Your salary is only part of the total compensation you receive as a RFMH employee. You are also eligible for a wide range of benefits at reduced or no cost. These benefits and services are described throughout this section of your handbook. RFMH is pleased to provide benefits to eligible employees and has designed a benefit package to protect you and your family against financial loss due to illness, injury, or death, as well as to help you plan for your retirement.

Should you have any questions or require additional information on any of the benefits described and/or the eligibility requirements, feel free to contact your RFMH Personnel/Payroll Office.

RFMH offers a comprehensive health plan to choose from to ensure that you and your family, including domestic partners, are covered against the costs resulting from sickness or injury. All of the plans include prescription drug coverage.

With the exception of temporary employees, employees working at least fifty percent (50%) of a full-time work schedule are eligible for health coverage.

A description of all of the health plans will be included in your new hire packet. As a newly hired employee your coverage will begin the first day of the second month following your start of employment provided that all enrollment forms are returned to your local Personnel/Payroll Office within seven (7) days of the start of your employment. Enrolling at a later date, without a qualifying event, will have to satisfy a waiting period before coverage will begin.

Your share of health insurance payments will be deducted from your paycheck on a biweekly basis. The first two (2) pay periods in which you have health coverage double deductions will be taken to cover the continuation of health coverage upon separation from service.

It is your responsibility to notify the Personnel/Payroll Office immediately of any changes that may affect your health insurance, such as marriage, divorce or birth of a child.

A Health Insurance Buy-Out Program is available to employees who are currently enrolled in the health insurance program but choose to opt out of their RFMH coverage because of health coverage from another source. Once annually, RFMH will compensate you for opting out of our health insurance program. If you would like to take advantage of this plan you must have been enrolled for two (2) full consecutive years in a RFMH health insurance plan and submit proof of another source of health coverage.

Full-time and part-time employees are eligible to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified medical expenses. To participate, you must complete an enrollment form and elect an annual amount of money to be set aside. This amount will be taken out in equal amounts from your paycheck over the course of the calendar year. The annual amount you elect to have deducted from your paycheck over the course of the calendar year may not exceed your annual earned income or the limit set by RFMH.

Employees participating in any of RFMH health insurance plans can participate in the PTP. Under this plan, you will have your share of your health insurance premium deducted from your gross wages before taxes are withheld, thus lowering your tax liability.

Although RFMH believes that participation in PTP is in the best interest of its eligible employees, you may elect to waive participation at the time of hire or during the annual option enrollment period.

Full-time and part-time regular employees are eligible to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualifying dependent care expenses. If you choose to participate, you must complete an enrollment form and elect an annual amount of money to be set aside. This will be taken out in equal amounts from your paycheck over the course of the calendar year. The amount you elect to have deducted from your paycheck may not be greater than your annual earned income or the limits set forth by the Internal Revenue Service.

RFMH provides a dental plan which is available to employees (excluding temporary) and their qualifying dependents. Your dental insurance becomes effective on the first day of the month after you have completed six (6) months of employment at not less than fifty percent (50%) of a full-time schedule. The entire cost of the dental coverage is paid by RFMH.

RFMH provides employees who have completed at least twelve (12) months of service at eighty percent (80%) or more of a full-time schedule with fully paid life insurance equal to one (1) years base salary up to a maximum of $80,000. This coverage is of no cost to the employee. Life insurance policies contain provisions that allow you to convert to an individual insurance policy in your name should you separate from service.

Federal law requires that most employers sponsoring group health and dental plans offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health and dental coverage (continuation of coverage) at group rates in certain instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise have ended.

Additional information regarding Consolidated Omibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) regulations and the costs associated with continuing your policy are available in RFMH Personnel/Payroll Offices.

RFMH provides you with a generous retirement program to assist you in providing future security for you and your family.

Under this program, RFMH purchases annuities to provide you with retirement benefits at no cost to you. Premiums equal to five (5%), seven and one half (7 1/2%), ten (10%) or fifteen (15%) of your biweekly salary are remitted to the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association/ College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA/CREF). Your date of hire determines whether you receive a contribution rate of five (5%), seven and one half (7 1/2%), ten (10%) or fifteen (15%) percent.

You would generally begin participation in the retirement plan after you complete one year of qualified service. Vesting occurs after three (3) years of qualified service. A qualified year of service is one in which you work a minimum of 975/1000 hours within your anniversary year.

Whether you are a participant or vested in the retirement program, in order to have retirement contributions remitted on your behalf you must complete 975/1000 hours of service each anniversary year.

Most significantly, should you leave RFMH, the vested annuity goes with you. This benefit was designed to recognize the nature of careers in health research, often requiring a change in employers upon completion of a project.

You may refer to the Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Summary Plan Description available in your Personnel Office for more detailed information.

You are protected by the Workers ' Compensation Act of New York. If you suffer a work related injury or illness, you are eligible to receive income replacement as well as payment for doctor and hospital costs incurred. RFMH pays the full premium for this coverage as part of your employee benefit package.

Every accident or injury occurring on the job, regardless of how minor, must be reported to your immediate supervisor as soon as possible, but no later than twenty four (24) hours after the incident. If your supervisor is not available, report the incident to the RFMH Personnel Office or the Safety Department at your location.

Should you be out of work on Workers Compensation, you will be responsible for making the employee share of your health insurance premium payments. RFMH will continue to pay the employer share of your health insurance premium for a period not to exceed twenty six (26) weeks. At the completion of twenty six (26) weeks, you will be offered health insurance under COBRA.

Recognizing the impact of taxes on your salary and being aware of your need to plan for the future, RFMH provides employees with the opportunity to contribute a percentage of their biweekly salary to a Tax Sheltered Annuity Program. The rules governing these deferred earnings can be obtained by contacting your local Personnel Payroll Office.

After you have exhausted twenty six (26) weeks of short term disability, you may be eligible for long term disability benefits. Under long term disability benefits you could receive partial wage replacement provided you have completed a minimum of one (1) year of service at not less than eighty (80%) percent effort.

If you are disabled for more than seven (7) consecutive calendar days because of a non-work related illness or injury, you may be eligible to receive partial replacement of lost wages. The disability must be certified by a physician and paperwork filed in a timely manner. RFMH pays the full cost to provide you with this coverage and waives the right to have you share in the expense as is allowed by law.

All absences due to illness or injury that are for more than three (3) consecutive days should be reported to your Personnel/ Payroll Office to ensure that you are advised of your rights and entitlement.

While on short term disability leave, time sheets must be completed and turned in whether or not accruals are being charged.

RFMH sets aside funding each year to assist you in continuing your education. Therefore, we reimburse eligible employees up to seventy five percent (75%) (pro-rated for part-time employees) for tuition and fees for undergraduate or graduate courses up to a maximum of $5250.00 per calendar year. The courses must be relevant to the employees current position or to a career field existing within RFMH in which an employee may be reasonably expected to work. Percent of reimbursement is based on number of employees requesting reimbursement and availability of funds.

To be eligible for this program, you must work at least fifty percent (50%) of a full-time work schedule and complete one year of continuous service before the cours e (s) for which reimbursement is requested is completed.

Before taking course(s), you must contact your local RFMH Personnel/Payroll Office for an Educational Assistance packet which contains an application and additional information.

Absences caused by serving on a jury will be excused. RFMH will continue to pay you up to a maximum of four (4) weeks during your period of jury duty. However, you are required to return to work for the remainder of any day that you are not required to serve. The official notification of jury duty must be attached to your timesheet along with the court supplied attendance documentation.

The following are paid holidays for RFMH employees. If any of these holidays fall on a Sunday it is observed as a paid holiday on the following Monday. Holidays which fall on a Saturday will be carried as a floating holiday providing Friday is a regular scheduled work day.

New Years Day
Lincoln's Birthday*
Memorial Day
Labor Day
Election Day*
Thanksgiving Day
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Washingtons Birthday
Independence Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Christmas Day

*Indicates that RFMH offices will remain open on these days and employees who are eligible to observe holidays will, on that date, receive credit for one holiday which may be used on a date of your choice within one year from the date it is earned.

The following guideline will be used when determining payment for designated holidays:

Holiday hours shall be equivalent to the amount of time you normally would have worked on that day, up to a maximum of 7.5 or 8 hours.

• Pay in lieu of holidays will not be granted.
• If you must work a holiday, you will receive another day off to be used within one year of the day worked.
• A new employee must work at least one day before being eligible to be paid for a holiday.
• Part-time employees otherwise eligible for paid holidays are entitled to paid leave only for those holidays which fall on their regularly scheduled workday.
• Hourly and temporary employees are not eligible for paid holidays.

At the time of separation of employment, there will be no payment made for unused holidays.

We are pleased to offer a liberal leave policy for vacation, sick and personal time. We understand the need for a break to refresh ourselves from work and to allow for illness and personal needs.

You accrue leave benefits based on the number of hours worked during a biweekly pay period. Thus, if you work less than a full pay period, leave accrual for that period is given only if the employee is paid for at least seven (7) out of the ten (10) working days in the pay period. This amount is pro-rated for part-time employees.

RFMH does not permit you to use accruals before they are earned.

Full-time employees begin to accrue vacation time but are not eligible to use vacation accruals until they have completed thirteen (13) biweekly pay periods. Part-time employees are eligible after the completion of nineteen (19) biweekly pay periods. Once past this waiting period, you receive credit retroactive to your employment date. If your employment terminates before you complete the eligibility period, you will not receive any vacation credit.

Once you have completed the eligibility period you earn one half ( .5 ) day of vacation every two (2) weeks, with one bonus day on the anniversary date of your employment for each year worked, up to seven (7) years. After seven (7) years, you will receive the maximum regular vacation accrual of twenty (20) days per year.

After seven (7) years, accruals are credited differently, but you continue to earn twenty (20) days per year. For employees working forty (40) hours per week, vacation is credited at twelve and one quarter (12.25) hours each four (4) week period, with an extra three quarter (.75) of an hour credited on the anniversary date of continuous employment. For employees working thirty seven and one half (37.5) hours per week, vacation is credited at eleven and one half (11.5) hours each four (4) week period, with an extra one half (.5) hour credited on the anniversary date of continuous employment. Employees with over twenty (20) years of service earn bonus vacation credit in recognition of their longevity to be credited on your employment anniversary date.

• 20-24 years of service earns one (1) additional day
• 25-29 years of service earns an additional two (2) days
• 30-34 years of service earns an additional three (3) days 35+ years of service earns an additional five (5) days

Before taking vacation leave, employees must obtain advance written approval from their supervisors.

An employee may accrue more than thirty (30) days per year (pro-rated for part-time employees) provided that the balance of vacation accruals do not exceed forty (40) days on January 1 st of any year.

RFMH reserves the right to withhold payment of accrued vacation if an employee is terminated for cause or has not followed established policies such as giving reasonable notice and returning of RFMH property.

Upon separation from employment you can be paid for your unused vacation accruals up to a maximum of thirty (30) days (pro-rated for part-time employees).

Personal leave is paid leave for personal business, including but not limited to, religious observance, transportation problems and care of dependents. Eligible full-time employees are credited with five (5) days of personal leave each year on the employment anniversary. Part-time employees receive a pro-rated amount of leave based on the percentage of full-time effort. Personal leave days must be scheduled in advance so that the employees absence will not interfere with the proper functioning of the unit. At no time can you carry more than five (5) days of Personal leave.

At the time of separation from employment, there will be no payment made for unused personal leave.

Sick leave may be used for personal illness, doctors appointments as well as funeral attendance for a member of the employees immediate family. Immediate family is defined as spouse, domestic partner, mother, father, siblings, children, grandparents, and grandchildren. In addition, an employee may use up to fifteen (15) days per year for illness of immediate family members, provided you have accrued that amount of sick leave. Paid sick leave is accrued at a rate of thirteen (13) days per year and may be accumulated up to a maximum of two hundred (200) work days for full-time employees (pro-rated for part-time employees).

A doctors note may be required after the third consecutive day of charged sick time.

At the time of separation from employment, there will be no payment made for unused sick leave.

If you are eligible to earn leave accruals and have been employed in a full or part time salaried position for a period of one continuous year you may be a candidate to receive accruals through our Leave Donation Program. If you are experiencing a serious medical condition and have exhausted all of your leave accruals you should contact your local Personnel Office to see if you qualify for this program. While receiving donated accruals you do not earn leave credits.

RFMH will grant military leave as necessary in compliance with all applicable State and Federal regulations. Employees are expected to notify their supervisors as soon as possible regarding their need for military leave. Military leave should be requested in writing and accompanied by a copy of the employees military orders.

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (FMLA)

As required by the “Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993”, RFMH will grant 12 weeks per 12 month period to those who have completed one year of service and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months. RFMH will roll forward for a twelve (12) month period from the date a leave commences as the FMLA year.

Leave may be taken for the following reasons:

• For incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth,
• To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
• To care for the employee’s spouse, son, daughter or parent, who has a serious health condition; or
• For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job.

Military Family Leave Entitlements

Eligible employees whose spouse, son, daughter or parent is on covered active duty call to covered active duty status may use their 12-week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. Qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.

FMLA also includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for a covered service member during a single 12 month period. A covered servicemember is: (1) a current member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness* or (2) a veteran who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable at any time during the five-year period prior to the first date the eligible employee takes FMLA leave to care for the covered veteran and who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious injury or illness.*

*The FMLA definitions of “serious injury or illness” for current servicemembers and veterans are distinct from the FMLA definition of “serious health condition”.

Benefits and Protections

During FMLA leave the employer must maintain the employee’s health coverage under any “group health plan” on the same terms as if the employee had continued to work. Upon return from FMLA leave, most employees must be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms.

Use of FMLA leave cannot result in the loss of any employment benefits that accrued prior to the start of an employee’s leave.

Eligibility Requirements

Employees are eligible if they have worked for a covered employer for at least 12 months, have 1,250 hours of service in the previous 12 months*, and if at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles.

*Special hours of service eligibility requirements apply to airline flight crew employees.

Definition of Serious Health Condition

A serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves either an overnight stay in a medical care facility, or continuing treatment by a health care provider for a condition that either prevents the employee from performing the functions of the employee’s job, or prevents the qualified family member from participating in school or other daily activities.

Subject to certain conditions, the continuing treatment requirement may be met by a period of incapacity of more than 3 consecutive calendar days combined with at least two visits to a health care provider or one visit and a regimen of continuing treatments, or incapacity due to pregnancy, or incapacity due to a chronic condition. Other conditions may meet the definition of continuing treatment.

Use of Leave

An employee does not need to use this leave entitlement in one block. Leave can be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule when medically necessary. Employees must make reasonable efforts to schedule leave for planned medical treatment so as not to unduly disrupt the employer’s operations. Leave due to qualifying exigencies may also be taken on an intermittent basis.

Substitution of Paid Leave for Unpaid Leave

Employees may choose or employers may require use of accrued paid leave while taking FMLA leave. In order to use paid leave for FMLA leave, employees must comply with the employer’s normal paid leave policies.

Employee Responsibilities

Employees must provide 30 days advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave when the need is foreseeable. When 30 days’ notice is not possible, the employee must provide notice as soon as practicable and generally must comply with the employer’s normal call-in procedures.

Employees must provide sufficient information for the employer to determine if the leave may qualify for FMLA protection and the anticipated timing and duration of the leave. Sufficient information may include that the employee is unable to perform job functions, the family member is unable to perform daily activities, the need for hospitalization or continuing treatment by a health care provider, or circumstances supporting the need for military family leave. Employees also must inform the employer if the requested leave is for a reason for which FMLA leave was previously taken or certified. Employees also may be required to provide a certification and periodic recertification supporting the need for leave.

Employer Responsibilities

Covered employers must inform employees requesting leave whether they are eligible under FMLA. If they are, the notice must specify any additional information required as well as the employee’s rights and responsibilities. If they are not eligible, the employer must provide a reason for the ineligibility.

Covered employers must inform employees if leave will be designated as FMLA protected and the amount of leave counted against the employee’s leave entitlement. If the employer determines that the leave is not FMLA protected, the employer must notify the employee.

Unlawful Acts by Employers

FMLA makes it unlawful for any employer to:

• Interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under FMLA; and
• Discharge or discriminate against any person to opposing any practice made unlawful by FMLA or for involvement in any proceeding under or relating to FMLA.

Enforcement

Any employee may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor or may bring a private lawsuit against an employer.

FMLA does not affect any Federal or State law prohibiting discrimination, or supersede any State or local law or collective bargaining agreement which provides greater family or medical leave rights.

Employees are eligible for NYS disability benefits after an absence of seven (7) consecutive calendar days due to non work related illness or injury, including pregnancy. Employees are eligible for up to twenty six (26) weeks of leave due to a non-work related illness or injury. While on disability leave employees may use vacation, sick or personal leave accruals until such accruals are exhausted. While you are out on short term disability leave, RFMH will continue to pay the employer share of the health insurance premium for a period of time not to exceed twenty six (26) weeks. However, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with RFMH Personnel/Payroll Office to pay the employee share of the health insurance premium. After twenty six (26) weeks you will be given the opportunity to continue your health insurance under COBRA regulations.

Disability runs concurrently with Family Medical Leave (FMLA). Please refer to that section of this handbook. If disability leave exceeds that allowed under FMLA, there is no guarantee of re-employm

Long Term

After your twenty six (26) weeks of short term disability insurance is exhausted, you may be eligible for long term disability insurance provided that you have been employed for a one (1) year period at a minimum of eighty percent (80%) of full-time effort. While on long term disability you will receive sixty percent (60%) of your salary and RFMH continues to make retirement contributions on your behalf. At the start of long term disability you will be given the opportunity to continue your health insurance coverage under COBRA regulations.

Employees returning from long term disability will have no guarantee of re-employment.

Employees are eligible for workerscompensation leave because of a work related illness or injury. Workerscompensation leave runs concurrently with FMLA. Please refer to that section of the handbook. If workers' compensation leave exceeds that allowed under FMLA, there is no guarantee of re-employment.

In exceptional cases, RFMH Administrative Office may grant a leave of absence without pay (LWOP) for personal, non FMLA reasons. LWOP must be approved in advance by RFMH administration; otherwise the absence will be considered unauthorized and may subject the employee to disciplinary action. The following rules apply to LWOP: There is no guarantee of re-employment.

• LWOP is not granted for more than one year.
• LWOP cannot be used to accept temporary employment.
• LWOP is granted at the discretion of the project director and RFMH administration.
• Health and Dental insurance can be continued by pre paying the employee and employer shares of your health and dental insurance premiums.
• Al other RFMH benefits, benefit eligibility periods, and time accruals are frozen.
• Your anniversary dates for computing certain benefits and future leave accruals may be adjusted upon your return. If you are not re-employed within ten (10) calendar days after the approved LWOP ends, you are considered terminated retroactively to the date the leave began.

RFMH reimburses most ordinary and necessary travel expenses incurred while on official RFMH business. RFMH Official Travel policy, available to all employees, contains information and limitations of travel expenses as well as the procedures for obtaining reimbursement. Before you travel on RFMH business you should meet with you local RFMH Business Office to acquaint yourself with RFMH policies and procedures.

RFMH realizes the importance of keeping current in your field. With RFMH approval, you may attend professional meetings that directly relate to your work assignment. You will be paid your regular rate for attendance and will be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RFMH travel policy. RFMH does not pay employees or reimburse their expenses for attending meetings or conventions that are merely of general interest and cannot be directly related to the employees areas of research or work assignment. Requests to attend professional meetings, seminars or conventions must be made, in advance, through your supervisor.

In the event that you decide to resign from RFMH, we request that you provide at least two weeks written notice.

Employees who resign or are discharged will receive their final paycheck on the next scheduled payday. Once you have resigned or separated from service, payment for unused vacation will be made in accordance with our vacation policy.

RFMH requires that al employees be present on their last day of employment.

If you have questions or conce r n s that are not addressed in this handbook, or if you would like additional information, feel free to speak with your immediate supervisor or contact the RFMH Personnel Office. They are best suited to answer your questions or direct you to an individual who can.

Communication and understanding are important aspects of any business. We encourage you to communicate your feelings, conce r n s, and ideas about our operations. We will likewise communicate with you concerning developments and changes as they occur.

Full-time and part-time regular employees are eligible to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualified transportation and parking expenses. If you wish to participate, you will need to complete an enrollment form and elect a monthly amount to be set aside which will be deducted from your paycheck. The amount you elect to have deducted from your paycheck may not exceed that of your annual earned income or the limits set forth by the Internal Revenue Service.

When transportation and parking expenses are incurred, you must submit a reimbursement voucher along with an itemized receipt to the administrator of our plan.