Benefits for Berkeley Employees

Ongoing Benefits Eligibility and Losing Benefits Eligibility

Ongoing Benefits Eligibility
In order to maintain BELI 1, 2, 3, or 4 benefits eligibility, employees must work an average of 17.5 hours per week in a rolling 12-month period. This average is calculated automatically by PPS (the Personnel Payroll System) and is listed on the IHRS screen.

Departments can monitor ongoing benefits eligibility using the BELI OOC (out-of-compliance) report. Employees show up on the BELI OOC report once their hours drop below 20 average hours per week.

Note: Whenever a BELI form is processed (entered into HRMS), PPS resets the 12-month rolling average period.

Losing Benefits Eligibility
If an employee drops below 17.5 average hours per week for two consecutive months, the employee loses health and welfare benefits eligibility (except for those plans that have no ongoing eligibility requirement). If the employee is a UCRP member, that eligibility remains as long as the employee has no break in service.

If an employee loses health and welfare benefits eligibility, the department must:

1. Notify the employee that s/he has lost health and welfare benefits eligibility. Since the department will have been monitoring the situation in advance as average hours per week have declined, it is a good idea to notify employee informally of possibilities and options ahead of time and formally when ineligibility actually occurs.
2. Notify the employee of COBRA and other continuation and conversion options.
   1. give the employee general COBRA information:
   • Summary of the COBRA Premium Reduction Provisions under ARRA
   • COBRA Continuation Coverage Rights
   • 2009 COBRA Rates (including ARRA subsidy)
   2. complete the COBRA Notification Form and submit to HR Benefits.
3. Complete a BELI form/HRMS transaction to change the employee's BELI code to 5.
4. Assist employee in completing a UPAY 850 form to de-enroll from benefits for which s/he is no longer eligible.