How benefits eligibility works
For employees in career, academic, limited, partial-year career, contract, and floater appointments
Eligibility for a particular benefits package depends on the type of job, the percentage of time worked, and the appointment length.
Full Benefits: Employees in the above categories (career, academic, limited, partial-year career, contract, and floater appointments), working 50 percent time or more for at least one year, and eligible for primary retirement benefits.
Employees who are ineligible for Full benefits can gain eligibility based on the accumulation of 1,000 eligible hours (or 750 hours for a Non-Senate Instructional Unit) in a rolling 12-month period, except floater appointments, which are generally ineligible for primary retirement and Full benefits.
Mid-Level Benefits: Employees in the above categories hired to work 100 percent time for at least three months but for less than one year OR hired at 50 percent or more for a year or more but not eligible for primary retirement benefits.
Core Benefits: Employees in the above categories hired for 43.75 percent. Employees in per diem, casual/restricted (students), by Agreement, or seasonal appointments are eligible for Core benefits if appointed to work at least 75 percent for at least three months.
Losing Benefits Eligibility: UC bases an employee's ongoing eligibility for benefits on average service hours over a 12-month Standard Measurement Period (SMP).
The required average hours of service thresholds are:
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Group A (Career, Academic, Limited, Partial-Year Career, Contract, Floater): 17.5 hours per week
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Group B (Per Diem, Casual/Restricted (students), By Agreement or other flat-dollar payments, Seasonal): 30 hours per week
If an employee loses health and welfare benefits eligibility, UCPath will notify the affected employee.
- UCPath notifies WEX of the employee's eligibility status.
- WEX sends the employee COBRA information.
Rehires: following an employment break, initial eligibility as a Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) rehired employee is evaluated differently depending on whether the break was less than 26 weeks or more than 26 weeks.
Transfers: If an employee is transferring from a position with benefits to a position that is in an “ineligible group,” with or without an employment break or break in service, then the Benefits Eligibility Process will update the employee’s Health and Disability and Welfare Eligibility Configuration Fields.
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