EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
As an educational community, the Academy has an administration, a faculty, and a student body committed to learning. We pursue this commitment in a dynamic environment that fosters lifelong intellectual independence, responsibility, teamwork, service, and respect for others. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community that is physically and emotionally healthy.
HEALTH PLANS
Plan year is July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025
We offer two high deductible plans through Harvard Pilgrim (PPO and HMO). The Academy funds a portion of the deductible through a health savings account (HSA) or a health reimbursement account (HRA). Employees may also contribute to the HSA. With both plan offerings, once the deductible is met, all services are covered, unless subject to co-pays. The plan features comprehensive coverage for a wide range of preventive and medical services, including routine office visits, well-baby care, immunizations, hospitalization and worldwide emergency care, and prescription drug coverage. Employees and Govs share the cost of the health plan.
PPO Option
The Academy pays 75% of the premium.
VISION PLAN
Plan year: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025
Eyemed provides services for eye health including expenses for lenses, frames, and contact lenses. Other discounts are also available with this plan. There is no cost sharing with the vision plan; employees pay for their premium.
Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
Plan year: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025
A self-insured health plan sponsored by the Academy for the purpose of reimbursing an employee for certain out-of-pocket expenses associated with being enrolled in the Academy’s PPO or HMO health plan. The Academy will contribute $1,500 towards an individual plan and $3,000 towards a two-person and family plan in order to help cover the deductible. You are only eligible for the HRA if you are ineligible for the HSA.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Plan year: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025
(The employee is responsible for the remaining portion of the deductible)
HMO Option
The Academy pays 75% of the premium.
DENTAL PLAN
Plan year: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
The Delta Dental plan offers preventive, basic, and major services including orthodontia. The calendar year maximum benefit is $2,000 per person. Orthodontia is covered at 50% of maximum plan allowance charges and a $2,000 separate lifetime maximum. Employees and Govs share the cost of the dental plan.
An HSA is a personal savings account to pay for current or future qualified medical expenses-tax free. The account and all the funds in it belong to you. The HSA is attached to the PPO and HMO health plans. The Academy will contribute $1,500 towards an individual plan and $3,000 towards a two-person and family plan in order to help cover the deductible. Employer contributions will occur incrementally throughout the plan year. Employees may contribute to the HSA as well. Annual maximums apply. A catch-up is available to employees age 55 and older. Please see HR for details.
Flexible Spending Accounts, Section 125 (FSA)
Plan year: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025, with an extended 2.5-month grace period.
A Health Care FSA is designed to reimburse for out-of-pocket health care expenses that are not reimbursable through any other benefit. Some examples of eligible expenses are deductibles, co-pays, prescription eyeglasses, vision exams, and dental expenses. Annual Maximum: $3,200
A Dependent Care FSA is designed to reimburse for expenses incurred to care for your eligible dependents to enable you to be employed. Some examples of eligible expenses are daycare and eldercare. Annual Maximum: $5,000
RETIREMENT PLAN
TIAA-CREF (403b) Pension Plan
Eligible employees may enroll at any time during the year. Contributions to the 403b are made on a pre-tax basis.
Roth Contribution Option
With the Roth option, your after-tax contributions have the potential to accumulate tax-free. Withdrawals after age 59½ are tax-free if the distribution is no earlier than five years after contributions were first made.
Employee (EE)
OTHER BENEFITS
(ER)
Basic Life Insurance Mutual of Omaha is 100% paid by the Academy. 3x annual salary up to $300,000.
Short Term Disability Covered from 66.67% to 100% by the Academy depending on years of service.
Long Term Disability Mutual of Omaha is 100% paid by the Academy. The benefit is equivalent to 60% of before-tax monthly earnings, not to exceed the plan’s maximum monthly benefit amount less other income sources.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Educator’s EAP is 100% paid by the Academy. A confidential program designed to assist with your well-being and work and life needs. Please see Human Resources for a complete plan description.
Personal Leave (Administrative Faculty/Staff and Support Staff Only) The Academy provides leaves of absence with pay to eligible employees who wish to take time off from work duties to fulfill personal obligations.Eligible employees will receive three (3) personal days per year.
Sick Leave The Academy provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees for periods of temporary absence due to illness or injuries in accordance with this policy. Eligible employees will receive seven (7) days of paid sick time. Unused sick leave benefits are allowed to accumulate to a total of sixty (60) days of sick leave benefits.
Holidays The Academy offers paid holidays to all eligible employees immediately upon assignment to an eligible employment classification. There are about 16 paid holidays, depending on the year’s schedule. This includes five (5) floating holidays.
Dining Hall During the school year, faculty, their spouses, and their children are welcome to eat all meals in the dining hall. Staff are welcome to eat meals during their work hours in the dining hall
Bookstore Employees may purchase items in the book store at cost less 10%. All items must be paid for at the time of purchase.
Golf Club A limited number of discounted memberships are available for the Ould Newbury Golf Club. For more information, please see the Business Office.
Recreational Facilities Tennis Courts, Field House Courts (tennis, volleyball, basketball), Track, Weight Room, Fitness Room, and Ice Rink are available for use to all employees.
Library All employees are welcome to use the library facilities.
STAFF-ONLY BENEFITS
A full-time staff employee, working at least 1,250 hours in a 52-week period, is eligible for benefit plans. Please see Human Resources (HR) for more details on all plans.
Paid Time Off (PTO) Eligible employees may request/use PTO immediately. There is no waiting period. PTO is calculated on the basis of the employee’s anniversary date, and the average hours worked in the prior year. Please see the Employee Handbook for detail.
Vacation (Working at least 2,080 hours per annum) Vacation time off with pay is available to eligible employees to provide opportunities for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits. The amount of paid vacation time employees receive each year increases with the length of their employment.
Support Staff
At Start Date 20 days (4 weeks)
After 10 years 25 days (5 weeks)
After 20 years 30 days (6 weeks)
Administrative Staff
At Start Date 20 days (4 weeks)
After 10 years 25 days (5 weeks)
After 20 years 30 days (6 weeks)
Educational Assistance
The Academy supports the development of staff through an annual budget to support pursuits of seminars, workshops, and other professional development. Staff need approval from the direct manager, and courses must be directly related to the employee’s current position.
FACULTY-ONLY BENEFITS
Vacation (Administrative Faculty Only)
Vacation time off with pay is available to eligible employees to provide opportunities for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits. The amount of paid vacation time employees receive each year increases with the length of their employment.
Administrative Faculty
At Start Date 20 days (4 weeks)
After 10 years 25 days (5 weeks)
After 20 years 30 days (6 weeks)
Professional Development: In-service workshop program (2–3 days per year)
• Budget for individual pursuit of graduate study, conferences, workshops and other professional development.
• Budget for the development of the department en masse.
Enrichment Grants After 8 years of continuous service, faculty are eligible to apply for one of eight awards made annually for $3,500. The Faculty Enrichment Program allows full-time faculty to renew themselves by pursuing a personally rewarding experience in a way that does not interfere with one’s duties at Academy.
Tuition Remission The Academy provides a program of tuition remission for the children of faculty (biological, adopted, or stepchildren) who are accepted into the Academy. Children of full-time Academy faculty must follow the same admissions procedure as do other students seeking admission to the Academy. Please see the Employee Handbook for more information.
Faculty Housing Faculty members that have lived and served in a dormitory for 10 years, may borrow from the Academy, $3,500 for each year of service, up to a maximum of $50,000, at an annual interest rate of 3%, to purchase a home. Please see HR for the policy with complete details.
Benefits Programs, Including Cost and Benefit Coverage, are subject to change. Updated September 2024. This document is a summary; additional details are located in The Governor’s Academy Employee Handbook or other plan documents. Please see Human Resources for complete details.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Yvonne Abenante, Director of Human Resources yabenante@govsacademy.org 978.499.3212
Health Plans Inc. (HPI) www.healthplansinc.com 877.906.5730
Health Equity
www.healthequity.com 877.826.6882
Delta Dental
www.deltadentalma.com 800.872.0500
Eyemed www.eyemed.com
Kristin Dolan, Assistant Director of Human Resources kdolan@govsacademy.org 978.499.3371
TIAA-CREF
www.tiaa-cref.org 800.842.2776
Employee Assistance Program (Educator’s EAP) educatorsEAP.com 800.225.2527
Life Ins./Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability (Mutual of Omaha) www.mutualofomaha.com 800.769.7159
1 ELM STREET BYFIELD, MA 01922
978.465.1763