Emery County School District
Policy: GDBD - Support Staff Fringe BenefitsDate Adopted: 2 November 1988
Current/Revision: 1 March 2023
Benefits, in addition to basic salary, are recognized by the Board as an integral part of the total compensation plan for staff members. The benefits extended to staff are designed to promote their present and future economic security and provide incentives for professional development that will be of benefit to both the employee and the District.
Eligibility
Full-Time support staff employees, as defined below, are eligible for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits as specified in the “Fringe Benefits for Full-Time Support Staff Employees” section of this policy.
Support staff employees who are part-time, but not at-will, as defined below, are eligible for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits as specified in the “Fringe Benefits for Eligible Part-Time Support Staff Employees” section of this policy.
Support staff employees, hired before July 1, 2013, and who are at-will, as defined below, are eligible for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits as specified in the “Fringe Benefits for Eligible At-Will Support Staff Employees” section of this policy.
Support staff employees, hired on or after July 1, 2013, and who are at-will, as defined below, are not eligible for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits.
Definitions
Full-Time Equivalency (FTE): For support staff employees, 1.0 FTE indicates a position in which the employee works a regular schedule of 40 hours per week. Part-time and at-will support staff employees are assigned a pro-rated FTE. For example, a part-time support staff employee working a regular schedule of 20 hours per week would be assigned a FTE of 0.5.
Full-Time: School District employment in a support staff position with a regular schedule of 40 or more hours per week.
Part-Time: School District employment in a support staff position with a regular schedule of less than 40 hours per week.
At-Will: School District employment in a support staff position with a regular schedule of less than 30 hours per week.
Fringe Benefits for Full-Time Support Staff Employees
Medical Insurance
All full-time support staff employees are eligible to participate in the District’s medical insurance plan. The District will pay 93.3% of the monthly cost of the Board approved medical plan for full-time support staff employees.
The District allows qualifying full-time support staff employees to waive medical insurance. Employees who waive this coverage will receive a stipend-in-lieu of medical insurance.
Dental Insurance
The District will pay sixty percent (60%) of the monthly premium of the Board approved dental plan for participating full-time support staff employees. The employee is responsible to contribute the remaining 40%.
Life Insurance
The District will pay one hundred percent (100%) of the monthly premium of the Board approved group life plan for each full-time support staff employee.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
The District will pay fifty percent (50%) of the monthly premium of the Board approved long-term disability plan for each participating full-time support staff employee.
Utah State Retirement System
The District participates in the Utah State Retirement System for the benefit of all full-time support staff employees.
Leave Benefits
Benefitted leave is provided to full-time support staff employees in accordance with the Benefitted Staff Leaves and Absences policy.
Death Benefit
The District shall pay one additional month’s salary to heirs of full-time support staff employees who die while actively employed by the District.
Interest-Free Computer Loan Program
The District will provide interest-free computer loans up to $2,400. Full-time support staff employees shall be allowed one loan every twenty-four (24) months. Each loan must be repaid in full before another loan will be given. Repayment will be made through payroll deduction in up to twenty-four (24) equal monthly payments. The minimum repayment amount will be $100 per month. Loans will be made for one desktop or laptop computer and reasonable accessories purchased at the same time. Loans may also be made at the discretion of the business administrator for other electronic devices which have functionality similar to that of a computer.
Fringe Benefits for Eligible Part-Time Support Staff Employees
Part-time support staff employees currently working in a position with a regular schedule of 30 or more hours a week may elect to participate in the District sponsored group medical, dental, life and long-term disability programs. Employees who have flexible schedules will have their hours calculated during January of each year based on the previous August through December school weeks. Benefits will be provided to the employees over 30 hours per week average at the calculated percentage for the subsequent 12 months if employment continues. For example: an employee averages 35 hours per week over the Aug-Dec school weeks, would have an 87% proportion for medical and dental insurance premiums. If the employee’s hours drop below 30 hours per week during any time after benefits are offered, the eligibility will be reviewed.
Medical Insurance
The District will pay a proportion of the monthly cost of the Board approved medical plan for eligible part-time support staff employees equivalent to 93.3% multiplied by the FTE of the employee.
Dental Insurance
The District will pay a proportion of the monthly premium of the Board approved dental plan for eligible part-time support staff employees equivalent to sixty percent (60%) multiplied by the FTE of the employee.
Life Insurance
The District will pay one hundred percent (100%) of the monthly premium of the Board approved group life plan for each eligible part-time support staff employee.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
The District will pay a proportion of the monthly premium of the Board approved long-term disability plan for eligible part-time support staff employees equivalent to fifty percent (50%) multiplied by the FTE of the employee.
Utah State Retirement System
The District participates in the Utah State Retirement System for the benefit of eligible part-time support staff employees. Eligibility is met when the support staff employee is benefits eligible and employed in a position with a regular work schedule of 20 hours a week or more over the course of a year.
Leave Benefits
Benefitted leave is provided to eligible part-time employees in accordance with the Leaves & Absences policy.
Death Benefit
The District shall pay one additional month’s salary to heirs of eligible part-time support staff employees who die while actively employed by the District.
Interest-Free Computer Loan Program
The District will provide interest-free computer loans up to $2,400. Eligible part-time support staff employees shall be allowed one loan every twenty-four (24) months. Each loan must be repaid in full before another loan will be given. Repayment will be made through payroll deduction in up to twenty-four (24) equal monthly payments. The minimum repayment amount will be $100 per month. Loans will be made for one desktop or laptop computer and reasonable accessories purchased at the same time. Loans may also be made at the discretion of the business administrator for other electronic devices which have functionality similar to that of a computer.
Fringe Benefits for Eligible At-Will Support Staff Employees
Support staff employees, hired on or after July 1, 2013, and who are at-will, as defined above, are not eligible for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits.
At-will support staff employees hired before July 1, 2013 have grandfathered eligibility for certain fringe benefits as explained in this section. Grandfathered employees in this category may only participate in the medical, dental, life and long-term disability programs if they were doing so as of June 30, 2013. This grandfathered eligibility expires as soon as continuous participation in the medical, dental, life or long-term disability programs as of June 30, 2013 terminates for any reason.
Medical Insurance
At-will support staff employees are not eligible for participation in the District medical insurance program unless participating under the grandfathered eligibility explained above. For eligible, grandfathered employees, the District will pay a proportion of the monthly cost of the Board approved medical plan equivalent to 93.3% multiplied by the FTE of the employee.
Dental Insurance
At-will support staff employees are not eligible for participation in the District dental insurance program unless participating under the grandfathered eligibility explained above. For eligible, grandfathered employees, the District will pay a proportion of the monthly premium of the Board approved dental plan equivalent to 60% multiplied by the FTE of the employee.
Life Insurance
At-will support staff employees are not eligible for participation in the District life insurance program unless participating under the grandfathered eligibility explained above. For eligible, grandfathered employees, The District will pay one hundred percent (100%) of the monthly premium of the Board approved group life plan.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
At-will support staff employees are not eligible for participation in the District long-term disability program unless participating under the grandfathered eligibility explained above. For eligible, grandfathered employees, the District will pay a proportion of the monthly premium of the Board approved long-term disability plan equivalent to 50% multiplied by the FTE of the employee.
Utah State Retirement System
At-will support staff employees hired before July 1, 2013 are eligible for participation in the Utah State Retirement System if they are in a position with a regular working schedule of 20 or more hours per week. At-will support staff employees hired on or after July 1, 2013 are not eligible for participation in the Utah State Retirement System.
Leave Benefits
Benefitted leave is provided to grandfathered, benefits eligible at-will support staff employees, hired before July 1, 2013, in accordance with the Staff Leaves and Absences policy. At-will support staff employees hired on or after July 1, 2013 are not eligible for benefitted leave.
Death Benefit
The District shall pay one additional month’s salary to heirs of grandfathered, benefits eligible at-will support staff employees, hired before July 1, 2013, who die while actively employed by the District.
Interest-Free Computer Loan Program
The District will provide interest-free computer loans up to $2,400. Grandfathered, benefits eligible at-will support staff employees shall be allowed one loan every twenty-four (24) months. Each loan must be repaid in full before another loan will be given. Repayment will be made through payroll deduction in up to twenty-four (24) equal monthly payments. The minimum repayment amount will be $100 per month. Loans will be made for one desktop or laptop computer and reasonable accessories purchased at the same time. Loans may also be made at the discretion of the business administrator for other electronic devices which have functionality similar to that of a computer.
Fringe Benefits for Dual Employed District Spouses
Medical Insurance
- When both spouses are employed on a full-time basis, medical coverage will be provided through one of the spouses. In addition, the District will contribute the equivalent of 93.3% of the current single coverage rate into the PrimeChoice account (medical trust or 401k) of the other spouse.
- If one spouse is full-time and the other part-time, coverage will be provided through the full-time employee only.
- Exception: This applies to married employees in this situation (one full-time and one part-time) as of May 7, 2008, and who were both enrolled in the School District’s health insurance at that time. Said employees are eligible for medical coverage through the full-time employee and a pro-rated PrimeChoice contribution for the part-time employee. The District will contribute the equivalent of 93.3% of the current single coverage rate, multiplied by the FTE of the part-time employee, into the PrimeChoice account. This grandfathered eligibility expires as soon as the continuous employment of either spouse terminates for any reason.
- If both spouses are part-time and they elect to participate in medical insurance, coverage will be provided through the spouse with the highest FTE. Said employee will be responsible to pay the prorated amount of the cost of insurance that corresponds to their FTE.
Dental Insurance
The District does not allow coverage through more than one employee within any given family. The District’s contribution applies to only one employee per family.
Life Insurance
Eligibility for each spouse is determined independently based on their full-time or part-time status and general eligibility for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Eligibility for each spouse is determined independently based on their full-time or part-time status and general eligibility for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits.
Utah State Retirement System
Eligibility for each spouse is determined independently based on their full-time or part-time status and general eligibility for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits.
Interest-Free Computer Loan Program
Both spouses may qualify independently for participation in this program, depending on their full-time or part-time status and general eligibility for participation in District sponsored fringe benefits.