3.1.10 Short Term Disability
Policy Section: Leaves of Absence
Policy Number and Title: 3.1.10 Short Term Disability
Applicable to: All Employees
Effective Date: September 1, 2005
Policy Description
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The Princeton University short term disability benefit provides income protection in the event of a short term, or temporary, disability where the injury or illness is not work related. The policy is administered by the Office of Human Resources.
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Application of this Policy
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The Princeton University short term disability policy applies to staff and Dean of Faculty employees [1] who are unable to work because of a continuing medically certified illness or injury that is not work-related. |
Short Term Disability Pay
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The Princeton University short term disability program is established in accordance with the Temporary Disability Law of the State of New Jersey and the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- For all eligible regular full–time or part–time employees, the University supplements the New Jersey Temporary Disability rate to full base salary for up to a maximum of 26 weeks for any one period of disability.
- Probationary and casual employees may be eligible for the minimum legal benefit as defined under the New Jersey State statute. Positions are not held for probationary and temporary employees.
- Employees who are members of a union may be paid according to a different schedule and/or rate. Supervisors should consult the applicable contract to determine the appropriate temporary disability rate.
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Eligibility Criteria
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To be eligible for a short term, or temporary, disability leave the following basic criteria must be met:
- the employee must be unable to perform his or her regular job or any work appropriate to the disability that may be offered;
- the employee must be disabled for at least eight full consecutive calendar days as certified by a licensed health care provider;
- the employee must be under the care of a licensed health care provider who certifies that the employee is unable to work;
- the employee must complete and submit the short term disability application to the Office of Employee Health; and
- the disability medical certificate furnished by the employee must be acceptable to the Office of Employee Health.
The University reserves the right to:
- confer with the employee’s attending health care provider;
- have the employee examined by the Office of Employee Health;
- have the employee referred by the Office of Employee Health for an Independent Medical Examination (IME) or a Functional Capacity Examination (FCE) by a health care provider designated by the Office of Employee Health or for a medical case management review by a designated third party provider; and
- assign the employee to a temporary position (or light duty) appropriate to the disability.
The University has the final responsibility for determining employee eligibility for temporary disability benefits.
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Confidentiality of Records
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In all cases, the Office of Employee Health and Human Resources work with the supervisor and the employee to ensure that appropriate procedures are followed while maintaining the confidentiality of the employee's medical information.
The supervisor and Human Resources should not find it necessary to inquire about the employee’s underlying medical condition or diagnosis, nor is it necessary for the employee to share such information with Human Resources or the supervisor. Rather, the supervisor and Human Resources need only communicate with the employee about the employee’s ability to perform the job duties or plans to return to work.
The employee is required to discuss the anticipated period of absence and plans to return to work with the supervisor or Human Resources.
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[1]Although DoF employees generally are eligible for short term disability benefits, as described in this policy, DoF employees should consult with the
Office of the Dean of the Faculty for more specific details.
