Frequently Asked Questions
This compilation of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is designed to help employees understand some aspects of the University's benefits available to them and to assist you in making decisions that are appropriate to your changing needs. Please understand that the statements made in this FAQ are accurate but by no means complete. Contact the Benefits Office for more information.
A downloadable version is available here: BenefitsFAQ.doc (64KB) May I rollover retirement funds from another employer?Yes, all plans except government retirement funds (457’s) can be rolled into the University’s 403(b) plan. Please contact the Benefits Office at 323-5852 for assistance.May I get a loan or take an early withdrawal from my retirement funds while employed at Gonzaga?You are allowed to take a loan on your retirement account. However, while you are employed you may withdraw voluntary contributions from the plan only after you attain age 59½ , or have a “Financial Hardship” as defined by the IRS. Please contact the Benefits Office at 323-5852 for details.How do I make changes to my retirement investments?If you wish to reallocate your retirement plan assets or future contributions to one or more different investments with the same carrier, call your plan carrier directly or visit their website. If you wish to change your retirement plan carrier (e.g., from TIAA/CREF to Fidelity), contact the Benefits Office. Note, you are permitted to have one carrier for your mandatory contributions and the University’s contribution, and a different carrier for your voluntary contributions.How do I increase/decrease my voluntary contribution to the retirement plan?You can download the Salary Reduction Form from our website or come by the Benefits Office located at 328 E. Sharp. Changes may be made any time during the year.What things should I consider when contemplating retirement?With respect to your future income, you should obtain from your retirement plan carrier(s) your retirement plan balance(s) and request an annuity (income) projection, if applicable. You should also contact the social security office (800-772-1213) to arrange for social security benefits. With respect to health care benefits, be advised that coverage under the University’s plan terminates at the end of the last month that you work. Therefore, you should consider your needs for continued medical and dental coverage. You are eligible for Retiree Medical benefits if you are 55 to 65 years of age and worked at G.U. for 10 or more years. Retiree Medical benefits allow you to self-pay the premium on the University’s plan until age 65, when you reach medicare eligibility. Contact the social security office if you are eligible for medicare. Also, consider a medicare supplement. See “COBRA” below for continuation of dental coverage. The Benefits Office can help you with all of these details.Do I need to turn in any paperwork for my leave?Yes, you need to complete a Leave of Absence Form for any time off that is 4 or more days in length. If the leave is for medical reasons (either for yourself or family member), the treating doctor needs to complete a Physician’s Certification form. You can download these forms from our website or pick them up at the Benefits Office.What is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is federal legislation adopted to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a rolling 12-month period. The two significant benefits of this leave are: 1) your job is protected and; 2) medical and dental benefits are continued as before the leave (i.e., without additional cost to you beyond the employee contribution you were already making, and any deductibles, copayments, or the like required under your plan). Although FMLA is an unpaid leave, employees must first use all their available paid leave during the 12-week period.What types of leaves are covered under FMLA, and who is eligible?Leaves are granted for: (1) birth of a child; (2) care of a newborn; (3) the placement or anticipated placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care; (4) care of a family member with a serious health condition (legal spouse, child under age 18, child over 18 that is incapable of self care because of mental or physical disability, biological parents, but not in-laws); and (5) for the employee's own serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of his or her job. NOTE: The Washington State Family Care Rule also provides protected leave for parent-in-laws and grandparents.May I take intermittent leave?Yes, leave may be taken on an intermittent (hourly) basis. You may also qualify for a part-time leave if the documentation supports that you have a serious health condition that prevents you from working full-time. The Benefits Office will review certifications to determine if intermittent, or part-time leave is qualified under the FMLA.How much maternity leave do I receive?The amount of maternity leave needed, to cover your disability period, is recommended by your doctor. The typical disability period is 6 weeks post delivery, or up to 8 weeks for a c-section. In addition to any disability period recommended by your doctor if you have been employed for one year or more, and work 1,250 hours in a year, you qualify for an additional 12 weeks of leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, any FMLA leave that you have used in the past rolling 12-month period will be counted against this time. How much pay you receive during your leave is based on your paid leave balances (sick leave, personal leave, vacation, or short-term disability for faculty).How does parental leave work if both parents are employed at GU?According to FMLA rules, parents’ leave is limited to a combined 12 weeks. Therefore, the 12 weeks could be taken all by one parent or split between the two, but the total is limited to 12 weeks. The maternity disability leave period does not count toward this limit.Am I eligible for tuition waiver?You must be classified as a regular full-time, or part-time (20+ hours per week, or 50% faculty contract) employee in order to qualify for tuition waiver benefits. You are then eligible for the benefit the first semester following your hire date. Full time employees are eligible for 100% tuition waiver and part-time employees are eligible for 50%.Are my dependents eligible for tuition waiver?Your dependents are eligible if you are a regular full time employee. Their benefit is based on your years of service at Gonzaga prior to the beginning of a semester: 0 to1 yr. – 0%; 1 to 3 yrs. – 50%; 3 to 5 yrs. – 75%; 5 or more years 100%. IRS dependent children are eligible for undergraduate waivers up to their 26th birthday (children of employees hired before 11/1/96 are not required to be IRS dependents, however, the benefit is taxable). Spouses are eligible for undergraduate or graduate waivers, but not for doctoral programs or law school (the spouses of faculty hired before 11/1/96 are eligible for tuition waivers for doctoral programs and law school).How does tuition waiver work with academic scholarships?Those individuals who are granted a University scholarship and are eligible for a tuition waiver would be awarded the scholarship plus the eligible tuition waiver amount up to 100% of the total tuition between the two awards. The only way for a scholarship to be applied to fees is if the scholarship was for 100% of tuition and fees. The Tuition Waiver program covers tuition only up to 100% of University tuition.What fees are not included in tuition waiver?General fees, lab fees, and books are not covered under the Tuition Waiver program. General fees per semester include: Technology fee – $95 full-time ($60 doctoral, graduate & post baccalaureate)/$45 part-time ($25 doctoral, graduate & post baccalaureate); Mandatory Fitness Center fee for dependent children $75 full-time/$150 part-time (optional); MandatoryAccident Insurance for dependent children – $42 full-time student only. Example: totals per semester for full-time dependent children equals $212. Fees noted above are as of Spring Semester 2005 through Fall 2006, and are subject to change. Additional fees apply for add/drop, late registration, lab fees, etc. Please check with the Student Accounts office if there are any questions.Do I need to pay taxes on tuition waivers?Undergraduate waivers are not taxable income for you, or your dependents (unless children of employees hired prior to 11/1/96 are not IRS dependents). Graduate waivers for you are taxable income only if the value of the tuition exceeds $5,250 per calendar year. All graduate waivers for your spouse are taxable income. If applicable, taxes will be deducted from your paycheck during the semester that you or your dependents are taking the courses.Can my child obtain a tuition waiver to attend another University?Under the FACHEX and Tuition Exchange programs, the dependent children of eligible faculty/staff can participate in these tuition exchange programs. The FACHEX program is an agreement among numerous Jesuit institutions (see list on website or call the Benefits Office). The Tuition Exchange program is a reciprocal scholarship program at over 570 institutions. You must be eligible for a 100% tuition waiver for your dependent children to be eligible for FACHEX and Tuition Exchange (TE).How do I apply for FACHEX and Tuition Exchange (TE) benefits?Employees should fill out the FACHEX and/or TE application from Gonzaga University's Financial Aid Office and submit it to the Benefits Office by October 1st. Selected students will be certified as eligible to participate by the receiving institutions. Students should apply for college admission simultaneously, when applying for FACHEX or TE. What is COBRA?The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) requires most employers sponsoring group health plans to offer employees and their families an opportunity to extend and self-pay medical and dental coverage (called COBRA coverage). The coverage must be offered at group rates in certain circumstances (called “a qualifying event”) when coverage would otherwise terminate. Coverage is identical to the coverage provided to current employees and their dependents.What are the circumstances (qualifying event) where COBRA is needed?You and your family are eligible for COBRA coverage if you lose your health coverage because of a reduction in hours or your employment ends. Your spouse is eligible for COBRA coverage if you die, divorce or become legally separated. Your child(ren) is eligible for COBRA coverage if you die or they cease to be an eligible dependent child (reach age 23 or are no longer an IRS dependent).How long can COBRA coverage continue?You and your family may pay for up to 18 months of continued coverage if your employment ends. The 18-month period may be extended to a maximum of 29 months if, at the time of the qualifying event or during the first 60 days of COBRA coverage you were or become disabled (as determined by Social Security). A dependent who ceases to be an eligible dependent, may continue coverage for up to 36 months.What is the cost for COBRA?You pay the full premium, plus 2%. Contact the Benefits Office if you have a “qualifying event” to receive further details.What changes in benefits should I consider when changing marital status (marriage, death, divorce)?You should consider changing: medical and dental plan enrollments; flexible spending plan enrollment or the dollar amount allocated to the plan; beneficiary designation on the life insurance and retirement plan; W-4 allowances; address or name change. You may also wish to alter the amount of any voluntary contributions you make to your retirement plan.What changes should I consider making to my benefits when I have a child?Same as above.How long do I have to decide before electing which benefits I want?You have 30 days after your hire date to elect your medical/dental benefits. After your initial enrollment opportunity, you may make changes during the Open Enrollment period.What is Open Enrollment?Open Enrollment occurs once a year during the month of May. Changes made then become effective on June 1st. Open Enrollment is the only time of the year when you may make enrollment changes to your medical and dental coverage, unless there is a “qualifying event” or special enrollments needs during the year.What circumstances permit a change outside of Open Enrollment (qualifying event)?You may make changes outside the Open Enrollment period at any time: 1) you or your dependents lose other group coverage; 2) your marital status changes; 3) the number of your dependents changes (e.g., due to birth, adoption or placement of a child for adoption, or death of a dependent); 4) there is a change in your, your spouse’s or your dependent’s work hours (including a switch between full and part-time status; 5) one of your dependents becomes eligible or ceases to be eligible for a particular benefit; 6) you or your spouse or one of your dependents changes his or her place of residence or work, if that change affects eligibility for a group medical or dental plan.How do I change my beneficiary designations?You may download from our website or come to the Benefits Office to receive the appropriate forms (life insurance and retirement plan).If I am a full-time non-faculty employee but only work 9 mos., or a faculty member who has a 9-month pay election, do I qualify for benefits for a full 12 month period?Yes. Benefits continue for the unpaid leave periods as long as you return to work at your next scheduled date, otherwise benefits end at the end of the month that you last worked as a regular employee. If you have premiums deducted from your pay, the University will deduct for the number of months that you were unpaid upon your return to work, and the deductions will be made over the number of months that you were not paid. Example: If your schedule is September through May, premiums due for June, July and August would be deducted in September, October, and November. This would be in addition to premiums that would normally be deducted during those months.What things should I consider when leaving for another job?Your benefits continue through the end of the month that you work in a regular position. They are not extended during temporary or adjunct work. If there will be a gap in your employment, or if you will not be eligible for medical or dental benefits immediately upon beginning your new employment, see the “COBRA” information above for continuation of your Gonzaga medical and dental coverage. If applicable, unused vacation pay is paid out in your final paycheck. Employment cannot be extended by vacation days. You are not required to withdraw your retirement funds. Ideally, you would want to continue to keep them tax-sheltered, either by leaving them within the retirement carrier you selected, or rolling them over to another tax-sheltered plan (e.g., an IRA or another employer plan).How are Personal Leave Days used?Two of your sick leave days are automatically transferred to a Personal Leave bank each January 1. You may use those days like additional vacation days, with your supervisor’s approval. You may also use them before or after your vacation days (if eligible) any time during the calendar year. Unused days remain in your Personal Leave bank, but you may have no more than two days in your bank. Therefore, if you do not use your days, the University will not transfer additional days into your Personal Leave bank the following year.What things should I consider when visiting another university?This means that your Gonzaga benefits terminate at the end of your regular contract period (usually May 31). Particularly with respect to medical and dental coverage, this means that there are several things you should consider. First, if you will be relying on coverage provided by the host school, there may be a gap in your coverage. Your Gonzaga coverage will normally end on May 31st but your host school’s coverage may not begin until your employment there commences. To avoid a gap in coverage, you may wish to extend your Gonzaga benefits by self-paying the premiums. Second, the host school’s medical plan may be more or less extensive than Gonzaga’s or require a different level of employee contribution. You may wish to investigate the differences before agreeing to the visit. Third, you may have a problem with coverage of a pre-existing condition under the host school’s plan, particularly if there is a gap in your coverage because of a gap in the periods of employment. With respect to retirement benefits, the host school may of course offer a lower or higher level of employer contributions. In either case, if the host school has a one-year waiting period before making employer contributions (as Gonzaga does) or a one-year delay before you will vest in any employer contributions, you could effectively lose out on all employer contributions during the period of your visit. If you do visit another school and thus are placed on an Unpaid Leave of Absence at Gonzaga, you will be eligible for Gonzaga’s benefits effective June 1 of the following year, if you sign a contract to return at the beginning of the following academic year. In other words, even though your Gonzaga contract may not commence until September 1 of the following year, your Gonzaga benefits will actually commence three months earlier. Note, much of this response assumes a one-year visit. If you plan to visit another school for only one semester, many of the same considerations apply but in slightly different ways. Contact the Benefits Office for more information.What things should I consider when taking sabbatical leave?During paid sabbaticals, all group benefits continue during your leave.
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