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Human Resources  —  Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits

Below is a general description of the benefits, exclusions, limitations and other provisions of the benefits for eligible Goshen College employees. Policies are outlined in the Employee Handbook.

For full plan descriptions of benefits, see the Benefit Plan Documents. In addition, a list of benefits by category that outlines the benefits each category of employee is eligible for is available.

During the open enrollment period you may change health care coverage, sign up for additional benefits, decide how much of your salary you wish to set aside for health care expenses (Section 125) and more. Once open enrollment closes, you may not make changes until the following year unless there is a qualifying event, such as a spouse loss of employment. You have 30 days after a qualifying event to make any changes.

Sections

Dental Insurance

All ongoing employees working half-time and above and their dependents (through age 25) are eligible to enroll in a comprehensive group dental plan through HRI/Paramount. The full cost of the premium is paid by the employee. Application must be made within 30 days of hire and coverage may normally be changed during the annual open enrollment or during the plan year if there is a qualifying event such as spouse loss of employment.

For more details, see the Benefit Plan Documents.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here to help with no-cost, confidential support you can access for life’s challenges: emotional support (up to 3 sessions), life coaching, financial and legal consultation, life management, personal assistant, medical advocacy and a member portal and app for articles, webinars and other tools for total well-being. 

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for healthcare or dependent care (Section 125)

All ongoing employees working half-time time (1,000 hours) or more are eligible. Employees are permitted to use pretax dollars for qualified medical, dental and vision or qualified dependent care expenses — reducing out-of-pocket costs. Election of eligible expenses is made at the time of employment and during the annual benefit open enrollment period. It is the responsibility of the employee to fill out proper application forms in the Human Resources Office.

Harrison Group Website
For more details, see the Benefit Plan Documents.

Graduate/Terminal Degree Support

Employees qualify for this benefit if they are considered a full-time (.75 FTE and above) employee. The college will reimburse an employee for a maximum of $5,000 per year of graduate degree expenses upon application and approval for this benefit. Reimbursable expenses include costs for tuition, fees and books for graduate level classes.

This degree support is provided based on the employee agreeing to continue employment at Goshen College for a minimum of five academic years in a .5 – 1.0 FTE position following completion of a graduate degree. If the employee discontinues employment at Goshen College prior to this 5 year period, repayment is expected and repayment will be prorated. 

Employees can read the full policy and find the forms here.

Health Insurance

Goshen College pays 100% of the employee premium as well as 50% of the premium for dependents of full-time employees.

Eligibility – All ongoing employees working .75 FTE or more. Spouse and dependent children through age 25 (employee pays a portion of the cost) of eligible employees. Health insurance coverage begins with a signed application at the beginning of employment. Application must be made within the first 30 days of employment. The plan year is July 1 – June 30.

Plan Highlights – A comprehensive Preferred Provider Organization plan through Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield is available with national and some international provider coverage. You may create an account online at Highmark to track your Explanation of Benefits forms.

Transparency in Coverage – The following link leads to the machine-readable files that are made available in response to the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule and includes negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers. The machine-readable files are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers to access and analyze data more easily.   http://mrfdata.hmhs.com/

Once you click on the link, select “Pennsylvania”. File will automatically download in JSON file type, which will require Firefox, Notepad, UltraEdit or other file reader. Search your Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the Table of Contents and select in-network or out-of-network URL to download the JSON file.

Wellness and Prevention Program – One of the requirements of receiving Goshen College health insurance is an annual physical with your health service provider. This includes a requirement of an annual physical for any employee spouse covered under GC health insurance. Failure to complete this requirement by the deadline will result in a monthly charge in addition to the premium cost.

Identity Protection – For employees covered under Goshen College health insurance, Highmark is now offering identity protection at no cost to you. AllClear Identity Repair service offers help to those who have become a victim of identity theft. AllClear Credit Monitoring helps you stay informed of your credit activity by sending alerts when banks and creditors use your identity to open new accounts. It also offers a $1 million identity theft insurance policy and child identity protection for eligible members under 18 years old.

For more details, see the Benefit Plan Description. You may also search the site for in-network Doctors (“CQM” is ID Prefix).

Prescription Coverage – Each year the federal guidelines require all group health plans offering prescription drug coverage must determine if the coverage is creditable or non-creditable. Our plan is considered creditable. This means the drug benefit provided is equal to or greater than the standard Medicare Part D drug benefit. Medicare Part D Notice

We are covered under Express Scripts which is separate from Highmark BC/BS and has a separate insurance card. To register for an account, go to www.express-scripts.com. At the Express Scripts site you can price a medication, order online, get claim forms, and see your plan balance. Go to the FAQ page under the “Help” tab for many more options.

Videos from Highmark (health insurance):

Holidays

Administrative faculty, professional staff and staff have the following holidays:

  • Independence Day (one day)
  • Labor Day (one day)
  • Thanksgiving (two days)
  • Christmas/New Year’s (seven days)
  • Good Friday (one day)
  • Memorial Day (one day)
  • Juneteenth (one day)

Standard holiday schedule indicates that if a holiday falls during the work week (Monday-Friday), it will be observed on that day. However, if it falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the Friday immediately before. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the Monday immediately following. Exceptions can occur and when they do they will be communicated as soon as possible.

Beginning full-time staff and administrative employees are eligible for holiday pay if they have worked the five working days preceding the holiday. Part-time employees (.5 to .89 FTE) have pro-rated holiday time calculated at the same rate as the contract percent. There is no paid holiday time for employees less than 50 percent time.

In addition, any employee taking unpaid leave immediately before or after a holiday will not be paid for the holiday. Note that unpaid leave is not allowed without written request and approval per the policy in the Employee Handbook.

The holidays for 2024-25 dates are July 4, 2024; September 2, 2024; November 28-29, 2024; December 24, 2024-January 1, 2025; April 18, 2025; May 26, 2025; and June 19, 2025.

Life Insurance

All full-time employees are included in the plan upon date of employment and completion of application. The college will pay the full premium for the plan, which offers coverage for full-time employees. The value of coverage for each individual covered is 1.5 times gross salary to a $100,000 maximum. Employees who are between .50-.75 FTE will have $10,000 value of coverage. This amount is reduced after age 65.

Accidental death and dismemberment – All ongoing employees working half-time (1,000 hours) or more are eligible. Upon signed applications, insurance valued at 1.5 times gross salary up to $100,000 maximum is provided against accidental death. A lesser amount is provided for faculty and staff dismembered in an accident.

Supplemental Life Insurance – All employees working at least 20 hours or more a week can elect supplemental life insurance. Supplemental life insurance is offered for the employee, spouse and child(ren).

For more details, see the Benefit Plan Documents.

Long-term Disability Insurance

Total disability – All ongoing full-time employees are eligible to participate after 12 consecutive months of full-time service. This benefit is paid for by Goshen College and is no cost to the employee.

It is the responsibility of the employee to fill out proper application forms in the Human Resources office. The plan, with few exceptions, provides benefits after three consecutive months of disability from injury or illness. Together with Social Security and/or worker’s compensation, the benefits approximate 60 percent of one’s normal salary during total disability until one reaches age 65. The plan also provides continued payments into the retirement program during such disability so that the disability does not impair retirement benefits. Employees may use accumulated sick leave to cover the first three months of disability.

For more details, see the Benefit Plan Documents.

Parental Leave

Goshen College is committed to providing a work environment that is supportive of employees’ work and personal life obligations and commitments. The college offers eligible employees up to 12 consecutive weeks of paid Parental Leave of 100 percent of their base rate within the first year after the birth or adoption of a child. More details are available in the Employee Handbook.

Payroll Information

Memos of Understanding are issued to teaching faculty based on a 42-week year (but paid over 12 months); administrative faculty, professional staff and hourly staff are normally paid on a 12-month year. Payroll is paid twice each month. Direct deposit is required and is available to any credit union or bank. Pay stubs are posted online.

Recreation-Fitness Center

Goshen College offers free use of the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center (RFC) to its employees. Family memberships are available for $15/month via payroll deduction. For more information or to enroll in either an individual or family membership, see the enrollment forms available at HR Forms.

Retirement Plans (403b)

Goshen College currently contributes an amount equal to 4% of the employee’s regular salary after three months of employment for employees who work 1,000 hours or more in a year. There is a 4-year vesting schedule for the college contribution.

The retirement plan offers options for investment through TIAA-CREF or Mennonite Retirement Trust (MRT). Each employee decides in which funds to place the Goshen College contribution.

Any faculty or staff member is eligible to participate provided the person is at least half-time or more and is at least 21 years old.

Each employee decides in which funds they wish to place the Goshen College contribution. The employee may make additional contributions to a plan on a tax-deferred basis beyond the college’s contribution. Additional contributions are made under an agreement for salary reduction and may begin immediately upon hire. Increases or decreases in the amount to be deferred may be made several times per year by completing an updated form in the HR Office. Since this plan is voluntary, the participant can discontinue at any time. Employees may elect to use both TIAA-CREF and MRT for their retirement savings but may not divide contributions of the college contribution or salary reduction between them.

TIAA-CREF Website

Everence (Mennonite Retirement Trust) Website

For more details, see the Benefit Plan Documents.

Sick Leave

Full-time employees earn sick pay at the rate of one day per month (4 hours per pay) with a maximum of 100 days accumulation. This serves as the short-term disability benefit for eligible employees. Those working from .5 to .89 FTE receive a pro-rated amount. Sick leave is intended primarily to recover the loss of income due to approved qualified FMLA reason, but it may be applied to acute illness, personal and immediate family doctor and dental appointments and absence for emergency care of an immediate family member (dependent child, spouse or dependent parent), if other arrangements are impossible. If teaching faculty miss teaching a class due to illness, they would record that day as a sick day. If available, up to 4 weeks of sick leave may be applied to maternity/paternity leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. For details on pro-rated accrual, see the chart of vacation-sick leave accrual.

Accumulated sick leave is not paid upon separation from the college.

A Sick Leave Bank program is also available to provide sick leave assistance to employees who experience a major prolonged medical leave that meet most FMLA qualifying reasons (which includes care for a newborn child or immediate family member with a serious health condition), and who have exhausted their sick leave and vacation hours. It is formed through donated sick leave from fellow colleagues in support of each other.

Social Security

Participation is a condition of employment through payroll deduction for all employees, except ordained ministers in the exercise of their ministry whose participation is on a “self-employed” basis. In addition to retirement benefits, this program provides survivor and disability benefits.

Sympathy Leave

Teaching faculty should negotiate sympathy leave with the academic dean. Administrative faculty and staff are entitled to a maximum of three days of leave with pay upon the death of the spouse or the following family members of either the employee or spouse: child, father, mother, brother, sister, or the husband or wife of any of these, with one day additional if total travel exceeds 500 miles, two days additional if total travel exceeds 1,000 miles. Sympathy leave with pay will also be allowed upon the death of the following family members of either the employee or spouse: grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grandchild, or the husband or wife of any of these, with the maximum of one day basic, one additional day if total travel exceeds 500 miles.

Teaching Faculty-Only Benefits

Professional improvement – All full-time teaching faculty are eligible for a $500 annual professional allowance. Part-time (.5-.749 FTE) receive a pro-rated allowance.

Sabbatical – All full-time teaching faculty are eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave after 10 years of employment. The Academic Dean’s Office approves all sabbatical leaves. There is a limit on the number of sabbaticals granted each year. The teacher may choose one of the following two plans: (a) one semester on full pay, or (b) nine months on two-thirds pay. Administrative faculty and staff are not eligible for sabbatical leave.

Tuition Discounts

Employees, dependent children through age 23, and spouses are eligible for tuition discounts for Goshen College undergraduate programs of study if the employee works one-half time or greater. Full-time employees (defined as 75 percent employment or greater) receive full tuition discount benefits; part-time employees (employed 50 percent to 74 percent) receive a pro-rata share of tuition discounts.

Employee eligibility

Employees are eligible to take up to two traditional, undergraduate classes at Goshen College per semester at 100 percent tuition discount, provided only one is taken during the regular working day and the supervisor approves. For adult programs, full-time employees receive a 50% discount the first 2 years of employment and 100% discount beginning the 3rd year. There is no tuition discount for graduate programs, though employees are eligible for graduate/terminal degree support from the college through this assistance/reimbursement program.

Employee dependent children eligibility

Dependent children through age 23 are eligible for a 50 percent tuition discount during the first 2 years of employment and a 75 percent discount beginning the 3rd year. There is no tuition discount for adult programs or graduate programs.

Employee spouse eligibility

Employee spouses are eligible for a 75 percent tuition discount during the first 2 years of employment and a 100 percent discount beginning the 3rd year for traditional, undergraduate classes. Spouses enrolling in adult programs, receive either a 50% discount or 100% discount depending on the employee’s years of service. There is no tuition discount for graduate programs.

Part-time employee eligibility

Tuition discount policies for part-time employees are available in the financial aid office.

Tuition discount form and policy

Tuition discounts are not automatic and must be applied for using the Employee Tuition Discount Form provided by the financial aid office. Undergraduate tuition discounts are nontaxable benefits. Graduate tuition discount is not available at this time. Tuition discounts are coordinated with other types of financial aid.

For more detailed information on tuition discounts, please see the Tuition Discount Policy.

Vacation

The vacation leave policy is intended to primarily provide opportunity for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation for employees, and promote a culture where employees can and do utilize this benefit. Individuals must plan the use of vacation time with their supervisor(s) to insure equitable usage of time off and office coverage. Goshen College treats vacation as an employee benefit rather than as a form of compensation.

Most full-time (.90 FTE) staff members and administrators are eligible for paid vacation time accrued each pay, calculated according to the schedule listed below.

Year at Goshen Vacation Days Vacation Hours/Pay
1-3 10 3.34
4 13 4.34
5-10 16 5.34
11 17 5.67
12 18 6
13 19 6.34
14+ 20 6.67

Part-time employees (1/2 time to 3/4 time) – receive pro-rata time for vacation and holidays. For full details, see the chart of vacation-sick leave accrual. Salaried employees (teaching faculty, head coaches and resident directors) that follow the academic calendar with built-in mid-semester breaks, winter break and summers off are not eligible for vacation accrual.

Up to two years’ worth of vacation hours may be accrued in an employee’s bank of hours. Available and taken hours are listed on the most current pay stub. Employees are not able to use vacation time when they are not on contract. 

Accumulated vacation time is not paid upon separation from the college. For employees who began their Goshen College employment before July 1, 2018, 50 percent of the employee’s available vacation hours will be converted to taxable wages and paid out at the last pay, based on compensation at the end of employment.

Vision Insurance

All ongoing employees working half-time and above and their dependents (through age 25) are eligible to enroll in a comprehensive group vision plan through MetLife Vision. The full cost of the premium is paid by the employee. Application must be made within 30 days of hire and coverage may normally be changed during the annual open enrollment or during the plan year if there is a qualifying event such as spouse loss of employment.

For plan details and in-network providers, see the Benefit Plan Documents.

Additional Benefits

Employee Sharing Fund — For a number of years we have had an Employee Sharing Fund designed to provide assistance to employees who have unusual hardships and expenses that go beyond the benefits provided by the institution. Employees can request support from the fund when unpaid medical/health/adoption expenses or other unusual hardships become a burden. The college can provide funds for expenses incurred, with documentation. In addition, if you are on the college’s health insurance plan, the plan (Mennonite Educators Benefit Plan) will match what is provided by this fund and the Everence Sharing Fund will offer up to an additional $500 match. If you believe your circumstances warrant consideration at some point, contact the HR Office (hr@goshen.edu) for more information and an application.

The Campus Center for Young Children — a high quality, accredited, early childhood center — is located on campus in the Church-Chapel and gives enrollment priority to Goshen College employees and students. While there is no tuition discount for employee children, know that the college’s support and investment in CCYC helps keep the tuition lower for all students attending. It offers a sliding fee scale for families that qualify and accepts CCDF vouchers (child care assistance program).

Discounted meal program – The program is built to encourage employees to enjoy a great meal regularly in our dining hall with each other and our students at a low price. All employees are eligible for the college’s discounted meal program.

  • Employees can purchase a ticket with 5 meals for $29.16 and get the 6th meal free. They can then buy a second ticket at the same time for half price. This totals 12 meals for just $43.20 ($3.60/meal).
  • Tickets can only be purchased at the dining hall’s cashier desk. Unlimited numbers of tickets can be purchased, and they can be used only for employee meals. 
  • The physical ticket is required for entry to the dining hall (it will be punched on each use), so don’t lose them. These tickets do not include Munch Money, and don’t work in the Leaf Raker or Java Junction.
  • The tickets do not expire.

Community service program – All full-time employees are eligible to take up to 2 paid days off work (16 hours) to do community service per year. Hours may be taken at one time or divided into individual days as approved by the supervisor. Part-time employees are eligible for the equivalent percentage of hours prorated to the number of hours they work per year. Employees who wish to participate in this program must request approval from their supervisor for the time off of work. More details available here.

Library – Access to the Good Library and its resources with employee ID card.

Free digital newspaper subscriptions – Through a library subscription, employees and retired employees have access to free digital subscriptions of The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

Free campus events tickets – Employees can receive free tickets to athletic, music and theater department events. If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to register on the Box Office website using your GC username and password. After registering (just add your address), then you only need to login after that to reserve your free tickets.

Enterprise Car Rental Discount – Enterprise offers a Corporate program to current and retired faculty and staff that is beneficial for business and individual trips. If you want to a book car at an affordable rate while traveling by yourself or with your family, use the GC account number (contact Human Resources at hr@goshen.edu for the number) to receive the GC discount rate of around 10%.

Moving expenses – Persons that move from more than 50 miles to work at Goshen College may be reimbursed for a portion of those expenses. Applications for moving expense reimbursements are available from the assistant to the Academic Dean or the Director of Human Resources.

Verizon Employee Discount Plan – A discount is offered to all employees for calling and data plans. More details available here.