Benefits

In addition to paid holidays, regular full-time exempt and non-exempt employees are eligible for paid vacation time.

Part-time regular non-exempt and non-exempt academic year employees accrue vacation time on a prorated basis by the number of regular hours for which they were hired and the number of months they work.

Employees may accumulate unused vacation time from month to month/year to year, to a maximum of 30 days.

Temporary employees do not accrue vacation time.

Full-time regular non-exempt employees accrue sick leave credit at the rate of one (1) day for each full month worked.

Part-time regular non-exempt and non-exempt academic year employees accrue sick leave on a prorated basis by the number of regular hours for which they were hired and the number of months they work.

Temporary employees do not accrue sick leave.

Non-exempt employees may accumulate unused sick leave from year to year, to a maximum of 120 days. These accumulated days go into a sick leave account for use during illness or prolonged disability.

All full-time regular non-exempt employees accrue three (3) personal days per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) to be granted on the basis of one (1) day for every four (4) months worked in accordance with the payroll schedule.

Academic year employees accrue personal days on a prorated basis determined by the number of months they work.

Part-time and temporary employees do not accrue personal days.

Health Insurance

The Aetna Choice POS II plans utilize a system of Preferred Providers. You may choose a provider from Aetna's network, no referrals are required. The plan provides broad and comprehensive healthcare benefits including hospital coverage and medical/surgical coverage. Prescription drug coverage is through Express Scripts.

Aetna offers a dedicated Concierge Service Team to answer specific questions regarding your coverage.

Health benefits plan sponsors are required to disclose detailed healthcare pricing information as part of the Transparency in Coverage final rules. Learn more. 

Prescription Coverage

Prescription coverage is provided through Express Scripts.

Dental Insurance

Dental Insurance is offered through Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Vision Insurance

Vision Insurance is offered through Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Fairfield University believes it is in the best interest of our employees, their families, and the University to make available an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which deals with personal and work-related problems. Higher Ed EAP is a free and confidential benefit offered to full-time and part-time employees of Fairfield University and Fairfield Prep to help you (as well as your household members and dependent children) find resources to resolve problems and improve the quality of your life.

Higher Ed EAP offers a broad array of tools and services to help with problems that might affect your personal or work life. Just a few examples of these include: Covid-19 Support, Marriage & Family, Stress, Legal Problems, Debt, Childcare, Elder Care, Grief, Pet Problems, Education Planning, Scholarships, Depression, Taxes, Wills, Smoking Cessation, Wellness, Adoption, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Divorce.

In addition, Higher Ed EAP offers hundreds of personal and professional development opportunities, from, training programs to one-on-one telephonic coaching in the following areas: Certified Financial Coaching, Balancing Life at Work & Home, Resilience, Effective Communication, Home Purchasing, Student Debt, Yoga & Meditation, Workplace Conflict, and Retirement.

There are several ways to access Higher Ed EAP:

• For immediate assistance, dial 1-800-252-4555 to speak directly with a professional counselor 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, 365-days a year.
• Register and log onto www.HigherEdEAP.com.
• Download, register, and log onto the ESI Employee Assistance mobile app available in the App Store or the Google Play Store.

Confidentiality is strictly maintained.

A flexible spending account (FSA) is a great way to pay for eligible expenses using money you set aside before taxes via a payroll deduction. Because these are pre-tax funds, you keep more of the money you earn.

Use the money in an FSA to cover eligible:

• Health care expenses, such as out-of-pocket costs
• Dependent care expenses, such as work-related child care

Fairfield University offers retirement savings opportunities with TIAA CREF (Teacher's Insurance and Annuity Association/College Retirement Equities Fund). After one (1) full year of continued employment in an eligible position, an employee may elect to contribute a minimum of 2.5% of base salary to receive a generous University match.

Part-time employees are eligible after one year of service if they work at least 1,000 hours during the year and regularly maintain the average.

A TIAA-CREF representative is available by appointment to answer specific questions regarding annuity accounts.

For more information, please inquire directly with our office at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2995.

• New Hire Welcome

• Detailed Benefits Orientation

• Take Your Child to Work Day

• Retirement Planning Seminars

• On Site TIAA-CREF Representative

• Annual Recognition Reception for Service

• Rev. W. Laurence O'Neil, S.J. Employee Choice Award (given annually)

• Employee Workforce Development Trainings

• Free Access to the Calm App
• Discount Tickets to Quick Center for the Arts events
• Access to the Fairfield University Art Museum
• Access to the DiMenna-Nyselius Library
• Free Online NY Times/WSJ Subscriptions
• Stag Spirit Shop & Downtown Bookstore 10% Discount
• Access to Dining Options on Campus
• RecPlex Membership Discount
• Free admission to Fairfield University Athletics home games
• Apple Educators Discount
• Access to Onsite daycare: Early Learning Center
• America's First Network Credit Union

Regular full-time Faculty and Staff are eligible for benefits. An eligible employee is a member who works a minimum of 30 hours per week for the University. Regular full-time Faculty and Staff benefits begin on the first date of the month following the first day of employment.

Benefit plans currently include:

• Medical Plan
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Tuition Benefit
• Flexible Spending Plan
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Vacation/Sick/Personal Time (Staff & Administration)
• Basic Life Insurance/Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)/Supplemental Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plans

Regular part-time employees are eligible for the pro-rated benefits listed below according to the average amount of hours worked each week. This category includes individuals that work 20 to 29 hours per week for the University (over 1,000 hours per year) consistently over the entire year.

• Pro-rated Tuition Benefit
• 403(b) Retirement Plans
• Prorated Vacation/Sick Time
• Employee Assistance Plan

Part-time employees who work 19 hours or less per week, Temporary as Needed and Student Workers are not eligible for University benefits.

Please note: if you or your eligible dependents do not enroll in the plans within 30 days of your eligibility date, you will not be able to enroll until the next Open Enrollment Period.

Under the health plan, eligible Dependents include your:

• Spouse
• Dependent children under the age of 26
• Unmarried dependent child of any age who is incapable of self-sustaining employment due to a mental or physical handicap.

(Note: A child includes your biological child, adopted child, or stepchild.)