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 sessions annually per employee and immediate dependent 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.
• 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 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 Local Retirement System (NYSLR)
• New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS)
• SUNY Optional Retirement Program (ORP).

All employees are eligible for NYSLR 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 enroll in a retirement plan. 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 Local Retirement (NYSLR).

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 in a particular retirement plan,  they may not withdraw their membership as long as they remain employed, and they may not switch from one plan to another, unless retirement eligibility changes with a position change. 

Benefit election may require employee contributions through payroll deductions; this is based on tier and determined by the individual retirement plans. This is deducted prior to the computation of federal taxes. 

NYSLR and TRS are defined benefit retirement plans. The benefits calculation takes into account your final average salary, your number of years of service, and your age at retirement. Benefits vary by tier. Your date of membership in NYSLR 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 - December 31, 2009
• Tier 5 January 1, 2010 - March 31, 2012
• Tier 6 April 1, 2012 or 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:

• 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 - July 16, 1992 
• Tier 5 July 17, 1992 - March 31, 2012
• Tier 6 April 1, 2012 or after 

Membership in the New York State Local System (NYSLR) 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. Once you have joined, you may not withdraw your membership as long as you remain employed.

NYSLR is defined benefit retirement plans. The benefits calculation takes into account your final average salary, your number of years of service, and your age at retirement. Benefits vary by tier. Your date of membership in NYSLR 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 - December 31, 2009
• Tier 5 January 1, 2010 - March 31, 2012
• Tier 6 April 1, 2012 or after 

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 may withdraw their contributions, plus interest, at the time they leave service.

More information on NYSLR benefits

Employees may elect to take out a Supplemental Retirement Benefit (SRB) in addition to his/her regular retirement deduction. Contributions withheld from your paycheck based on either pre- or -post-tax election. Taxes on potential earnings in your supplemental plan are deferred until you withdraw them as income in retirement.

Supplemental Retirement Benefits are available through the following investment options:

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

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.