Life & Disability Insurance

LIFE INSURANCE

Life Insurance provides additional financial protection for you and your family in the event of your death. Living Branches provides $20,000 of life insurance for each eligible employee. There is no cost to employees for this coverage and enrollment is automatic. This plan is administered through Guardian.

VOLUNTARY LIFE INSURANCE

Voluntary Life Insurance and AD&D is offered by Guardian. This benefit will enhance the limit provided to you by Living Branches. You may choose coverage at a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $500,000 or 5x (times) base annual salary (whichever is the lesser). Coverage is offered in increments of $10,000. Coverage for your spouse cannot exceed 50% of your election and coverage for your child(ren) cannot exceed 10% of your election.

You must complete Guardian’s Evidence of Insurability form if you previously waived this coverage and are enrolling for the first time, or if you would like to increase your coverage amount. This form can be located online at www.guardiananytime.com/eoi. Your group number is 00512852.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY

The long-term disability program begins when you are disabled for more than 90 days. Living Branches provides long-term disability insurance for each eligible employee. There is no cost to employees for this coverage and enrollment is automatic. The benefit is 60% of monthly wages with a maximum of $3,000 per month. This plan is administered through Guardian.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY

Living Branches provides a short-term salary continuation, Short -Term Disability (STD) benefit plan, to help eligible employees who are unable to work because of a personal illness or injury. Regular full-time employees are eligible. There is a seven-consecutive-calendar day waiting period before this plan will pay benefits to eligible employees. During that time, employees are required to use available Paid Personal Leave (PPL) to cover the time for which they would have normally been scheduled.

STD benefits are based on the rate of pay and average hours worked during the preceding two consecutive pay periods prior to the qualifying absence. Once the waiting period has been met, employees will be compensated according to the following schedule:

This benefit shall be limited to 90 days per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) and will run concurrently with our Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefit, as provided by law. In order to be eligible for this policy’s benefit, employees will be required to furnish a statement of disability from a physician after seven consecutive calendar days of absence due to a qualifying illness or injury. Living Branches reserves the right to request further documentation as it may specify at its sole discretion.

Employees are responsible for contacting the Human Resources Department in the event short-term disability benefits are needed. Paperwork is to be returned within the first fifteen days of absence. Disability payments will not be processed until all appropriate paperwork is returned to the Human Resources Department. If employees are out longer than 30 consecutive calendar days, they will be required to furnish updated statements of disability from a physician.

Employees are eligible for this benefit if:

They are under the qualifying care of a physician for a disabling condition which prevents them from performing their job responsibilities.
Their disability does not result from an intentionally self-inflicted injury.
Their disability does not result from war, riot, or civil disturbance.
Their disability is not covered under workers’ compensation.
Their disability is not caused by use of controlled substances, military service, participation in felonious activity, or employment outside Living Branches.

Qualifying absences arising from pregnancy or pregnancy-related illness are treated the same as any other disabilities that prevent an employee from working. Abuse or attempted abuse of this benefit will constitute grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.