Fringe Benefits
419.01
Fringe Benefits
- Details of hospitalization / major medical and life insurance for all full-time faculty
members are found in the Faculty Contract. The College makes available group health
plan coverage and life insurance coverage for all fulltime employees and their eligible
dependents. Coverage is at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. The Board determines
the cost paid by the College. The employee pays the balance of the cost through employee
premiums deducted, pro-rata, from the employee's pay unless otherwise authorized by
the employee. In the event of termination of employment, any balance due is deducted
from the final pay of the employee.
- Details of Section 125 for all full-time faculty members are found in the Faculty
Contract. The Board established a Section 125 plan in accordance with the requirements
of Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code through salary reduction that allows full-time
staff to elect to designate a portion of their salary for the payment of any allowable
expenses not paid by the Board.
- Details of tuition-free enrollment for all faculty members are found in the appropriate
Faculty Contract. The College offers tuition-free enrollment at Sauk Valley Community
College for all full-time employees, spouses, and their children under 23 years of
age. Permanent part-time professional-technical and support employees, spouses, and
their children are eligible for tuition waivers on a pro-rated basis (75% for staff
working 20 hours or more per week, 50% for staff working 10 to 19 hours per week).
If an employee dies while working for the College, the tuition waiver remains in effect
for their surviving dependents under 23 years of age. Activity fees, lab fees, and
books are paid by the student. Courses contracted with a third-party vendor are excluded.
- All employees are eligible to enroll into non-credit professional development courses
for free once the course meets the minimum course enrollment that is set by the Program
Director. All employee spouses are eligible to enroll into non-credit professional
development courses at half the cost once the course meets the minimum course enrollment
that is set by the Program Director. Professional development courses contracted with
a third-party vendor are excluded. All employees, spouses, and children 18 and under
are eligible to enroll into non-credit personal enrichment courses at half the cost
once the course meets the minimum course enrollment that is set by the Program Director.
Personal enrichment experiences and trips contracted with a third-party vendor are
excluded.
- The College pays regular expenses for academic robes and regalia required for any
Sauk Valley function.
- Details of tuition reimbursement for all full-time faculty members are found in the
Faculty Contract. The Board pays tuition and mandatory fees at the rate of not more
than $175 per credit hour up to a maximum of $2,100 per year for those courses taken
by full-time administrative, professional-technical, and support staff, providing
the courses are related to their work at the College. All courses must be approved
in advance by the President, and reimbursement is limited to 12 credit hours per fiscal
year. Any exceptions are made by the President. Reimbursement is made upon receipt
of the transcript for courses earning a grade of “C” or higher for graduate or undergraduate
credit.
- SURS provides retirement, disability, death, and survivors benefits to all eligible
participants. Generally, SURS covers all employees, including part-time employees
who work for the College for at least one continuous academic term. Details concerning
retirement allowances, disability benefits, reciprocity, and refund allowances are
contained in the SURS handbook issued to every member at the beginning of their employment.
SURS also provides a voluntary plan, called the SURS Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP),
which provides members an avenue to save more and generate additional income in retirement.
- Details of annual vacation for the 12-month counselors and librarians are found in
the Faculty Contract. Administrators earn vacation at the rate of .923 days per pay
bi-weekly period (24 days annually). Staff earn annual vacation at the following rates
per bi-weekly pay period. Bi-weekly is defined as every other week and the rates are
effective on the first day of a pay period.
STAFF
Year of employment
Rate
First and second years of employment
4.308 hours per pay period (14 days annually)
Third and fourth years of employment
4.615 hours per pay period (15 days annually)
Fifth and sixth years of employment
5.231 hours per pay period (17 days annually)
Seventh and eighth years of employment
5.538 hours per pay period (18 days annually)
Ninth and tenth years of employment
5.846 hours per pay period (19 days annually)
Eleventh and twelfth years of employment
6.154 hours per pay period (20 days annually)
Thirteenth and fourteenth years of employment
6.462 hours per pay period (21 days annually)
Fifteenth and all subsequent years of employment
6.769 hours per pay period (22 days annually)
The employee's supervisor approves the scheduling of all vacations. At the end of the last full pay period worked in the fiscal year, any vacation time over one and one-half times the annual allocation is lost. Unless excepted by the President, all employees take vacation or personal days when the College is scheduled to be closed in December and in the first week of January, as shown by the College calendar. It is intended that no vacation is used before being earned. However, should any employee seek to take vacation in advance, it may be allowed only with the prior written approval of a supervisor. In the event of termination of employment, any vacation time owed to the College is deducted from the final salary payment at the pay rate in effect at the time of separation. - Details of sick leave for all full-time faculty members are found in the Faculty Contract.
Administration and staff who work a forty-hour per week schedule accrue sick leave
at the rate of 3.08 hours per pay period (bi-weekly). Employees working less than
full-time are authorized sick time. Sick leave is accumulated without limit. It is
intended that no sick time is used before being earned; however, in extraordinary
circumstances, sick leave may be advanced on the prior written request of the employee's
supervisor. In the event of termination of employment, any sick leave owed to the
College is deducted from the final salary payment at the pay rate in effect at the
time of separation. An employee is not paid for unused sick leave when retirement,
termination, or resignation from the College occurs. An employee who must be absent
from duty because of illness notifies their supervisor at the earliest possible time.
Every day of absence is indicated on the employee's time sheet. Any absence for reasons
that qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act must be counted toward leave allowed
under that policy. Employees are eligible to use sick leave for absences due to illness,
injury, death, or medical appointment for the employee, employee's child, spouse,
sibling, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, or stepparent.
Conditions relating to pregnancy are treated as any other serious health condition.
As a condition to such sick leave, the staff member may be required to furnish a written
statement from the member's physician describing the condition of the ill-being and
physical reasons for the staff member's inability to work. In the event of sick leave
taken because of a sickness of a member of the employee's immediate family, as a condition
to sick leave, the staff member may be required to furnish a statement from the treating
physician describing the condition of the ill-being and physical reasons for the necessity
for the staff member to be with the family member.
- Details of personal leave for all full-time faculty members are found in the Faculty
Contract. Full-time college administrators and staff are eligible for up to five paid
personal leave days per fiscal year, front loaded at the beginning of each fiscal
year, specifically for the purpose of completing personal business and complying with
the Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Newly-hired employees have a 90-day waiting
period before using personal days. Employees hired during the fiscal year receive
a pro-rata number of hours upon hire. Under the Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers
Act, short-term employees in higher education are excluded from the mandate. Short-term
employees are defined as being employed for less than two consecutive calendar quarters
and have no reasonable expectation that they will be rehired by the same employer
for the same service in a subsequent year. Employees may use the time for any reason
of their choosing in increments of at least two hours. Where foreseeable, employees
should provide at least seven days of notice. Otherwise, the leave request should
be made as soon as possible. Personal leave hours must be used by the end of each
fiscal year. Any unused personal leave hours at the end of each fiscal year are not
carried over. Unused hours are not paid out at the time of termination, resignation,
or retirement. If an employee is rehired within twelve months, they will be reinstated
Paid time off is not paid out upon termination, resignation, or retirement. Eligible
employees are eligible to earn and use up to 40 hours of paid leave during a twelve-month
period or a pro-rata number of hours of paid leave. Employees may use the time for
any reason of their choosing in increments of at least two hours. Where foreseeable,
employees should provide at least seven days of notice. Otherwise, the leave request
should be made as soon as possible.
- The College fully complies with the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 in its original
form and as amended by law, and the Child Bereavement Act. If an employee elects to
maintain health insurance coverage after an unpaid FMLA, they must elect COBRA after
one month of leave without pay.
- Details of leave of absence for all fulltime faculty members are found in the Faculty
Contract. The College may grant a leave of absence without pay to an employee if the
leave would serve the best interest of the College and the employee. This section
is applicable only after any leave available and applicable under the Family and Medical
Leave Act is exhausted. No leave of absence without pay is granted to any employee
who has accrued paid vacation time or who is eligible to be paid sick or personal
time. An employee seeking a leave of absence without pay requests leave by giving
written notice to the College at least 30 days in advance of the proposed start date
of the leave of absence. Leave of absence without pay must be approved in advance
by the employee's supervisor. Leave of absence without pay for more than one calendar
month in any fiscal year must be approved in advance by the President. An employee
on a leave of absence without pay must elect COBRA to maintain health insurance coverage
after one month of unpaid leave. Employees on a leave of absence without pay under
this section do not accrue sick/personal leave or vacation and are not be eligible
for any other benefits, which existed or accrued when working. An employee concurrently
on SURS disability leave and on a leave of absence without pay has their leave of
absence without pay terminated after six months. Grant of leave of absence without
pay under this section does not guarantee the employee will return to the same or
a similar job at the end of the leave. The College may deny reinstatement if the employee
would not otherwise have been employed at the time reinstatement is requested. Failure
to return to work at the end of an approved leave of absence is considered a resignation.
- The College believes that it is in the best interest of its employees to use Retirement
Benefit Programs. The College reasonably facilitates employee participation in Section
403(b) and 457(b) programs and makes salary reductions on behalf of qualified employees
when employees comply with this policy. The College provides for salary reductions
and contributes to a designated Benefit program; however, the employee completes appropriate
forms as required and uses only those service providers who have entered into an agreement
with the College.
- Full-time employees eligible for holiday pay receive pay at their straight time hourly
rate for the scheduled work hours on that day. Permanent part-time professional-technical
and support staff who work 20 hours or more per week receive pro-rated holiday pay
of four (4) hours at their regular straight time rate for six major holidays. The
six major holidays that apply are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day,
Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. If one of the six major holidays falls
on a weekend, then this is not covered as a paid holiday.
- Bereavement leave is available for active employees.
- For full-time active employees, the following applies:
- The College grants one day paid leave for extended family (aunt, uncle, cousin, niece
or nephew), three days paid leave for family (including brother or sister-in-law,
son or daughter-in-law, mother or father-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law,
or grandchild), and five days paid leave for immediate family (spouse or Civil Union
partner, child [biological, adopted, foster, step, legal ward, or a child for whom
the employee stood in loco parentis], parent, sibling, step-sibling, and stepparent).
Bereavement leave days are not accrued and must be taken within 30 calendar days from
the first bereavement day taken to the last bereavement day taken.
- Under the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, after 1,250 hours of service with
an employer during the prior 12-month period, an employee is eligible for two weeks
(10 working days) of unpaid leave following the death of a child, stepchild, spouse,
domestic partner, sibling, parent or step-parent, mother-in-law or father-in-law,
grandchild or grandparent.
- Unpaid leave time may be used to attend the funeral or alternative to a funeral of
a covered family member; make arrangements necessitated by the death of the covered
family member; grieve the death of the covered family member; or be absent from work
due to a miscarriage, an unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or of an
assisted reproductive technology procedure, or a failed adoption match or an adoption
that is not finalized because it is contested by another party; a failed surrogacy
agreement; a diagnosis that negatively impacts pregnancy or fertility; or a stillbirth.
- Employees are paid as noted above, and the remaining days are unpaid. Employees meeting
the eligibility requirements of the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act may elect
to substitute other paid leave they have accrued, such as sick, vacation or personal
days, for any unpaid portion of the leave. Leave under the Illinois Family Bereavement
Act must be completed within 60 days after the date an employee receives notice of
the death of the child. Employees may be entitled to up to six weeks of bereavement
time in the event of the death of more than one child during a twelve-month period.
This Act does not create a right for an employee to take unpaid leave that exceeds
the unpaid leave time allowed under or in addition to the unpaid leave time permitted
by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
- The employee's immediate supervisor authorizes the use of bereavement leave. If additional
time is needed beyond what is indicated above, vacation, sick or unpaid personal leave
may be taken with supervisory approval in consult with Human Resources. The supervisor
should consult with Human Resources in special circumstances.
- The College grants one day paid leave for extended family (aunt, uncle, cousin, niece
or nephew), three days paid leave for family (including brother or sister-in-law,
son or daughter-in-law, mother or father-in-law, grandparent or grandparent-in-law,
or grandchild), and five days paid leave for immediate family (spouse or Civil Union
partner, child [biological, adopted, foster, step, legal ward, or a child for whom
the employee stood in loco parentis], parent, sibling, step-sibling, and stepparent).
Bereavement leave days are not accrued and must be taken within 30 calendar days from
the first bereavement day taken to the last bereavement day taken.
- For full-time active employees, the following applies:
- Under the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, after 1,250 hours of service with
an employer during the prior 12-month period, an employee is eligible for two weeks
(10 working days) of unpaid leave following the death of a child. Child is defined
as a biological, foster, adopted or step child, a legal ward or a child for whom the
employee stood in loco parentis. Bereavement leave days cannot be accrued. Employees
meeting the eligibility requirements of the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act
may elect to substitute leave they have accrued such as sick, vacation or personal
days for any portion of the leave. Leave under the Illinois Family Bereavement Act
must be completed within 60 days after the date an employee receives notice of the
death of the child. Employees may be entitled to up to six weeks of bereavement time
in the event of the death of more than one child during a twelve-month period. This
Act does not create a right for an employee to take unpaid leave that exceeds the
unpaid leave time allowed under, or in addition to the unpaid leave time permitted
by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
- The employee's immediate supervisor authorizes the use of bereavement leave. If additional time is needed beyond what is indicated above, vacation, sick or unpaid leave may be taken with supervisory approval in consultation with Human Resources. The supervisor should consult with Human Resources in special circumstances.
- Under the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, after 1,250 hours of service with
an employer during the prior 12-month period, an employee is eligible for two weeks
(10 working days) of unpaid leave following the death of a child. Child is defined
as a biological, foster, adopted or step child, a legal ward or a child for whom the
employee stood in loco parentis. Bereavement leave days cannot be accrued. Employees
meeting the eligibility requirements of the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act
may elect to substitute leave they have accrued such as sick, vacation or personal
days for any portion of the leave. Leave under the Illinois Family Bereavement Act
must be completed within 60 days after the date an employee receives notice of the
death of the child. Employees may be entitled to up to six weeks of bereavement time
in the event of the death of more than one child during a twelve-month period. This
Act does not create a right for an employee to take unpaid leave that exceeds the
unpaid leave time allowed under, or in addition to the unpaid leave time permitted
by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
- For full-time active employees, the following applies:
Revised: 03-23-1987, 05-21-1990, 02-25-1991, 07-27-1992, 11-23-1992, 10-31-1994, 11-28-1994,
10-27-1997, 03-23-1998, 05-26-1998, 11-23-1998, 10-20-1999, 06-23-2003, 06-28-2004,
04-25-2011, 07-29-2013, 02-15-2014, 11-28-2016, 11-27-2017, 08-26-2019, 11-30-2020,
10-23-2023, 12-18-2023, 08-26-2024
Cabinet Reviewed: 04/15/2025