The University’s Short Term Disability coverage provides income protection in the event of a Short Term Disability, where the injury or illness is not work-related. For work-related injuries, please refer to Workers’ Compensation Benefits.
Eligibility
Hofstra University provides Short Term Disability coverage for eligible full-time administrators who have worked 1 year of continuous service and who are unable to work due to illness, pregnancy, or injury resulting in the administrator’s inability to perform the regular duties of his or her employment. As discussed below, eligibility will be determined by the University’s insurance carrier.
The Short Term Disability coverage is subject to the terms of the University’s insurance policy.
Benefits
University Short Term Disability coverage takes effect on the 8th consecutive day of absence. Administrators with available leave time receive their regular pay for the first 7 days of absence.
Eligible administrators shall continue to receive full pay during the first 6 weeks of incapacitation within a 12-month period. After 6 weeks, pay may be reduced by one-half of the cost of the administrator’s replacement.
Administrators may receive up to a maximum of 6 months of Short Term Disability benefits, after which point, an application may be made for Long Term Disability benefits.
The 12 weeks of job and benefit protection under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 will run concurrently with the use of Short Term Disability, whenever applicable. The University will not protect an administrator’s position once the 12-week Family Medical Leave is exhausted.
During any period of Short Term Disability, the University is entitled to receive and recoup any New York State disability payments to which the employee would have been entitled.
Administration
Medical Certification:
To be eligible for University Short Term Disability coverage, the administrator must provide medical certification of the disability from a licensed New York medical provider that includes the starting and expected ending date of the disability. The certification must be submitted to the Human Resources Department who will submit the certification and other paperwork as required to our insurance carrier for a determination of benefit qualification. The University may seek independent medical verification of the disability as a condition of receiving benefits.
Return to Work:
Administrators must return to work as soon as permitted by their healthcare provider. In addition, administrators must submit a “Fitness to Return to Duty” clearance to Human Resources, which must state that the administrator is able to return to “full duty.” An administrator whose absence has been designated as “Family and Medical Leave Act” (“FMLA”) leave is eligible for reinstatement under the FMLA.
Working Elsewhere
To be eligible for continued disability benefits, the administrator must not engage in outside employment and is expected to avoid activities that may delay recovery and a return to work.