Employee Benefits

Medical Insurance

Full-Time Virginia Western employees may elect participation in the state’s health care program, COVA or HDHP. Under the program, health care coverage is provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, dental coverage by Delta Dental Plan of Virginia (or Anthem for HDHP participants), behavioral health and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by ValueOptions, Inc., and prescription drug benefits by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. The cost to employees varies depending on the plan and type of membership selected (employee only, employee plus one, or family). These plans provide coverage with no waiting period requirement for pre-existing conditions.

Virginia Sickness & Disability Program (VSDP)

• Full-Time employees who are automatically enrolled or select VRS as their retirement plan, receive short-term and long-term disability benefits under the Commonwealth’s Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP), with the cost of the benefits being fully paid by the College. Short-term disability payments begin on the eighth calendar day and continue for up to 125 workdays, beginning at 100 percent income replacement and reducing to 80 percent and 60 percent of pre-disability income based on total months of full-time state service. Long-term disability benefits begin after the conclusion of the 7 calendar waiting period and 125 workdays of receipt of short-term disability benefits and may continue until age 65. Long-term disability benefits are paid at 60 percent of pre-disability income. If the disability/illness is deemed catastrophic, the employee may receive 100 percent or 80 percent income replacement and waiver of the 7 calendar day waiting period.

• Full-time employees newly hired between January 10 and July 09 will be credited with 64 hours of sick leave; if hired between July 10 and January 09, new employees are credited with 40 hours of sick leave. Thereafter, leave will be credited on January 10, based upon total months of state service. Employees with less than 60 months of state service receive 64 hours of sick leave, employees with 60 to 119 months of state service receive 72 hours, and, after 120 months of state service, employees receive 80 hours.
  • Sick Leave permits continuation of pay during absences caused by personal illness, injuries, preventive care and wellness physician visits of the employee. Sick leave may not be carried over from one calendar year to the next, and employees will not be paid for any unused leave upon separation from employment.
  • As defined by the state's policy on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees may use 33 percent of their available VSDP Sick Leave for an FMLA absence for an immediate family member (spouse, child or parent).
• In addition to sick leave, new full-time employees hired between January 10 and July 09 are credited with 32 hours of Family/Personal Leave; if hired between July 10 and January 09, new employees are credited with 16 hours of Family/Personal Leave. Thereafter, Family/Personal leave will be credited on January 10, based upon total months of state service. Employees with up to 119 months of state service receive 32 hours of Family/Personal Leave on January 10. After an employee has 120 months of state service, 40 hours of Family/Personal Leave will be credited each January 10. This leave may be used for absences due to personal and family reasons as well as for personal illnesses or injuries. Unused Family/Personal Leave may not be carried forward from one year to the next, and employees will not be paid for any unused leave upon separation from employment.

UNUMprovident Long-Term Disability for traditional leave participants

New full-time faculty members who select VRS as their retirement program and traditional leave must enroll in UNUMProvident long-term disability insurance. Faculty participating in the ORP retirement plan, and current VRS faculty not covered by VSDP, may choose to purchase long-term disability (LTD) protection through UNUMProvident. The plan is offered on a “guaranteed issue” basis to new faculty who enroll within 61 days after employment.

Faculty not covered and full-time classified employees grandfathered in traditional leave are eligible to purchase optional coverage during Open Enrollment. The coverage will be medically underwritten, and employees will be required to qualify based on information provided regarding their health history.

Participants have a choice of 25 percent, 40 percent, or 50 percent of coverage based on basic monthly earnings to a maximum of $5000 per month. LTD benefits are not reduced by the amount of other income replacement benefits received for the same disability. LTD benefits begin after 90 consecutive days of disability. The premiums are group rates, and participants are totally responsible for the cost of the premiums.

Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-term Care (LTC), also referred to as nursing home care.

Full-time employees participating in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program receive a basic daily LTC benefit as part of the benefit package provided by the program.

An optional supplement is available to full-time faculty and classified staff at group rates through Aetna U. S. Healthcare. The plan is “guaranteed issue” to new employees enrolling within 60 days of employment. Coverage is also available for eligible family members; however, family members will be required to complete medical questionnaire forms and must be approved by Aetna.

Annual Leave

New full-time/12-month employees earn annual leave through systems related to their position.

• Presidents *
• Executives and Senior Administrators *
• Administrators and 12-month Teaching Faculty *
• Classified Full-Time Staff

Unused Annual Leave may be carried forward from one leave year (January 10 – January 09) to the next but only up to the maximum amounts allowed. Upon separation, employees will be paid for any unused annual leave up to the maximum allowable payment amount. Annual leave accrues at the end of the day on the 9th and 24th of the month, the end of each pay period. An employee must have worked or been on paid leave for the entire pay period to receive the annual leave accrual.

*Current employees with questions about their annual leave program should contact Human Resources.

Traditional sick leave (Non-VSDP) participants

• The College President, administrative faculty and 12-month teaching faculty who elect not to participate in VRS as a retirement plan or VSDP will earn sick leave at the rate of 5 hours for each completed semi-monthly work period, a total of 120 hours per year. Sick leave may be used to cover absences resulting from personal illness or injury and medical appointments. There is no limit on the amount of sick leave that can be carried over from one year to another.
• Employees may use up to 48 hours of accrued sick leave per leave year for illness or death of immediate family members. Immediate family members include parents, step-parents, spouse, children, step-children, siblings, and any relatives by blood or marriage living in the same household. As defined by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees may use 33 percent of their available Sick Leave for an FMLA absence for an immediate family member (spouse, child or parent).
• Sick leave accrues at the end of the day on the 9th and 24th of the month, the end of each pay period. An employee must have worked or been on paid leave for the entire pay period to receive the sick leave accrual.
• Upon separation, employees with 5 or more years of continuous state service will be paid for 25 percent of their unused sick leave balance. The payment cannot exceed $5,000. Employees with less than 5 years of service do not receive payment for any part of their accrued sick leave.
• This plan also applies to grandfathered full-time classified employees who opted not to elect VSDP.

9-month faculty traditional leave

Nine-month faculty members who elect not to participate in VRS as a retirement plan or VSDP earn leave in accordance with policy established by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).

• Personal Leave: Nine-month teaching faculty accrue Personal Leave of 24 hours at the beginning of each academic year (August 16). Personal Leave may be taken at the discretion of the faculty member, with prior approval from the Division Dean. Personal Leave may not be used for recreational purposes. At the end of the summer semester (August 15), any unused Personal Leave hours will be added to the Sick Leave balance.
• Sick Leave: Nine-month teaching faculty accrue Sick Leave at the rate of 36 hours on the first day of fall and spring semesters, a total of 72 hours. Earned Sick Leave permits continuation of full pay during absences, caused by illness or injury of the employee. During the calendar year, up to 80 hours of a faculty member's accrued sick leave balance may be used for absences related to illness or death of the employee's immediate family members. Immediate family members include parents, step-parents, spouse, children, step-children, siblings, and any relatives by blood or marriage living in the same household. As defined by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees may use 33 percent of their available Sick Leave for an FMLA absence for an immediate family member (spouse, child or parent). Unused sick leave may be carried forward from one academic year to the next. There is no limit on the amount of sick leave that may be accrued.
• Upon separation, faculty with 5 or more years of continuous service with the VCCS will be paid for 25 percent of their unused sick leave balance. The payment cannot exceed $5,000. Employees with less than 5 years of service do not receive payment for any part of their accrued sick leave.

Holidays

All full-time state employees receive 12 paid holidays each calendar year. A holiday falling on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday, and one falling on Sunday will be observed on the following Monday.

For the exception of the holiday schedule for Campus Police, the College observes an alternate holiday schedule from some other state agencies. The alternate holiday schedule (2008 and 2009) may vary, but includes an equal number of days as established by the college calendar.

Other Leave Types

In addition to the leave types mentioned above, the state has provisions for other types of leave for full-time, such as Civil and Work-Related Leave, School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave, Military Leave, Workers’ Compensation Leave, and Leave Without Pay (conditional and unconditional).

All employees (including student workers) are eligible for Family and Medical Leave, including leave rights relating to military service.

commonhealth

The College encourages the continued education of employees through reimbursement of tuition expenses. Either state or local funds may be allocated for tuition reimbursement pursuant to guidelines established by the state's Educational Assistance Policy and the Supplemental Educational Assistance and Continuous Learning Policy for Employees of Virginia Western Community College.

Professional development may be achieved through Professional Development Grants, Chancellor's Faculty Fellowships, Chancellor's Faculty Professorships and Chancellor's Fellowships for Classified Staff.

flexible reimbursement accounts

Flexible Reimbursement Accounts allow full-time employees to set aside part of their pay each pay period on a pre-taxed basis for one or both of these accounts:

• Medical Reimbursement Accounts are used to pay for the out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision care expenses not covered by your health benefits plan.
• Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts are used to pay for the expenses to care for your child, disabled spouse, elderly parent or other dependents who are physically and mentally incapable of self care.

Annuities, Other Insurance, & Savings Bonds

All VWCC employees (except student workers) may purchase these plans through payroll deduction - the costs are borne entirely by the employee. Supplemental insurance programs are administered by a third-party administrator.

Pre-Tax Deductions

• Tax-deferred annuities
  • Section 403b - offered by FBMC providers
  • Section 457 - (Deferred Compensation Plan) - offered by Great West

Post-Tax Deductions

• Other FBMC providers offer cancer insurance, disability insurance, property and casualty insurance
• Savings Bonds

Cash Match Program

Virginia Western encourages full-time employees to participate in supplemental retirement savings plans. The state has implemented a cash-match program whereby the state will match full-time employee contributions to either a 403b tax sheltered annuity plan or a 457 deferred compensation plan. The state will match 50 percent of the employee contribution or $20.00 per pay period, whichever is less, not to exceed $480 per calendar year. The cash match is paid into a 401a account.

virginia college savings plan

The Virginia College Savings Plan offers several programs that allow all employees to save for personal college expenses for their children, grandchildren or someone else. The plans offer ways to save for tuition, room and board, textbooks and other fees.

discounts

All employees of VWCC are eligible for discounts at various vendors such as Sprint PCS, Cingular, J. Crew, Weight Watchers, Elizabeth Arden, local gyms, local credit union membership, HP and the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks. Please contact Human Resources for additional information.

Work / Life Balance

At Virginia Western Community College, we recognize the challenges employees face in balancing a family and a career and are proud to provide employees with a Work/Life Balance Program.

You will enjoy your career in a supportive work environment and be given the opportunity to attend at work a monthly presentation on topics such as parenting, buying a home, reducing financial debt, estate planning, choosing assisted living, stress reduction and more.

• Optional Supplemental life insurance coverage for full-time employees and their family is also available at group rates through Minnesota Life Insurance Company. The coverage is “guaranteed issue” for employees and their children if enrollment is completed within 31 days of employment. Spouses are subject to be medically underwritten and will be required to qualify based on information regarding their health history. The premiums are group rates, and the employee is responsible for the cost of the supplemental coverage.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

All health plans offered to participating full-time state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAP) - through ValueOptions if COVACare and through Athem if COVA HDHP. Included are up to four sessions at no charge for such services as mental health, alcohol or drug abuse assessment, child or elder care, grief counseling and legal or financial services. EAP counselors are available to assist employees with problems related to alcohol, drugs, family, health, legal, financial, housing, mental health, child care, elder care, grief, spousal/child/parent abuse, workplace, career planning, and retirement.