Academic and Civil Service Employee Benefits and Comparison of Benefits to Spouse

Benefit	Spouse and/or Dependent	Domestic Partner and/or Dependent	Policy Control
			University	State
1. Medical Insurance Can spouse/partner and/or dependents be included under available medical plans?	Yes, personal access to coverage is available for spouse and dependents. Employee premiums are paid on a pre-tax basis.	No, personal access to coverage is not available for partners. However, a University Premium Reimbursement Plan is available. Employees are currently reimbursed up to $299.80 per month; this benefit is taxed.	X	X
2. Medical Insurance – Retiree Can spouse/partner and/or dependents be included under available medical plans for retirees?	Yes, although the University subsidy ceases upon retirement, personal access to "group coverage" is available for spouse and dependents upon the employee’s retirement.	The University Premium Reimbursement Plan ceases upon retirement. There is also no "group coverage" available for the partner or dependents of partner. This lack of coverage, however, is currently under discussion.		X
3. Dental Insurance Can spouse/partner and/or dependents be included under available dental plans?	Yes, personal access to coverage is available for spouse and dependents. Employee premiums are paid on a pre-tax basis.	Yes, personal access to coverage is available for partner or dependents of partner though a separate University dental plan. However, this benefit is taxed and the employee premiums cannot be paid on a pre-tax basis.	X	X
4. Dental Insurance – Retiree Can spouse/partner and/or dependents be included under available dental plans for retirees?	Yes, personal access to coverage is available for spouse and dependents upon the employee’s retirement.	Yes, personal access to coverage for partner or dependents of partner is available through a separate University dental plan.	X	X
5. State Plan (7166-G) Basic Life Insurance Can the spouse/partner and/or dependents be named as beneficiary of the basic life insurance policy?	Yes, the spouse and/or dependents can be named as beneficiaries.	Yes, the partner and/or their dependents can be named as beneficiaries. However, upon the death of the employee, tax implications are different for spouse vs. same sex domestic partner.		X
6. State Plan (7166-G) Additional Life Insurance Can additional life insurance be purchased for spouse/partner and/or dependents?	Yes, additional life insurance may be purchased for spouse and/or dependents.	No, additional life insurance may not be purchased for partner and/or partner’s dependents.		X
7. Faculty Group Life Insurance (G1130-2) Can the spouse/partner and/or dependents be named as beneficiary of the Faculty Group Life insurance (G1130-2)?	Yes, the spouse and/or dependents can be named as beneficiaries.	Yes, the partner and/or their dependents can be named as beneficiaries. However, upon the death of the employee, tax implications are different for spouse vs. same sex domestic partner.	X
8. Long Term Disability Can long term disability insurance be purchased for the employee’s spouse/partner and/or dependents?	No, long term disability insurance is available for purchase to cover only the employee, not the employee’s spouse and/or dependents.	No, long term disability insurance is available for purchase to cover only the employee, not the employee’s partner and/or their dependents.		X
9. Retirement
(a) Academic Employees – Faculty Retirement Program Can the spouse/partner and/or dependents be named as beneficiaries of the employee’s retirement account?	Yes, the spouse and/or dependents can be named as beneficiaries of the employee’s retirement account.	Yes, the partner and/or their dependents can be named as beneficiaries. However, upon the death of the employee, tax implications are different for spouse vs. same sex domestic partner.	X	X
(b) Civil Service Staff – Minnesota State Retirement System Can the spouse/partner and/or dependents of the partner be named as beneficiaries of the employee’s retirement account?	Yes, the spouse or a dependent can be named as a Joint & Survivor beneficiary of the employee’s retirement account.	Yes, the partner or a dependent can be named as a Joint & Survivor beneficiary of the employee’s retirement account.		X
(c) Optional Retirement Plan Can the spouse/partner and/or dependents be named as beneficiary of the employee’s optional retirement account?	Yes. The spouse and/or dependents can be named as the beneficiaries of the employee’s optional retirement account.	Yes, the partner and/or their dependents can be named as beneficiaries. However, upon the death of the employee, tax implications are different for spouse vs. same sex domestic partner.	X	X
10. Leaves of Absence* (Note: These policies are currently under revision to make sure that they are inclusive of same sex domestic partners.)
A. Academic Employees
(a) Informal Sick Leave Is the two week informal sick leave available to care for spouse/partner and/or dependents?	Informal sick leave is available to care for employee’s dependents.	Informal sick leave is available to care for employee’s partner’s dependents.	X
	No provision is made for care of spouse/partner under this policy. This policy is currently under discussion.		X
(b) Formal Medical Leave Is formal medical leave available to care for spouse/partner and/or dependents?	No. Formal medical leave is available to use only for employee’s personal medical condition.	No. Formal medical leave is available to use only for employee’s personal medical condition.	X
(c) Parental Leave Are eligible academic employees regardless of sexual orientation covered under the parental leave policy?	Yes. Domestic partners are covered under the parental leave policy as stated in the 1992 Board of Regents Resolution.		X
(d) Family and Personal Leaves Are the provisions for a leave of up to 1 year afforded to eligible academic employees the same for situations covering spouses and/or dependents as for partners and/or their dependents?	Yes. Domestic partners and/or their dependents are included in the same manner as spouses and dependents under this policy per the 1992 Board of Regents Resolution.		X
(e) Bereavement Leave May employees be granted bereavement leave in the event of the death of their spouse, partner, or dependents?	There is no written policy covering bereavement leave for academic employees. There is, however, an accepted business practice to allow for bereavement leave related to death of spouse, partner or dependents.		X
B. Civil Service Employees
(a) Sick Leave Is accrued sick leave available to care for spouse/partner and/or dependents?	Yes.		X
(b) Parental Leave Are eligible civil service employees regardless of sexual orientation covered under the parental leave provision of the Civil Service Rules?	Yes.		X
(c) Bereavement Leave May employees be granted use of sick leave in the event of the death of their spouse, partner, or dependents?	Yes.		X
11. Spousal/Partner Hire In exceptional situations as defined in the "Guidelines for Recruiting and Appointing Academic Personnel", can either a spouse or partner be considered for a spousal/partner hire?	Yes.		X
12. Mortgage Program Can all academic employees who meet the eligibility requirements related to their appointment participate in the mortgage program regardless of their sexual orientation?b	Yes.		X
13. Housing Do employees with spouse or partner qualify for married undergraduate or graduate student housing?	Yes.		X
14. Credit Union Membership Do spouse/partner and/or dependents qualify for membership in the credit unions?	Spouse and/or children are eligible for membership in the credit union only if the employee is also a member.	Domestic partners are eligible for membership once they hold a joint account with their employee partner. Children of domestic partners are eligible for membership in the credit union only if the domestic partner is also a member.	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
15. Athletic Events Do all employees, regardless of sexual orientation, fall under the same purchase rules, and qualify for any discounts made available to employees?	Yes.		X
16. Cultural Events Do all employees, regardless of sexual orientation, fall under the same purchase rules, and qualify for any discounts made available to employees?	Yes.		X
17. University Library Are spousal/partner and/or dependent benefits available within the library system?	No.		X
18. Recreation Facilities Are spousal/partner and/or dependent memberships available?	Memberships are available to spouses/partners but not to dependents.		X
19. Campus Club Membership Are Campus Club memberships available to spouse/partner and/or dependents?	Yes, the Campus Club itself is currently under re-organization.		X
20. University Child Care Center Is the University Child Care Center available to all employees, regardless of sexual orientation?	Yes, the University Child Care Center is available to any University employee who is the parent or legal guardian of the child for whom care is sought.		X
21. Extended Resident Tuition Benefit Is extended tuition benefit available to spouse/partner and/or dependents?	Yes.		X
22. Alumni Association Membership Is joint membership available to spouse/partner?	Yes.		X