyout program for employees with existing medical coverage. The program allows employees to waive the College's medical insurance and receive a monetary incentive for doing so.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our health advocate program offers support to covered full-time employees, their spouses/domestic partners, dependents and parents/parent-in-laws for issues such as finding providers; scheduling appointments, treatments and tests; resolving claims issues; eldercare/Medicare assistance; transferring medical records; obtaining approvals from insurance companies; becoming informed about test results, treatments, and prescribed medications and making informed medical decisions.
The College provides full-time employees an opportunity to defer income on a pre-tax basis to pay for medical expenses not covered by the College's medical and dental plans and for dependent care expenses.
The College provides dental insurance for full-time employees, their spouses, domestic partners, and eligible dependents. The coverage becomes effective on the first day of the month following the first day of employment. The dental insurance premium is paid by the College.
The College provides group life insurance for full-time employees. The amount is equal to two times the employee's base salary rounded to the next highest $1,000 if not an even multiple of 1,000. The coverage is effective the first day of employment. The policy also provides accidental death and dismemberment insurance. When the employee reaches the age of 70, the amount of life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance is reduced 50 percent. The life insurance premium is paid by the College.
The College provides disability insurance for full-time employees. Coverage is effective following the completion of one year of service or as specified by the current long-term disability carrier, provided the employee is actively at work. When an employee files a claim and is found to be eligible, benefits begin after six months of continuous total disability. The benefit can equal up to 60 percent of the employee's covered monthly salary. The long-term disability insurance premium is paid by the College.
All employees are named as "additional insured" under the College's comprehensive liability insurance policy.
The College provides two retirement plan options to choose from: the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA). Membership in a system is required for qualifying employees and the selection, once made, is irrevocable. Employee and College contributions for the two plans are listed on the brochure insert. At the benefits orientation, a member of People & Culture will describe and provide a summary sheet comparing the two plans.
The College offers 10 paid holidays to full-time, 12-month, non-faculty employees. Full-time non-faculty reduced calendar employees receive 8 paid holidays that fall within their scheduled work calendar.
Full-time, 12-month, non-faculty employees may take vacation leave as it is earned throughout the year, with advance approval from their supervisor.
Exempt Administrative, Professional and Technical (APT) staff receive 20 paid vacation days per year.
Full-time Non-exempt staff (APT and Service) accrue vacation according to the following schedule:
Full-time 12-month employees are entitled to 12 days of paid sick leave per fiscal/academic year. All other full-time employees are entitled to 10 days of paid sick leave per fiscal/academic year. Non-faculty or replacement faculty who commence employment at a time other than the first day of the normal work year for their position are entitled to sick days based on a prorated schedule during their first year of employment.
Full-time employees are entitled to 3 days of paid personal leave per fiscal/academic year. Non-faculty or replacement faculty who commence employment at a time other than the first day of the normal work year for their position are entitled to personal days based on a prorated schedule during their first year of employment.
Full-time employees may use up to 2 days per year for emergency leave with pay upon approval by the College for absences that meet the definition for emergency leave per policy and that are not covered by other leave benefits.
Full-time employees are allowed 5 workdays of absence with pay for bereavement purposes in the event of a death in their immediate family and 1 day with pay in the event of the death of a near relative. Immediate family and near relative are defined in College policy.
Full-time employees will be paid their regular salary as an employee during their time of service.
All full-time employees periodically contribute a day of their sick leave to a sick bank, thus providing a reservoir of additional sick leave for employees who are confronted with a serious loss of earnings due to an extended inability to work resulting from a severe illness or injury.
Employees must be eligible to accrue the maximum yearly allotment of sick leave in a fiscal/academic year before they must contribute to or can apply for leave from the sick bank.
Full-time employees may voluntarily contribute personal leave hours or days to Compassion Leave. This provides a reservoir of additional paid personal leave for employees who are confronted with a serious loss of earnings due to an extended inability to work resulting from the need to care for the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent who has a catastrophic illness.
Full-time employees and their spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children are eligible for waiver of tuition and associated fees for credit and noncredit courses offered at Penn College.
This benefit is limited to two credit courses per semester during the regular full-time work calendar for the employee (but unlimited for the spouse or domestic partner, and dependent children). The number of noncredit courses for which tuition is waived is unlimited for the employee as well as for the spouse or domestic partner and dependent children. A repeated course is not eligible for the waiver of tuition.
*A dependent child is defined as a dependent for income tax purposes in the calendar year for which the tuition waiver is requested.
Full-time employees and their spouses, domestic partners and unmarried dependent children are eligible for a 75 percent reduction of Penn State credit tuition. Employees are eligible for tuition reduction for undergraduate and graduate credit courses, while spouses, domestic partners and unmarried dependent children are eligible for tuition reduction for only undergraduate credit courses.
This benefit is limited to two credit courses per semester during the regular full-time work calendar for the employee (but unlimited for the spouse or domestic partner, and unmarried dependent children).
*A dependent child is defined as a dependent for income tax purposes in the calendar year for which the tuition reduction is requested.
Full-time employees are eligible for a 75 percent reimbursement for tuition expenses for College-level credit course(s) taken at colleges/universities recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Courses must be directly related to the employee's professional development and meet established criteria.
The College provides an EAP to full-time and regular part-time employees and any members of their immediate household. The EAP is designed to assist with personal difficulties that may affect the quality of life or job performance (e.g., marriage, family, substance abuse, and emotional stress). The EAP premium is paid by the College.
The College will make provisions for tax sheltering a portion of the employee's earnings for the purpose of purchasing an annuity. Additional information and forms are available upon request from the College's People & Culture office or the annuity plan agent.
The College Store gives full-time and regular part-time employees a 15 percent discount on most purchases upon presentation of your employee ID card.
The College has an on-site health services center with medical providers who are ready to respond to on-campus medical emergencies. The center also offers a variety of routine health services to students, faculty and staff such as assessment of acute illnesses, immunizations, health screenings, lab services, and wound repair. (Fees may apply to some services.)
The College has an on-site day care center. Information on fees is available by contacting the Children's Learning Center.
The College has an on-site fitness center. Information on fees is available by contacting the Fitness Center.
The College provides reimbursement of approved adoption expenses to assist full-time employees with an adoption process.
Employees are eligible for membership in the Williamsport Teachers Credit Union, PSECU (Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union), and the Penn State Federal Credit Union. The credit unions provide a range of financial services, including various types of loans/savings programs, and provide for repaying loans or systematically making savings deposits through payroll deductions or direct deposit.
Bonds may be purchased through the College by payroll deductions.
The link below is published in accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) Transparency in Coverage Rule, requiring publication of machine-readable files. The files are being hosted by our medical benefit administrator and can be accessed at the link included below.
Highmark groups: mrfdata.hmhs.com
The information above is a general summary of College benefits, and may be rendered inoperative as policy changes.
Employees: Additional information about these benefits is available from People & Culture, in the faculty bargaining unit agreement, or in the People & Culture section of the myPCT Portal.