Human Resources Benefits

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a service that the College has purchased for eligible employees and family members. It is a confidential service staffed by Masters level or above counseling professionals from the Family and Children's service of Ithaca. It is intended to assist you with any concern, personal, family or workplace that you may have.

• Up to a maximum of eight in-person sessions annually per participant with a counseling professional for consultation and assessment on career, parenting, workplace issues, major life changes, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, abuse, depression, grief and loss, money management, credit counseling, eldercare concerns, and adoption services and many other.
• Unlimited telephone consultation and referral as needed.
• Supervisory/Management consultation.

No one is informed that you or your family member has used the EAP without written permission. The exceptions to confidentiality are issues of life and death, and child abuse. A counselor will be able to explain more about this when you call.

Call Family and Children's Service at 607.273.7494 or 1.800.834.1239 and tell them you are an EAP participant seeking a consultation. You will be asked a few brief questions and an appointment will be scheduled for you. Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. There is an answering service all hours that Family and Children's Service is closed.

The EAP is offered both at Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca locations – 204 North Cayuga Street and 521 West Seneca Street, and through an Affiliate Network if you need to be seen in a county other than Tompkins. You will be given directions when your appointment is scheduled.

Only expenses NOT reimbursed by Insurance can be claimed:

• Ambulance hire
• Artificial limbs & teeth
• Automobile modifications (hand controls, special equipment, mechanical lifts)
• Braille books & magazines
• CrutchesDrugs & medical supplies
• Elastic hose, medically prescribed
• Eyeglasses/contact lenses
• Acupuncture
• Anesthetist
• Blood donor
• Chiropodist
• Chiropractor
• Clinic
• Dentist
• Diagnosis
• Diathermy
• Examination, physical
• Eye examination
• Gynecologist 
• Hospital
• Laboratory
• Lip reading lessons for the deaf
• Medical information plan 
• Midwife
• Nurse 
• Oculist
• Opthamologist
• Optician
• Optometrist
• Oral surgery 
• Osteopath 
• Pediatrician
• Physician 
• Physiotherapist
• Podiatrist
• Practical Nurse
• Psychoanalyst
• Psychologist
• Specialist
• Surgeon
• Therapy 
• Halfway house residency
• Hearing devices
• Hospital bills
• Laetrile, when prescribed by a doctor
• Nursing care
• Obstetrical expense
• Operations – related treatments
• Oxygen equipment
• Rental of medical or healing equipment
• Retirement home fees, portion allocable to medical care
• Sanitarium or rest home
• Seeing-eye dog
• Special education
• Support or corrective devices (including special mattress or board for arthritis
• Telephone for the deaf
• Television set modification to receive closed captions
• Therapy treatments
• Transportation expense relative to illness
• Wheelchair
• X-rays

It is a voluntary plan that provides you with the choice of receiving your full compensation in cash, or to convert part of your compensation into TAX-FREE benefits.

The biggest advantage is the tax savings. Since a Flexible Benefits Plan uses pre-tax dollars for reimbursement of qualifying expenses, you reduce your Income taxes and social security tax by reducing your taxable salary.

No. Your net take home pay will increase by the amount of tax savings.

The Medical Reimbursement Plan offers reimbursement of medical care expenses NOT reimbursed by insurance. For example, expenses for annual physicals, eye exams, glasses, prescribed medicine, and hospital care.

Yes, if there is a material change in your circumstances. This includes marriage, divorce, death of a spouse or child, birth or adoption of a child, termination or commencement of a spouse's employment, and other events that the Administrator determines, will permit a change or revocation of an election during a plan year.

The company will provide you a reimbursement request form. You will be required to attach a copy of the medical or dependent care billing to this form and mail to SIEBA.

Careful review of expenses before making an election can minimize or eliminate any-unused benefits at the end of the year. However, If you do have funds elected but unused at the end of the year, the law requires that they be forfeited.

Yes, because you are not paying social security tax on that portion of your income that has been redirected, your social security benefits may be slightly reduced.

Three retirement programs are available to most administrative staff and faculty members:

• New York State Employees’ Retirement System (ERS)
• New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS)
• SUNY Optional Retirement Program (ORP).

All employees are eligible for ERS or the ORP. Employees in the titles of President, Vice President, Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and teaching faculty are also eligible for TRS.

Full-time employees must join a retirement program. Election must be made within the first 30 days of employment and, once made, may not be changed. If you do not select a retirement plan within 30 days of employment, you will automatically be placed in the New York State Employees’ Retirement System (ERS).

Part-time employees are not required to join a retirement program, but may do so if they wish. Part-time employees may join a retirement program at any time.

Once an employee elects to join a particular retirement program they may not withdraw their membership as long as they remain employed, and they may not switch from one program to another, unless they move from a position where they were ineligible to join TRS to an eligible position.

Persons joining any retirement program on or after July 27, 1976 are required to contribute 3% of salary. This is deducted prior to the computation of federal taxes. Members or ERS and TRS will only have to contribute for the first 10 years of membership. Under Internal Revenue Service regulations, employer and employee contributions may only be made on the first $205,000 of salary.

ERS and TRS are defined benefit retirement programs. The benefits calculation takes into account your final average salary (the average of your highest three consecutive years), your number of years of service, and your age at retirement. Benefits vary by tier. Your date of membership in ERS or TRS determines your tier level:

• Tier 1 membership prior to July 1, 1973
• Tier 2 July 1, 1973 - July 26, 1976
• Tier 3 July 27, 1976 - August 31, 1983
• Tier 4 September 1, 1983 and after

The ORP is a defined contribution retirement program. Benefits are determined by the amount contributed each year and the success of the investments. The amount of the College’s contribution is determined by your tier, which is based on your date of membership in the ORP:

Membership in the New York State Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) is mandatory for full-time, permanent employees. Membership is effective on the date of your full-time, permanent appointment.

Membership is optional for employees who are part-time, temporary, or both. Membership is effective on the date your application is received by ERS. Once you have joined, you may not withdraw your membership as long as you remain employed by an employer that participates in ERS.

Retirement benefits vary by tier. Your date of membership in ERS determines your tier level:

• Tier 1 – membership prior to July 1, 1973
• Tier 2 – July 1, 1973 - July 26, 1976
• Tier 3 – July 27, 1976 - August 31, 1983
• Tier 4 – September 1, 1983 and after

Tier 3 and 4 employees are required to contribute 3% of salary for the first 10 years of membership. Contributions are deducted prior to the computation of federal income taxes. Subject to certain restrictions, employees may borrow up to 75% of their contributions plus interest.

Employees are vested in the retirement system after receiving the equivalent of five full-time years of service credit. Service credit is pro-rated for part-time employees.

Vested members are entitled to a pension at retirement. Employees who do not vest, as well as those with less than 10 years of service, may withdraw their contributions, plus interest, at the time they leave service.

Membership provides retirement benefits at age 55 (reductions apply to tier 2, 3, and 4 for members under age 62 unless they have 30 years of service), disability retirement benefits at any age with 10 years of service

(the service requirement is removed for certain on-the-job injuries), and death benefits.

More information on ERS benefits

Employees may elect to take out a Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) or Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA) in addition to his/her regular retirement deduction. Contributions taken directly from your salary for SRAs and GSRAs reduce your taxable income. Taxes on potential earnings in your supplemental plan are deferred until you withdraw them as income in retirement.

SRAs or GSRAs are available through the following vendors:

• Corebridge Financial (formerly AIG Retirement Servies)
• VOYA
• Fidelity
• TIAA-CREF

The percentage of salary that may be deducted annually is subject to the IRS guidelines. Please contact the Human Resources Department for the current guidelines.