Eligibility for Benefits Policy

Policy Statement

Duke provides benefits to eligible university and health system staff and their dependents based on employment status, length of service, and other criteria. Staff should refer to specific benefit plans for information regarding eligibility and coverage for eligible dependents.

Policy Details

Employment Status & Eligibility

The following Duke staff categories help determine eligibility for benefits.

Regular Staff with Full Work Schedule

All staff hired to regularly established classifications for a period in excess of nine (9) months who are regularly scheduled to work 40 hours a week. These staff:

Will participate fully in all benefits.
Will participate in work premiums based on position and work schedule.
Will have benefit accumulations suspended during periods of layoff of 30 calendar days or more.

Regular Staff with Abbreviated Work Schedule

All staff hired in regularly established classifications for a period of at least nine (9) months who are regularly scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week but less than 40 hours per week. These staff:

Will participate in most benefits generally on a pro rata basis determined by the number of hours paid or worked as applicable
Scheduled to work less than 30 hours per week will not receive the Duke contribution towards health care insurance premiums.
Will receive the Duke contribution towards health care insurance premiums if scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week, or scheduled to work 20 hours but less than 30 hours per week with 20 or more years of continuous service credit.
Will participate in work premiums based on position and work schedule.
Will have benefit accumulations suspended during periods of layoff of 30 calendar days or more.

Regular Staff with Part-time Work Schedule

All staff hired to regularly established classifications who are regularly scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for benefits other than Military Leave, Maternity Leave, Workers' Compensation, FICA and Overtime as worked. Depending on actual hours worked, staff in hourly-paid positions may be eligible for the Employees' Retirement Plan.

All staff, regardless of work schedule, are eligible to participate with their own contributions in the Duke Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan. Eligible exempt staff also receive a contribution from Duke to the plan.

Duke Student Staff

Staff, whose primary function is that of enrollment in a full-time undergraduate degree program at Duke, and employment at Duke is secondary to such a primary undertaking, are defined as Duke Student Staff (position code 0699). Registration for a minimum of three (3) courses or nine (9) units constitutes a full-time program.

A person in a Graduate program may apply for positions though the Placement Office or through the Employment Office.

Social Security is not deducted from the pay of an undergraduate student occupying a job classified as Student (0699). [Social Security will be deducted when a student (classified as student, 0699) works during summer and is not registered for any courses.]

A Duke undergraduate student staff member may work no more than 19.9 hours per week during the academic schedule and is eligible for Workers' Compensation benefits only.

Duke student staff (undergraduate and graduate) occupying a position classified as Student (0699) are not eligible for Continuous Service Credit benefits.

Duke graduate students occupying a job classified as Student (0699) who work 20 hours or more per week are eligible for Workers' Compensation, Emergency Call Back, and Overtime Pay for all hours worked beyond 40 hours per week.

Duke graduate students occupying non-student positions are eligible for benefits based on their employment status as defined elsewhere in this policy.

Temporary Staff: Staff hired on a temporary basis [for a period of more than three (3) months but less than nine (9) months] are:

Not eligible for work premiums.
Granted Continuous Service Credit from date of original hire and will be eligible for all work premiums and benefits as designated by work schedule, if they transfer from temporary to regular positions.
Paid holidays are New Years Day, 4^th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. To receive compensation for these holidays the temporary staff member must have worked 400 hours in the six (6) pay periods prior to the holiday.

Consultants or Independent Contractors

Individuals who are self-employed and who offer their professional services to the public on a contract or per diem fee basis are not determined to be staff; hence, they are not eligible for any of the benefits or work premiums discussed in this policy.

Staff on Leave of Absence

Staff who are on a Leave of Absence may make arrangements to continue their Group Life, Health Care, Dental, Vision and Long-Term Care Insurance coverage by making payment arrangements with Benefits.

Same-Sex Spousal Equivalent Information

As part of its commitment to diversity, Duke extended benefit coverage for many years to the same-sex partners of eligible faculty and staff because the rights and legal status of marriage were not available to them. However, in 2015, same-sex partners obtained the legal right to marry in North Carolina.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, all faculty and staff, regardless of sexual orientation, must be legally married to cover a partner or partner's child for benefits or applicable policies.

Any registered same-sex partners who are not legally married will still not be able to take advantage of the federal and state tax savings for payment of these benefits unless legally married or able to claim one's partner as a dependent as defined by the IRS and the tax code.

Please visit the Same Sex Spousal Equivalent benefits information website for more information about the benefits available to a same sex partner.

Policy Number: 06.01