Regent University benefits are under frequent review and may be changed from time to time. Since this is a partial compilation, it is not intended to be a substitute for the official sources. For current details on employee benefits, contact the Human Resources Benefits Manager.

You can also to go to the Summary Benefits Page by clicking here.

ADOPTION ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE POLICY

It is the policy of Regent University to provide financial assistance to employees who build their family through adoption. An Adoption Assistance Allowance will be provided to employees who meet the following eligibility requirements:

•  Employed for 12 consecutive months in regular full-time status
•  Adopting children under the age of 18 who are not related to either parent

If both spouses are employed by Regent University, either spouse, but not both, may apply for an Adoption Assistance Allowance.

Eligible adoption-related expenses are reimbursed up to a maximum of $3,000. To obtain reimbursement, an eligible employee must submit an Adoption Assistance Claim Form to the Human Resources Department upon placement of the adopted child. Itemized receipts of expenses must be attached to the claim form for documentation.

Reimbursable expenses directly related to an adoption include but are not limited to:

•  Agency and placement fees
•  Legal fees and court costs
•  Medical expenses of the birthmother not covered by insurance
•  Medical expenses of the child not covered by insurance
•  Temporary foster care costs
•  Immigration, immunization and translation fees
•  Transportation and lodging-related costs

Expenses related to an adoption that are not reimbursable include but are not limited to:

•  Surrogate parenting arrangements
•  Adoption of children 18 and older
•  Adoption of a spouse's child
•  Those paid with funds received from any federal, state or local program
•  Those incurred in violation of state or federal law

Employee may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid job protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (see Family and Medical Leave Policy). The eligible employee should notify his/her supervisor of the need for time off with as much advance notice as the adoption proceeding allows.

In order to add an adopted child to the employee's medical and dental policies, Change in Enrollment forms and a copy of the Adoption Agreement must be submitted to Human Resources within 30 days of placement of the child.

Employee must complete an additional 24 months of continuous service in order to be eligible for assistance for a subsequent adoption.

APPROVED by Dr. M.G. "Pat" Robertson, President and Chancellor, January 10, 2007

EMPLOYEE EXPENSES

Financial Assistance in Times of Hardship (F.A.I.T.H.) Fund

PAYROLL POLICIES

For additional payroll information, contact the Business Office - Payroll.

Direct Deposit

Emergency Payments

Payroll advances are authorized only for emergencies, such as accidents and illnesses. There will be a three day processing period. A maximum of 60 percent of salary earned to date for the current pay period will be allowed. This will be deducted from your next paycheck. Any exceptions must be authorized by the Vice President for Finance.
.

Overtime/Compensatory Time Off

Non-exempt employees (all employees who are paid twice monthly) must be paid at overtime rates (time and a half) for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. "Hours worked" includes time spent on work taken home. Please discourage non-exempt employees from working more than a 40 hour work week. Vacation, medical leave, and holidays do not count as hours worked.

Supervisors of non-exempt employees whose responsibilities include timesheet approval should have first-hand knowledge of the accuracy of time sheets, including arrivals and departures of non-exempt employees during the work day. When a supervisor allows a non-exempt employee to exceed 40 hours worked in a week, or discovers after the fact that it has occurred, the time sheet must be completed accurately even if overtime pay is required. Do not put the University at risk for a violation of wage and hour regulations by allowing the employee to take the excess time off in a later work week.

Compensatory time off, in lieu of overtime pay, for non-exempt employees must be taken in the same work week in which overtime hours are worked. True "comp time" is not allowed by federal law to non-exempt employees (support staff employees paid twice per month). No guarantee of compensatory time off, nor any formal policy on "comp time" exists for exempt salaried employees of Regent University.

Ideally, overtime work should be approved in advance. When a last minute crisis makes that impossible, we must accept the consequences and resolve to avoid recurrent overtime situations by better planning, improved communication, and proper time sheet approval procedures in the future.

Overtime pay is chargeable to the employing department and payroll budgets do not have any excess dollars for overtime payments. Therefore, any overtime charges must be covered from operating budgets.

Pay Periods

University hourly (non-exempt) employees are paid on the 15th and on the last day of each month. Salaried (exempt) employees are paid monthly at the end of each month. When payday falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, payment will be made on the preceding workday.

Workweek and Hours of Work
The normal or regular hours of work are eight hours per day or forty hours per week, Monday through Friday. The defined workweek begins Sunday at 12:01 a.m. and terminates on Saturday at midnight.


Severance Pay

It is the policy of Regent University to provide severance pay to eligible employees in accordance with the following guidelines, as determined by Regent University in its sole discretion.  

Eligibility    
Persons who have completed at least 90 days of employment as a regular full-time or regular part-time at-will employee are entitled to severance pay in the case of a permanent release initiated by the university due to elimination of the position, lack of work or a general reduction in the work force. No severance pay is due under other circumstances.   Specifically excluded from benefits under this policy are employees who leave voluntarily, including retirement from Regent University; employees who were hired as temporary or on-call employees; employees who were hired as graduate assistants; faculty or other employees under contract with the university whose termination is handled with a contract pay-out or formal severance agreement; employees who are terminated for misconduct or other cause; or employees who were offered but refused to accept another suitable position with Regent University, unless the offered position required the employee to relocate or take a reduction in salary.

Amount of Severance Pay    
Financial conditions permitting, one (1) week of severance pay will be provided for each full year of continuous service, calculated from the most recent date of hire in an eligible position (see eligibility criteria above).   If at least six (6) months of service have been completed in the current year, that shall count as one (1) full year for purposes of severance pay calculation. 

Executives, deans and department heads will be paid an additional four (4) weeks of severance pay.  

Severance pay is calculated based on the base pay rate at the time of termination, and will not include any additional forms of compensation, such as stipends, bonuses, incentive pay, overtime pay or shift differentials.

Payment of Severance Pay
Severance pay shall be paid at the regular time each pay check is due, until the entire allowance is paid out. Persons receiving severance pay shall be ineligible for unemployment compensation during that period.
 

Vacation Pay-Out
In addition to any severance pay due under this policy, compensation for accrued unused vacation will be paid upon termination or resignation of employment, except in the cases of employees who walk off the job, are fired for cause, or do not fulfill their appointed obligations.   The terminating employee must turn in his/her completed original time card to the Business Office in order for the vacation pay to be calculated and paid.
 

Continuation of Benefits
403(b) retirement plan contributions will continue through the severance period.   Group health plan coverage may continue through the end of the month in which the final severance payment is made, at the active employee premium contribution rate, unless the employee requests the coverage to end sooner. When group health coverage ends, federal COBRA rules will apply, allowing further continuation of coverage up to 18 months with payment of the full premium by the employee. Group term life and group disability insurance coverage will end on the last work date unless the employee chooses to convert those policies to individual coverage in accordance with the conversion provisions of the policies in effect at the time.
 

Exceptions and Special Situations
If practicable, an additional two (2) weeks' paid notice of termination will be provided, in addition to severance pay, at the sole discretion of Regent University.   During the notice period, the employee will be allowed as much flexibility as possible to take paid time off from work for the purpose of job-hunting and interviews, with no charge to vacation leave.  

In certain situations, e.g. termination of key management personnel, severance pay may be calculated in excess of that stated in this policy, if approved by the President of Regent University.  

When faculty appointments are terminated due to contract non-renewal with pay-out of an existing contract, or when other contract employees are paid out for an existing contract, or via a formal written severance agreement, the severance pay provided under this policy will not apply.  

In some situations, the employee may be required to sign a General Release as a condition precedent to the employee receiving severance pay.  

Severance pay will be terminated at the time the employee begins employment with the Christian Broadcasting Network or another CBN-affiliated organization, or is rehired by Regent University.  

Regent University reserves the right to vary this policy or to eliminate severance pay, where Regent University in its sole discretion determines the circumstances so warrant.  

This policy is hereby approved by the President of Regent University, superseding any other Severance Policies previously in effect.  

Online Time Cards (Web Time Entry (WTE):

Hourly (non-exempt) employees are responsible for recording the hours worked each day on their online Time Sheet. The employee must submit the online Time Sheet for their supervisor's approval with enough time for the supervisor to approve by the Pay Period close date. The hours recorded on the Time Sheet as time worked must be the actual hours worked, not the time scheduled to work. Time worked in excess of 40 hours in a work week will be paid at one and one-half the non-exempt employee's normal hourly rate of pay.

Salaried (exempt) professional staff, excluding faculty, report time off on a salaried employees' online Leave Report. The employee must submit the online Leave Report for their supervisor's approval with enough time for the supervisor to approve by the Pay Period close date. In accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act pertaining to salaried employees who qualify for exemption from overtime pay rules, partial day leave and/or partial day deductions from exempt employees' pay are not allowed, regardless of the number of hours the employee actually works. Exempt employees should only record full day absences as sick or vacation time. An exempt employee's pay will not be docked except in the case of a full day disciplinary suspension. If an exempt employee takes vacation the remainder of a half-day holiday (such as Labor Day and New Year's Day), the exempt employee will use half a day of vacation for that day, as the first half of the day is a holiday.

For miscellaneous leave: If you have questions about miscellaneous leave and how to document your Time Sheet or Leave Report, visit http://www.regent.edu/admin/busoff/payroll.cfm or contact Regent University Business Office Payroll at 757.352.4054.

RELOCATION EXPENSES

TUITION REMISSION