Change from full-time to part-time with Scheduled Weekly Hours at least 20 hours per week or vice versa
If you have a change in your WashU employment that affects benefits eligibility, you will receive a task in your Workday inbox. You may enroll or cancel health/dental/vision coverage and flexible spending accounts due to a change in hours, provided you make changes within 31 days of your change in hours. If you miss your 31-day deadline, you must wait until open enrollment (in November) to enroll in or cancel your health/dental/vision insurance effective the following calendar year. You may add or delete eligible dependents as necessary. You may also change your health savings account and life insurance (employee, spouse/domestic partner and/or child) elections at any time.
Under the Dependent Child Tuition Assistance plan, if you have not met the requirements for retirement and you change from full-time to part-time with scheduled weekly hours of at least 20 but less than 37.5 hours per week, you are only eligible for part-time tuition remission percentages.
For more information on the impact on benefits if you transfer between full-time and part-time (20 to 37.5 hours) status, see the Impact on Benefits if Transfer from Full-time to Part-time Status chart.
Scheduled Weekly Hours (Expected Effort) Reduced to Less than 20 Hours per Week
The following summarizes the impact on benefits for employees who are not eligible for gradual retirement (i.e. have not met the Rule of 65) when their scheduled weekly hours are reduced to less than 20. Employees who are eligible to retire (i.e. have met the Rule of 65) and whose scheduled weekly hours are being reduced to less than 20 hours per week should refer to the Gradual Retirement event page.
If you are not eligible to retire and your regular scheduled hours fall below 20 hours but you meet the requirements for continuing coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), your current WashU medical, dental and vision elections will continue. Beginning as of the first of the month following the date your scheduled weekly hours fall below 20, your contributions for medical coverage will be at the part-time rates, your contributions for dental and vision will be at the full cost, and you will receive invoices for your contributions at your home address from HealthEquity/WageWorks. Within 31 days of the date your scheduled weekly hours fall below 20, you may change or drop your medical, dental and/or vision coverage.
If you do not meet the requirements for ACA coverage, you will no longer be eligible for coverage under the WashU medical, dental and vision plans, and your coverage will automatically end as of the last day of the month in which your scheduled weekly hours fall below 20. However, you and your covered dependents may be eligible for continued medical, dental and vision coverage under COBRA for up to 18 months. COBRA information will automatically be sent to your home after your scheduled weekly hours are reduced to less than 20 per week. If you elect COBRA coverage, invoices will be sent by HealthEquity/WageWorks to your home address for your medical, dental and vision contributions and you must make timely payments, or your coverage will be terminated.
The following chart summarizes the impact on your other benefits:
| Benefit | Move to Part-Time Less than 20 Hours |
| Life & AD&D | – Coverage ends as of the end of the month in which scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 – May be eligible to convert or port coverage within 31 days of date coverage ends |
| Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) | – Coverage ends as of the end of the month in which scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 – Can file reimbursement claim for expenses incurred prior to reduction in scheduled weekly hours through April 30 of the following calendar year |
| Health Savings Account (HSA) | – Contributions stop – You own the account and the funds in the account and can continue to use it |
| Retirement Medical Savings Account (RMSA) | – Contributions stop – Cannot access funds until terminate employment |
| Short-Term Medical Disability (Staff Only) | – Eligibility for coverage ends on the date scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 |
| Long-Term Disability | – Eligibility for coverage ends on the date scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 |
| Caregiver/Parental Leave (Staff Only) | -Not eligible |
| 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan | – Employee and university contributions are calculated based on reduced eligible pay – May elect in-service withdrawal if at least age 59-1/2 |
| 457(b) Deferred Compenesation Plan | – Remain eligible to contribute as long as earning above the Social Security Wage Base – If earning below the Social Security Wage Base, contributions stop – Cannot receive distribution until employment ends. |
| Dependent Tuition | – If semester has begun, will retain the full-time benefit for the remainder of the semester -For future semesters, not eligible unless meet Rule of 65 |
| Employee/Spouse Tuition | – If the semester has begun, will retain the benefits for the remainder of the semester – Not eligible for classes beginning after scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 |
| Vacation (Staff Only) | -Unused accrued vacation paid out after scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 |
| Sick Time (Staff Only) | – Unused accrued sick time is lost |
| Retiree Medical, Dental and Vision | – Service after scheduled weekly hours fall below 20 not recognized to determine eligibility for retiree medical, dental and vision |
Transfers between postdoctoral appointee and faculty/staff
If you have a change in your WashU employment that affects benefits eligibility, you will receive a task in your Workday inbox. Any allowable changes must be made within 31 days of the date your employment classification changes. If you miss your 31-day deadline, you must wait until open enrollment (in November) to enroll in or cancel your health/dental/vision coverage effective the following calendar year. For more information on the impact on benefits if you transfer between postdoctoral appointee and faculty/staff status, see the Guidelines on Benefit Changes Applicable to Transfers between Postdoc and Faculty/Staff (PDF).
Transfers between clinical fellow and faculty/staff
If you have a change in your WashU employment that affects benefits eligibility, you will receive a task in your Workday inbox. Any allowable changes must be made within 31 days of the date your employment classification changes. If you miss your 31-day deadline, you must wait until open enrollment (in November) to enroll in or cancel your health/dental/vision coverage effective the following calendar year. For more information on the impact on benefits if you transfer between clinical fellow and faculty/staff status, see the Guidelines on Benefits Changes Applicable to Transfers between Clinical Fellow and Faculty/Staff (PDF).