Benefits

Employment Benefits at the City Colleges
As an employee of the City Colleges of Chicago, you may be eligible for these benefits.

Automated Direct Deposit
All employees may enroll in the direct deposit program. By authorizing City Colleges through the Payroll Department your check is automatically deposited into your checking or savings account. On payday, instead of a check, you receive a notification of deposit which serves as your check stub and record of payment. Necessary forms can be obtained at your new employee orientation program or by contacting the Payroll Department.

Automated Purchase of Savings Bonds
City Colleges of Chicago provides all employees the opportunity to purchase savings bonds. Savings bonds are available in $100, $200, $500 and $1000 denominations. They can be purchased through payroll deduction. Funds are deducted biweekly from the employee's payroll checks. The bonds are purchased when the total payroll deductions are sufficient to purchase a bond at the end of each month. The purchase price of the bond is ½ the face value of the bond. The bond will mature in 10 years.

To participate obtain an application in General Accounting from the Accounting Coordinator.

COBRA
COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) is an act that requires the City Colleges of Chicago to offer continuation of medical coverage to employees and dependents who would otherwise lose group medical coverage because of certain qualifying events.

Who is a Qualified Beneficiary?
A qualified beneficiary is any employee or covered dependent who looses medical insurance because of a qualifying event.

For an employee, the only qualifying events are termination of employment (voluntary or involuntary for any reason except gross misconduct) or reduction in hours to fewer than the minimum number of hours required for plan participation.

For a dependent, the following are qualifying events:

The employee terminating employment or reduction in hours.
Divorce or legal separation.
Death of the employee.
Dependent child reaching maximum age participation in plan.

How Long is COBRA Coverage Extended For?

Termination of employment or reduction in hours offers 18 months of coverage
Divorce or legal separation offers 36 months of coverage to the ex-spouse and dependent children.
Death of the employee offers 36 months of coverage to the widow/widower and dependent children.
When a dependent child reaches the maximum age for coverage, COBRA offers 36 months of coverage to the child.

How Much Does COBRA Cost?
The monthly premium for COBRA is 102% of the full group rate premium. There is no subsidy from the City Colleges of Chicago.

An application for COBRA coverage is automatically mailed to the employee's home if the qualifying event is termination of employment. For any other qualifying event that applies to a dependent, the employee must notify the Benefits Department, Office of Human Resources, and request that an application be mailed to the qualified beneficiary.

Homeowners and Auto Insurance
Group Insurance for automobile, homeowners, condo unit owners, renters and personal umbrella coverage is available at a discount to City college employees based on employee category. See benefits for participating insurance agencies.

Discounts:

Administrators- $100 toward Homeowners insurance
$200 towards Auto Insurance
Non-bargained for Non-academic- $100 toward Homeowners
$100 towards Auto
Local 1600 Faculty- $100 towards Homeowners
$200 towards Auto
Local 1600 Professional-$100 towards Homeowners
$200 towards Auto
Local 1708- $100 towards Homeowners
$100 towards Auto

Jury Duty
An employee summoned for jury duty will be paid for those hours the employee is unable to work by reason of his service if:

The employee presents the original jury summons to the Board within ten (10) days of receipt to enable scheduling of a substitute.
The employee surrenders the compensation check for jury duty.

Medical Insurance
Full time employees and AFSCME employees are eligible to enroll in one of the three medical plans as of date of hire. Eligible employees have 30 days from date of hire to enroll in a plan. Employees may cover dependents under their plans, the definition of dependent is outlined in the City Colleges of Chicago Dependent Documentation Requirements (Attachment I). In general, a dependent is a legal spouse, or children (natural, step-children, legally adopted children or a child that you have been appointed legal guardian) until age 25 regardless of full-time student status. A handicapped child can continue to be covered beyond age 25.

Information on the three medical plans is located at each campus. Each medical plan has a directory of doctors and hospitals. Completed enrollment forms are to be forwarded to the Benefits Department, Office of Human Resources, 12th Floor, District Office.

To enroll a dependent, the appropriate documentation is required. To enroll a spouse you need to submit a certified marriage license. To enroll a child you need to submit a certified birth certificate. If the child is not your natural child you will have to submit additional verification. These documents must be original certified documents, no photo copies will be accepted.

Dependents may be added throughout the year if the documentation discussed above is provided within 30 days of the date of the event along with a completed enrollment form. In the case of marriage, you may add your spouse within 30 days of the date of the marriage. In the case of birth, adoption, or becoming legal guardian, you may add the child within 30 days.

Changing medical plans can only take place during a period of Open Enrollment. Once per year a period of Open Enrollment is held where employees are given the opportunity to switch medical plans, or enroll for the first time. Also, dependents may be added, if they were not originally enrolled, or added at the time of acquisition.

Full-time employees pay a subsidized rate for their medical insurance depending upon the plan they enroll in. Full-time employees pay for their insurance through payroll deduction, one deduction is taken from the second pay period of every month. There are two rates, one for single coverage and one for family coverage. AFSCME employees can participate in the plans by paying the entire amount of the monthly premium, there is no subsidy from the City Colleges of Chicago. AFSCME employees can elect to pay by payroll deduction, the same schedule as full-time employees. Or, they can elect to pay with a personnel check.

Life Insurance
All full-time employees are covered with a free group life insurance policy equal to 2 times annual salary to different maximums depending on the employment category.

All full-time employees are automatically enrolled, and there is no charge for this coverage. There is no coverage available for a spouse or dependent children.

At time of hire, each employee is asked to complete a beneficiary designation (See Attachment I). This can be any person or entity, such as a charity. Employees may change their beneficiary designations at any time. Original beneficiary designation forms are in the new hire packets. Additional forms may be obtained from each campus or from the Benefits Department.

Pension Options
All full-time and part-time employees of the City Colleges of Chicago is required to participate in the State Universities Retirement System (SURS). A contribution of 8% of pay on a pre-tax basis is mandatory.

SURS offers a choice of three different pension options. Employees have 60 days from date of hire to make a selection between the three. Upon hire, the Benefits Department mails a notice to the employee, along with a brief chart outlining the differences between the three options. (See Attachment I.) Employees are told to call SURS as soon as possible to request a Choice Kit from SURS. This kit has been approved by the State of Illinois as the only informational material allowed to be used. The kit includes an election form and self addressed envelope to be returned directly to SURS. If no election is made by the employee within 60 days, the default option is selected. Once an election has been made with SURS there is no opportunity to change.

Long-term Disability: When you contribute to the SURS pension plan, you are automatically provided with LTD coverage. There is no additional cost to you for this coverage. To receive benefits due to sickness you must have contributed into SURS for at least two years prior to the illness. If the disability is due to an accident the benefit is immediate. However, there is a 60 day elimination period before benefits begin. To qualify you must be unable to perform the duties of your job. Disability benefits are 50% of your base salary at the time you became disabled.

Disability benefits continue until the earlier of the following has occurred:

You have received 50% of your total earnings while a participant under SURS.
September 1 of the year following your 70th birthday, unless you became disabled after reaching age 65, then you are entitled to up to 5 years.

If you are still disabled when your disability benefits end, you may request a Disability Retirement Allowance. To request this benefit you must be totally disabled and unable to perform any gainful employment. This benefit is 35% of your base salary at the time you became disabled. This benefit will continue until you are no longer disabled, you request your normal retirement benefit under SURS or you die.

Sick Days
All full-time employees earn sick days. In the event an employee is too ill to come in to work, it is required that the employee notify the City Colleges of Chicago of his absence.

In accordance with the Job Abandonment Policy, each President and Vice Chancellor has appointed a designee employees can contact, in addition to their immediate supervisor, to report an absence.

Leaving a voice mail message will not relieve the employee of the obligation to speak directly with their immediate supervisor, or the supervisor's designee, to report absences.

The employee will continue to call the supervisor, or the supervisor's designee, until they finally can talk to that individual.

Sick day entitlement is determined by employment category. Employees who are members of a collective bargaining unit will find their sick day entitlement in their Union Contract. Non-bargained-for and Administrative employees receive 12 sick days per year at the beginning of the Fall Semester.

Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans
You may elect to contribute a portion of your income to a tax-deferred retirement account within certain limits established by the IRS. This money is automatically deducted from your paycheck prior to tax withholdings and invested with an accepted tax-sheltered Annuity Provider and among your chosen investment options. The City Colleges currently has a list of 12 board approved tax-sheltered Annuity Providers. To enroll in one of these plans contact the Payroll Department.

Vacation
Most full-time employees earn vacation days. The exception is Local 1600 full-time faculty.

Vacation shall be taken at a time agreed upon by employee, the employee's supervisor and the employee's department head. A request to take vacation should be made in writing at least one week in advance of the date requested. The written request should be made to the employee's supervisor. If possible, the request will be granted. The supervisor will take into consideration the work load of the department, and the number of other employee's requesting the same time off, when approving vacation request. Seniority will be considered if two employees request the same time off.

Vacation entitlement is determined by employment category. Employees who are members of a collective bargaining unit will find their vacation entitlement in their Union Contract. Non-bargained-for employees earn 10 days of vacation for the first 6 years of employment, 15 days for years 7 through 14, and 20 days after 15 years of service. Administrative employees earn 20 days of vacation each year.

Personal Days
All full-time employees earn personal days.

A personal day is discretionary day off to be taken for personal reasons, such as a doctor or business appointment. The procedure for requesting a personal day is the same as requesting a vacation. A written request should be made at least one week in advance to the employee's supervisor. The same criteria will be used to approve a personal day request as is used to approve a vacation.

Personal day entitlement is determined by employment category. Employees who are members of a collective bargaining unit will find their personal day entitlement in their Union Contract. Non-bargained-for and Administrative employees receive 3 personal days each January 1.

Tuition at City Colleges
All full-time employees are eligible to receive free tuition at City Colleges for themselves, a spouse and dependent children up to age 25. Free tuition is limited to credit classes only. The individual is still required to pay any student fees.

It is requested that the employee accompany the spouse or dependent child to the campus for registration. After the student has registered, they and the employee go to the Business Office, where tuition is normally paid. At the Business Office, the employee shows his/her picture ID and a copy of their latest Federal Income Tax Return (Form 10-40), proving that the student is a dependent. At that time, tuition is waived and any required fees are paid.