CEI provides compensation beyond salary for eligible employees in the form of benefits. Benefits offered are dependent upon job classification and hours worked. At the discretion of CEI’s Board of Trustees, these benefit offerings may be changed or terminated at any time.
Each benefit offering is subject to the specific terms of any applicable benefit plan, insurance policy, and/or official resolution of the Board of Trustees.
Medical and Dental Insurance
CEI offers three medical plan options so that employees can select the plan that best meets their needs. Each medical plan provides comprehensive coverage, with different levels of out-of-pocket expenses and premium contribution rates. A vision benefit and prescription drug coverage are included with medical plan enrollment. Additionally, all benefit eligible employees have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellness resources.
Dental coverage is separate from the medical plan. An employee may continue with self-only coverage, regardless of the number of dependents on their medical plan. Dental premiums are based on the number of people enrolled.
For more information regarding benefit programs, please visit the Office of Group Insurance (OGI) website, https://ogi.idaho.gov/benefits-plans/, or contact the Human Resources department.
Life and Voluntary Life Insurance
College of Eastern Idaho provides basic life insurance for benefit eligible employees. The life benefit is equal to an employee’s annualized base salary. The cost of this coverage is paid for in full by the college. In addition to the basic life coverage, benefit eligible employees have the option to purchase voluntary term life insurance, spousal coverage, and child coverage. If an employee elects these coverages, the employee pays the entire monthly premium through paycheck deduction. For more information, please visit, https://ogi.idaho.gov/benefits-plans/.
Short-Term Disability
Short-term disability is offered to benefit eligible employees. Short-term disability is included in the basic life policy, no special enrollment is needed. If an employee becomes disabled and cannot work for a short period of time, this coverage pays up to 60 percent of the employee’s salary, up to the policy limits. The waiting period is the longer of 30 continuous days of total disability, or 30 continuous days of residual disability, or the expiration of all accrued sick leave earned at the date of disability. Short-term disability benefits may run concurrently with FMLA leave and/or any other leave where permitted by state and federal law. For more information on waiting periods, termination of benefits, and exclusions and limitations please visit Office of Group Insurance, https://ogi.idaho.gov/life-disability/.
Long-Term Disability
Long-term disability benefits are offered to benefit eligible employees. If an employee becomes totally disabled and cannot work for an extended period of time, this coverage pays up to 60 percent of the employee’s salary, up to the policy limits. The waiting period is the longer of 26 weeks of total disability or residual disability; or the exhaustion of all sick leave earned as of the date of total disability or residual disability. Long-term disability benefits may run concurrently with FMLA leave and/or any other leave where permitted by state and federal law. This is a benefit that is included as part of the employee’s basic life that is funded solely by CEI. For more information on waiting periods, termination of benefits, and exclusions and limitations please visit Office of Group Insurance, https://ogi.idaho.gov/life-disability/.
For TIAA and VALIC members, CEI pays contributions toward a monthly annuity premium benefit that is administered through the Standard Insurance Company. For additional information, please visit the human resources department.
Retirement Plans
CEI provides a significant contribution toward benefit eligible employees’ retirement; current contribution rates are available in the human resources office. Information regarding eligibility, vesting, and all other matters relating to these plans is available in the human resources office.
Participation in a base retirement plan is mandatory for both exempt and non-exempt employees.
Non-Exempt Employees
Employees hired into non-exempt positions are enrolled in the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). PERSI provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits for members. PERSI is a defined benefit plan; the lifetime allowance you receive at retirement from this plan is not dependent on the amount of money you contribute to PERSI. Employees are vested when they have acquired 60 months of service. The rates for both the employee and CEI are set annually by PERSI. The base plan is a qualified tax-deferred plan under IRS Code Section 401(a).
For additional information, please visit, https://persi.idaho.gov/Members/base_plan.cfm.
Exempt Employees
The State Board of Education has selected TIAA and VALIC as the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) vendors available to CEI exempt employees. The Idaho ORP is a defined contribution plan where both the employer and employee make contributions to the individual employee’s account. Employees are immediately vested when enrolled in the ORP. The ORP is administered by the Idaho State Board of Education. Additional information about these plans can be found in the human resources office. The base plan is a qualified tax-deferred plan under IRS Code Section 401(a).
Supplemental Retirement Programs
All CEI benefit eligible employees are eligible to participate in supplemental retirement plans. Employees enrolled in PERSI as their regular retirement plan, may also enroll in the 403(b), 401(k), or 457(b) plan. Employees enrolled in the ORP as their regular retirement plan may enroll in the 403(b) or 457(b) plan. For more information or to enroll in the benefit, contact human resources.
Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation is a “no-fault” system that provides compensation for medical expenses and lost wages for employees who are injured or who become ill because of employment.
College of Eastern Idaho pays the entire cost of worker’s compensation insurance. Administered through the State Insurance Fund, the insurance provides coverage for related medical and rehabilitation expenses and a portion of lost wages to employees who sustain an injury on the job.
Any claims that are denied by State Insurance Fund will become the responsibility ofthe employee to file the medical bills through their own insurance carrier. All outstanding bills not covered by the State Insurance Fund are the employee's responsibility.
If an injury occurs, the employee and/or supervisor must report the incident to Security and Human Resources.
CEI abides by all applicable state worker’s compensation laws and regulations.
Employee Assistance Program
An EAP benefit is included in each of College of Eastern Idaho’s medical plans. All benefit eligible employees and their dependents have access to confidential, short-term counseling to help them handle concerns constructively, before they become major issues. The EAP includes up to six (6) visits per person per plan year with no copayment required. Information about the plan can be found at https://ogi.idaho.gov/2016/11/07/do-you-know-your-eap/.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible Spending Accounts and/or Day Care Flexible Spending Accounts allow employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for expenses not covered by health insurance (i.e. copayments, deductibles, and prescriptions) and/or dependent care expenses. Employees do not have to enroll in any other health benefit plan to participate in flexible spending. Navia Benefits Solutions is the third-party administrator for CEI’s flexible spending accounts. For details about FSA plans and how they work, please visit, https://ogi.idaho.gov/flexible-spending-accounts/.
New employees, or those with a qualified life event specific to the Day Care FSA, have 30 days from date of hire to enroll; all other enrollees must wait until the next open enrollment period. Enrollment for flexible spending accounts is done on an annual basis.
Employee Educational Benefits
College of Eastern Idaho provides a reduced tuition benefit for full-time staff and faculty and one dependent. Every semester the employee and one dependent may each enroll in academic classes at CEI at a reduced credit hour rate plus fees and lab costs for up to six (6) credit hours. Workforce training classes at CEI are offered at a discounted rate of 50% off to employees only. Benefit eligible employees, only, may enroll in up to six (6) credits per semester, and three (3) credits for summer semester through Idaho State University at a reduced rate plus fees and lab costs. Additionally, benefit eligible employees, only, may enroll in up to nine (9) credits per semester through Boise State University at a reduced rate plus fees and lab costs. Boise State University offers limited courses and programs at the reduced rate, for a list of ineligible programs, please contact the human resources office. Additional educational benefits are available through Grand Canyon University; please visit the Grand Canyon representative on CEI’s campus for information.
College of Eastern Idaho provides a reduced tuition benefit for adjunct and dual-credit instructors and one dependent. Every semester the employee and one dependent may each enroll in academic classes at CEI at a reduced credit hour rate plus fees and lab costs for up to six (6) credit hours.
For information on reduced tuition rates, please contact the human resources office. Employees seeking reduced tuition must submit a tuition reduction form, in a timely manner, before the beginning of each semester. The form can be found in the e-Forms portal in NeoEd and must be submitted to human resources.
Employees enrolled in classes at CEI on a reduced tuition rate will not be eligible for all student life activities. For information about eligibility, please contact the Student Affairs Office.
Per special rules set forth in 26 U.S.C. §117(d), all undergraduate tuition and the first $5250.00 (as of October 15, 2019) of graduate tuition are tax-free benefits. Per the Internal Revenue Code Section 127, tuition waiver benefits for graduate students in excess of $5250.00 in a calendar year (January-December) are subject to Federal, State, and FICA taxation. The human resources department will withhold taxes for graduate tuition benefits received in excess of $5250.00 according to the employee's W-4 elections.