Long Term Disability Committee

Purpose

To respond to any issues from employees, employer and insurance carrier with regards to the LTD plan.

Members

We are looking for members to join this committee.
Please email info@cupe391.ca with questions or to express your interest in the committee.

Policy No. [contact info@cupe391.ca for #]

Start Date w/Equitable April 1, 2018

General LTD Procedures – revised February 20, 2018   

The following is general information for members. Those needing specific information, or applying for Long Term Disability coverage must complete the Long Term Disability form. If you have questions that are not answered from the FAQ below, you can contact a member of the union’s LTD committee or our WE (Working Enterprises Consulting and Benefits Services LTD) representative: Teri Lane phone: 604-941-7430 or teri@weconsultants.ca. There is also very detailed information in the booklet “Your Group Benefits” which is available at every work site, from the union office and in digital form at the bottom of this page.

When to apply
Our plan does not begin until the member has been on sick leave for 6 months. Generally, we recommend applying 3 months after being on sick leave so that benefits can begin to be paid out as close to the 6-month mark as possible.

How to apply
There is a three-part application form which must be completed. One section is filled out by one’s doctor. One section is filled out by Human Resources and the Union. The third section is filled out by the member themselves. The application forms are at the end of this page. If needed, one of the LTD committee members can assist members through the application process.

EMPLOYEE_Guide

How premiums are deducted
Premiums are deducted directly from member’s salary. The premiums are based on a percentage which is renewed annually.

Premiums when one is on leave
One must continue to pay LTD premiums when they are on leave from the library. Human Resources will send an invoice to members who are on leave, and payments go directly to the W. E. Group Benefits and Consultants for processing. Leaves where premiums will be invoiced include: maternity leave, self-funded leave, leave without pay, as well as the situation where part-time staff who do not work during a pay period for whatever reason.

Pensionable service [contact info@vpl.ca for more information]

LTD Premiums and Retirement
With the Long Term Disability Plan there is a 6 month waiting period before one can be approved to go on LTD. LTD does not carry on once a person retires. For these reasons, staff do not need to continue to pay their LTD payments for the 6-month period leading up to their retirement.

Our collective agreement also allows for members to accumulate up to the equivalent of one year of sick bank. Those members who have more than 6 months of sick bank can stop paying their LTD for that amount of time prior to retirement. (for example, if a staff member has 8 months of sick bank, they can stop paying LTD 8 months prior to retirement.) Staff simply notify Teri Lane at W.E. Group Benefits and Consultants by e-mail (teri@weconsultants.ca) as well as notifying the Union and Human Resources Department in writing. Human Resources will confirm retirement date, taking into account vacation dates, etc, and the LTD premiums will stop on the appropriate date.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  1. If one changes their retirement date to a future date, they will be invoiced for any missed premium payments.
  2.  If one gives less than six months notice as to their retirement date, the union does not reimburse the difference.
  3. Policy No. [contact info@cupe391.ca for #]
  4. Start Date w/Equitable April 1, 2018

LTD and turning 65
Our LTD coverage stops when one reaches the age of 65. As above, members stop paying premiums 6 months before they reach 65, or if members have more than 6 months in their sick bank, they stop premium payments at that point (for example, if a member has 8 months of sick bank, they can stop paying LTD 8 months prior to their 65th birthday).

Your Group Benefits

Forms

To prevent any delays in processing claim, members (or LTD committee member if one helped you) should email Teri Lane teri@weconsultants.ca letting her know you are submitting a form so she can watch for all portions to come in.