When you need to take an extended leave of absence to attend to personal or family matters, consult HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 to discuss which University leave policies are appropriate for your circumstances. An HR representative can explain whether you are eligible for a paid leave of absence, an unpaid leave of absence, or disability benefits, and whether you will continue health or other benefits during your leave. Review the leave webpages for more information.
Paid Leave of Absence/Disability Leave
In most cases, if you are eligible for a paid leave or disability benefits, you are able to continue your other benefits, such as medical, dental/vision, and life insurance, with your share of the cost deducted from your University pay. It’s important to note that benefit premium contributions are taken on an after-tax basis when on a continuous Paid Family Leave. If you are not eligible for a paid leave of absence, you will need to send payment for your share of the costs if you wish to continue your benefits. However, if you fail to make the required payments and your benefits are stopped, benefits will not be reinstated upon your return to work. Instead, you will need to wait to re-enroll during the next Open Enrollment period.
Unpaid Leave of Absence
If you take a leave of absence without pay, and that leave is not protected by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the Uniformed Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”) or other regulations, you may not have benefits continued during the leave. You may be able to continue benefits under COBRA by paying the full cost plus a two percent administrative fee.
Depending on your circumstances, you may wish to consider whether a flexible work arrangement is appropriate for your situation. Consult with your supervisor or your Senior HR Business Partner to learn more about this option.
Should you have any questions, or require accommodations to access any information on this webpage, please reach out to HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this website is accurate. However, benefits are governed by legal documents (which, in certain circumstances, may include insurance contracts). If there is any difference between the information in this website and the official documents, the official documents will control. As is the case with all of Syracuse University’s employee benefit plans, the University reserves the right to modify or terminate these benefits at any time.