FAQs

Employee contributions to their HSA account can be changed throughout the calendar year. To change your pretax contribution to your Health Savings Account, log into BenefitFocus and navigate to the health savings account section.

HSA Bank administers all of Purdue’s spending and savings accounts. (FSA, LPFSA, HSA, HRA, DCFSA) To check your spending or savings account balance, log into your HSA Bank online account.  (If you have not already done so, you will need to register your account first.)

To receive services at the lowest cost, it is always best to select services from those that are in the network.

Log in to your Anthem account to search for in network medical providers.

Log in to your Delta Dental account to search for in network dental providers.

Contributions to voluntary retirement accounts with Fidelity Investments must be made directly with Fidelity. You can log into your Fidelity net benefits account or contact Fidelity at (800) 343-0860 for assistance.

The IRS determines eligibility requirements for Health Savings Accounts. If an individual is NOT eligible to have a Health Savings Account, this means NO contributions can be made (employer or employee) pretax to an HSA.

See this interactive flow to determine if you qualify. 

Employees who have been employed with Purdue for at least one year, have worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous twelve-month period and have not exhausted the allowable FMLA allotment in the last twelve-month period may be eligible for job-protected FMLA leave due to a severe health condition or to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

Intermittent, reduced schedule and continuous leaves of more than three days may qualify. Please get in touch with your Benefits Administrator for more information.

Children can be covered on most insurance until they reach age 26.

Medical, Prescription Drug, Lab, Vision and Dental insurance benefits end on the last day of the month when the individual turns 26. No action needs to be taken. The dependent will be dropped from insurance and the individual will be sent COBRA continuation of coverage information shortly following the last day of coverage.

See this document for more detailed information.

Incentive payments are made on a monthly basis through the employee’s Health Savings Account (HSA) or Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).

After completing the requirements, incentive funds will be received by the end of the day (11:59 p.m.) on the business day following your last pay date of the month (month after incentives are completed).

An HRA is a Health Reimbursement Arrangement account.  HRAs are similar to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). The funds in this account can be used for qualified medical, vision, prescription and dental expenses you pay out of pocket, like funds in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

You will have until the end of the year (or termination/loss of benefits date) to incur eligible expenses and 90 days from December 31 (or termination/loss of benefits date) to submit claims for reimbursement.

Please explore the university’s leave policies to find specific guidance for your employee classification.

Additionally, it’s advised for employees to research and follow current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on preventing the spread of respiratory viruses, like COVID, when you’re sick.

Your PNW ID card is a sign of Pride, showcasing your affiliation with Purdue University Northwest! ID cards are issued to employees for uses such as:

• Campus Fitness & Recreation
• Campus Libraries
• It may also function as an office/building key

Please get in touch with Facilities Services to get your Purdue Northwest photo ID card.

Request an ID Card

Although most employees are not expected to work during Winter Recess, some areas within the University cannot completely shut down. In those areas, employees designated as Essential Staff will be notified by their Department Heads if they are required to work during Winter Recess.

Please get in touch with your supervisor if you have any questions about whether your position will be deemed essential during the Winter Recess.

The answer varies based on your position and designation:

1. Essential, Benefit Eligible Staff Who Work During Winter Recess –
   1. Exempt and Non-Exempt employees can re-designate any time worked during the Winter Recess to another typically scheduled workday(s) within the current Fiscal Year (before June 30, 2024).
2. Non-Essential, Benefit Eligible Staff Who Work During Winter Recess –
   1. Will not have the opportunity to re-designate any time during the Winter Recess to another typically scheduled workday but instead will be paid at the regular rate for all hours worked during the Winter Recess.
3. Benefit Eligible Staff Who Do Not Work During Winter Recess –
   1. You will receive a regular pay rate for all typically scheduled hours and do not need to take steps to record time not worked during the Winter Recess.

No, temporary and student employees do not receive Winter Recess pay.

They will only be paid for actual hours worked during the Winter Recess.

Benefit payments will continue in these situations.  If employees supplement their benefit payments with sick leave or vacation time, these benefit payments should be supplemented with Winter Recess paid time instead of the hours that would have been paid as sick leave or vacation time.

For any questions on properly recording time, please get in touch with the Benefits Team for assistance.

No. The Winter Recess is a special “closure” of the University, allowing employees to have an extended period off when classes are not in session and the general activity level slows. The Winter Recess is part of Purdue Northwest’s ongoing efforts to recognize and reward hardworking employees.

No. As part of the standard academic schedule, Academic Year Faculty and Staff do not work over winter break.

Yes, if an employee is supplementing FMLA with sick leave/vacation/personal business day, they can use Winter Recess in place of the sick leave/vacation/personal business day hours.

For any questions on properly recording time, please get in touch with the Benefits Team for assistance.

No, all time to be re-designated must be used prior to June 30, 2024.

Departments will be required to manually track essential personnel’s re-designated time off.

Essential personnel who call in sick during the Winter Recess and are scheduled to work must record their sick time and may not re-designate the time off to a future date.

No, the employee does not re-designate that time off if the Winter Recess occurs on a normally scheduled day off.

For example, if an employee normally has Tuesday off, they do not re-designate the Winter Recess Day which falls on Tuesday.

Yes, if the University Holiday (December 25, 26 and January 1) falls on a normally scheduled day off, the employee can re-designate the Holiday to be used before June 30, 2024.