Life Events - Termination of Employment

If your employment at Rutgers is terminated, you will need to consider important information about:

• Continuing Health Insurance Coverage
• Continuing Life Insurance Coverage
• Long Term Disability Insurance Coverage
• Managing Retirement Accounts
• Paid Time Off
• Claiming Unemployment Benefits
• Faculty and Staff Assistance Program
• Rutgers Federal Credit Union Membership
• Resources To Help You

Continuation Health Insurance Coverage

• Medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage continues until:
  • the end of the month of termination of employment if the termination date is prior to the 6th of the month
  • the end of the month following termination of employment if the termination date is on or after the 6th of the month
• Vision coverage continues until the end of the month of termination of employment.
• University Human Resources will send you COBRA information when notified of your termination by your department head

Continuation Life Insurance Coverage

• Life insurance coverage continues for 31 days after termination of employment date
• Conversion without medical exam is available and the application for conversion must be submitted within 31 days of termination of employment

Long Term Disability Insurance Coverage

PERS/PFRS/Federal Retirement Plans:

UNUM - Voluntary Long Term Disability Insurance is available for members of PERS/PFRS in Administrative, Professional, or Supervisory titles and members of the Federal Retirement Systems:

• Coverage ends on the date of termination
• A conversion privilege, without medical exam, is available and an application for conversion is required within 31 days of termination of coverage.

ABP:

• Long term disability coverage ends on the date of termination
• No conversion privilege

Managing Retirement Accounts

PERS/PFRS

• If you have more than ten years of service and are vested, you may apply for deferred retirement
• If you lose your job through no fault of your own, you may leave the account open for up to ten years. Contact the Division of Pensions and Benefits at 609-292-7524, for more information
• If you have less than ten years of pension service, you may leave your account open for up to two years.
• You have the option of withdrawing your pension contributions and ending pension membership. To do so complete and Application for Withdrawal

ABP

• If you are vested, you do not have to withdraw funds until you are age 70-1/2
• If you are vested and choose to withdraw funds, you are considered retired and may not enroll in a New Jersey State pension plan again
• If you have participated in ABP for less than twelve months you will receive only your own contributions and earnings, but will not receive Rutgers’ contributions.

Contact your state-authorized investment carrier for more information:

Paid Time Off

• Any unused vacation days, including days accrued, will be paid at the time of termination
• Unused sick leave, AL, and PH days will not be paid at termination.

Claiming Unemployment Benefits

• Unemployment insurance benefits may be available for you when employment is terminated through no fault of your own
• Faculty and staff may be eligible. Students, including teaching assistants, graduate assistants, post docs, and fellows are not eligible
• The benefit provides up to 60% of the average weekly wage for up to 26 weeks (a weekly maximum of $560 applies in 2008).
• Claims should be filed as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. Claims can be filed online or by contacting a regional Reemployment Call Center:
  • Union City (serving Northern New Jersey) 201-601-4100
  • Freehold (serving Central New Jersey) 732-761-2020
  • Cumberland (serving Southern New Jersey) 856-507-2340
• Unemployment FAQs

For more information, visit the NJ Department of Labor web site

Faculty and Staff Assistance Program

• All faculty and administrative staff and their immediate families are eligible for free, confidential comprehensive counseling and referral services through the Rutgers Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP).
• FSAP provides twenty-four-hour service for crisis and emergency contact.

Credit Union Membership

Notify the Rutgers Federal Credit Union in writing of your change of status, providing updated address information. For additional assistance, contact the Rutgers Federal Credit Union.

Resources To Help You
Benefits Specialist	732-932-3020, ext. 4077
Faculty and Staff Assistance Program	732-932-3020, ext. 4010
UHR Staffing	732-932-3020, ext. 4093
COBRA Rates
Division of Pensions and Benefits - Conversion Information
UNUM Customer Care Center	1-800-858-6843
Check your Accrued and Used Time - Absence Reporting System

To submit a comment or to report any problems with this site, please email us. For questions about University Human Resources programs and services, please email our Operations Team.

© 2007 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. All rights reserved.

Last Updated: 04/10/2008