Becoming a Boston University Employee

When you join Boston University, you need to make some decisions about your benefits coverage. To participate in some of the plans, you must enroll within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting. You are automatically enrolled for other plan benefits on your date of hire.

As you prepare to enroll, you should have your dependents’ names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers on hand, as well as names and addresses of your beneficiary(ies).

In addition to the benefits noted in the following table, you, your spouse, parents/parents-in-law, and grandparents/grandparents-in-law may enroll for Long-Term Care Insurance by contacting the John Hancock Insurance Company at 1-888-258-7448. You also have access to discounts on personal auto and homeowners’ insurance and umbrella liability coverage through payroll deduction or home billing. Contact Coldwell/Banker Residential Brokerage Insurance Agency at 1-888-717-1776 for details.

Here is a summary of the benefits available to you when you join Boston University, decisions you need to consider, and steps you need to take for each benefit.

Health Plan and Dental Health Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, work 75% or more of a full-time schedule, and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you and your eligible family members may participate in the Boston University Health Plan and Dental Plan.
  • Within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, choose coverage for yourself and your eligible family members.
  • If you do not enroll within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, you will have to wait until the next open enrollment period, unless you have a qualified change in family or enrollment status.

Long-Term Disability Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, work a full-time schedule and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you automatically become a member of the LTD Plan on the first day of the month coincident with or following your completion of three years of continuous full-time service.
  • The three-year service requirement may be waived if you provide satisfactory evidence that you had been covered by a previous employer, and no more than three months had passed between the termination of that group long-term disability coverage and your first day of employment with the University. You need to submit this evidence within 30 days from the date of your benefits orientation.

Basic Life Insurance Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, work a full-time schedule, and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you are eligible to participate in the Basic Life Insurance Plan on your first day of active employment.
  • The University automatically provides you with basic life insurance equal to one times your annual base salary.
  • You must name a beneficiary for your basic life insurance.

Group Supplemental Life Insurance Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, work a full-time schedule, and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you and your eligible family members are eligible to participate in the Group Supplemental Life Insurance Plan on your first day of active employment.
  • If you enroll within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, choose additional insurance for yourself equal to one, two, three, four, or five times your annual base salary. You may also elect coverage for your eligible family members.
  • If you enroll after 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, or you elect coverage for yourself that exceeds $500,000 (or coverage for your spouse that exceeds $20,000), you (or your spouse or children) will need to provide evidence of insurability.
  • You must name a beneficiary for your supplemental life insurance. You are the beneficiary of any dependent life insurance.

Travel Accident Insurance Plan

  • You are automatically enrolled on your date of hire, at no cost to you, if you are classified as a regular employee, work a full-time schedule, and have an appointment of nine months or more duration.
  • Travel Accident Insurance provides financial protection against death, paralysis, or loss of sight, speech, hearing, or limbs resulting directly from accidental injuries incurred while you are traveling on authorized University business.

Personal and Family Accident Insurance Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, work a full-time schedule, and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you and your eligible family members may participate in the Personal and Family Accident Insurance Plan.
  • Choose insurance for yourself and for your eligible family members within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, during open enrollment or if you have a qualified change in your family or employment status.
  • This insurance provides financial protection to you or your beneficiary if you should die or lose sight, a limb, speech or hearing, or become paralyzed as the direct result of an accident.

Retirement Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, work at least 50% of a full-time schedule, and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you may participate in the Retirement Plan.
  • You may participate in the plan beginning on the first day of the month in which you complete two years of service with the University.
  • To enroll, fill out enrollment forms and return them to the Benefits Section of Human Resources.
  • These forms specify your investment (TIAA/CREF or Fidelity) and beneficiary choices and authorize the University to take contributions from your paycheck.
  • Under this plan, the University will more than match your contribution.

Supplemental Retirement & Savings Plan

  • If you are classified as a regular employee, you may participate in the Supplemental Retirement & Savings Plan.
  • To enroll, fill out enrollment forms and return them to the Benefits Section of Human Resources.
  • These forms specify your investment (TIAA/CREF or Fidelity) and beneficiary choices and authorize the University to take contributions from your paycheck.
  • This plan gives you an additional opportunity to save for retirement.

Dependent Care Reimbursement Account

  • If you are a regular employee and your annual base salary is $10,000 or more, you may participate in the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.
  • Within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, choose to deposit up to $5,000 of your before-tax salary into an account to help pay for eligible dependent care (day care) expenses with tax-free dollars.
  • If you do not enroll within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, you will have to wait until the next open enrollment (to be effective on January 1 of the following year), unless you have a qualified change in your family or enrollment status.

Health Care Reimbursement Account

  • If you are a regular employee, you may participate in the Health Care Reimbursement Account.
  • Within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, choose to deposit up to $3,000 of your before-tax salary into an account to help pay for eligible health care expenses.
  • If you do not enroll within 30 days from the date of your Benefits Orientation meeting, you will have to wait until the next open enrollment in the fall (to be effective on January 1 of the following year) unless you have a qualified change in your family or enrollment status.

Tuition Remission Program

  • If you are a regular full-time employee and have an appointment of nine months or more duration, you are eligible to participate in this program.
  • Your spouse is eligible to participate after you have completed 12 months of service. Your children are eligible to participate once you have completed four months of service.
  • The program covers undergraduate and graduate courses offered only by Boston University.

Boston University Children’s Center, Inc. and Early Childhood Learning Lab

  • If you are a regular employee, the Boston University Children’s Center, Inc. has full-time and part-time programs for children from age two through age six.
  • The Early Childhood Learning Lab, a nursery school for children from two years and nine months to five years old, is operated by the School of Education.
  • Space in both programs is limited. If you are interested, you should talk with the directors as early as possible.
  • You may also contact Family Resources for help with child care services.

University Credit Union

  • If you are a regular employee, the University Credit Union offers a full range of financial services and can arrange account deposits or payments through payroll deductions.
  • It offers numerous deposit services and loan programs to meet your financial needs. For information, call 617-739-7447.