Employment Information

A “change in family status” includes marriage, divorce, death of a spouse or child, birth or adoption of a child, or a change in a spouse’s employment or benefit status. New benefit choices must be requested within 30 days of the status change.

A “change in benefited employment status” means changing your Employment Classification from PRN or part-time (less than 24 hours per week) status to full-time or regular part-time (regularly scheduled for 24 hours or more per week) or vice versa. New benefit choices must be requested within 30 days of the status change.

Jefferson Community Health & Life offers a traditional health insurance (Plan A) and a Health Savings Account (HSA) plan (Plan B) to employees in a qualified employment classification as of the first of the month after thirty (30) days of employment. Jefferson Community Health & Life will pay a percentage of the health insurance premium for employees who are full-time (minimum of 36 hours per week) or regular part-time (regularly scheduled less than 36 hours but at least 24 hours per week).

If an employee opts out of utilizing the health insurance plan offered by Jefferson Community Health & Life, he or she will not be able to enter the health insurance plan unless there is a Qualifying Status Change or during open enrollment, which begins on Jan. 1 of each year.

Paid Time Off (PTO) – The PTO Bank gives eligible employees paid time that may be used for vacation, holidays, appointments, funeral/bereavement time, short-term illness, FMLA for a parent, family military leave and personal time to do the things they enjoy. Excluded from the PTO Bank are hours utilized for civic/jury duty and military leave.

All employees accrue PTO based on hours worked, with a maximum accrual of 240 hours. New employees begin accruing PTO upon employment, but may not use PTO until after 90 days of employment. PTO may be used in increments of a tenth of an hour.

All PTO time must be pre-approved by the supervisor and will be dependent upon other leave requested in the department as well as the departmental workload.

The amount of PTO available will appear on the ADP HR portal. The maximum accumulation of PTO is 240 hours. PTO cannot be used before it is accrued and may not be utilized over and above the employee’s regular schedule.

PTO is used to cover holidays. A non-exempt employee who works the actual holiday will be paid at a rate of 1.5 times his or her base wage for the hours worked on the actual holiday (double time for Christmas Day.) In the event a shift covers part of a non-holiday and a holiday, the employee shall be paid regular time for the non-holiday portion of their shift.

Jefferson Community Health & Life recognizes the following national holidays:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas

Extended Sick Leave (ESL) provides employees with paid leave time while on an approved Family Medical Leave of absence. ESL benefits are available only for the period of a medically certified leave by the employee’s healthcare provider, in accordance with the Leave of Absence-Family Medical policy. A Leave of Absence form with a Healthcare Provider Certification Statement is required to receive benefits.

To qualify for Family Medical Leave, an employee must work at least 1,250 hours in a year and be employed by the facility for at least 12 months.

Full-time and regular part-time employees regularly scheduled 24 hours per week or more are eligible to accrue ESL benefits based on actual hours worked up to 40 hours worked per week. ESL benefits may accrue up to a maximum of 240 hours. Once the maximum of 240 hours has been reached, no further accrual of ESL benefits will occur unless the balance falls below the maximum.

Unused ESL accrued hours will not be paid as cash upon ineligibility or termination. However, employees transferring back to an eligible employment category within one year will have their ESL account balances reinstated at the level of accrued benefits that existed before becoming ineligible.

Flexible Spending Accounts are a way for employees to save money on dependent day care expenses and/or medical expenses not covered by insurance. Employees can set up an account and contribute a portion of their pay on a pre-tax basis through payroll deduction. As expenses are incurred, the employee files a claim and the money is paid back to the employee tax-free.

Basic Information:

  • Use it or lose it – so plan carefully. Expenses need to be incurred in the year in which you have pledged funds. You have until January 30 of the following year to actually file expense claims to be reimbursed for the previous year. If you do not have expense claims (dated on or before December 31 of that year) for the amount pledged, you will be able to roll over up to $500 into the next calendar year. Any money above and beyond the $500 will not be carried into the next year or refunded to you, so plan carefully.
  • You cannot change the amount pledged unless you have a Qualifying Status Change during the year.
  • When electing the Health Spending Account (HSA) high deductible insurance option (Plan B), the medical flexible spending account will reimburse only those expenses not covered by the HSA plan. See the plan for more details.

Medical Flexible Spending Account:
Employees with Employment Classifications of full-time and regular part-time can contribute up to $2,550 on a pre-tax basis each year. For example, the money an employee contributes to his or her Medical Flexible Spending Account can be used to pay for medical and dental deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses, or expenses not covered by insurance plans, such as co-pays, vision exams and eyeglasses.

Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account:
Employees with Employment Classifications of full-time and regular part-time can contribute up to $5,000 on a pre-tax basis to the Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account. If you are married, you and your spouse must work, be full-time students or be incapable of self-care in order to enroll in the Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account. If you are married and file taxes separately, you can deposit up to $2,500 on a pre-tax basis to the Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account.

403b Savings Plan

Voluntary Contribution:
Employees are eligible to participate and may begin making salary deferral contributions in the 403b Savings Plan upon hire. Contributions to the pension plan are made on a pre-tax basis. Employees are always 100 percent vested in the amount they have contributed to the 403b Savings Plan. The amount of the voluntary contribution may be changed at any time. Please be aware of the personal maximum contribution limits that are established by the IRS.

You are always 100% vested in the amount you have contributed to your 403b Savings Plan should you terminate your employment or retire.

You may change the amount of your voluntary contribution percentage at any time through Human Resources. You may stop your voluntary contribution at the start of any pay period after the written notice of change is received.

Matching Contribution:
Employees who have worked at least 1000 hours and are 18 years or older are eligible for a matching contribution as a percentage of their voluntary contribution to their 403b Savings Plan by Jefferson Community Health & Life. The matching contribution begins the first of the month following the employee’s eligibility date. The following matching schedule applies:

  • After one year of service, your voluntary contributions will be matched at 2.5% per pay period
  • Five (5) years of service and more, your voluntary contributions will be matched at 5.0% per pay period

Employees are fully vested in the plan after six (6) years. Employees age 62 or older are vested regardless of years of service. Employees must meet 1,000 hours of worked hours per year.

Jefferson Community Health & Life provides group life insurance coverage to employees with an Employment Classification of full-time or regular part-time. Coverage is effective on the first day of the month following the employee’s 30 days of employment. Employees must be in a paid status on the effective date of coverage.

A variety of insurance options are available on a voluntary basis through The Olson Group via payroll deduction to active employees after 30 days of employment with an Employment Classification of full-time or regular part-time (24 or more hours per week). Participation is voluntary and the full premium is paid by the employee. The available plans include:

ASSURANT

  • Group Critical Illness
  • Group Accident

UNUM

  • Voluntary Short Term Disability
  • Voluntary Long-Term Disability
  • Voluntary Life and AD&D

AMERITAS

  • Vision insurance
  • Dental insurance

Burkley Fitness Center & Discount
Jefferson Community Health & Life is proud to offer a full-service fitness center to our community and our employees. Employees are encouraged to take advantage of the fitness center and are eligible for a reduced membership rate — or receive free individual membership by using the facility at least 10 times per month. Family members may also join at a reduced rate. Please see personnel in the Burkley Fitness Center for details.

Wellness Programs
Jefferson Community Health & Life offers several discounts and programs focused around maintaining good health because we value the health and wellness of our team members. Employees are encouraged to take part in the following offerings:

  • Healthy for Life Program– This is an online program available to all employees and spouses over age 18, with an annual enrollment period in October each year. Includes a free lab draw and free health screening. Please see Kristina Dux in Human Resources for more information.
  • Annual physical – Reimbursed up to $50 per year. Please see Human Resources.

Employee Assistance Program
Jefferson Community Health & Life employees and immediate family members are eligible for participation in the facility’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A total of six (6) sessions will be provided to the employee at no cost by Directions EAP. If additional sessions are needed, a fee for any sessions beyond the initial six (6) is the responsibility of the employee. The EAP is based on a calendar year and services may be renewable each calendar year.

All employee participation in the EAP is held in the strictest confidence. Jefferson Community Health & Life is not informed of the names of employees receiving assistance nor are we given any identifying information about employees unless the employee provides written permission.

Employees may visit the Directions EAP office in Lincoln or select a closer provider for counseling needs.

Jefferson Community Health & Life employees receive their pay every other week by direct deposit. Employees may deposit funds to a financial institution of their choice (one that accepts electronic transfer of funds), or they may receive their pay or a portion of it in an electronic card. Funds will be available on Friday following the end of the pay period. Each pay week begins at midnight Sunday and ends at 11:59 pm the following Saturday.

Benefits for full-time and regular part-time employees (24 hours or more):

  • Health insurance*
  • Paid Time Off
  • Extended Sick Leave
  • Flexible Spending Account (medical and dependent care)*
  • Pension plan*
  • Life insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Critical illness, accident, and short term disability
  • Employee wellness program
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Many discounts (fitness center, pharmacy, employee medical care at our own facilities, etc.)

Benefits for part-time employees (less than 24 hours):

  • Paid Time Off
  • Employee wellness program
  • Employee Assistance Program

Many discounts (fitness center, pharmacy, employee medical care at our own facilities, etc.)

Jefferson Community Health & Life also offers Loan Forgiveness and Tuition Reimbursement program for eligible employees.

This page is for informational purposes only. Plan documents are controlling in all facets of benefit administration. Please contact Human Resources at 402.729.3351, ext. 4499 for more information.

A variety of discounts are available to employees of Jefferson Community Health & Life. These discounts include:

  • Jefferson Community Health & Life discount on services: Once insurance payments are received, a 10% discount is available on the remaining balance for current employees. The discount is on any service provided by Jefferson Community Health & Life for the employee only. Contact the Business Office to inquire about this discount.
  • Purchasing: Various products can be ordered at a reduced cost through the Purchasing department. See the Purchasing department for more information.
  • Cafeteria: Employees have the opportunity to purchase items through the Nutrition Services department (such as cookies, cinnamon rolls, etc.). If interested in purchasing items, please see the Nutrition Services Department or cafeteria personnel.
  • Pharmacy: Reduced rates are available to current employees and IRS defined immediate family members on over-the-counter medications and most prescription drugs. The 340B program provides additional price advantages for those employees and their immediate family members who receive their primary healthcare at the JCH&L Fairbury Clinic.
  • Seasonal Influenza Vaccinations: Offered to all employees annually, subject to availability.
  • Employee Emergency Fund: Provides assistance to an employee who has suffered a loss of income, loss of home, or loss of belongings. A memorial is provided to an employee who has lost a family member. Employees may donate to the fund through payroll deduction or a cash donation. See Gloria Everhart in Human Resources.
  • Verizon Discount: Verizon Wireless offers discounts to Jefferson Community Health & Life employees for personal calling or data plans, phones and accessories. For details, contact Human Resources.

*The employee’s portion of these benefits is deducted from the employee’s pay on a pre-tax basis. Because of this, coverage changes can only be made if there is a Qualifying Status Change related to a change in family status or a change in the benefited employment status.

Jefferson Community Health & Life is an equal-opportunity employer.

Check out our Apprenticeship program! 

JCH&L is currently seeking apprentices for careers in nursing, radiology, laboratory, speech therapy, and possibly other health care careers. For those accepted into the program and completing courses toward a degree, JCH&L will cover up to 100% of school tuition, books and fees after other scholarships are applied.