Benefit Summary for Employees
- Summary Plan Descriptions and Forms for benefits
- Complete Benefit Summary DOC
- Domestic Partner Policy
DOC - Domestic Partner Affidavit DOC
Annual & Sick Leave
An employee is eligible for annual and sick leave if his or her regular appointment is more than 15 consistent hours per week and is expected to continue for 12 months. Intermittent employees are not eligible for this benefit.
Annual leave accrual is as follows:
- 1 - 3 years 1 hour for every 20 worked = 13 days/year @FT
- >3 - 11 years 1 hour for every 13 worked = 20 days/year @FT
- >11 - 15 years 1 hour for every 11.25 worked = 23 days/year @FT
- >15 years 1 hour per every 10 worked = 26 days/year @FT
At this time, SIBCR allows a maximum annual leave carryover of 160 hours. If an employee has more than 160 hours of annual leave on December 31st the amount over 160 will be deducted from the employee's annual leave bank. Employees who terminate with at least six (6) months are paid their accrued annual leave upon termination.
Employees who transfer from the University of Washington (UW) or the VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VA) to SIBCR will have their service time credited toward SIBCR annual leave accruals. For example: an employee with 5 years of service at the UW will start accruing annual leave at the rate of 1 hour for every 13 worked at the start of employment with SIBCR (the 3-11 year rate.) This employee would move to the >15 years rate when they had 10 years of service with SIBCR.
Sick leave accrues at the rate of 1 hour for every 20 worked (13 days per year at full-time). The maximum sick leave accrual allowed is 240 hours. Sick leave ceases to accrue when 240 hours are in the employee's sick leave bank. At that point, after an employee uses some accrued sick leave, sick leave will resume accruing up to the maximum of 240 hours. Employees are not paid accrued sick leave on termination.
Employees transferring from the UW/VA will have the equivalent of their UW/VA sick leave balances credited into their SIBCR sick leave accounts up to the maximum of 240 hours.
Holidays
SIBCR offers 10 paid holidays per year.
| New Year's Day | Labor Day |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Columbus Day |
| Presidents' Day | Veteran's Day |
| Memorial Day | Thanksgiving |
| Independence Day | Christmas |
- 2010 Important Dates and Time Sheet Schedule
PDF
Military Leave
A regular full or part-time employee is eligible for 15 working days per year of paid military reserve leave upon presentation of orders to the supervisor and to SIBCR Human Resources.
Jury Duty
A regular full or part-time employee will be paid regular pay based on the individual's appointment for up to 10 working days for performance of jury duty.
Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance
SIBCR offers a choice of Regence Blue Shield Selections (HMO) PDF or Preferred Provider PDF medical insurance, plus Washington Dental Service PDF and Vision Service Plan PDF coverage. An Employee is eligible for health insurance with a regular appointment of 20 hours or more per week expected to continue for at least a year. The employee pays $40 a month for coverage and the remainder of the premium is paid by SIBCR for the eligible employee. When additional family members are covered, the employee pays 25% of the additional premium and SIBCR pays 75%. An eligible employee may waive this coverage with proof of coverage on another health plan.
- Regence Pharmacy Management Benefit
- Regence Benefits Member
- Regence - Find a Doctor
- Regence Enrollment/Change form PDF
- Washington Dental Service website
- Washington Dental Service Enrollment form
- VSP website
- VSP Out-of-Network Reimbursement form PDF
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are a way for employees to pay for medical, dental, vision, and child care expenses on a pretax basis. These accounts save employees money on Federal Income taxes and Social Security taxes. The FSA programs offer employees significant tax advantages.
FSA programs allow employees to set aside a certain amount of pre-tax dollars through payroll deductions. The money deducted will go into health care spending account and/or dependent care account which allows employees to pay for child care expenses for children under the age of 13. Daycare for disabled adults can also be covered under this program.
The maximum annual amount of deduction for the Health FSA is $3,000 and the maximum for the Daycare FSA is $5,000. An employee can contribute anything from $120 per year ($10/month) up to the maximum. These programs start every year on October 1.
Once enrolled, an employee is not allowed by the Internal Revenue Service to make corrections to the contributions agreed upon for payroll deductions. Employees should be conservative in estimating expenses. Any money not used within the year will not be returned to the employee.
For more information please visit Flex Plan Services.
- Summary Plan Description DOC
- FSA HIPAA PDF
- Welcome letter DOC
- FSA Managers/Contact information sheet DOC
- Claim Form 10/09-9/10 PDF
- Change Form PDF
- Termination Letter DOC
Retirement
TIAA-CREF is our plan provider for the 403(b) Group Retirement Annuity (GRA) DOC. An eligible employee (at least 50% effort or >1,000 hours within 12 consecutive months) may participate starting the first day of the month following six months of service. All faculty are eligible to participate without a minimum percent effort. Employees transferring to SIBCR from the University of Washington, VA Puget Sound Health Care System or 501(c)(3) institutions can satisfy the waiting period with service at the prior institution.
After the six-month waiting period, 5% of the employee's gross salary is contributed to the 403(b) plan by SIBCR. Additionally, the employee has the option to contribute up to 2.5% into the GRA by completing the Salary Reduction Agreement PDF DOC. Any amount up to 2.5% so contributed will be matched by SIBCR.
SIBCR also offers a Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) DOC 403(b) plan with TIAA-CREF. All employees are eligible to participate beginning the 1st of the month following their hire date. An employee may contribute up to the yearly legal calculated maximum. This contribution is tax-deferred and not included in taxable wages for the year. There is no SIBCR match on the employee contribution to the SRA.
SIBCR offers a 457(b) Top Hat Plan for a select group of higher-level SIBCR employees. This will allow certain employees (by title) to increase their tax-deferred contributions an additional amount above the amount they are able to contribute to the 403(b) retirement plan.
Employees with the following titles who work at least 50% effort are eligible: Controller, Counsel, Executive Director, Grants Manager, Human Resources Manager, Lead Research Administrator, Laboratory Manager, Radiation Safety Officer, Research Associate III, Research Compliance Officer, Research Manager, Research Psychologist, Research Physician, Research Program Manager, and Research Scientist.
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
SIBCR offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through the VA Puget Sound Health Care System EAP. Employees can receive assistance with issues pertaining to: health and wellness, dependent care, money and investments, emotional issues and much more. Employees who wish to use this service should contact EAP with Federal Occupational Health (FOH) by calling 1-800-222-0364. When calling FOH, employees/family members will need to state that they are with VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
Disability and Life Insurance
- Short-Term Disability Claim Form PDF
- Beneficiary Designation/Change Form
Name change certificates: GE to Genworth PDF Genworth to SunLife PDF
Regular employees working a minimum of 30 hours a week are covered. These benefits are insured through Genworth Life & Health Insurance with the full premium paid for by SIBCR.
Short-Term Disability Insurance PDF
Disability income benefits are provided in the event of a temporary disability due to illness or injury. Once the attending physician has certified the disability, the employee will receive 60% of his/her weekly income to a maximum of $1,000. Short-term disability benefits can last up to 22 weeks. If the employee exhausts the 22 weeks benefit, he or she may be eligible for long-term disability benefits. There is a 30-day waiting period before benefits commence. This benefit is insured through Genworth Life & Health Insurance.
Long-Term Disability Insurance PDF
Long-term disability benefits commence after the employee has been disabled for 180 days and the employee's attending physician certifies the disability. The employee will receive 60% of his/her pre-disability salary up to a maximum of $8,000 a month. In general, this coverage is provided for two years if the employee is disabled from their own occupation. If the disability prevents them from performing any occupation, the benefit continues to the greater of age 65 or the employee's normal Social Security retirement age.
Life Insurance PDF
Each employee is insured for $50,000 worth of group term life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
SunLife Enrollment Form PDF
Voluntary Life Insurance
SIBCR offers voluntary life insurance benefit for employees who work 20 hours a week or more. For this insurance, the premium will be paid by the employee who may purchase from $20,000 to $30,000 of life insurance for self coverage not to exceed five times the annual salary. Additionally, coverage may be purchased for a spouse and children. Full details are available for interested employees in the summary plan description below.
Voluntary Life Insurance PDF
Voluntary Life Insurance Enrollment Form PDF
Aflac
Coverage Continuation Form DOC
This is a supplemental option that is in addition to the current benefits. Payments are made through payroll deductions and the cost depends on the coverage that is selected. Through group rates you may select: Cancer Protection, Personal Recover Plus, Accident, Supplemental Dental and other options. Please contact the plan administrator Becky Cotter for more information and enrollment, Rebecca_cotter@us.aflac.com or 206-818-8300.
Metro Transit Flex Pass
SIBCR offers the Seattle Metro FlexPass program to eligible employees. This benefit program provides unlimited, free-of-charge use of Metro and Sound Transit buses or trains and subsidized vanpool and vanshare rates. SIBCR employees on the Seattle campus with an appointment that is expected to last 6 months or more are eligible for this benefit.
Free use of Metro and Sound Transit service: FlexPass gives you an unlimited number of rides, at any time, in all zones. Applies only to regularly scheduled services and routes.
Subsidized vanpool and vanshare: FlexPass contributes $65/month toward the cost of a Metro Transit vanpool fare (including gas, insurance, and maintenance fees). Alternately, a vanshare can help you get between your home and a station, terminal, or park & ride lot. FlexPass will cover the monthly vanshare fee, while riders share gas costs. Maximum round trip for a vanshare is 20 miles, and three people are needed to start.
Home Free Guarantee: For eligible employees who commute by FlexPass and miss their ride home (e.g., having to work late unexpectedly, an emergency requiring you to leave early), FlexPass covers up to 8 taxi trips yearly (excluding tips, maximum 60 miles one-way). Home Free rides must be pre-approved by the SIBCR office. For more information on please see PDF.
FlexPass Use Agreement DOC
FlexPass Description DOC