Crouse Benefits for Union Employees

The majority of these positions are considered union, but there are exceptions. Your Human Resources recruiter can verify your status as a union or non-union employee. Crouse Hospital employees who hold union positions are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU, Local 1199, United Healthcare Workers East).

Some examples of union positions include:

• Nursing
• Registered Nurse
• Nurse Assistant
• Nurse Practitioner
• Nutritional Services
• Environmental Services
• Maintenance/Engineering
• Admitting
• Patient Billing/Accounts
• Department Secretaries
• Health Unit Coordinators
• Medical Imaging
• Cardiac Care
• Biomedical
• Materials Management
• Patient Transport
• Respiratory Therapy
• Health Information Management/Coding
• Surgical Technicians

Medical Insurance

For new employees, benefits are available the first of the month following 90 days of employment if signed up for within ten days of orientation. Employees can add or modify health benefit elections during the hospital’s annual open enrollment period. To check flex account information or to view a list of preferred providers, contact our health insurance administrator, POMCO at 1-866-578-8199.

Medical Insurance Plans Comparisions

Medical Insurance Plan Rates 

Summary of Benefits & Coverage - Select

Summary of Benefits & Coverage - Super

Summary Plan Document for Health Insurance
Summary Annual Report for Group Health Plan

Hospital Discount

Employees receive a 25% discount on their gross bill for inpatient and outpatient services performed at Crouse Hospital. This discount is applied toward an employee’s cost after the employee’s insurance company has paid its portion of the bill. This discount extends to services provided for employees and dependents residing in the same household.

Dental Insurance

Employees are offered a choice of dental plans. For new employees, dental benefits are available the first of the month following 90 days of employment if signed up for within ten days of orientation. Employees can add or modify dental benefit elections during the hospital’s annual open enrollment period. To check flex account information or to view a list of preferred providers, contact our dental insurance administrator, POMCO at 1-866-578-8199.

Dental Plans Comparisons Overview

Summary Plan Document for Dental Coverage

Vision Coverage

Employees are offered a choice of vision plans. For new employees, vision benefits are available the first of the month following 90 days of employment if signed up for within ten days of orientation. Employees can add or modify vision benefit elections during the hospital’s annual open enrollment period. To specific benefits or to view a list of preferred providers, contact our vision insurance administrator, Davis Vision, at 1-800-999-5431.

Davis Vision Plan Overview 

SEBF Davis Vision Plan Overview

Allowable Benefit Changes

After the initial sign up period for new hires, employees may make changes in their coverage in the hospital-sponsored medical, dental, and flexible spending plans during the hospital’s designated enrollment periods. In addition, employees may be allowed to make certain benefit changes as a result of experiencing a change in family status, including

• Marriage
• Divorce
• Separation
• Death
• Birth/Adoption
• Spouse/Dependent loss of coverage

Notification of a qualifying event must be made within 30 days of experiencing the event. Proof of qualifying event will be required.

Onsite Employee Pharmacy

Crouse Hospital’s Employee Pharmacy is conveniently located on the basement level of the Memorial unit. Purchases can be made with cash, check, credit card or through payroll deduction. Employees who do not participate in hospital medical coverage may purchase prescriptions at hospital cost.

Employee Health Office

Crouse Hospital’s onsite Employee Health Office provides quality care for employees, while also promoting occupational health and safety.

Services include:

• Pre-employment physicals/drug screenings
• Annual health assessments
• Health Counseling
• Immunization updates
• Smoking Cessation
• Wellness Activities
• Weight Watchers
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Walking Club
• Tennis Club
• Pilates
• Zumba
• Mindful Living & Stress Reduction course

Holidays: RN/LPN/Technical

Upon completion of the 90-day probationary period, full-time employees are eligible for six paid holidays (or the equivalent of 48 hours) including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.

Full-time employees are eligible for six floating holidays (prorated for new and terminating staff) with three to be taken before June 30 and three after June 30 and before the last pay period in December.

Employees who work on a traditional holiday or reduced staffing day, will be paid time-and one-half for the hours worked (including shift or weekend differential) plus regular pay for the number of hours worked on the normal shift. Employees who work both the traditional holiday and the reduced staffing day will be paid the holiday premium for the traditional holiday only.

Holidays: Service, Maintenance and Clerical

Upon completion of the 90-day probationary period, full-time employees are eligible for seven paid holidays (or the equivalent of 56 hours) including New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.

Full-time employees are eligible for five floating holidays (prorated for new and terminating staff) with three to be taken before June 30 and two after June 30 and before the last pay period in December

Employees who work on a traditional holiday or reduced staffing day, will be paid time-and one-half for the hours worked (including shift or weekend differential) plus regular pay for the number of hours worked on the normal shift. Employees who work both the traditional holiday and the reduced staffing day will be paid the holiday premium for the traditional holiday only.

Vacation

Full-time and part-time employees are eligible to use accrued vacation time after one year of service and accruals are based on hours worked. Part-time employees are eligible for prorated vacation benefits based on hours worked. Full-time employees accrue vacation in the following manner:

RN/LPN/Technical

Years of Completed Service	Number of Vacation Hours
1 year	80 hours
2 years	88 hours
3 years	96 hours
4 years	104 hours
5 years	112 hours
6 to 10 years	120 hours
11 to 24 years	160 hours
25 years	200 hours

Service, Maintenance and Clerical

Years of Completed Service	Number of Vacation Hours
1 year	80 hours
2 years	88 hours
3 years	96 hours
4 years	104 hours
5 years	112 hours
6 years	120 hours
7 years	128 hours
8 years	136 hours
9 years	144 hours
10 years	152 hours
11 years	160 hours
25 years	200 hours

Maximum accrual is twice the annual benefit. Unused vacation time over the maximum accrual will be applied toward years of credited service for pension calculations at the time of termination or normal retirement for vested employees.

Sick Time: RN/LPN/Technical

After 1,040 hours worked, employees earn up to eight hours of sick time for every 173.33 hours worked to a maximum annual benefit of 96 hours. Employees can accumulate up to a maximum of 480 hours of sick leave. Over 480 hours, sick time is banked for pension purposes. For vested employees, at time of termination or normal retirement, all unused accumulated sick time — including any unused portion of the first 480 hours—will be applied toward years of credited service for pension calculations.

Sick Time: Service, Maintenance and Clerical

After 2,080 hours worked, employees earn up to eight hours of sick time for every 173.33 hours worked to a maximum annual benefit of 96 hours. Employees can accumulate up to a maximum of 480 hours of sick leave. Over 480 hours, sick time is banked for pension purposes. For vested employees, at time of termination or normal retirement, all unused accumulated sick time—including any unused portion of the first 480 hours — will be applied toward years of credited service for pension calculations.

Personal Time: RN/LPN/Technical

Upon completion of the probationary period, full and part-time employees begin to accrue personal time at a rate of eight hours for every 693.33 hours worked to a maximum of 24 hours in any rolling 12-month period. Employees can accumulate up to a maximum of 48 hours of personal time. All accumulated personal time over 48 hours will be banked for pension purposes.

Personal Time: RN Only

For vested employees, at time of termination or normal retirement all accumulated time—including any unused portion of the first six days—will be applied toward years of credited service for pension calculations.

Bereavement Leave

Full-time and part-time employees may take up to three days for the death of an immediate family member. An additional two days of paid or unpaid time may be taken in the event of the death of the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Military Leave

Full-time employees only who are in the National Guard or Reserves are paid the difference between their base-rate wages and their military pay for mandatory annual military reserve training duty.

Jury Duty

Upon completion of the probationary period, full-time employees only are paid their full base-rate salary to serve as jurors to a maximum of 10 scheduled workdays per year. Part-time employees will be paid on a pro-rated basis.

Group Term Life Insurance

Full-time employees receive life insurance benefits that equal three times their annual salary, depending on the salary, to a maximum of $120,000. The group term life insurance benefit is provided by the hospital at no cost to the employee. The life insurance benefit is reduced by 8% of coverage for each year between ages 65 and 71.

The part-time benefit is $3500 with no reduction schedule.

 

Summary Plan Document for Life Insurance
Summary Annual Report for Group Term Life Insurance Plan

Supplemental Life Insurance

Additional whole life insurance is available for full-time and part-time employees, their spouses, dependent children or grandchildren at attractive group rates.

Life Insurance Plan Overview 1

Life Insurance Plan Overview 2

Short-Term Disability

Disability leave is available after four weeks of employment. The income protection plan, as mandated by New York State disability law, is a 26-week benefit and is calculated as half of the average of the employee’s prior eight weeks of gross earnings to a maximum of $170 per week. Employees contribute 60 cents per week for this disability insurance.

Supplemental Disability

A voluntary short term disability plan can be purchased through the Service Employees Benefit Fund. The benefit provides additional protection for non-work related illness, injury or surgery.

Additional short and long-term term disability insurance is available to purchase for full-time and part-time employees.

Disability Plan Overview 1

Disability Plan Overview 2

Tuition Assistance

Tuition reimbursement for union employees is available through the SEIU 1199 Training and Upgrading Fund.

To be eligible for benefits through the fund, an employee must:

• Be An SEIU union member
• Be A regular employee, either full or part-time
• Be working at least 24 hours per week
• Have completed at least one year of service.

Continuing Education

Additional information about continuing education benefits can be obtained by contacting the SEIU Fund. There is also access to free CEU credits through Crouse Hospital’s Library Services.

Tuition Assistance for Crouse Hospital College of Nursing

Full or partial reimbursement is available for employees, their spouses, and any dependent children in the Crouse Hospital School of Nursing. Benefits and eligibility are based on the employee's number of years of service on a full-or part-time basis.

Healthcare Flexible Spending Accounts

Employees may elect to contribute up to $2,500 each calendar year to the Health Care Reimbursement Account to be used for uninsured medical, dental, and vision expenses. Expenses that are reimbursed through the Health Care Reimbursement Account are not subject to federal or New York State income tax or Social Security tax (FICA). Any health expenses (except premium payments) that are deductible for federal income tax purposes and cannot be paid under any health insurance plan are eligible for reimbursement.

Internal Revenue Service Publication 502 lists these eligible expenses. Copies of Publication 502 are available in the Human Resources Department. Any money left in your Health Care Reimbursement Account following the end of any calendar year cannot be returned to the employee or carried over to meet the following year's expenses. IRS regulations stipulate that remaining balances must be forfeited. However, claims for expenses that are incurred during any calendar year can be submitted until March 31 of the following year.

Examples of eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Items not covered by your medical dental and vision insurance, such as deductibles, co-insurance amounts, excess over reasonable and customary charges, excess over scheduled or annual maximums, routine physicals, immunizations, and over the counter drugs.
• Vision expenses, including exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses and Seeing Eye dogs.
• Hearing expenses, including exams and hearing aids.
• Mental health or substance abuse treatment provided by a licensed practitioner.

Flexible Spending Account Overview

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

Employees may elect to contribute up to $5,000 each calendar year to the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.

Expenses that are reimbursed through the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account are not subject to federal or New York State income tax or FICA tax. The Dependent Care Reimbursement Account can only provide reimbursement for dependent care expenses incurred so that employees (and their spouses, if applicable) can work, look for work, or attend school full-time. Employees may also use the account to pay for dependent care expenses incurred while they work if their spouse is disabled. Any money left in either the Health Care Reimbursement Account or the Dependent Care Account following the end of any calendar year cannot be returned to the employee or carried over to meet the following year's expenses. IRS regulations stipulate that remaining balances must be forfeited. However, claims for expenses that are incurred during any calendar year can be submitted until March 31 of the following year.

Eligible dependents include: dependent children under the age of 12, a disabled spouse or another disabled dependent and elderly parents who are physically or mentally unable to care for themselves. However, to be reimbursed through the Plan an employee must claim a personal exemption for the dependent(s) for federal income tax purposes.

The dependent care expenses that can be reimbursed through a Dependent Care Reimbursement Account are the same as those eligible for the federal dependent care tax credit. Qualified dependent care expenses cannot be applied to both the reimbursement account and tax credits. Examples of eligible expenses include payments to: day care centers, nursery schools, personal baby-sitters, live-in help (whose primary function is dependent care) and elder care providers. Payments to the employee’s own child age 19 or younger or to any other dependent they claim for tax purposes are not eligible expenses whose.

Transportation Reimbursement Account

Each calendar year, employees may elect to contribute up to $2,400 for parking and $1,260 for mass transit to a Transportation Reimbursement Account. Amounts allowable are increased annually by indexing the original amounts stated under Code Section 132. You will be notified annually as to what the maximum amounts are for these expenses.

Expenses that are reimbursed through a Transportation Reimbursement Account are not subject to federal or New York State income tax or FICA tax.

Qualified expenses include parking facilities not sponsored by Crouse Hospital and any pass, token, fare card, voucher or similar item entitling you to use mass transit to commute to work.

Crouse Hospital provides a combined pension/401K program for all vested employees who continually work 1,000 hours in a calendar year. After completion of three consecutive years of service, an employee becomes vested and is eligible for a pension benefit payable at the normal retirement age of 65. Employees are automatically enrolled in the plan if they meet the following criteria:

· Complete 1 year of service, defined as working at least 1,000 hours in a calendar year.

· Are 21 years of age or older (those who work in the hospital between the ages of 18 and 21 will receive credit for those years of service with greater than 1,000 hours.)

To discuss retirement options and to learn about the plan features, please contact Human Resources at 315-470-7521.


Tax Sheltered Annuities

Shift Differentials

Hourly union employees are paid shift differentials, which are calculated as a percentage of the base hourly rate.

Call Time Pay

Call time pay is $3.26 per hour ($3.50 effective February 2010). If called into work, union employees must work a minimum of four hours at the regular pay rate, plus applicable shift differential.

Overtime Pay

Hourly employees will be paid time-and-one-half of their regular hourly pay rate for all hours worked in excess of eight, ten or 12-hour shifts or 40 hours per week (or the normal full-time schedule for other than eight-hour shifts). Overtime pay is received in the next paycheck.

Pay Period

Employees are paid every other Monday. The amount paid includes all hours worked during the two weeks prior to the preceding week, beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday.

Shift Options

Full-time employees typically work 40 hours per week. In addition to the usual eight-hour shifts, other shift options are available for employees, based on departmental needs, as follows:

• Two 12-hour shifts, plus two eight-hour shifts
• Three 12-hours shifts, plus one four-hour shift
• Four 10-hour shifts
• Three 12-hour shifts (PF)

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is available at a number of local banks and credit unions. Direct deposit can be made to more than one bank account.

Crouse Hospital Credit Union

The Crouse Hospital Federal Credit Union offers many services, including savings, loans, draft checking and holiday clubs. They also organize quarterly out-of-town, overnight sightseeing bus trips.

 

Optional Voluntary Benefits

Employees can purchase auto, homeowners, group legal and pet insurance through MetLIfe at discounted rates. Supplemental life, disability and critical illness coverage through the Farmington Company is also available. Payroll deduction is offered for each of these benefits.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

HelpPeople, the hospital’s employee assistance program, provides free, confidential assistance and counseling for a wide range of personal issues to employees and their dependents. Free shuttle service is provided from the hospital to HelpPeople during regular business hours

Helping Our Own

Monetary assistance and loans are available for employees facing certain hardships. Please contact Human Resources at 315/470-7521 for details.

Parking

Parking and shuttle bus service is available at Crouse Hospital sponsored parking lots. Employees may pay for parking through payroll deduction and can elect to have the deduction withdrawn on a pre-tax basis.

Cafeteria Discount

Employees receive a 25 percent discount on all items sold at the Clock Tower Café and Lindsay’s Café. Payroll deduction is available for all purchases. Employees working on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas receive a free meal on those days.

Employee Recognition Program

Recognizing team members for a job well done is tightly woven into the Crouse culture. Employees are recognized all year long for going “above and beyond” with the Simply the Best awards program and also are honored annually at the Crouse Choice Awards. During employee recognition week each May, employees are recognized for reaching milestone years of employment service. A festive picnic is also held for all employees to celebrate the hospital’s teamwork and accomplishments.

When do I select my benefit plans?

Your assigned recruiter will work with you to schedule a personal appointment with a benefit specialist prior to your employment start date. Your offer letter will notify you of the date and time of this appointment.

When will my coverage begin?

Union benefits begin the first of the month following the completion of 90-day probation period.

After I enroll, when will I receive my benefit cards?

Your insurance cards should arrive by mail one to two weeks before your coverage begins. However, the coverage will not begin until the effective date. If you do not receive these cards within one week of this effective date, please contact one of our benefit specialists.

Health Benefits, Flexible Spending, Life Insurance, Retirement and 401k 

Myra Seikaly-Livingston - 315/470-7524

Tracey Tortorello - 315/470-2986

Family Medical Leave Act

Tracey Tortorello - 315/470-2986

Disability and Workers’ Compensation

Bridgett Cook - 315/470-7839

403B Through MetLife

Dan Rohnke at 315/470-5913

SEIU 1199 Training & Upgrading Fund

Marjorie Holt - 315/424-1743