Exempt Benefits

Eligibility

Exempt Regular and Recurring employees whose appointment is for 17.5 hours per week or more are eligible for the employee benefits below:

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Sun Life Benefits Booklets

Please click here for Sun Life Exempt Booklet

1. Basic Life Insurance
2. Optional Life Insurance
3. Sick Leave
4. Long Term Disability (LTD)
5. Emergency Medical Travel Plan (Medi-Passport)
6. Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
7. Flex Benefits
8. Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
9. Self-funded Leaves
10. Maternity/Parental Leave
11. Vacation
12. Tuition Waivers/Rebates

Basic Life Insurance

The University provides Basic Life Insurance to its employees in the amount of 1.5 times their annual salary up to the employee’s age 65. Effective July 1, 2012, at normal retirement date, an active employee’s coverage for Basic Life Insurance is reduced by 50%, rounded to the next highest $1,000, if not already a multiple of $1,000, to a maximum of $50,000. At age 70, an active employee’s Basic Life Insurance ends. The premium for this basic coverage is 100% paid by the University. The amount of the premium is a taxable benefit to the employee. This is a mandatory benefit.

 

Optional Life Insurance

Optional Life Insurance is available to employees with new appointments without the need to provide proof of good health for a limited time only. Employees electing this benefit after the first 31 days of the start of their permanent employment with Trent must provide proof of good health to our insurer, Sun Life, in order to be eligible for coverage. This life insurance option allows employees to purchase additional insurance equivalent to 1x, 2x, 3x or 4x annual salary. The rates for this coverage are based on age, sex and whether an employee is a smoker or non-smoker. The premium for this coverage is 100% paid by the employee and payment is made by payroll deduction. At normal retirement date, an active employee’s coverage for Optional Life Insurance is reduced by 50%, rounded to the next highest $1,000, if not already a multiple of $1,000, to a maximum of $100,000. At age 70, an active employee’s optional life insurance ends.

 

Sick Leave 

In the event of absence due to sickness or injury and upon receipt of satisfactory medical documentation you will be paid your regular salary for an absence of up to a maximum of six (6) calendar months over the previous twelve (12) months. During your sick leave, you will continue to assume the cost of your benefit contributions (if any). The period of paid sick leave shall not continue beyond the end date of your appointment. This applies to any employee who holds a limited term appointment or has terminated their employment.

When you are unable to report to work because of illness or injury, your Manager/ Supervisor or Chair must be notified as soon as possible on the first day of absence. In the case of frequent absences or of an absence of more than four (4) days, medical documentation will be required. 

When an absence is prolonged (a month or more), a Functional Abilities Form will be required in order to ensure continuation of your salary. Prior to returning to work from an illness that extends beyond one month, you are required to provide your Supervisor/Manager/Chair with a doctor's note certifying that you are able to return to work on a full time basis without restriction; or, that you are able to return to work with the nature and duration of any work restrictions described. In the situation where there is a return to work where there are restrictions, a Functional Abilities Form (FAF) will also be required and an accommodation plan will need to be developed.

Long Term Disability (LTD)

In the event that you are off work due to illness or injury for a period of more than 6 months accumulated over the previous 12 months, you will need to apply for Long Term Disability (LTD) Benefits with Sun Life. Four (4) months into your sick leave, a Sun Life application form will be sent to you. This must be completed and forwarded directly to Sun Life.

Should you remain on short term disability for a period of 6 months accumulated over the previous 12 months, your salary will cease after the 6 months has accumulated. At that point, if you qualify for Sun Life’s Long Term Disability benefits, you will receive a monthly cheque from Sun Life at the rate determined by your benefit plan.

If you are approved for Long Term Disability, you will receive 75% of your basic monthly earnings up to a maximum of $13,000 per month, reduced by any direct and indirect offsets applicable.

Payment is made until the earliest of:

1. The last day of the month in which the employee retires;
2. The last day of the month in which the employee dies;
3. Two (2) years after the end of the employee’s limited term appointment or;
4. If disabled prior to their 65th birthday Sun Life will pay LTD benefits to age 65 or for 2 years whichever is longer. If the employee is working past age 65 and becomes disabled after age 65 then their LTD benefits would be payable for 2 years as long as those 2 years do not extend beyond their 70th birthday. In all cases the LTD benefits cease at age 70.

Please refer to the applicable Sun Life Benefits booklet for complete information on this benefit.

When you are returning to work from Sun Life’s Long Term Disability Program, the process for payment of your sick time will change for the first 6 months from the date you resumed work.

Depending on your illness, you may be covered under Sun Life’s LTD Plan instead of Trent’s sick leave plan. If the reason you are ill is in relation to the medical reason for which you were covered under LTD, Sun Life pays your sick time. If you are ill for a reason not connected to the condition for which you were receiving LTD benefits, you will be paid by Trent’s short-term sick leave plan.

In order to determine who will pay for your sick time, a doctor’s note will be required, even if the absence is just for one day. The doctor’s note should indicate whether or not the absence is due to the same or related illness for which you were on LTD or if it is a new illness. If it is a new illness, Trent’s short-term sick plan will cover you. If not, Sun Life’s LTD plan will cover you and the doctor’s note will have to be submitted directly to Sun Life to for approval and payment. Therefore, you will not receive sick pay from Trent but from Sun Life who will issue you a check, if approved, and mail it directly to you.

Emergency Medical Travel Plan (Medi-Passport)

Trent University offers Travel Benefits and Medi-Passport to eligible employees. With these benefits, you are one phone call away from the emergency medical help to see you through a crisis when you are away from home. You're automatically covered any time you leave the province in which you live. This coverage applies for a maximum period of 60 days from the date you leave your place of residence.  

Medi-Passport gives you access to the expertise of Allianz Global Assistance. Your spouse and children can also receive travel assistance, provided they are included under your Sun Life Health Insurance plan. Be sure carry your travel card with you when you travel. 

What to do in a medical emergency:

• You, or someone with you, must call the Allianz Global Assistance 24-hour operations centre before receiving medical care. The toll-free numbers are on the travel card. Any invasive and investigative procedures (i.e. surgery, angiogram, MRI) must be pre-authorized by Allianz Global Assistance, except in extreme circumstances. If you don’t contactAllianz Global Assistance, your claim could be reduced or declined. Have your contract number (50490) and member ID number (usually your employee number) ready.
• Give Allianz Global Assistance the information on your travel card and describe the situation.
• Stay in touch with Allianz Global Assistance throughout the emergency, until they confirm that you no longer need to do so. Please give Allianz Global Assistance your hospital, hotel or other current telephone number.

To print your Medi-Passport card and information on the plan, enter your Name (employee’s), our Policy Number 50490 and your Sun Life Member ID number (usually your employee #) on the card and take it with you when you travel. 

Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)

All Trent employees who are currently entitled to Sun Life benefits are eligible to access this free and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Telus Health is Trent University’s confidential Employee Assistance Program available to eligible employees and their dependents 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost to you. From parenting concerns to health matters, work issues to financial problems, legal questions to elder care, even with buying your first home, Telus Health can help! In fact, you can turn to Telus Health for help with a wide range of questions and issues. Telus Health is not just about counselling – it’s also a way to gain access to the information and resources you need. Telus Health can help with:

Phone:  1-877-207-8833
Website: https://one.telushealth.com
Mobile App: Download for iPhone, Android or Blackberry
User ID:  trentemployee
Password:  eap​

Flex Benefits

All Exempt employees are currently entitled to receive a Flexible Benefits Plan allowance of $400.00 between July 1 and the following June 30, pro-rated for employees that are employed for less than the full year. The entire amount must be used by June 30. Flex dollars do not carry over at June 30 to the next year. Employees must have a TrentU card in order to use their flex benefits. Flex benefit amounts will be automatically allocated to your TrentU card. The flex benefit account will take priority over your other accounts on your TrentU card. Therefore, when you present your card, funds will be drawn from the flex benefit account first. If you do not have a TrentU card, please visit the TrentU Card Office website for instructions on how to obtain one.  Please also refer to the TrentU Card Office website for further information, to check your card balance, and view the full list of locations you can use your flex benefits at.

If you do not intend to use your flex benefit allotment, please ensure you notify humanresources@trentu.ca, as this is a taxable benefit.  Please contact Human Resources for any disputes as to the amount of flex dollars on your card.

 

Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)

Faculty and staff of Trent University have the opportunity to save for their children/grandchildren’s post-secondary education by starting an RESP through automatic payroll deductions.  In our partnership with CST Consultants Inc., you can save for future educational costs by starting an RESP plan with the Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan, and benefit from the Canada Education Savings Grant which can add 20% to your RESP up to a total potential grant of $7,200.00 per child. The Additional Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond may also be available by opening an RESP.

If you are interested in opening an RESP please refer to the Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan Brochure for more information or contact:

Ingrid Nolan
Sales Representative
C.S.T. Consultants Inc.
Phone: 705-876-9488
Toll-free: 1-866-795-9407 ext. 404
E-mail: resp@trentu.ca

 

Self-funded Leaves

Eligible staff members may fund leaves of absence by deferring a portion of their salary, which is then paid at the time the leave is taken. Employees may arrange to have up to 33 1/3% of their annual salary deferred in any one year.  The leave must be at least six (6) months in duration and no more than twelve (12) months.  The staff member must not defer income for a period longer than six (6) years and the leave may not be taken the year prior to the normal retirement date. During the leave the deferred salary will be paid into the employee’s bank account in equal installments on the staff member’s normal pay dates. Employees who have embarked upon the self-funded leave plan are expected to follow through on the commitment. Please contact Human Resources for further information. 

 

Maternity/Parental Leave

Maternity Leave SUB Plan

After an employee has been employed at Trent University for one (1) year, they can file for maternity leave under this SUB plan. Under this plan, the Employee will receive either compensation based on the duration of leave as selected on their Employment Insurance Application:

The University will pay 95% of the staff member's normal salary or wages for the Employment Insurance waiting period, and for the next fifteen (15) weeks, the University will supplement the benefit paid by the Employment Insurance Commission so that when combined with earnings from other sources, the total from both sources will equal 95% of the Trent base salary or wages.   The recipient will be required to produce a record of confirmation of receipt of EI benefits from the Employment Insurance Commission before the University can pay the supplement.

Parental Leave SUB Plan

After a staff member has been employed at Trent University for one (1) year, they can apply for parental leave under the SUB plan. Under this plan, all staff eligible for the maternity leave sub-plan above may also extend the appropriate sub-plan for an additional eleven (11) weeks as parental leave providing the parental leave is taken immediately following maternity leave. 

Standard Parental Leave Sub-Plan: The University will supplement EI benefits to 95% of normal salary/wages.

Extended Parental Leave Sub-Plan: The University will supplement EI benefits to 78% of normal salary/wages.

An additional fifty-two (52) weeks of parental leave may also be taken, but shall be considered an unpaid leave and may be eligible for Employment Insurance benefits, but not salary/wages from the University.

Parental leave benefits for eligible staff not eligible for Maternity Leave Sub-Plan benefits are subject to the following:

Standard Parental Leave Sub-Plan:

1. First week – 95% of members normal salary/wages will be paid by the University upon receipt from EI acceptance, if the waiting period has not yet been served
2. Next eleven (11) weeks – The University will supplement EI benefits to 95% of normal salary/wages;
3. All other weeks of standard parental leave that member takes in accordance with the relevant federal and provincial lawa will be considered as unpaid leave from the University.

Extended Parental Leave Sub-Plan:

1. First week – 95% of members normal salary/wages will be paid by the University upon receipt from EI acceptance, if the waiting period has not yet been served
2. Next eleven (11) weeks – The University will supplement EI benefits to 78% of normal salary/wages;
3. All other weeks of standard parental leave that member takes in accordance with the relevant federal and provincial lawa will be considered as unpaid leave from the University.

12-month Maternity/Parental Leave form

18-month Maternity/Parental Leave form

Parental (Non-birth Parent) Form

 

Vacation

The vacation year is July 1st of one year to June 30th of the next year.  Vacation entitlements are earned one year to be taken the next year in accordance with the vacation schedule.  Thus new employees are not entitled to vacation time until the July 1st following their date of hire.  If an employee’s service date for vacation purposes is prior to September 30th of any given year they will be considered to have a full year of service at the next July 1st.  If you are hired to a permanent position from a contract position please email contact Human Resources for your vacation entitlement.

Please Note: 

• Vacation entitlement for part-time staff will be prorated accordingly
• Vacation entitlement does not accrue during long term unpaid leaves of absence
• of four months or longer
• Normally, vacation may not be carried over from one vacation year to another. However, in certain situations and with prior written approval, vacation days, to a maximum of five (5) working days may be carried over to the next vacation year.
• In the 25th year, Exempt employees shall be entitled to Special Service Recognition vacation time which consists of an extra five (5) days for a total of thirty-one (31) days of vacation in the 25th year only.
   

Tuition Waivers/Rebates

Tuition Waivers

• Course tuition fees are waived for courses of formal instruction offered by Trent University, up to and including graduate level programs
• In the opinion of the supervisor and Human Resources the course will be of benefit to the staff member in the performance of job duties at the University and will result in some educational credit being obtained
• Eligible staff applying to take courses must be prepared to meet normal admission requirements and to comply with published deadlines, etc.
• Failure to successfully complete a course will result in the staff member being held financially responsible for the full course fee.
• You are eligible to take one (1.0) undergraduate credit taken between September and April and one (1.0) undergraduate credit taken between May and August at Trent University
• Where the hours of instruction fall within working hours, the employee shall be required to make up for any time lost by taking the course.

Tuition Waivers for Exempt staff, for credits taken at Trent University

Tuition Waivers for dependents of Exempt staff:

• Dependents enrolled in courses at Trent University, are eligible to have their normal undergraduate academic fees waived for up to one full undergraduate program per term
• Please submit a completed and signed dependent tuition waiver form through myTrent to the Department of Human Resources a minimum of 30 days prior to the commencement of the course
• Ancillary fees are not waived
• Dependency shall be considered for one spouse (including common-law) and any children 25 years of age or under (including adopted, fostered and married children)

Tuition Waivers for dependents of Exempt staff

Tuition Rebates

• An eligible University staff member is one who holds a regular or recurring appointment at Trent University.
• Tuition course fee rebates shall be limited to the equivalent of one (1) undergraduate credit between September and April and one (1) undergraduate credit between May and August, or one (1) domestic part time graduate program fee per term.
• Please submit a completed and signed tuition rebate form to the Department of Human Resources a minimum of 30 days prior to the commencement of the course.
• If you are taking a course at another academic institution and require a tuition rebate you are required to pay for the course and once successfully completed you will be reimbursed up to the maximum amount (proof of successful completion (grades) and proof of tuition payment are required).
• Failure to successfully complete a course will result in the staff member being held financially responsible for the full course fee.
• Where the course is taken at an accredited university other than Trent, the fee rebate will be limited to Trent's undergraduate course fee or domestic part time graduate program fee, exclusive of ancillary fees

Tuition Rebates for Exempt staff, for credits taken at another academic institution

For further information regarding tuition waivers/rebates please contact the Department of Human Resources.