Your Benefits
This section on benefits illustrates the many advantages you may enjoy as part of the Duke team. In addition to a robust array of traditional benefits such as medical, dental, vision care and retirement, Duke offers a wide range of family-friendly benefits and benefits unique to Duke. For a listing of all benefits, visit the Benefits web site.
You will be able to read much of this information at your leisure. Right now, we call your attention to the following benefits that you should review and make decisions regarding your participation within the first 30 days of your eligibility for benefits.
What to Enroll in Right Away
Medical, Dental and Vision Plans and Reimbursement Accounts
Your first opportunity to enroll in these benefits is during your first 30 days of eligibility. The eligibility date is your date of employment in a benefits eligible position, which is usually the first day at work, or it is the date of your transfer into a benefits eligible position. During this 30-day time period, you should decide on your health, dental and vision insurance and whether to enroll in the health or dependent care reimbursement accounts.
At the “Big Duke” orientation, facilitators will describe your benefit options in detail. Please attend this event to ensure that you receive a comprehensive understanding of your benefits prior to enrollment. Be sure to bring the benefits packet with you, if you received one. It is important that you are comfortable with your elections prior to submitting your election form as you will not be able to make changes to your new hire elections once you submit your form. Also, if you miss the 30-day enrollment period, your next opportunity to enroll or make changes to your health, dental, vision, and reimbursement accounts is during the annual open enrollment period. The only other time you can enroll or make changes to these plans is if you experience a qualifying life event.
If you choose to participate, your completed Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Enrollment Form and the Reimbursement Accounts Enrollment/Change Form should be submitted to Duke Human Resources (see contact information listed on the specific forms).
Voluntary Benefits
You may enroll in the following programs at any time; however it is easier to enroll within your first 30 days of employment because the coverage is issued under “qualified issue” guidelines. Qualified issue means there are fewer health questions that must be satisfactorily answered to enroll:
If you wait until after 30 days to enroll, you will have to answer health questions which may prevent you from enrolling in these important benefits.
If you choose to participate, enrollment forms for these benefits should be submitted to the appropriate benefit vendor directly. Please follow the vendor instructions on the benefit web site and enrollment form to complete the enrollment process.
Other Benefit Considerations
Duke Disability
Duke provides disability coverage to replace 60 percent of your base salary, to a maximum of $25,000 per month, while you are experiencing a disabling illness or injury. You will be eligible for this program as of the first day of the month after completing three years of full-time service in an eligible position.
However, if you had a prior employer-sponsored long term disability plan within 90 days of full-time employment at Duke, you may participate in the Duke Disability Program as of the first day of the month after your hire date (waiving the normal three year waiting period). Evidence of your prior coverage should be submitted on your past employer’s letterhead or business e-mail and include a statement that you were participating in their employer-sponsored long term disability plan along with the termination of coverage. This proof of prior coverage must be emailed to benefits@duke.edu or faxed to the attention of the Disability Analyst at 919-681-8774 within 90 days of hire.
Retirement Plan
Duke provides different retirement plans depending on whether you are paid hourly (biweekly payroll) or you receive a salary (monthly payroll). Both are eligible to begin contributing to one of Duke’s 403(b) retirement plans immediately upon hire.
Eligible hourly-paid staff also receive contributions from Duke through its pension plan, called the Employees’ Retirement Plan. Duke contributes to salaried staff and faculty through the Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan. If you receive a monthly salary, Duke may make contributions on your behalf after you have completed one full year of service and have attained age 21. You may be eligible to waive this one-year waiting period if your immediate previous employer was an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a state educational organization where you were receiving employer contributions under a Code Section 403(b), 401(a) or 401(k) retirement plan. You will need to provide an email or letter from your immediate past employer verifying your job status, employer’s nonprofit 501(c)(3) status, or its status as a state educational organization, and their participation in your retirement plan. This information may be emailed to benefits@duke.edu or faxed to the attention of the 403(b) team at 919-681-8774.