Short-term Disability Insurance

Representing the voice of our staff, the IUPUI Staff Council has fought to have Short-Term Disability insurance offered for many years. We realize a need exists for this type of insurance as many of our fellow staff members have had to endure financial hardships because of lost pay when they were unable to work because of an injury, extended illness or pregnancy. The countless hours of hard work put in by many Staff Council members over the years paid off this year as the University was able to put together a packet of optional plans that included Short Term Disability.

Implementation of a Short-Term Disability plan requires a minimal percentage of employee participation, as the insurance company wants to be profitable and considerable usage is expected. As such, there needs to be a significant amount of employees enrolled to cover the expected usage. Initially the insurance company wanted 30% of all eligible staff enrolled before the plan would be offered. Through negotiations by the University, the minimum employee participation was lowered even further to 20% and the plan was offered to all eligible staff during a special enrollment period which was extended to ensure all eligible employees were given the opportunity to enroll. Unfortunately only 8% (876) of eligible employees enrolled in the plan and as a result the program will not become effective this year.

There is a definite need for this insurance and the number of employees that enrolled in the plan does not accurately reflect the number of employees in need of the plan as there are many factors present that may have prevented employees from enrolling.

• The plan was offered during a period that will go into the record books as being one of the worst economic times in the history of America.
• Many of our fellow employees have spouses and family members without jobs during this time of record unemployment.
• No raises were given as inflation continues.
• When one has to decide between putting food on the table and paying an insurance premium, regardless of the need for the insurance, the choice is obvious.

Because of these factors, we will not give up the fight. It took many months of planning by the University to offer the Short-Term Disability insurance and we will have to provide reasonable assurance of sufficient enrollment before the University will commit the time needed for another offering of Short-Term Disability.

We will continue to be a voice for our employees and we will continue to pursue Short-Term Disability considering 876 staff members enrolled in the plan with many more in need that were unable to enroll at this time.

To lend your voice to this cause, please add a comment at this site: http://www.iupui.edu/~scouncil/contact/feedback.html