Employee Benefits & Retirement
In addition to assisting with the open enrollment process, we also assist with the administration of all benefits and retirement programs, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
Important Resources
This site outlines the benefits of working for the State of Florida. MyBenefits provides information about health, retirement, employee assistance programs and other benefit options to prospective and current employees, as well as retirees.
If you are a member of the Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan, you can access your personal retirement account information including service history, service credit, salary data, beneficiaries and more.
HR Benefits Team Areas of Responsibility:
-
I. Retirement
- FRS Pension Plan
- FRS Investment Plan
- Optional Retirement Plan
- Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP)
- Tax Sheltered Annuities
- Roth 403(b)
- Deferred Compensation -
II. Insurance
• State Administered:
- Health
- Life
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Supplemental Plans (Dental, Vision, Hospital, Cancer, etc.)
• FAMU Administered
- Life
- Lng/Shrt Term Disability
- Pre-Paid Legal Services -
III. Other
- Sick Leave Pool
- Florida Prepaid College Fund
- Miscellaneous Payroll Deductions (Meal Plans, Union Dues, etc.)
- Maintains Desk Procedures, Website, University Regulations and Internal Operating Procedures for Program area
Benefits for Faculty & Staff
Employees of Florida A&M University can take part in a variety of benefit programs:
Resources For Living (RFL)
Florida A&M University’s Resources For Living (RFL) provider is AETNA Resources for
Living. RFL provides a 24-hour help line that is available to offer counseling services
to faculty, staff (salaried/non-Other Personal Services employees) and their immediate
family members who live in their household (as defined by State Health Insurance Programs)
who may need assistance with life, family, and financial challenges. RFL offers free,
short-term counseling services for personal or work-related issues. Total confidentiality
is provided to those who call RFL for consultation.
FAMU Educational Research Center for Child Development (ERCCD) is a licensed child
care facility under the Florida Department of Children and Families and a School Readiness
and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) provider with the Early Learning Coalition of
the Big Bend that is accredited by AdvancED
Visit Educational Research Center for Child Development
As a benefit and convenience to employees, the University provides payroll deduction for the FAMU Federal Credit Union. Employees may utilize payroll deductions for various types of services including checking, savings, and loans.
Employees are required, as a condition of employment, to have their net salary warrant
electronically deposited into their accounts at a financial institution of their choice.
Employees who were hired after July 1, 1996 must comply with this law within the first
30 days of employment. Employees, who are unable to establish an account or who can
provide proof of a hardship may request an exemption through the University Personnel
Office. OPS employees may also participate in this program.
A flextime work schedule may be approved for USPS employees who have standard work hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to have the flexibility of reporting to work as early as 7:30 a.m. and departing as late as 6:00 p.m. All employees must be present at their jobs during the period 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., unless on an approved leave.
USPS employees who attain permanent status are also granted one personal holiday in each fiscal year. The Personal holiday must be used prior to June 30 of each fiscal year or it will be forfeited.
The Florida Prepaid College Fund Program allows you to pay for college tuition, fees, and housing at a guaranteed fixed rate. The program offers convenient monthly installments that will never increase or a single lump-sum payment plan. The Program offers three different tuition options: a four-year university plan, a two-year community college plan, and the 2 2 plan, covering two years at a community college and two years at a state university.
Florida A&M University offers employees coverage in a variety of individual and family group insurance plans. Plans offered include health, life, dental, accidental/disability, cancer/cancer intensive care, supplemental hospitalization, vision care, and personal accident coverage. Some insurance Plans are offered on a pre-taxed basis and are partially funded by the State of Florida.
Employees of Florida A&M University are offered several retirement plan options. These plans include the following:
Florida Retirement System (FRS) – this plan is available to all eligible State of Florida employees. Vesting requirements (eligibility for benefits) are met after six (6) years of employment under the FRS.
Optional Retirement Plan (ORP ) – this plan is available only to Faculty and Administrative and Professional Employees (A&P). These employees are compulsory members of the Optional Retirement Program unless they elect membership in the FRS or fail to select a provider company within 90 days of eligibility. Vesting requirements (eligibility for benefits) are immediate under the ORP.
Phased Retirement – this is a State University System administered program for eligible FRS, Faculty employees. This program is administered by the Division of Academic Affairs and offers employees a flexible work schedule over a specified period of time.
Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) – this program is administered by the State
of Florida to eligible FRS employees. DROP allows participants the opportunity to
retire and to begin accumulating retirement benefits without terminating employment.
Participation is limited to 60 months.
FAMU Retirees Club
The University Sick Leave Pool allows for the pooling of eligible employees' sick
leave credits into a central pool. Pool members who have been approved for sick leave
pool hours due to illness, accident, or injury that requires the member to be absent
from work 10 or more consecutive days after exhaustion of all leave balances may use
these hours. IMM 305
University employees are eligible to participate in tax-sheltered programs, which
permit the employee to reduce current taxable income by deferring a chosen amount
of income. Participants pay no income tax on the money contributed to the Plan and
are not taxed on their contributions or earnings until they begin taking distributions
from their account.
The Florida Unemployment Compensation Law covers all employees. Unemployment insurance
provides temporary income to offset wages lost to employees who are laid off or separated
from employment through no fault of their own may.
On an annual basis, salaried full time employees earn paid sick and/or vacation days
as indicated below:
Sick / Vacation
Executive Service 16.25 /30
Faculty (12 Mos.) 13 /22
Faculty (9/10 Mos.) 13/ 0
A&P 13/ 22
USPS 13/13 (1-5 years)*
16 (6-10 years)*
20 (10 years)*
*Accrual is based on the years of employment
Part-time employees accrue their leave proportionate to the percentage of their appointment.
IMM 300
