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Rochester Community and Technical College - Rochester, Minnesota

Main Content:

RCTC Human Resources
RCTC Employee Handbook

 

EMPLOYEE LEAVE AND BENEFITS

The State of Minnesota compensates employees with more than pay. Many benefits are available through the Department of Employee Relations and other organizations. The amount the state spends for your insurance, retirement, Medicare and Social Security benefits is equivalent to approximately 30 percent of your salary. For additional information refer to your specific employee contract or plan or go to the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations website at http://www.doer.state.mn.us/

COMMUNICATING ABSENCES

Illness or Unforeseen Absence:
All faculty and staff in the Academic Affairs unit are asked to call 280-3145 to report an absence due to illness or other unanticipated reasons. The messages will be retrieved daily and distributed to the appropriate faculty secretaries so that classrooms are posted for faculty absences and back-up coverage for other staff can be arranged in a timely fashion. It is important for faculty calling this line to indicate in the message the name, reason for absence, date, time, room number of classes, and anticipated length of absence. Evening class cancellations should be reported to the general college receptionist (285-7210) by 2:45 p.m. for broadcast on Cable TV Channel 15.

All other staff should contact their immediate supervisors to report their absence from campus.

Planned Absence:
All faculty and staff attending a meeting, conference, or other leaves from campus must complete appropriate leave of absence forms and obtain appropriate coordinator/dean/supervisor approval before being off campus.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The State of Minnesota believes that providing assistance to employees is good business and creates a climate of caring. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), administered by the department of Administration, provides cost-free, confidential, professional assistance to help employees and their families resolve personal problems that may, though not necessarily, be affecting job performance.

EAP is primarily an assessment, short-term counseling and referral agency. Employees use the service voluntarily. The counseling services are geared toward reaching people before personal stress interferes with work performance. Almost any problem can be brought to an EAP counselor, including troubled relationships, legal problems, chemical abuse (your or someone else's), financial worries, parenting issues, health concerns and grief issues. The overall objective of EAP is to support and value state employees by promoting their health and well being.

The EAP provider in Rochester is:
Transformations Counseling Center, P.A.
1915 Highway 52 North, Suite 219
Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: 507-288-4845
Primary Contact: Joy Kliber, LICSW

For more information, contact the human resources office or the State Employee Assistance Program website http://www.doer.state.mn.us/eap/eap.htm

HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE

The state pays for a large portion of health and dental insurance for the employee and eligible dependents. Contact the human resources office or refer to your collective bargaining agreement for specific information on eligibility and level of employer contribution. Employees may continue these coverage's at their own expense as an eligible retiree. MCCFA faculty qualifying for the Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) receive paid health benefits for one year.

HOLIDAYS

(Classified and Unclassified Professional/Supervisory/MnSCU Administrators)
Employees receive one floating holiday and 10 scheduled holidays each year. The scheduled holidays are:

  1. New Years Day
  2. Labor Day
  3. Martin Luther King Day
  4. Veterans Day
  5. President's Day
  6. Thanksgiving Day
  7. Memorial Day
  8. Day after Thanksgiving
  9. Independence Day
  10. Christmas Day

Holiday pay is prorated for part-time employees based on the number of hours which would have been worked in the pay period had there been no holiday.

LEAVES

Employer-Paid Leaves of Absence
(Refer to your collective bargaining agreement for specific information.)

(Faculty)
In addition to the above leaves, faculty have the following paid leaves per their collective bargaining agreement.

Personal/Vacation Leave

(Classified and Unclassified Professional/Supervisory Employees)
Full-time employees receive between 13 and 29 days per year, depending on length of service. Vacation leave is accrued in hours each pay period. Part-time employees receive vacation leave based on hours worked.

(Faculty)
MCCFA Faculty. Upon application and approval, each full-time CCFA faculty member will be granted 2 days per academic year for use as personal leave. Personal leave may accumulate to 8 days but use shall not exceed 3 days in any semester unless an emergency arises, in which case a 4th or 5th day may be used if approved by the college president. Personal leave may be taken in ½ day increments. Personal leave is prorated for part-time faculty members in the bargaining unit.
UTCE Faculty. Upon prior notification, each full-time faculty member will be granted 2 days per academic year for use as personal leave accumulative to a maximum of 6 days. A faculty member may not use more than 2 days of personal leave per semester. Prior approval may be required only if more than 10% of the faculty at a campus request personal leave on any given day. Personal leave may be used in ½ day increments. Upon approval by the president/designee, a faculty member may be granted the use of additional personal leave days.

Sick Leave

(Classified and Unclassified Professional/Supervisory Employees)
Full-time employees receive 13 days per year. Sick leave is accrued in hours each pay period. Use cannot exceed the employee's balance at the beginning of the pay period. Part-time employees receive sick leave based on hours worked. The collective bargaining agreements specify what can be approved as sick leave. Sick leave may also be used for bereavement leave in certain circumstances. Consult your collective bargaining agreement or the human resources office for specifics on this provision.

(Faculty)
MCCFA Faculty. Upon initial employment, each full-time faculty member is credited with 20 days of sick leave allowance. At the beginning of the 3rd academic year of employment and each academic year thereafter, each full-time faculty member is credited with 10 days of sick leave. Unused sick leave may accumulate to a maximum of 112 days; sick leave earned over the maximum will be considered lapsed but shall be recorded to the faculty member's credit. Consult the MCCFA contract for more specifics about sick leave allowance and usage.
UTCE Faculty. Upon initial employment, each faculty member will be credited with 20 days of sick leave allowance. At the beginning of the 3rd academic year of employment and each academic year thereafter, each faculty member shall be credited with 10 days of sick leave. Unused sick leave will accumulate to 112 days. Sick leave earned over the maximum will be considered lapsed but shall be recorded to the faculty member's credit. Sick leave may be used in one-hour increments. Consult the UTCE contract for more specifics about sick leave allowance and usage.

Unpaid Leaves of Absence

(Classified and Unclassified Professional/Supervisor Employees. Refer to your collective bargaining agreement for specific information.)

(MCCFA Faculty. Refer to your collective bargaining agreement for specific information.)

(UTCE Faculty. Refer to your collective bargaining agreement for specific information.)

LIFE INSURANCE

The state pays for your basic life insurance. The amount of your insurance is determined by your collective bargaining agreement or plan and is based on the amount of your annual base salary. You may purchase additional life insurance for yourself and your eligible dependents.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING (STAFF DEVELOPMENT)

Rochester Community and Technical College believes that quality and excellence occur in a continuous improvement climate and that professional development and training are inherently tied to the college's mission, goals, strategic planning, work force planning, and the provision of quality instruction and services to our students and the public. It is the responsibility of college management, the supervisor and the employee, working in partnership, to determine the professional development goals and training needs. To this end, the college has allocated budgets for professional development and training as follows:

The respective faculty associations (local union) administer faculty development for MCCFA and UTCE faculty. Contact your local union representative for information and forms to apply for faculty development funds.

Staff funded from sources other than college allocation (auxiliary enterprise, grants, etc.) are welcome to apply for college funds; managers/supervisors of these programs are encouraged to supplement college development funds for purposes of developing their employees. Funds are available for the purpose of providing the college with productive, skillful and qualified staff, to promote constructive workplace relationships in a healthy and diverse work force, and to assist staff in achieving professional, career and individual development goals. Tuition and expense payments will be made at the discretion of the college administration and will be provided based upon institutional needs, and in a manner consistent with the college, department/work unit, and individual employee professional development and training plans. The following guidelines apply:

Required training. For training that is required by the college administration, manager or supervisor, the college is responsible for payment of 100% of related necessary and legitimate expenses (such as tuition, books, travel expenses, travel time, and attendance time.) Please note that new managers and supervisors are required by Minnesota Statute to complete mandatory training to obtain permanent status in their positions.

All other training. The college administration may grant employees release time and/or pay tuition or instructional fees based on the perceived value of training to the department, institutional, system or state. The scale for expense payment will range from a maximum of 100% to a minimum of 0%. One hundred percent (100%) is appropriate for training that is of major value to the college. Contact the human resources office for information and forms to apply for professional development and training funds. (See Appendix E for guidelines, procedures and forms.)

RETIREMENT

There are several retirement plans provided by the state depending on your employment status (classified or unclassified). Retirement plan deductions, which are automatically withdrawn from your paycheck, are sheltered from federal and state income tax. Employee and employer contributions vary according to specific retirement plans. Additional information and links to the various retirement plans is available on MnSCU's retirement website at http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/retirement/index.html

(Classified Employees)
The retirement plan for classified state employees is provided through the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS). You can get specific information about MSRS by contacting the human resources office or through their website at: http://www.msrs.state.mn.us./ If you worked for another public employer and have not transferred your funds to MSRS, your retirement may be covered by the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). You can get information about this organization from its website at http://www.mnpera.org.

(Unclassified Professional/Supervisory Employees and Faculty)
Participation in the retirement plan is mandatory for new employees in the above categories who are employed for more than 25% of a full academic year, excluding summer session (7.5 credits for MCCFA faculty and 8 credits for UTCE faculty). Once eligible, employees have an option of retirement plans, and must make an irrevocable decision to participate in either the Teacher Retirement Association (TRA) a Defined Benefit Plan or the Individual Retirement Account Plan (IRAP), a Defined Contribution Plan. Once eligibility is met, an employee remains eligible to participate, even if the level of performance is less than 25% in subsequent years.

Teachers Retirement Association (TRA). TRA is a "defined benefit plan" meaning that you are guaranteed a lifetime pension benefit, which is a specific percentage of your high-five average salary based on your age and years of service at retirement. For more information, contact the human resources office or TRA directly at: Telephone: (800) 657-3669 or (651) 296-2409; FAX (651) 297-5999; Postal address: Gallery Professional Bldg., Suite 500, 17 W Exchange Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102; or at the following website: http://www.tra.state.mn.us/

Individual Retirement Account Plan (IRAP), is a MnSCU Defined Contribution Retirement (DCR) plan" in which your retirement benefits are based on the contributions made by yourself and the employer, and the investment performance of the investment vendor(s) you select. Please refer to MnSCU's retirement website for information on this plan and investment options. http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/retirement/index.html

Supplemental Retirement Plan (SRP). Mandatory participation (for both TRA and IRAP participants) following two years of full-time service. This is a MnSCU Defined Contribution Retirement (DCR). The employee and employer amounts vary depending on your contract or plan. Please refer to MnSCU's retirement website for information on this plan and investment options. http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/retirement/index.html

TUITION WAIVER

You may be eligible to receive a tuition waiver for yourself, your spouse, or your dependents if you meet the eligibility requirements outlined in your employment contract. If you are eligible, you are entitled to enroll on a "space available" basis in courses without payment of tuition. Refer to your collective bargaining agreement for specific tuition waiver provisions; i.e., number of credits that can be waived, where credits can be waived, etc. Contact the human resources office to obtain a form to apply for the tuition waiver.

WORKER'S COMPENSATION

Workers' compensation benefits are available to employees who sustain work-related injuries or illnesses. The state provides these benefits through the Workers' Compensation Program of the Department of Employee Relations. The program coordinates lost-time payments, medical benefits (which are coordinated by a managed care organization) and rehabilitation activities. If you are injured on the job, notify your supervisor or the Human Resources Office immediately so that the process of caring for your injury may begin. Additional information regarding the State's Workers' Compensation is available at their website: http://www.doer.state.mn.us/

OPTIONAL BENEFITS

Short-term Disability Insurance
This coverage provides eligible employees who choose to participate with income for up to 180 days when an injury, sickness or pregnancy results in continuous total disability. Employees should refer to their collective bargaining agreement or contact the human resources office for specific information.

Long-term Disability Insurance
This coverage provides eligible employees who choose to participate with income beyond 180 days when an injury, sickness or pregnancy results in continuous total disability. Employees should refer to their collective bargaining agreement or contact the human resources office for specific information.

Pre-tax Benefits
Pretax benefits allow you to pay for certain expenses with money that is taken from your pay before it is taxed. Because you are taxed less, your take-home pay may be more. Contact the human resources office for information on the following are pretax benefits:
Health and Dental Premium Expense Account. The amount you pay for your health and dental insurance is automatically withdrawn from your pay before it is taxed, unless you sign a waiver form declining this benefit.
Dependent Care Expense Account. This allows you to pay for certain dependent care expenses, such as childcare, with pretax dollars.
Medical/Dental Expense Account. This allows you to pay for certain unreimbursed medical and dental expenses with pretax dollars.

Right to Continue Benefits
Consistent with state and federal laws, employees or their dependents may be entitled to continue health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance and the Health and Dental Premium Account (on an after-tax basis) benefits if one of the following "qualifying events" causes you or your dependents to lose coverage under the State Employee Group Insurance Program:

Tax Deferment Options
The following two options set aside pretax dollars for voluntary tax-deferred savings that allow employees to place a portion of their earnings into a pretax investment program. Taxes on money placed in these programs, and on the earnings of the account, are deferred until the time of withdrawal so that employees can defer present income for long-term savings. There are differences between the two options, as well as limitations on the amount of income you may defer. Contact the human resources office for additional information.
Deferred Compensation Plan. The state's Deferred Compensation Plan is administered by the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS). Contact MSRS at their website: http://www.mndcplan.com/
403b Tax Sheltered Annuity. The Tax Sheltered Annuity plan is offered by MnSCU. There are currently two providers with whom employees may invest their funds. Wells Fargo and TIAA-CREF. For more information, visit the MnSCU websites at http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/retirement/wellsfargo403b.html and http://www.hr.mnscu.edu/retirement/tiaa-cref/tiaa-cref403b.html.

Savings Bonds
If you are interested in savings bonds, contact the human resources office to obtain a form to authorize the payroll deduction for savings bonds. Information on savings bonds is available from the following website: http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/sav/sav.htm

 

 

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