HR 180 – Employee Benefits

To delineate and describe the benefits provided to College of Western Idaho (CWI) employees.

Applies to all benefit-eligible employees.

Full Time: Employees who regularly work 40 or more hours a week and are expected to be employed for at least five (5) continuous months.

Part Time: Employees who work less than 40 hours a week on a regular basis.

Benefits Eligible: Faculty and staff who work 20 or more hours a week and are expected to be employed for at least five (5) continuous months.

Immediate Family Member: Spouse or domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings (brothers and sisters), parents-in-law, grandparents-in-law, children-in-law, grandchildren-in-law, brothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law, aunts, and uncles. For purposes of this policy the terms “child" or "children” includes the death of an unborn child.

Immediate family members also include individuals who stood in loco parentis to the employee or to whom the employee stood in loco parentis, meaning a person who acted as a parent or for whom the employee acted as a parent, regardless of legal or biological relationship.

Please note, certain sections of this policy may define a qualified family member differently, as required by the governing authority applicable to that specific benefit. 

Serious Health Condition: An illness, injury, impairment, or physical, or mental condition that involves inpatient care or continuing treatment by a healthcare provider, including incapacity and treatment on at least one (1) occasion which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of the healthcare provider, pregnancy or prenatal care, chronic conditions that require periodic visits (at least twice a year) for treatment by a healthcare provider, or permanent or long-term conditions that require multiple treatments.

Policy

Depending on job classification and hours worked, CWI employees may be eligible for a variety of benefits in addition to compensation. Benefit offerings are subject to change or termination at the discretion of CWI.

Guidelines

Sick Leave

Sick leave is provided to benefit-eligible employees in accordance with the following accrual schedule:

• Exempt and non-exempt staff accrue sick leave at the rate of four (4) hours per pay period.
• Faculty accrue sick leave based on the number of pay periods as outlined in the chart below.

Faculty Contract Length	Sick Accrual Rate per Month on Contract	Total Sick Hours Accrued per Academic Year
9 – 9.5 month	8	72
10 month	8	80
11 month	8	88
12 month	8	96

Sick leave may be used in the event of the employee’s illness or the illness of an immediate family member as defined above.

Employees should notify their supervisor of the need for sick leave as soon as it is practical for the employee to do so before the start of the employee’s shift. Employees may be asked to provide documentation showing the necessity of sick leave. Negative sick leave balances are not permitted unless authorized by the chief human resources officer. Should an employee have a negative sick balance upon separation of employment, CWI may deduct the advanced sick leave from their final paycheck. Employees are not entitled to payment for unused sick leave upon separation of employment.

Vacation Leave

Vacation leave is provided to all benefit-eligible employees. Vacation leave accrues from the start of employment as described below:

• Exempt and non-exempt staff accrue vacation leave at the rate of eight (8) hours per pay period.
• Full-time faculty with a contract of less than 12 months are not eligible for vacation leave. In lieu of vacation leave, faculty are provided personal days as defined in HR 340 – Full-Time Faculty Compensation. Personal days do not accrue from year to year and are lost if not used by the end of the fiscal year. Personal days for reasons of personal convenience may be granted to a faculty members upon approval of their department chair. Faculty members must notify their supervisor at least two (2) weeks in advance of the proposed days away, and arrangements must be made for the coverage of the classes the faculty member will miss and other responsibilities.
• Faculty with a 12-month contract accrue vacation leave at the rate of eight (8) hours per pay period.

Accrued vacation leave may be carried over from year to year. However, vacation leave will only accrue up to a maximum of 240 hours. When the maximum accrual is reached, no further leave will accrue until the employee uses vacation leave to fall below the maximum. Negative vacation leave balances are not permitted unless authorized by the chief human resources officer. In situations where employees request time off without sufficient accrued vacation leave, the additional time must go through the unpaid leave of absence process set forth below. Upon separation of employment, unused accrued vacation leave will be paid in a lump-sum payment at the employee’s current hourly rate of pay.

Vacation leave accrued by employees whose compensation and benefits are funded by grants or special projects funding may need to be taken each year and not carried into the next fiscal year. In addition, accrued vacation leave paid to these employees upon separation of employment may be limited to those hours accrued during the term of the grant or special projects funding. Each case will be reviewed to ensure alignment with grant compliance and current business conditions.

Vacation leave is to be scheduled in advance and with the consent of the responsible department supervisor. Efforts will be made to accommodate the preference of the employee in vacation scheduling, but priority will be the orderly functioning of affected departments.

Leave Donation Program

CWI’s Leave Donation Program allows CWI employees to voluntarily donate accrued vacation, sick, or personal days to eligible employees who have exhausted their own leave balances and will otherwise be in a leave-without-pay status during an approved leave of absence for qualifying reasons as outlined below. Participation in the program is entirely voluntary. Employees may not directly solicit other employees to participate in the Leave Donation Program. All requests must be administered through Human Resources. 

Eligibility Criteria for Receiving a Leave Donation

Benefit eligible employees may be eligible to receive donated leave when CWI approves Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave or a personal leave of absence, and the employee meets all of the following criteria:

• The employee, or the employee’s immediate family member as defined under the FMLA, with a serious medical condition that requires the employee’s prolonged absence from work and results in a substantial loss of income due to the exhaustion of all available paid leave. 

Donated leave may also be considered in the following circumstances:

• When leave is necessary to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition and a personal leave of absence has been approved for that purpose.
• When additional leave is needed for absences related to the death of an immediate family member, as defined above, beyond available bereavement leave benefits with approval from the appropriate vice president for the department. 
• The employee has exhausted all available paid leave, including sick, vacation, and personal leave, and will be in leave-without-pay status during the approved leave period.
• The employee is not receiving income replacement payment from short-term disability, long-term disability, or workers’ compensation.

Leave Donation Maximum

• An employee may receive up to a maximum of 40 hours of donated leave per fiscal year from the Leave Donation Bank (Leave Bank).
• Reasonable efforts will be made to fulfill all approved requests submitted to the Leave Bank; however, there is no guarantee the Leave Bank will have a sufficient balance of donated hours to fully meet all requests.
• There is no limit on the amount of donated leave an employee may receive directly from other employees under this policy; however, donated leave may only be approved and used up to the amount needed to cover the employee’s approved leave period.

Leave Donation Allocation

Donated leave hours will be reviewed and allocated to eligible employees each pay period, based on the employee’s demonstrated leave shortage and the number of Leave Bank hours available. Depending on the total number of hours available, donated leave may be prorated based on the total hours requested by all eligible employees. 

If multiple eligible requests are received and the combined number of requested hours exceeds the available Leave Bank balance, available hours will be distributed equally among all eligible employees. In no event shall an employee receive more donated hours than necessary to cover the approved leave period or exceed the maximum allowed under this policy. Hours credited to an employee’s sick leave balance may not exceed the policy maximum.

Donated leave hours will be approved and distributed in increments of four (4) hours or more. If the Leave Bank balance is four (4) hours or less, no hours will be distributed.

To help maintain an adequate balance of donated hours, periodic Leave Bank donation reminders may be sent to employees with high accrued vacation leave balances. 

Eligibility Criteria for Donating Leave

Staff and faculty on 12-month contracts may donate leave if they meet the following criteria:

• Donate a minimum of eight (8) hours; and
• Maintain a minimum balance of 80 hours of accrued leave (sick and/or vacation) after the donation is deducted.

Faculty on less than a 12-month contract may donate unused personal leave days if they meet the following criteria:

• Donate the minimum of eight (8) hours; and
• Submit donations between May 15 and June 30 of the current academic year to ensure personal leave days are available for use during the academic year. 

Conversion of Donated Leave

All donated leave will be converted to sick leave on an hour-for-hour basis and will be  paid at the receiving employee’s current rate of pay.

Process to Donate Leave

Employees who wish to donate leave to the Leave Bank must submit a Leave Donation Form to Human Resources. Human Resources will determine donor eligibility and transfer approved donated hours to the Leave Bank.

Employees may also donate leave directly to another eligible employee under the following conditions:

• The donating employee may designate the donated leave for a specific eligible employee.
• A Leave Donation Form must be submitted to Human Resources.
• Human Resources will verify both the donor eligibility and recipient eligibility prior to processing the donation.
• Any unused leave donated directly to an employee will remain in the receiving employee’s sick leave balance until used.

Process to Use Donated Leave

• Employees seeking donated leave must submit a request for FMLA or personal leave to their supervisor, which will be forwarded to Human Resources.
• If the leave is approved and the anticipated time off exceeds the employee’s available accrued leave, Human Resources will do the following:
  • Transfer Leave Bank hours to the employee’s sick leave balance as needed to cover unpaid hours, up to the maximum allowed under this policy; and/or
  • Credit the employee’s sick leave balance with hours donated directly by other employees, up to the amount needed to cover the approved leave period. 
• The number of donated hours transferred will be reviewed and adjusted every pay-period, based on need.

Fiscal Obligation

The Budget Office will coordinate with the cost center of the receiving employee to ensure funds are available to cover any increase in expense.

Privacy

The identities of employees who donate leave will be kept confidential to the extent possible. This confidentiality is intended to prevent any repercussions for employees who choose not to donate leave, as well as for those who do donate. The reason for an employee’s leave of absence and the nature of any serious health condition of the employee or their family member will also be kept confidential.

Military Leave

Pursuant to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), any employee absent from work because of service in the uniformed services of the United States will be granted a military leave of absence without pay, except as outlined in this policy, during such absence. The uniformed services of the United States include the Armed Forces (U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, and the reserves of each) and the Army and Air National Guard when engaged in active duty for training, inactive duty training, or full-time National Guard duty.

Employees who are members of the U.S. Armed Forces or the National Guard that receive military orders requiring them to be absent from work, shall be entitled each calendar year to 120 hours of paid military leave. Military leave with pay will be authorized when the employee submits a copy of their orders to Human Resources from the appropriate military jurisdiction, which sets forth the dates of required military service. Each period of absence must be supported by orders or other documentation on file in the employee's military unit headquarters. Unused paid military leave does not carry over from year to year and will not be paid out upon separation, resignation, retirement, or any other termination of employment.

A copy of the orders is required to take military leave, and a copy of the discharge papers is required upon returning from leave. This information must be sent to Human Resources for review and approval. 

• Amount of Leave: Such employees, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time, are entitled to 120 hours of military leave with pay in one (1) calendar year. Military leave is paid for days the employee is normally scheduled to work. Military leave will be paid only for the number of hours the employee is regularly scheduled to work during the period of absence.
• Use of Other Accrued Leave: When the 120 hours have been used, the employee may elect to use accrued but unused vacation time during the deployment period.

Employees in reserve programs often have an option on dates for annual training exercises. CWI may request the employee to select dates which will least interfere with CWI’s business operations. If the employee has a choice, it shall be the employee's responsibility to discuss it with their supervisor and the military unit and to accept such dates.

Employees who are absent due to military leave for 30 consecutive days or more may elect to continue medical insurance coverage under the group health plan. After the first 30 days of military leave, the employee is responsible for paying both the employee and employer portions of the health insurance premiums to maintain coverage.

An employee who qualifies for military leave under USERRA shall, upon his or her completion of service in the uniformed services, generally be reemployed by CWI provided that:

• The employee gave advance written or verbal notice to CWI of the service;
• The employee is still qualified to perform the duties required of his/her position;
• The employee reports to or submits an application for reemployment to CWI in accordance with the requirements of USERRA. Employees should consult with Human Resources for more specific information relating to the return-to-work requirements under USERRA;
• The employee was not separated from uniformed service with a disqualifying discharge or under other than honorable conditions;
• In general, the cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from CWI by reason of service in the uniformed services does not exceed five (5) years; and
• CWI’s circumstances have not changed so that it would make it impossible or unreasonable to rehire the employee or cause an undue hardship on CWI should it rehire the employee.

Should an employee fail to return to work upon completion of military service or make application for reemployment as required by USERRA, the employee will be considered to have voluntarily resigned from CWI.

Any employee who has been reemployed by CWI after serving time in the uniformed services of the United States will be eligible for all benefits provided by CWI, consistent with the employee’s job classification, hours worked, and seniority the employee would have attained had he or she not been absent from work for military service. Employees on military leave shall continue to accrue sick leave and vacation leave while on military leave.

Holidays

CWI officially observes 11 holidays (88 hours), as follows:  

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. / Idaho Human Rights Day
• President’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day

Benefit-eligible employees receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay for each designated holiday, regardless of whether the employee is required to work on that day. If the employee’s normally scheduled workday exceeds eight (8) hours, the employee may use available vacation leave to make up the remaining scheduled hours. Full-time faculty with a contract of fewer than 12 months are not eligible for holiday pay.

Holidays that fall on a Saturday shall be observed on the preceding Friday. Holidays that fall on a Sunday shall be observed on the succeeding Monday. For circumstances outside of established paid holidays, refer to OP 110 – Campus Closure.

Bereavement Leave

Benefit eligible employees are provided up to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave for the death of an immediate family member as defined above. 

Bereavement days will be paid for days that the employee is normally scheduled to work. Time taken does not need to be taken consecutively. Additional accrued vacation leave or an unpaid leave of absence may also be approved.

Unpaid Leaves Of Absence

Employees may be granted a leave of absence without pay for justifiable reasons such as illness not otherwise covered by CWI’s FMLA policy, emergencies, or other compelling reasons, or to participate in constructive or educational activities as determined and approved by the employee’s supervisor. Unless otherwise provided by law, employees who are not benefit-eligible are not eligible for an unpaid leave of absence. Employees are required to use their accrued vacation and sick leave before going into unpaid status during an approved leave of absence.

CWI will make every reasonable effort to hold open the position of an employee on an approved leave of absence. However, unless otherwise required by law, CWI retains the right to fill the position if it becomes necessary to do so. Failure to return to work from a leave of absence after three (3) days of their expected return date will be considered a voluntary resignation.

Faculty Leave

Full-time faculty are entitled to the following:

• Educational release time: Release time granted for the purpose of attending approved conferences, seminars, school-related activities, etc., as approved by the provost, are counted as days of service to CWI.
• Professional & extended leave: Leave with pay may be granted to faculty and staff members for the purpose of attending conferences and professional meetings, provided arrangements are approved in advance. Travel expenses and per diem allowances may be allowed pursuant to ADMIN 060 – Travel & Meeting. Extended professional leave may be granted for periods of up to one (1) year to full-time faculty who have completed at least three (3) years of service at CWI. Extended professional leave is without pay and is intended to assist the faculty member in completing training at an institution of higher education or other approved school. Extended professional leave must be approved by the president.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for FMLA benefits, prior to any leave request, the employee:

• Must have worked for CWI for at least 12 months, though the 12 months need not be consecutive; AND
• Must have worked at least 1,250 hours for CWI during the 12-month period immediately preceding the commencement of the leave.

Entitlements

The FMLA provides an entitlement of up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period to eligible, covered employees for the following reasons: 

• The birth of a child and to bond with the newborn child within one (1) year of birth.
• The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to bond with the newly placed child within one (1) year of placement.
• To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition. 
• A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the job, including incapacity due to pregnancy and for prenatal medical care.
• Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a military member on covered active duty or called to covered active duty status.

In addition, eligible employees may take up to 26 weeks of leave in a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the employee is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of the servicemember.

Family Relationships Under FMLA

Child: A biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, legal ward, or child of a person standing in loco parentis who is under age 18 or age 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of mental or physical disability at the time FMLA  leave is to commence.

Parent: Biological, adoptive, step or foster parent, or any other individual who stood in loco parentis to the employee when the employee was a child. 

Spouse: Husband or wife as defined or recognized in the state of Idaho.

Next of kin: Only applies to military caregiver leave and is the nearest blood relative, other than the servicemember’s spouse, parent, or child.

The FMLA also requires that the employee's group health benefits be maintained during the leave. The 12-month period is determined using a rolling 12-month period measured backward to the date an employee first uses any FMLA leave.

If all eligibility requirements are met, the employee is covered under the FMLA. He or she may request up to 12 weeks of leave during which CWI will continue the employee's benefits (employer portion only). If the employee does not return to work, CWI may recover from the employee the premium(s) that were paid for the employee’s medical coverage unless the employee does not return because of:

• The continuation, reoccurrence, or onset of a serious health condition of the employee or the employee’s family member who would otherwise entitle the employee to leave under the FMLA; or
• Circumstances beyond the control of the employee. Total combined FMLA leave for employee spouses who both works for CWI is 12 weeks if the leave is for reasons other than the employee’s own personal serious illness.

Concurrent Use of Accrued Leave & Worker’s Compensation Required

Employees are required to use any accrued paid vacation and sick leave (if applicable) concurrently with any FMLA leave. If paid leave accruals are less than 12 weeks, the employee may take the remainder of FMLA leave as unpaid leave. Employees will continue to accrue leave while utilizing their paid sick and vacation leave. They will cease to accrue vacation and sick leave during any unpaid portion of their leave. Any lost time related to a workers’ compensation claim will also run concurrently with any FMLA leave.

Employee Obligations

Employees are required to give 30 days advance notice or as much time as practical when the need for FMLA leave is foreseeable. If advance notice is not possible, the employee should give CWI notice of the need for leave as soon as possible. CWI reserves the right to request medical certification supporting any leave. If CWI has reason to doubt the validity of the medical certification, it may require a second opinion at its expense. If the two opinions differ, CWI may request a third opinion, at its expense, from a healthcare provider mutually agreed upon by CWI and the employee. The third opinion shall be binding and final. CWI may also require a doctor's fitness for duty report prior to the employee returning to work which addresses the employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of their job. Leave may be denied if these requirements are not met. The decision to allow an employee to return to work will be solely CWI’s in compliance with the provisions of the FMLA. Should a doctor not find the employee fit to return to duty, the employee will not be allowed to return to work.

Contact Human Resources to discuss your rights and responsibilities for the continuation of any current benefits you are receiving. Employees must make arrangements for payment of their portion of their benefit costs or discontinuation of those benefits will occur.

To request a leave, employees should complete the FMLA Leave Request form and submit it to Human Resources. If the employee is unavailable to request leave, the supervisor should notify Human Resources on the employee’s behalf or a friend or family member may notify Human Resources on the employee’s behalf.

Intermittent Leave Requests

FMLA leave may be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave, scheduled to allow the employee to care for a sick family member or for an employee’s own serious health condition when medically necessary. If an employee needs intermittent leave or leaves on a reduced hours basis that is foreseeable, CWI may, in its sole discretion, temporarily transfer the employee to another job with equivalent pay or benefits that better accommodate that type of leave. In the circumstance of birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care, intermittent leave is only available if approved by the employee’s supervisor and the executive director of Human Resources. To the extent possible, employees requesting intermittent leave or reduced hours should schedule their leave so as to disrupt operations as little as possible. Employees must communicate their absences to their supervisor on a regular basis or as otherwise required by applicable CWI procedures.

CWI’s Rights & Responsibilities

CWI has the right to determine whether the employee is or is not an eligible employee under the FMLA. CWI also has the right to place an employee on FMLA leave without the employee’s consent, should CWI determine the employee meets the eligibility requirements under the FMLA.

CWI will return the employee to the same or an equivalent position after returning from FMLA leave, subject to the terms of the FMLA. The only exception may be for individuals who, under the provisions of the FMLA, are considered to be a key employee whose extended absence would cause substantial and grievous economic injury. CWI reserves the right to require periodic notices (determined by CWI) of the employees or their family member's FMLA status and the employee’s intent to return to work.

The National Defense Authorization Act

On Jan. 28, 2008, the FMLA was amended by the National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment provides an entitlement of up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave during a single 12-month period to an eligible employee who must care for a covered servicemember who has a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty. CWI may require the request for this type of leave to be supported by medical certification.

The National Defense Authorization Act also provides 12 weeks of FMLA leave to an employee for qualifying exigencies arising out of the employee’s spouse, child, or parent’s active-duty call or call to active duty with the Armed Forces. No serious medical condition is required for this type of leave. CWI may require the request for this type of leave to be supported by a certification that the service member is actually on active duty or has been called to active duty. CWI employees shall provide prior notice when the need for this type of leave is foreseeable.

If you have any questions about your rights under FMLA, please contact Human Resources.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE

Eligible CWI employees may use up to eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave due to the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of a child. The purpose of this is to enable the employee to care for and bond with a newborn, newly adopted child, or newly placed child in foster care or kinship care. Paid parental leave shall run concurrently with leave under the FMLA, as applicable. Any leave taken under this policy that falls under the definition of circumstances qualifying for leave due to the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of a child, will be counted toward the 12 weeks of available FMLA leave. An employee will be eligible for paid parental leave even if the employee has otherwise exhausted their FMLA time prior to the birth or placement of the child. If an employee becomes eligible for FMLA while on paid parental leave, the employee must apply for and use FMLA.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for paid parental leave benefits, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:

• Has been employed with CWI for at least 12 months during the past seven (7) years (the 12 months do not need to be consecutive).
• Has worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of the birth, adoption, or placement.
• Be a benefit-eligible employee (work more than 20 hours per week and be expected to be employed for more than five (5) months).

In addition, employees must meet one (1) of the following criteria:

• Be a new parent by childbirth (surrogate mothers and sperm donors are excluded from this policy).
• Be the new adoptive parent of a child under the age of 18 (the adoption of a new spouse’s child is excluded from this policy).
• Be a parent of a child born by a surrogate mother.
• Be an individual seeking to adopt a child after the birth of that child, but the adoption has not yet been finalized.
• Be an individual actively approved to provide foster care or kinship and have an active and ongoing role in parenting the child in their care.

Use of Paid Parental Leave

• An eligible employee will receive a maximum of eight (8) weeks (320 hours for full-time employees) of paid parental leave that must be used within 12 weeks after the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of a child.
• An eligible employee working less than full-time will receive a prorated portion of paid parental leave. The prorated portion of paid parental leave is calculated based on the percentage of hours the employee is normally scheduled to work.
• An employee may use paid parental leave continuously for eight (8) weeks, or as a predefined reduced work schedule, as long as it is used within 12 weeks of the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of the child.
• An employee may not receive more than eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave in a rolling 12-month period. Multiple births, adoptions, foster care, or kinship placements within 12 months do not increase the amount of paid parental leave.
• Eligible spouses who both work for CWI will each receive a maximum of eight (8) weeks of paid parental leavee that must be used within 12 weeks of the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of the child.
• Eligible spouses who both work for CWI are limited to a combined total of 12 workweeks of FMLA leave in a rolling 12-month period for FMLA-qualifying reasons.

Limitations on Use of Paid Parental Leave

• An employee may not use paid parental leave in excess of the employee’s normally scheduled workweek. For example, if a full-time employee plans to work a reduced work schedule, but then works in excess of what was planned, the employee is required to reduce the number of paid parental leave hours coded during that workweek. The employee’s unused paid parental leave can still be used within 12 weeks after the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of a child.
• An employee may not use paid parental leave intermittently unless approved by the employee’s supervisor and Human Resources. If the supervisor approves the employee’s use of intermittent paid parental leave, the intermittent leave must be used within 12 weeks of the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of the child.
• An employee who is an adoptive parent may not use more than eight (8) weeks of paid parental leave in a rolling 12-month period and is exempt from the continuous leave requirement if the adoption is not final. This provision does not bar individuals from receiving paid parental leave when the adoption is not finalized, for whatever reason.
• Paid parental leave may not be donated to another employee.

Compensation of Paid Parental Leave

• Each week of paid parental leave is compensated at 100% of the employee’s base salary at the time of leave. Paid parental leave will be paid on CWI scheduled pay dates.
• CWI will maintain all benefits for an employee while on paid parental leave.
• An eligible employee who separates from CWI will not be paid for any unused portion of paid parental leave.
• If a holiday occurs while an employee is on paid parental leave, that day will be considered as a day covered by holiday pay and will not count towards the employee's paid parental leave entitlement or FMLA hours.
• If the employee is on paid parental leave when CWI authorizes paid administrative leave due to inclement weather and/or an office closure, that time will be recorded as paid parental leave. Administrative leave will not extend to the paid parental leave entitlement.

Request & Approval to Use Paid Parental Leave

• An employee must provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to taking paid parental leave, when foreseeable, to the employee’s supervisor and to Human Resources. In situations where advance notice is not practicable, the employee must notify Human Resources as soon as feasible. “As soon as feasible” would ordinarily mean the employee provides verbal notification to CWI within 10 business days of the employee knowing the need for leave.
• To request paid parental leave, FMLA paperwork must be requested from Human Resources (see FMLA). Human Resources will send a Notice of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilities to the employee within five (5) business days of receiving the completed FMLA paperwork.
• An employee is required to provide legal documentation of the birth, adoption, foster care, or kinship placement of a child within 30 days of the birth, adoption, or placement, or as soon as it becomes available. The employee’s name must be included as a legal parent on the birth certificate, a legal document establishing paternity, or legal document establishing adoption. Situations where a legal document cannot be provided at the time of birth or adoption, or within the required timeframe, or a reasonable time thereafter, will be considered on a case-by-case basis by Human Resources.
• Paid Parental Leave must run concurrently with any approved FMLA leave and will be counted toward the 12 weeks available under FMLA leave in a rolling 12-month period.
• An eligible employee who has exhausted their FMLA leave may still utilize paid parental leave.
• An employee who becomes eligible for FMLA while on paid parental leave after the birth, adoption, foster care or kinship placement of a child must apply for and use FMLA. Human Resources will contact the employee once they are eligible for FMLA to facilitate the application process.
• Employees are not eligible to receive donated leave while utilizing paid parental leave. An employee may be eligible to receive donated leave after paid parental leave and all other accrued leave is exhausted or if the employee is not eligible for paid parental leave.

Change In Benefits

CWI reserves the right to change, condition, or terminate any benefits set forth in this section. No employee shall acquire any rights in any current or future status of benefits except as the law otherwise requires.

Employees who had a mandated change of FLSA status on July 1, 2016, from an exempt to a non-exempt status will remain as legacies in their existing leave and retirement plans while in their existing positions. If an employee chooses to apply to another non-exempt position and accepts the position, they will be moved to the corresponding retirement plan.

Benefits For Part-Time Or Temporary Employees

All employees shall receive benefits as required by law to include worker’s compensation insurance. All other benefits are to be determined by CWI.

Insurance Coverage Available To Employees

Health insurance is available to benefit-eligible employees and family members who meet the eligibility requirements set forth by the Office of Group Insurance. 

Eligible dependents include legal spouse and children up to their 26th birthday. An adult child may be eligible if they have a qualifying disability.  

Additional benefit offerings including life insurance, disability insurance, legal insurance, and vision insurance may be available to employees. Employees may contact Human Resources for more information about these benefits. All offerings are subject to change at any time.

Retirement

All benefit-eligible, non-exempt employees are required to participate in the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). PERSI requires that a percentage of an employee's gross salary be withheld for pension purposes. The employee contribution is on a pre-tax basis, and the College makes a contribution to the retirement plan at the rate established by PERSI.

Contribution rates are set and periodically reviewed by the PERSI Board and cannot be increased or decreased by either the employee or the College.

Benefit-eligible faculty and exempt staff are automatically enrolled in the optional retirement plan (401a) selected by the State Board of Education and administered by a third-party vendor. If an employee or candidate is offered a salaried position and are vested in PERSI, they may choose to remain with PERSI. Contributions to the employee’s retirement plan are made by the College and the employee. Investment choices are the responsibility of the employee, and plans are portable. 

Years Of Service Award Program

Years of service awards are a form of employee recognition and are provided at the discretion of CWI. The program may be modified or discontinued at any time.

• Employees are recognized for each five (5) years of service quarterly.
• Employees who reach one (1) year of service receive a certificate and letter of recognition.
• Employees who reach five (5) years of service receive a service award.
• Thereafter, employees receive a service award every five (5) years recognizing their continued service to CWI.

Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a short-term counseling and referral service provided to all benefit eligible employees. The program provides professional support for mental health, emotional well-being, and life-balanced needs. Services may include assistance with marital, family, or parenting concerns; stress or anxiety; depression, grief, or substance use concerns; and other personal matters that may impact well-being or job performance.

Employees and their immediate family members may participate in counseling sessions in accordance with the terms and conditions of the vendor’s contract for such services.

Jury Duty & Witness Compensation

Leave will be granted and full pay provided to employees asked to testify either in a deposition or in court on behalf of CWI or otherwise subpoenaed to testify in a deposition or in court or called to serve as a witness in court in matters specifically related to CWI operations. Further, leave will be granted and full pay will be provided to employees called to serve on jury duty when the jury time required interferes with their regularly scheduled work shift.

Cobra Benefits

Employees of CWI who receive medical benefits and who separate their employment may be eligible to continue those medical benefits at the employee’s sole cost and expense for a limited time in accordance with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). 

If you have any questions regarding your right to continue your health coverage after separating from CWI, please contact Human Resources.