Employee Benefits

Purpose:

The College recognizes the valuable contribution that each employee can make in carrying forward its mission and wishes to provide special encouragement to employees, their spouses, and their children to study on campus. Accordingly, the College will provide tuition waivers as outlined in this policy.

In addition to waivers for study at McPherson College, the College has entered into multiple tuition exchange agreements that may be attractive to certain employees or dependents (See the Financial Aid office for a list of the applicable agreements and/or institutions). The College cannot guarantee the continued availability of such exchange agreements, but will make a good faith effort to maintain or create such agreements in the future.

Base Benefit:

Each full-time employee (faculty; exempt and non-exempt staff), and their spouse is eligible for the tuition waiver. In addition, the employee’s children and stepchildren, up to the age of 24, are also eligible. For the purpose of this policy, foster children and children for whom the employee is the guardian are not eligible. The benefit, as detailed in the following table, is available immediately upon beginning employment with the College (or in the case of non-exempt employees, at the satisfactory conclusion of the introductory period). The tuition benefit ends on the date employment ends.

Qualification Period Percentage Rate of Waiver:

First Year 50%
Second Year 75%
Third Year* 100%

*Eligible for CIC waiver only upon completion of two years of employment with a limit of one CIC waiver per year for the Auto Restoration program by the college.

Part Time Employees:

An employee working at least halftime but less than full-time is also eligible for partial tuition awards. The amount of the waiver is the ratio of hours scheduled in their letter of employment, divided by 2080 multiplied by the Percentage Rate of Waiver and then multiplied times the amount of tuition due after the application of available federal and state awards (2080 hours constitute full time annual employment).

For example, an employee working for 1040 hours annually would be considered one-half-time, and would be eligible for a tuition waiver equal to 50% times the Percentage Rate of Waiver, multiplied times the tuition due.

Application For Tuition Waiver:

To be eligible for the tuition waiver, the prospective student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the date requested by the College (currently March 1 of each year) and take any other steps necessary to become eligible for and/or receive available federal and state grants. (See the Admissions and Financial Aid Office for assistance with the necessary applications).

Other Information:

All full-time students, except those with dependents who live with them, married students, or students who are at least 23 years of age on the first day of classes for a given semester, are expected to live on the McPherson College campus and participate in the College meal plan. As such tuition waivers are based on full-time students living in campus housing. Students that qualify for tuition waivers that choose to live off campus will receive a reduction in institutional awards consistent with the reduction applied to all other students.

The tuition awards apply to eligible persons, even if they have received a baccalaureate degree. Tuition awards apply to summer sessions and degree completion courses that are offered by McPherson College. However, the College reserves the right to cancel courses that do not have the necessary minimum number of paying students and courses offered by appointment are excluded from the tuition waiver benefit.

The tuition waiver award will be applied to a student’s bill after all federal and state grants have been recognized and applied.

For purposes of recognizing the accomplishments of prospective students, the College may designate the Tuition Award as any applicable College awards (Brethren, Academic, Athletic, Fine Arts, etc.). Such designations are within the total amount of the eligible Tuition Waiver award.

Any exception to the above policy must be approved in writing by the President of the College. To be effective, copies of any written approval from the President must be on file in the Business Office and the Financial Aid Office.

The tuition benefit does not apply to persons on the student payroll.

Surviving Dependent Tuition Waiver:

In the event of the death of an active employee of the College, the tuition waiver will be extended to the employee’s surviving spouse and children subject to the conditions described in the Tuition Waiver Benefit Policy and the following conditions.

• The benefit will apply to surviving children until they reach the age of 24 years at which time the benefit expires.
• The benefit is also available to the surviving spouse for ten (10) years following the death of the employee of the college.
• This death benefit applies only to enrollment at McPherson College; it does not extend to other institutions participating in tuition exchange agreements.

This policy was amended July  1, 2021.

Staff members of McPherson College who have served in any capacity across campus and who have had at least 25 years of employment with McPherson College would be eligible for specific benefits from the college after they leave or retire from the college.

Rationale: Many of our staff spend their life career dedicated to serving McPherson College. The college should recognize lifetime service to the institution in a similar way the college recognizes lifetime service in teaching.

Staff members with this honorary title would have similar benefits to Faculty Emeriti status.

Eligible employees should be nominated by the employee’s supervisor or cabinet member and each case discussed through the Personnel Committee. Recommended employees are then forwarded to the college president from the Personnel Committee for approval.

All full-time and part-time staff of McPherson College are eligible for the paid vacation benefit as provided in this section. Date of eligibility and amount of vacation to which an employee is entitled depends upon the employee classification and length of service as follows:

All exempt employees begin accruing vacation time on the date of hire. All non-exempt employees begin accruing vacation time after the 60 day introductory period. The vacation allowance for all non- administrative staff employees is determined by the length of credited service accumulated through July 1st of each year as shown below:

Administrative staff are eligible for 20 days of vacation per year (15 days for 9 month contracts, 16.5 days for 10-month contracts, and 18 days for 11 month contracts).

All vacation allowance is credited to the employee on July 1st of each year. Vacation days must be taken during the twelve-month period ending June 30th, as vacation days may not be accumulated from one year to the next. When necessary for business operations, departments may specify certain periods during which no vacations shall be taken.

Exempt staff, who were reclassified to non-exempt due to the September 23, 2019 or the April 23, 2024 Department of Labor (DOL) OT regulations, will retain 20 days of vacation per year for 12 month positions, 18 days for 11 month positions, 16.5 for 10 month positions and 15 days for 9 month positions.

Exempt staff members record vacation hours if they are off work more than four (4) hours on any given work day. For example, the exempt staff member who works four (4) hours but no more the rest of the work day does not need to record vacation time. However, the exempt employee who works three (3) hours, taking off the remainder of the day, records five (5) vacation hours for that day. The exempt staff member who takes off an entire work day records eight (8) hours of vacation.

Vacations are to be scheduled in advance and approved by the department supervisor. If a paid holiday falls within a scheduled vacation period, the day will be treated as a holiday rather than vacation time. Employees do not have the option of receiving vacation pay in lieu of vacation time. As a vacation day is actually taken, an employee will receive their usual and customary wage for that day less usual and customary withholdings on their next regularly scheduled pay date.

If employment is terminated while an employee is on vacation, only the vacation days prior to the termination date shall be paid.  If an employee leaves the College and has taken more vacation days than accrued, there will be a corresponding adjustment on the final paycheck.   An employee’s supervisor has approve how many days of vacation a staff member may use upon submitting a voluntary resignation.  There is no expectation that the staff member utilize all of her/his annual unused vacation upon separating from the college.  Unused vacation will not be paid upon termination, with or without cause, voluntary or involuntary..

Except for vacation days actually taken, vacation time shall never be deemed to have been vested for any employee or former employee for any reason and will not be cashed-out or rolled-over. This vacation benefit is a use-it-or-lose it benefit.

To assist college staff, who have endured a hardship, unused vacation hours/days may be donated by college staff towards a vacation pool, administered by the director of human resources. An employee may apply for paid time, either in hours or days, from the vacation pool to the director of human resources. The staff members, who are appointed by the college president and serve on the college Personnel Committee, along with the employee’s supervisor, may make the determination if the employee is eligible or not eligible. The director of human resources will notify the requesting employee.
The director of human resources shall make a request to college staff members for donations to the pool whenever an employee makes a request.

Employees of McPherson College are provided a wide range of benefits. A number of the programs (Social Security, worker’s compensation, unemployment) cover all employees in the manner prescribed by law.

For the purpose of voluntary benefits, staff working at least half-time (1040 hours annually) are eligible for benefits in most circumstances. The long term disability benefit is provided for employees working at least three quarter time (1560 hours annually).

The following benefit programs are available to eligible employees:

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Retirement 403(b)
• Flexible Spending Account
• Vacation
• Sick Time
• Holiday
• Bereavement
• Tuition Waiver
• Employee Assistance Program
• Supplemental Insurances

For exempt employees most benefits become effective the first of the month following date of hire, or immediately if the date of hire is the first of the month. For non-exempt (hourly) employees most benefits become effective the first of the month following the 60 day Introductory Period. However, both exempt and non-exempt employees are eligible for the retirement 403(b) and long term disability plan on the first of the month following one year of employment.

Employees who work a minimum of 20 hours per week, for at least 9 months per year, are eligible for holiday pay. Employees with a non-traditional workweek (ex: 4 5-hour days) that are not scheduled to work on the holiday, will receive holiday pay based on the number of hours they are scheduled to work per week.

McPherson College recognizes these holidays annually. They are as follows:

• Fourth of July
• Wednesday before Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving
• Friday following Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• New Year’s Day
• Good Friday
• McPherson County All School’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Additional days to be determined by the administration (ex: days between Christmas and New Year’s Day)

A complete schedule of the designated holidays is distributed annually.

Holidays that fall on a Saturday are observed the preceding Friday, and holidays that fall on a Sunday are observed the following Monday.

In order to be eligible to receive holiday pay, the employee is required to work their regularly scheduled hours the workday preceding and the workday following the holiday unless on an approved vacation or sick leave. For purposes of this policy, a multi-day holiday shall be considered one holiday period.

Working on a Holiday

In certain circumstances workload may necessitate that an employee work on an observed holiday. A regular, non-exempt employee required to work on a holiday will receive 1 ½ times their regular rate per hour for hours actually worked, plus holiday pay at the regular rate of pay.

McPherson College complies with state laws requiring Workers’ Compensation coverage. In the event an employee incurs an injury covered by Workers’ Compensation, the amount of benefits payable and the duration of payment depend upon the nature of the injury or illness. If an employee is injured or has a work-related illness while on the job, they must immediately report the injury/illness to their supervisor and the human resource department so the College can assist the employee in contacting the Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier.

In the event an employee is summoned for jury duty they will, regardless of exempt or non-exempt status, be excused from work to attend to this duty and receive their regular work pay. “Regular work pay” does not include overtime compensation. Employees are expected to return to work on any day that jury service takes less than the entire working day.

Upon receiving a jury duty summons, the supervisor should be notified as far in advance as possible, so proper arrangements can be made to cover work duties.

In the event of the death of an immediate family member, the employee is allowed a maximum of three days bereavement leave with pay. Immediate family is defined as spouse, children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and parents-in-law.

For attendance at a funeral for the death of a non-immediate family member or friend, permission is granted for up to two hours of funeral leave with pay. For absences of more than one day, employees may use vacation days if available.

All College employees are encouraged to exercise their voting rights at all national, state, and local elections. Work schedules will normally permit adequate time for employees to exercise their voting rights, either before or after normal working hours, or during the employee’s lunch hour. When this is not possible, employees may be excused from regular duties for up to two hours with pay. More than two hours will be allowed if necessary, but the employee will need to utilize their vacation time.

Section 125 Plan

Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code allowed McPherson College to establish an employee benefit plan whereby employees can choose among various benefits and purchase the benefits through deductions from pay on a pre-tax basis. The employee receives the selected benefits free of federal and state income taxes and social security taxes. The plan year begins January 1st annually. Enrollment in the insurance programs can occur within 30 days of hire or 30 days after the introductory period if applicable, within 30 days of a qualifying event, and during annual open enrollment (November). Additional information regarding each insurance plan is available in the human resource office. These benefits are subject to termination or change at any time.

Medical Insurance

Participation in a medical insurance coverage program is available to all employees working at least one- half time. Premiums for this coverage are paid monthly. The College and the employee each pay a portion of the health insurance premium. Eligible persons working less than full-time are eligible for premium contributions from the College on a pro rata basis. The employee contribution is paid through monthly payroll deductions.

The employee may select single coverage, employee and spouse coverage, employee and children coverage, family coverage, or decline coverage. A benefits summary and a list of premium prices for each plan are provided annually during open enrollment or can be obtained by contacting the Human Resource office.

Life Insurance

The College provides each employee who works at least half-time (1080 hours) with a $10,000 group term life insurance policy. A newly hired employee is guaranteed the right to the life insurance policy regardless of any health issue or concern if enrolled within 31 days of hire date.

Dental Insurance

All regular employees are eligible for dental insurance. All dental insurance premiums are paid by the employee through payroll deductions. Detailed information about dental insurance coverage and premiums is available in the Human Resource office.

Vision Insurance

All regular employees are eligible for vision insurance. All vision insurance premiums are paid by the employee through payroll deductions. Detailed information about vision insurance coverage and premiums is available in the Human Resource office.

Supplemental Insurance

Supplemental benefits could include accident, cancer, specific event, and intensive care insurance and short-term disability. This is not an all-inclusive list and is subject to change at any time dependent upon benefits negotiations.

McPherson College employees who work at least three quarter time (1560 hours) are eligible to be enrolled in the long term disability plan after completing one year of employment. In the event that an employee is totally disabled, they may apply for monthly income benefits that will begin the first day of the third full month of disability. The benefit is based on a percentage of monthly salary. Claims for disability are filed with the insurance carrier. The full cost of coverage is paid by the College.

The insurance company underwriting and administering this coverage will be solely responsible for any disability determination or decision. All claims are determined by the insurance company, not McPherson College.

The College provides a program whereby employees have a flexible and convenient method to use tax- sheltered dollars to pay for their personal share of healthcare and/or child and dependent care expenses. These two benefit options are called Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). They are designed to increase the employee’s disposable income by reducing the amount of taxes the employee pays.

The FSA has a plan year of January 1st to December 31st. Upon enrollment in one of the FSA plans, the employee will choose the specific amount of their annual salary that will be withheld from each paycheck and deposited into an FSA. These withholdings are on a pre-tax basis (before federal and state income taxes).

Newly hired College staff may enroll within 30 days of hire for exempt employees or within 30 days of completion of the introductory period for non-exempt employees. Current employees are eligible to enroll during the annual open enrollment period or for 30 days following a qualifying event.

Employees should be aware that according to IRS provisions, funds left in the account at year end are not refundable to the employee.

Detailed information concerning flexible spending accounts is available in the Human Resource office

An employee in need of this benefit may contact the Human Resources office.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Brochure and the Employee Assistant Program On Line Access Guide is accessible via the HR Forms Page.

The following is a brief outline of the College’s Retirement Plan, refer to the Summary Plan Description for further detail regarding the Plan. To receive a complete description of the Plan the employee can request a copy of the Summary Plan Description from the Human Resource office.

The McPherson College Retirement Plan is a defined contribution plan that operates under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. The College offers one investment company to choose from: Teachers Insurance Annuity Association (TIAA).  There is an annuity platform and a Roth platform an employee can choose.

Any college employee, who is not deemed ineligible to participate, can contribute to the college’s retirement program at any time during her/his employment.

Eligibility for employer contributions begins the first of the month following one year of employment. The College contributes an amount equivalent to 10% of the employee’s base pay with benefits payable to the employee when 59 1/2 years or older or upon separation of employment from the college. The employee is fully and immediately vested in the benefits arising from contributions made under this Plan.

For more information or to begin a retirement account, please contact your Human Resources office.

The following is an overview of additional employee benefits offered to McPherson College employees:

• Fitness Center – Gym equipment and a full service weight room are available on campus.
• Library Services – Access to all library services at McPherson College Miller library.
• Campus Events – Free admittance into campus events with identification card (athletics, theater, concerts, etc.)
• Dining Hall – Meals at the dining hall

The College will consider assisting in relocation expenses for faculty moving to the McPherson area from longer distances.  The College will pay the first $1,000 of documented moving expenses and half of the second $1,000.  The maximum reimbursement for moving expenses is $1,500.  There is no relocation assistance for non-faculty hires.

The HR Director or representative is the only person authorized to convey the amount of relocation allocation assistance to new hires.  To receive reimbursement for relocation expenses, original, itemized receipts for moving expenses are to be submitted to the Human Resource office for processing.

If employment with the College ceases employees under certain circumstances may be entitled to unemployment compensation. Former employees may apply to the appropriate office of the Kansas Department of Human Resources for any such compensation to which they are legally entitled.