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Rice University Human Resources Policy No. 423-98

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY

Applies to: Staff Who Are Eligible for Benefits


Benefits-eligible staff members who become unable to work for medical reasons that are not work related may have their current salary continued for a specified period under the terms of Rice University's short-term disability program. Benefits also continue, except for benefit time accumulations and holiday pay.


Description of coverage

Using accumulated benefit time until eligible for short-term disability pay. The period of salary and benefits continuation for staff begins after an absence of five work days. If the person has accumulated benefit time, it will be applied to cover the first five days of absence in each incident. Otherwise, the employee will not be paid for those days absent.

Amount of time covered. The maximum amount of leave time covered by short-term disability for each illness or diagnosed injury (including additional absences for the same diagnosis) depends on length of service according to the table below. If an employee on disability leave reaches a service anniversary that would place the employee in a category carrying a greater number of days, the employee may receive the longer period of leave.

Length of
Employment 		Faculty Professional
Staff 		Technical/
Support Staff
0 - 6 months 1/2 Academic Year Salary 0 days 0 hours
6 months-1 year Same as above 40 days 320 hours
1 year - 2 years Same as above 60 days 480 hours
2 years - 3 years Same as above 80 days 640 hours
3 years - 4 years Same as above 100 days 800 hours
4 years - 5 years Same as above 120 days 960 hours
5 + years Same as above 130 days 1040 hours

Multiple periods of disability. If the same or related causes produce additional periods of disability, the benefits due to the individual are calculated by the original benefit schedule, and the total hours or days covered are reduced by the amount of time already used for that disability. However, each disability resulting from a new cause will be considered separately, and short-term disability benefits may be used for more than one unrelated disability per service year, subject to the service-related limits shown below.

Limits on total time allowed.

40 weeks total in five years with less than 10 years service
52 weeks total in three years with more than 10 years service
Eligibility of part-time employees for short-term disability. Part-time employees are eligible for short-term disability benefits. The total benefit will depend on the proportion of a full year the employee is currently scheduled to work.


How to apply for short-term disability benefits

To receive payments under the short-term disability pay, a short-term medical leave must be requested by one of the following persons: the employee, the employee's agent, the supervisor, or the department chair. The employee must attach to the request a physician's statement confirming the disability and stating the anticipated duration.


How benefits are received

Short-term disability payments begin after the application is approved and after the first five days of the disability period. The individual receives payments in the same way that the individual usually receives his or her normal compensation. At the end of the period the physician has indicated in the application, short-term disability payments normally will be withheld by the University until updated medical information is received from the individual's physician or a physician selected by the University. Should differing opinions be offered by the individual's physician and the physician selected by the University, the opinion of a third health care provider jointly selected by the employee and the University will prevail.


How to return to work

An individual must provide a physician's statement releasing the patient to return before he or she comes back. With the approval of the director of Human Resources, individuals returning from medical leave may use short-term disability pay for a limited time. They may use it to supplement their compensation if they are released by their physician to return to work on a reduced schedule as part of their treatment plan. They may also use it as a supplement if periodic absences are medically required for the treatment of the disabling condition. The University will attempt to return individuals to the same or a similar position. Staff members whose medical leave or medical leave in combination with personal/family leave does not exceed 12 weeks will be returned to the same or an equivalent position. Other than this exception, the University does not guarantee reinstatement at the end of a medical leave.