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Human Resources

LTD staff plan overview

The long term disability (LTD) staff plan covers CUPE 917, CUPE 951, CUPE 4163 and Exempt Support employees. The plan is designed to provide you with income replacement during a lengthy illness or disability which lasts longer than 6 months.

Plan carrier

Pacific Blue Cross (PBC)
Group Plan No. 40703
1-888-275-4672

The following information is intended as a guide to assist you in understanding the major provisions of these benefits. Should any questions arise concerning the interpretation or administration of these plans, as described in this outline, the official plan documents will govern in all cases.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this plan, you must be:

  • a regular office, technical or child care employee
  • actively employed

Eligible employees are required to enroll in this plan immediately upon employment.

If you choose to work beyond your normal retirement date, coverage under this benefit ends in the month in which you turn 65.

Premium cost & plan benefits

The monthly premium cost of the LTD plan is 100 per cent employer paid. The university will also continue to pay the employer portion of your personnel benefits while you are in receipt of long term disability benefits. Monthly premiums are outlined on our pay and benefits webpage.

If you are on an approved leave of absence without pay (to a maximum of 2 years), other than for maternity or parental leave, you will be required to pay the cost of the monthly LTD premiums during your leave, based on your gross monthly salary immediately preceding your leave. The university will pay the monthly premiums if you are on maternity or parental leave. Premiums are not required during layoff periods.

For the purposes of calculating benefit payments, the definition of earnings is as follows:

For regular employees subject to layoff, the benefit calculations are based on the regular earnings from UVic in the 12-month period prior to the date of disability, excluding bonuses and overtime. The annual benefit amount is then divided by 12, to provide a monthly year round income.

For all other regular employees, the benefit calculations are based on the regular earnings in effect on the date of disability, excluding bonuses and overtime.

UVic will pay premiums based on the employee’s monthly earnings.

Monthly LTD benefits, before reduction by other income, are calculated at 61% of your pre-disability gross earnings as outlined above, up to a maximum benefit of $3,500 per month for disability occurring on or after August 1, 2023. Your total monthly benefit cannot exceed 85 per cent (%) of your pre-disability gross monthly earnings.

As the university pays the full premium cost, LTD benefit payments are considered a taxable benefit. Taxes will therefore be deducted by PBC from the monthly LTD payment, at an averaged rate of 20%, unless you request, in writing, a different amount. LTD benefits are payable semi-monthly, with automatic bank deposit available.

Your monthly LTD benefit is reduced by other income you are entitled to during disability. Your LTD benefit is first reduced by:

  • disability or retirement benefits you are entitled to under the Canada or Quebec Pension Plan.
  • benefits another member of your family is entitled to on the basis of your disability under the Canada or Quebec Pension Plan that are paid directly to you.
  • disability benefits under the 樱花影视 Staff Pension Plan.
  • benefits under any Workers’ Compensation Act or similar law.

Your LTD benefit is then reduced if it, together with the other income listed below exceeds 85% of your pre-disability gross monthly earnings. This percentage is called the coordination level. In this case, your LTD benefit is reduced by the amount in excess of the coordination level. Under this provision, other income includes:

  • loss of income benefits available through legislation, which you and any other members of your family are entitled to on the basis of your disability
    • automobile insurance benefits are included where permitted by law.
  • disability benefits under a plan of insurance available as a result of your membership in an association of any kind
  • employment income, disability benefits, or retirement benefits related to any employment, except for income from an approved rehabilitation plan or program
    • rehabilitative employment income is considered only under the rehabilitation incentive

Commencement of benefits

If approved, LTD benefits are payable after you have been continuously disabled for a period of 6 months. During this waiting period you can maintain your salary by using accumulated sick leave, the Sick Benefit Bank, vacation or Personal Sick Leave Surplus account entitlements.

If your disability is not continuous, the days you are disabled can be accumulated to satisfy the waiting period as long as no interruption is longer than 30 days, and the disability arises from the same illness or injury.

If you exhaust all of your entitlements prior to the end of the waiting period, you will be placed on a medical leave of absence without pay, and may be eligible for Employment Insurance benefits.

If you have sick leave entitlements remaining after the waiting period, the waiting period will be extended to the date these benefits end, but not longer than 1 year after the disability starts.

You also have the option of using remaining vacation or Personal Sick Leave Surplus Account days to extend the waiting period to the limit noted above. This allows you to maintain your full regular salary for a longer period of time.

Once approved for LTD benefits, you will be placed on disability leave without pay from the university. Sick leave and vacation entitlements do not continue to accrue while on disability leave.

Should you become disabled and eligible for LTD benefits during a period of maternity or parental leave, leave of absence without pay, or sessional layoff, you must notify the Benefits Office in Human Resources as soon as possible. Disability benefits will become payable on the later of the end of the 6 month waiting period, or the expected return to work date.

Successive disabilities

After the waiting period, successive disabilities are considered to be in the same disability period if they arise from the same disease or injury and the later disability starts:

  • within 6 months after the previous disability ends
  • within 24 months after the end of an approved comprehensive rehabilitation program
Rehabilitation plans are not considered under this 24-month provision.

Duration of benefits

LTD benefits are payable for the first 24 months following the waiting period if injury or disease prevents you from doing your own job. You are not considered disabled if you can perform a combination of duties that regularly take at least 60% of your time at work to complete. Only duties you regularly performed for the University before disability started are considered.

After 24 months, LTD benefits continue to be payable only if disease or injury prevents you from being gainfully employed in any job. Gainful employment is work that you are medically able to perform, for which you have at least the minimum qualifications, and which provides you with an income of at least 50% of your pre-disability monthly earnings. The employment must exist in the province or territory where you worked when you became disabled or where you now live. Whether or not employment is actually available is not considered in assessing your disability.

You are entitled to LTD benefits as long as your disability continues as outlined above, up to your normal retirement date.

Should your disability be deemed to be severe or prolonged, you will be required to apply for Canada Pension Disability (CPP-D) benefits. The amount of your monthly LTD benefit will then be reduced by any benefits received from CPP-D.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is designed to help you return to gainful employment, and is coordinated with the university’s return to work program. Rehabilitation involves a work related activity or training strategy that is recommended or approved by PBC, and is expected to facilitate a return to your own or another job.

In considering whether or not a rehabilitation proposal is appropriate, PBC assesses such factors as the expected duration of disability, and the level of activity required to facilitate the earliest possible return to employment. PBC then determines which is more appropriate, a rehabilitation plan, or a rehabilitation program.

LTD benefits will cease if you do not participate in a rehabilitation plan or program that has been recommended or approved by PBC.

The duration of a rehabilitation plan or program must be approved by PBC. Once approved, your qualification for benefits is guaranteed for that period, as long as you continue to participate and cooperate in the plan or program.

If you are participating in a comprehensive rehabilitation program that involves employment, your qualification for benefits is guaranteed until at least the end of the 24 month “own job” period described under the benefits entitlement section.

If you are participating in a comprehensive rehabilitation program that involves training rather than employment, the benefit period will be extended up to 6 months after training ends. This extension is provided for purposes of a job search. Employment income earned during this extension will be considered under the rehabilitation incentive.

Earnings received from an approved rehabilitation plan or program are not used to reduce you monthly LTD benefit unless those earnings, together with your income from this plan and the income used to reduce your LTD benefit under the amount payable section, would exceed 100% of your predisability monthly earnings. If they do, your LTD benefit is reduced by the amount in excess of 100%.

Pre-existing conditions

No benefits will be paid for a disability arising from a disease or injury for which you received medical care before your insurance started. This limitation does not apply if your disability starts after you have been continuously insured for a period of 12 months, or you have not had medical care for the disease or injury for a continuous period of 90 days, ending on or after the date your insurance took effect, and before the date of disability.

The treatment free period is calculated by counting back 90 days from July 1, which is April 2, 2000. The employee must be treatment free for 90 continuous days during the period April 2, 2000 to September 30, 2000.

No benefits will be paid for a disability arising from a disease or injury for which you received medical care before your insurance started. This limitation does not apply if your disability starts after you have been continuously insured for a period of 24 months, or you have not had medical care for the disease or injury for a continuous period of 180 days, ending on or after the date your insurance took effect, and before the date of disability.

The treatment free period is calculated by counting back 180 days from November 1, which is May 6, 2000. The employee must be treatment free for 180 continuous days during the period May 6, 2000 to February 28, 2001.

Termination of LTD coverage or payment of benefits

LTD coverage or payment of benefits will cease:

  • during any scheduled period of lay-off or leave of absence (where a child is born before a period of maternity leave is scheduled to start, the leave is considered to start on the date of birth).
  • upon reaching your normal retirement date
  • upon termination from the employee groups covered by this plan, or upon termination from the University
  • during any period in which you do not participate or cooperate in a prescribed plan of medical treatment appropriate for your condition (e.g. depending on the severity of the condition, the plan may require you to be under the care of a specialist. If substance abuse contributes to your disability, your treatment program must include participation in a recognized substance abuse withdrawal program.)
  • during any period where you fail to participate or cooperate in an approved rehabilitation plan or program
  • during any 12-month period in which you do not live in Canada for at least 6 of those months
  • during any period of confinement in a prison or similar institution
  • as a result of disability arising from war, insurrection, or voluntary participation in a riot

Conversion privilege

You may be entitled to obtain an individual disability income policy without medical evidence if your coverage terminates because:

  1. you are no longer eligible for coverage
  2. you no longer satisfy the actively at work requirement
  3. you cease to be in an eligible class

If you are interested in obtaining an individual policy, please contact the Plan Carrier within 31 days of your group coverage terminating.