Benefits and Perks

Harvard provides comprehensive health benefits and insurance programs that support you and your family. With our many options, you can find coverage that meets your needs at all stages of your life.

Summary of Available Coverage

• Medical – Harvard offers subsidized medical coverage from top-rated Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) and Harvard University Group Health Plan (HUGHP).
• Dental – Harvard offers in-network and out-of-network dental coverage.
• Vision – In addition to the vision benefits offered under our medical plans, Harvard offers a comprehensive vision care plan from Davis Vision.
• Disability & Life Insurance – Free basic life insurance and short-term disability provide basic financial protection. You may purchase additional long-term disability coverage and life insurance at competitive rates.
• Retiree Health – Retirees who meet eligibility requirements have a choice of health plans for themselves and eligible dependents.

Other Related Benefits

• Reimbursement Programs – Harvard offers several reimbursement programs to provide additional financial protection for certain employees who have high out-of-pocket medical expenses in a given year.
• Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts – Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts enable you to pay for eligible expenses using pre-tax dollars, lowering your taxable income. A Health Savings Account is available to those covered by the high-deductible health plan.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Harvard’s health and welfare benefits, you must be employed in a benefits-eligible position on a regular University payroll and work at least 17.5 hours per week, or be paid at a base annual rate of at least $15,000. Eligibility requirements for represented employees may vary by union contract.

The following dependents are eligible for Harvard’s medical, dental and vision care plans under family coverage (the employee must be enrolled in the same plan):

• spouse or registered domestic partner;
• eligible children up to age 26, including children by birth, adoption, foster placement, marriage/domestic partnership, or legal guardianship;
• children of any age who are incapable of self-support due to disability (must have become disabled before age 26 and have been continuously covered).

For information on special eligibility situations, including domestic partners, COBRA and others, please refer to our Eligibility – Special Situations Overview.

Note: The benefits described here are a summary and every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy. The actual benefit plan provisions will govern if there is any inconsistency between the information on this website and Harvard’s formal plan documents.

• 20 days of vacation per year for administrative/professional staff, accrued at a rate of 1.67 days per month
• 15 days of vacation per year for support staff, accrued at a rate of 1.25 days per month (vacation time increases to 20 days per year after 5 years of service)
• 12 sick days, accrued at rate of one day per month
• 11.5 paid holidays
• 3 personal days
• Paid leave for new parents who are primary caregivers
• Time off for jury duty and bereavement

Harvard provides comprehensive retirement programs to provide for your long-term financial security along with education and planning resources to help you maximize this benefit.

Harvard-Funded Retirement Plans

These plans are fully funded by Harvard to help you save for your future. Depending on your role, you may be eligible for the following University-funded Retirement Programs:

• 2001 Staff Program,
• 1995 Retirement Program
• Faculty Plan

All plans allow you to choose an investment for all or some of Harvard’s contribution. There are default funds for those who do not make an election.

Employee-Funded Plans – Tax-Deferred Savings

You can begin saving for retirement, while reducing your taxable income now, through two voluntary and optional tax-deferred Employee-funded Retirement Programs:

• Tax-Deferred Account (TDA) allows you to save with pre-tax dollars. You decide how much to save, up the plan limits, and where to invest. Some new faculty and staff will be automatically enrolled after 60 days of employment.
• 457 (b) Deferred Compensation Plan allows certain high-earning faculty and staff to set aside a tax-deferred portion of their salary, in addition to TDA deductions.

Eligibility

Eligible faculty and staff will be automatically enrolled in the retirement plan for their employment type after the appropriate waiting period of six months to one year (depending on plan), and will receive an information package two months prior to enrollment.

Harvard offers disability benefits and life insurance to help you take care of yourself and provide for your family in the case of loss of income.

• Some programs are provided at no cost, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria, while others are optional, with costs based your age and/or the amount of your coverage.
• In addition, most employees are covered by workers’ compensation during their employment for work-related incidents causing injury or illness.

Coverage Options

Short-Term Disability (STD) – Harvard provides eligible employees with STD benefits of up to 26 weeks in a 52-consecutive week period due to injury or illness. You do not need to enroll and there is no cost to you. Please refer to our STD Overview for more information.

Long-Term Disability (LTD) – LTD helps you replace your salary and protect your financial security if you are unable to work due to injury or illness for more than 180 calendar days. You must enroll in this benefit to be eligible to receive coverage. Please refer to our LTD Overview for more information.

Life Insurance – Harvard provides eligible employees with free group term Basic Life Insurance coverage equal to one-half their annual base salary. You do not need to enroll in this coverage.

You may purchase additional optional group term Supplemental Life Insurance coverage for greater coverage, and can elect from one to five times your salary (rounded to the nearest $1,000), up to a maximum of $1.25 million. You may enroll at any time with evidence of good health. If you enroll within 30 days of becoming eligible or marriage, you do not need to provide evidence of good health.

You must designate a beneficiary for your life insurance coverage. In addition, you should review your beneficiaries and update to reflect any family or personal changes.

For more information on life insurance, please review the Health & Welfare Summary Plan Description (SPD).

Harvard provides free Business Travel coverage if you die or are seriously injured or disabled as the result of an accident that occurs while you’re traveling on University business.

Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance – LTC insurance helps you and your family members pay for nursing or at-home care in case of chronic illness or physical or cognitive disability. Harvard provides access to group LTC insurance through Genworth Life Insurance Company. New employees who elect this coverage with in 30 days (and meet other eligibility criteria) do not have to provide medical history. Other family members may also be eligible to apply for LTC. Please visit Genworth Life Insurance for full details (use Group ID: Harvard; Code: groupltc).

Workers’ Compensation – This state-mandated program provides temporary income in the event you experience a work-related injury or illness that prevents you from performing your job. No enrollment is necessary for this coverage. The third-party administrator is Cannon Cochran Management Services, Inc. Please refer to our Workers’ Compensation Overview for more information.

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s specific fitness benefit provides financial assistance to faculty, staff and postdoctoral fellows who wish to enhance their well-being through a membership to a health club of their choice. The benefit can be used to pay for individual or family memberships to health clubs. Staff are eligible for $350 after one year of continuous service, and $550 after 5 years of service. Visit our intranet site for more information.

Tuition Assistance (TAP/TRP)

Harvard encourages lifelong learning by helping to cover the cost of undergraduate or graduate courses. The Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) assists with classes taken at Harvard. The Tuition Reimbursement Plan (TRP) assists with classes taken at other accredited schools.

This benefit is a great way to enhance your career or pursue a personal academic interest. TAP and TRP are available to benefits-eligible professional, administrative, support, union and teaching staff. For additional details, including waiting periods for new employees and eligibility based on hours worked, please consult the TAP/TRP Booklet. For additional details, including waiting periods for new employees and eligibility based on hours worked, please consult the Benefits Enrollment Guide for administrative/professional or bargaining unit/union staff, as appropriate.

TAP

With TAP, classes are only $40 at the Harvard Extension School or 10 percent of the tuition cost at other eligible Harvard schools. This includes the graduate schools of education, government, public health and design, as well as designated programs at some other faculties.

Employees may pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree, as well as several graduate certificates at the Harvard Extension School. The Extension School offers hundreds of evening classes and flexible degree programs.

A graduate degree or certificate may also be earned through certain TAP-eligible programs at the Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Before enrolling, it’s important to review the TAP/TRP Booklet, which as details on waiting periods for new employees; eligibility based on employee group and hours worked; credit limits; participating faculties at Harvard; and how to register. (Please note that you may view a table of contents in the booklet by selecting the bookmark icon in the top margin.)

TRP

TRP reimburses employees up to 75 percent of tuition costs (up to 90 percent for HUCTW employees) upon the successful completion of classes at other accredited institutions. There is an annual maximum of $5,250.

Classes must be job-related, unless they are taken as part of a program to earn a first undergraduate degree at an accredited institution. For full details on eligibility, waiting periods and registration, please review the TAP/TRP Booklet prior to enrolling in a class.

Career Growth & Development Resources

Education is at the heart of the Harvard experience — not only for students, but also for all members of the Harvard community. Harvard University’s Center for Workplace Development (CWD) and the Longwood Campus’ Office of Employee Development and Wellness (EDW) offers a wide range of courses, trainings, and workshops designed to increase your knowledge, skills, and overall success. The range of offerings includes professional, managerial, career development, and computer courses – including hundreds of web-based programs – for all employees.

Harvard has long-recognized the importance of having a healthy balance between work, personal life, and academic pursuits. Its commitment to quality of life has been recognized by national and local organizations such as Working Mother and Conceive magazines, the AARP, the Dave Thomas Foundation and the Boston Business Journal. Ensuring balance starts with offering exciting and meaningful career opportunities matched with opportunities to grow personally, spend time with friends and family, and explore life.

Harvard University’s Office of Work/Life and the Longwood Campus Office of Employee Development and Wellness (EDW) helps Harvard’s diverse population find solutions to the daily challenges of personal, work, and family life. The office provides information and referrals to assist with all kinds of life events and to help employees manage unexpected disruptions of work or study. For concerns ranging from workplace stress to caring for a young child or other family members, members of the Harvard community have access to a wide variety of resources to help them integrate their work and life responsibilities. This includes Harvard’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which helps employees with mental-health problems, child care and elder care referrals, workplace stress and crises, legal and financial questions, and more. 

When you come to work each day, you don’t stop being a parent. Harvard offers a range of child care services to make the balancing act easier.

• Six on-campus Harvard-affiliated child care centers
• On-campus school vacation camps
• Child care scholarship program
• Financial assistance and programs for back-up child care
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) helps manage predictable expenses
• Harvard Adoption Assistance Program offers up to $5,000 for related expenses

Commuting to work? Just getting out to enjoy a Sunday afternoon with the kids? A Harvard ID is your ticket.

Harvard can help with your commute, with its 50% discount on MBTA and commuter rail passes. Parking at the University is limited but available, and Harvard can furnish information on carpooling and van-pooling, along with commute-planning services for new employees. Additional details about the CommuterChoice program.

With a Harvard ID, an employee and a guest visit any of Harvard’s 10 museums with collections ranging from 20th-century art to glass flowers to historical scientific instruments. Many of these museums have special activities for parents and kids. A Harvard ID also provides access to the largest university library system in the world.

Harvard University also offers a program called Outings & Innings, which offers access to cultural and leisure activities at discounted rates — including on theatre, movies, sports, shopping, travel and other services in the greater Boston area and beyond.