Short-term disability provides income replacement benefits if you are unable to work due to an injury, sickness, or pregnancy that results in your continuous disability for up to 180 days. It is an optional product offered by the University and provided by MetLife.
Go to:
- Eligibility and Enrollment
- Coverage Benefits
- Making a Coverage Change
- Filing a Claim
- Rates
- Returning to Work
Eligibility and Enrollment
As a newly eligible employee, you may enroll online in MyU within 30 days of employment without providing medical evidence of insurability. The new coverage amount becomes effective the first day of the month following your first day of employment.
You may select an amount to replace up to 66.67% of your covered compensation, in increments of $100, but no more than $5,000 per month.
If you have an existing amount of short-term disability insurance, you will be able to add more coverage without evidence of insurability during Open Enrollment in November. You can add up to $200 of coverage provided that you do not exceed 66.67% of your covered compensation. The new insurance amount will be effective on January 1 of the new plan year.
Covered compensation includes base salary, augmentation, increment, commutation, Regents’ Professor Stipend and Duluth additional instruction. All other earnings are excluded.
Coverage Benefits
Benefits are paid from the first day of a disability due to an accident, or the eighth day of a disability due to sickness or pregnancy, if your claim is approved. The maximum duration of benefits for a disability is 26 weeks.
Partial Disability Benefits
You may be eligible for a partial disability benefit when you return to work and are able to perform some, but not all, of the essential duties of your occupation, and your work earnings are 80% or less of your covered weekly earnings. If your work earnings are equal to or exceed 80%, you are not eligible for a partial disability benefit.
You may receive your unreduced short-term disability benefit plus your work earnings while you are working part-time; however, the combination cannot exceed 100% of your pre-disability earnings.
Making a Coverage Change
Complete the Voluntary Disability Insurance Enrollment and Change Form at any time of year if you want to:
- Enroll for the first time outside of your initial eligibility period
- Re-enroll
- Increase your coverage
- Change your coverage because of a qualifying event
Return the form to Employee Benefits by email at benefits@umn.edu, by fax at 612-626-0808, or by mail to:
100 Donhowe Building
319 15th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
To apply for or increase your short-term disability coverage after your initial benefits enrollment, you will need to provide proof of good health (evidence of insurability). Complete the statement of health form and follow the instructions to send to MetLife.
You can decrease or cancel your disability coverage only during Open Enrollment in November or for a qualifying event. Open Enrollment changes take effect the following January 1.
Filing a Claim
For claims prior to January 1, 2025, file a claim with Unum:
If you are absent or expect to be absent from work due to sickness or pregnancy or for an accidental injury after January 1, 2025, please report your absence on or after January 1st by contacting MetLife. This page will be updated with contact information closer to January 1, 2025.
Rates
You pay 100% of the cost of the short-term disability insurance. Because you pay the premium with after-tax payroll contributions, the benefits you receive are not subject to FICA, federal and state taxes.
You may select any benefit amount shown up to the lesser of your Maximum Monthly Benefit Amount or $5,000. The cost of coverage depends on the amount of monthly benefit you select.
Determine your maximum benefit amount
To find your Maximum Monthly Benefit Amount:
- multiply your annual covered compensation by 66.67%;
- divide that amount by 12 (months), and
- round down to the nearest $100
| Monthly Benefit | 2024 Rate per Pay Period | 2025 Rate per Pay Period |
|---|---|---|
| $300 | $1.65 | $1.50 |
| 400 | $2.20 | $2.00 |
| 500 | $2.75 | $2.51 |
| 600 | $3.30 | $3.01 |
| 700 | $3.85 | $3.51 |
| 800 | $4.40 | $4.01 |
| 900 | $4.95 | $4.51 |
| 1,000 | $5.50 | $5.01 |
| 1,100 | $6.05 | $5.51 |
| 1,200 | $6.60 | $6.01 |
| 1,300 | $7.15 | $6.51 |
| 1,400 | $7.70 | $7.01 |
| 1,500 | $8.25 | $7.52 |
| 1,600 | $8.80 | $8.02 |
| 1,700 | $9.35 | $8.52 |
| 1,800 | $9.90 | $9.02 |
| 1,900 | $10.45 | $9.52 |
| 2,000 | $11.00 | $10.02 |
| 2,100 | $11.55 | $10.52 |
| 2,200 | $12.10 | $11.02 |
| 2,300 | $12.65 | $11.52 |
| 2,400 | $13.20 | $12.02 |
| 2,500 | $13.75 | $12.53 |
| 2,600 | $14.30 | $13.03 |
| 2,700 | $14.85 | $13.53 |
| 2,800 | $15.40 | $14.03 |
| 2,900 | $15.95 | $14.53 |
| 3,000 | $16.50 | $15.03 |
| 3,100 | $17.05 | $15.53 |
| 3,200 | $17.60 | $16.03 |
| 3,300 | $18.15 | $16.53 |
| 3,400 | $18.70 | $17.03 |
| 3,500 | $19.25 | $17.54 |
| 3,600 | $19.80 | $18.04 |
| 3,700 | $20.35 | $18.54 |
| 3,800 | $20.90 | $19.04 |
| 3,900 | $21.45 | $19.54 |
| 4,000 | $22.00 | $20.04 |
| 4,100 | $22.55 | $20.54 |
| 4,200 | $23.10 | $21.04 |
| 4,300 | $23.65 | $21.54 |
| 4,400 | $24.20 | $22.04 |
| 4,500 | $24.75 | $22.55 |
| 4,600 | $25.30 | $23.05 |
| 4,700 | $25.85 | $23.55 |
| 4,800 | $26.40 | $24.05 |
| 4,900 | $26.95 | $24.55 |
| 5,000 | $27.50 | $25.05 |
Returning to Work
UReturn is the designated office to serve all employees (including faculty and staff) with any disability or medical condition requiring accommodations or adjustments. UReturn obtains and confidentially maintains medical documents, certifies eligibility for services, recommends adjustments or reasonable accommodations, and develops plans for the provision of these for employees with illness or injury. As a neutral party, Access Consultants assist employees and their supervisors in implementing appropriate accommodations/adjustments.
UReturn offers a confidential, voluntary, and neutral service to assist you in a successful return to work. To schedule a meeting with a UReturn Specialist, please call 612-624-3316 or 612-626-1333 (V/TTY), or 218-726-7725 in Duluth.