The Benefits Office administers many faculty and staff benefits plans. Highlights for the plans are listed below. Follow the links to view more information on the plans. Call the HR/Payroll Service Center at 734-615-2000 or 1-866-647-7657 (toll free) if you have any questions.

Benefits Plans

Basic Retirement Plan
The University of Michigan offers a two-for-one match of your retirement savings plan contributions—if you contribute 5% of your eligible gross salary, the University will contribute an amount equal to 10% of your eligible gross salary. Your retirement contributions and earnings are vested immediately. In addition to your Basic Retirement plan, you can establish a Supplemental Retirement Account.

Medical Insurance
A number of medical insurance coverage options are available allowing you to select the plan that best meets your needs.

Prescription Drug Plan
When you enroll in a medical insurance plan, you will be concurrently enrolled in the Prescription Drug Plan.

Expanded Long-Term Disability
This plan pays 65% of your covered pre-disability base salary in the event you should become totally disabled. The plan also pays the cost to continue most of the benefits you have at the time of disability.

Flexible Spending Accounts
Enrolling in either or both the Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account allows you to pay certain medical, dental, and child care bills with tax-free money.

Life Insurance
The University offers three group term life insurance plans to eligible faculty.
University Plan — $30,000 of coverage for you paid by the University. Newly hired faculty and staff members are enrolled automatically.
Optional Plan — your choice of coverage in amounts of $5,000, $50,000, or one, two, three, four, five, or six times your annual salary (maximum of $1 million), paid for by you. You must enroll to participate. The amount of coverage you choose and its cost will increase when your salary increases if your coverage is based on your salary. Your cost will increase when you move into the next higher age bracket. There is a nonsmoker discount on the Optional Plan premium.
Dependent Plan — coverage for your spouse or other qualified adult or your dependent children, paid for by you.

Dental Plan
The University of Michigan Dental Plan offers three coverage choices: Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3. The plans have differing features and eligibility requirements. If you choose an option that requires a cost, you pay the additional cost through payroll deductions. Coverage is available for dependents who meet age and other guidelines. Orthodontia benefits are for dependent children only. The University contribution to your coverage begins after one year of service.

Vision Plan
Vision coverage is offered to eligible faculty and staff through Davis Vision, a preferred provider organization (PPO). As a plan participant, you receive one eye examination and one pair of eyeglasses every year. You can purchase a voucher directly from Davis Vision for additional pairs of eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Legal Plan
A low monthly fee entitles you to coverage for many common legal needs such as simple wills and estate planning, powers of attorney, real estate matters, family law matters (not including divorce), debt defense, defense of civil lawsuits and document preparation. Telephone advice and office consultations are also covered. A one-year commitment is required.

Travel Accident Insurance and Secure Travel Plan
The University provides travel accident insurance for all staff while traveling on University business. Coverage is effective from the date of employment and terminates on the last day of University employment.

Other Benefits and Services
The following benefits and services are also available. Please note that the benefits and services listed below are not administered by the Benefits Office.

Sick Leave
The University provides short-term sick leave during periods of illness, injury, or incapacity. Faculty become eligible for extended sick leave benefits after two years of continuous service. See the Standard Practice Guide section 201.11-0 for information on paid sick time. Contact your department if you have questions about sick leave.

Vacation
View the Standard Practice Guide section 201.64-1 for information on vacation time for instructional staff. Contact your department if you have questions about vacation time.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-term Care insurance offers you the ability to purchase coverage for long-term care services to meet basic living needs as you age. You can enroll your parents in this plan and the parents of your spouse or other qualified adult.

Work/Life Resource Center (WLRC) assists all faculty and staff members in identifying and locating services and resources appropriate to the household needs. Staff from all campuses may receive assistance locating child care in the state of Michigan and elder care nationwide. WLRC provides workshops on parenting and elder care, and management training programs on family benefits such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). WLRC is building a resource library on work and family issues, focusing on child care and elder care.

Kids Kare at Home, sponsored by WLRC, is a program to help families at the University of Michigan when their children are sick. WLRC has contracted with an established home health care agency from the community to provide this service. Kids Kare is available for children ages 13 and under, or for children with special needs who cannot be left alone. For more information, contact Kids Kare at Home at WLRC.

Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP) provides confidential counseling and information for all faculty and staff members for those times when your work life or personal life gets difficult, and you could use some help. Counseling on a wide variety of personal problems and referrals to appropriate outside agencies are available to individuals with persistent and potentially troublesome personal problems, such as alcohol, drugs, marital strife, financial, emotional and other difficulties. There is no cost for the services directly provided by FASAP. Confidentiality is guaranteed by the Standard Practice Guide. No information on contacts with FASAP will appear on any employment records.

Mediation Services for Faculty and Staff is totally subsidized by the University and staffed with professionally trained mediators. It offers voluntary, confidential consultation, mediation, and education for faculty and non-bargained for staff, regular or temporary, on all University of Michigan campuses.

Work~Connections, which is jointly sponsored by Risk Management and Human Resources and Affirmative Action, is an integrated disability services program designed to assist and support faculty and staff members when they experience an illness or injury, either work-related or non-work-related. Work~Connections offers you "one-stop" access to university services that continues through your recovery and safe return to work.