Benefits October 27, 2006
U. Cincinnati Extends Domestic Partner Benefits
October 27, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Trustees of the
University of Cincinnati have granted domestic partners of
university faculty and non-union workers access to benefits
including life and long-term care insurance.
Reported by Fred Schneyer
Trustees made the unanimous move with no discussion during a special 15-minute meeting, according to a Cincinnati Enquirer news report.
The change for faculty required reopening the union’s three-year contract, something both sides allowed for during 2004 negotiations while extending the benefits to non-union employees was a “matter of equity,” Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Monica Rimai told the newspaper.
The new benefits, which will be extended to about 6,000 UC employees, come at no cost to the university and do not include health care or tuition payments.
Under the changes, which take effect January 1, employees may:
- Buy life insurance coverage for a same- or opposite-sex domestic partner.
- Buy personal accident insurance for a domestic partner.
- Buy long-term care insurance for a domestic partner.
- Use sick leave because of the illness, injury, or death of his or her domestic partner or the partner’s children.
- Request personal leave because of the needs of a domestic partner.
- Take child-rearing leave for needs relating to the children of a domestic partner.