Voluntary Short Term Disability is for those who have not accumulated much paid time off or sick leave days and/or do not have enough emergency savings to manage a few months without a paycheck. However, you may also consider this coverage if you want to preserve your PTO or sick/vacation days.
Voluntary Long Term Disability is for those with fewer than three years of full-time continuous service who are not eligible for the Duke Disability Plan. This plan is one of the most important benefits you can purchase because it can help secure your financial future.
To assist in your evaluation of which plan(s) will work best for you, please refer to the following coverage charts:
Duke University Employees
To assist in your evaluation of which plan(s) will work best for you, please refer to the following coverage charts:
Less than three years of full-time continuous service
| Coverage Options to Consider | Income Replacement Options | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period of Disability | |||
| Weeks 1 - 4 | Weeks 5 - 16 | Weeks 17 and above | |
| 1. Voluntary STD and LTD | Sick, vacation, holiday pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Short Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | Voluntary Long Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit |
| 2. Voluntary STD only | Sick, vacation, holiday pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Short Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | Sick, vacation, parental pay, Kiel*, holiday pay, or unpaid |
| 3. Voluntary LTD only | Sick, vacation, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Sick, vacation, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Long Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit |
| 4. No Voluntary STD or LTD | Sick, vacation, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Sick, vacation, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Sick, vacation, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid |
Please Note: An employee cannot enroll for the Voluntary LTD plan when eligible for the Duke-provided LTD plan.
Three or more years of full-time continuous service (or under the LTD waiver)
| Coverage Options to Consider | Income Replacement Options | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period of Disability | |||
| Weeks 1 - 4 | Weeks 5 - 16 | Weeks 17 and above | |
| 1. Voluntary STD only | Sick, vacation, holiday pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Short Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | Duke Disability (60% of base salary) - Can supplement the remaining 40% of base salary with accrued time (not Kiel*) |
| 2. No Voluntary STD | Sick, vacation, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Sick, vacation, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Duke Disability (60% of base salary) - Can supplement the remaining 40% of base salary with accrued time (not Kiel*) |
Please Note: An employee cannot enroll for the Voluntary LTD plan when eligible for the Duke-provided LTD plan.
*Refers to the Kiel Memorial Vacation/PTO Donation Program
Duke University Health System Employees
To assist in your evaluation of which plan(s) will work best for you, please refer to the following coverage charts:
Less than three years of full-time continuous service
| Coverage Options to Consider | Income Replacement Options | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period of Disability | ||||
| Weeks 1 - 4 | Weeks 5 - 26 | Weeks 27 and above | ||
| 1. Voluntary STD and LTD | Paid time off, holiday pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Short Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | Voluntary Long Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, parental pay, holiday pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | |
| 2. Voluntary STD only | Paid time off, holiday pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Short Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | Paid time off, parental pay, Kiel*, holiday pay, or unpaid | |
| 3. Voluntary LTD only | Paid-time off, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Paid-time off, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Long Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | |
| 4. No Voluntary STD or LTD | Paid-time off, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Paid-time off, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Paid-time off, parental pay, Kiel*, holiday pay, or unpaid | |
Please Note: An employee cannot enroll for the Voluntary LTD plan when eligible for the Duke-provided LTD plan.
Three or more years of full-time continuous service (or under the LTD waiver)
| Coverage Options to Consider | Income Replacement Options | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period of Disability | ||||
| Weeks 1 - 4 | Weeks 5 - 13 | Weeks 14 - 25 | Weeks 26 and above | |
| 1. Voluntary STD only | Paid time off, holiday pay, or unpaid | Voluntary Short Term Disability - Can't supplement with accrued time, holiday pay, parental pay, or Kiel*; any supplement will reduce the benefit | Duke Disability (60% of base salary) - Can supplement the remaining 40% of base salary with accrued time (not Kiel*) | Duke Disability (60% of base salary) - Can't supplement the remaining 40% of base salary with accrued time, parental pay, or Kiel* |
| 2. No Voluntary STD | Paid time off, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Paid time off, Kiel*, holiday pay, parental pay, or unpaid | Duke Disability (60% of base salary) - Can supplement the remaining 40% of base salary with accrued time (not Kiel*) | Duke Disability (60% of base salary) - Can't supplement the remaining 40% of base salary with accrued time, parental pay, or Kiel* |
Please Note: An employee cannot enroll for the Voluntary LTD plan when eligible for the Duke-provided LTD plan.
*Refers to the Kiel Memorial Vacation/PTO Donation Program