Benefits Survey Report

Dear Lecturers,

Thank you to everyone who filled out LEO’s Benefits Survey! 99 Lecturers from 48 different units (31 Ann Arbor units, 8 Dearborn, and 9 Flint) responded. Our next survey, written by the members of the Inclusive LEO committee, will go out later this week.

We have kept all of our surveys open, so if you did not have the chance to fill out the previous surveys, you still can: Workload, Reviews, Professional Development, BCG, and Benefits. The report of the Benefits Survey is below. 

The winner of the $50 Kroger gift card is Karen Bedell from Flint Psychology!
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The benefits that respondents utilize the most are Healthcare, Vision, Dental, and Retirement. Life and Legal are used by approximately half of the respondents, and Long-Term Disability and the FSAs are utilized by a minority of respondents. If a Lecturer does not use a particular benefit, more often than not it is a benefit that the Lecturer does not need. The next most common response was that a better or cheaper option is available to the individual. Some Lecturers reported that they do not use the Vision or Dental coverages because the premiums are too high. 

Preparing for retirement is an important concern for many of the respondents. The average response to "How many more years do you anticipate working before you are able to retire?" was 19.3 years, and the median response was 20 years. The most frequently cited reasons for not saving more for retirement were low salaries, the necessity of paying current bills, student debt, and starting late. 47 Lecturers stated that they are either "Very Confident" or "Somewhat Confident" that they are saving enough to meet their retirement goals, but 26 stated that they were "Not Confident," and 11 Lecturers are "Completely Terrified." 

We were surprised by the high number of people who were uncertain whether they have Long Term Disability coverage.  It is easy to find out: if you look at your paycheck under Employer Paid Benefits, it will say Expanded LTD, if you have it.  To reiterate, you do want to have it, because you may very need it someday!

Lecturers have many ideas about benefits the Union could bargain for, and about improvements that could be made to our current benefits. The suggestions for benefits not in our contract now include child care, paid sabbaticals for long-serving Lecturers, relocation packages, pet insurance, Lecturers being able to take classes at UM tuition free, and full or partial tuition coverage for Lecturers' family members. Ideas for improvements to our current benefits include lower premiums, a lid or cap on healthcare costs, and strengthening the vision coverage that the university uses. 

Finally, many lecturers worry about losing benefits if their appointments fall below 50%.  One Lecturer wrote eloquently about how benefits, enrollments, and retirement all intersect:

"I had health and other benefits for over twenty years.  Because of declining enrollments in recent years and the resulting cancellations of sections, I am no longer eligible for those benefits.  If I do not regain benefits eligibility before I retire, I will have no access to retiree health/vision/dental benefits. WE CAN KEEP ONLY WHAT WE HAVE AT RETIREMENT.  Sorry to 'yell,' but this is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to me and might affect many others too as enrollments fall. Can you please, please, please try to bargain for retiree health/vision/dental benefits eligibility for people who had benefits for years and years but then lost eligibility through no fault of their own?