Employee Matters

The Employee Compensation and Benefits Services staff prepares this column.

Domestic partnership coverage
The University of Wisconsin is committed to diversification of the student body, faculty and staff, and to serving the needs of these groups. To that end, domestic partners are entitled to the same benefits and services extended to spouses in accordance with state law and UW policy.

How does the UW define a domestic partner relationship?
A pair of individuals who are in a relationship of mutual support, caring and commitment, and who intend to maintain that relationship. The partners may be of the same or opposite sex.

Which insurance benefits are domestic partners eligible for?
Individual and family group life, accidental death and dismemberment, and non-represented dental coverage. Authority for these benefit plans is vested at the UW, with the Board of Regents and UW System administration. The Employee Reimbursement Accounts tax savings program is also available, subject to IRS dependency rules.

Why are domestic partners only eligible for some of the insurance benefit plans?
The plans have various governing authorities, making it necessary for each to respond to different sets of rules and regulations. For example, the authority for the state group health insurance plan is with the Department of Employee Trust Funds and is governed by Wisconsin statutes. The statutes do not allow coverage for domestic partners. For a complete listing of governing authorities, see domestic partner information at: http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp-info.html.

How is eligibility for benefit plans established?
To be eligible for insurance coverage as a domestic partner, the employee and her/his partner must be in an established domestic partnership of at least six months and meet the criteria set forth in the Domestic Partner Affidavit, UWS-50, http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/ins/uws50.pdf. The affidavit is required for enrollment in any insurance and/or the ERA program and must be completed and submitted to Employee Compensation and Benefits along with the applicable insurance and/or ERA enrollment forms.

What if my partnership terminates?
A Statement of Termination, UWS-51, http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/ins/uws51.pdf, must be completed and submitted to EC&BS along with the applicable insurance and ERA cancellation forms.

Are domestic partners eligible for any other benefits/services on campus?
Yes. Other services available include University Housing, recreational sports facilities, dual- career couple program, Student Health Insurance Plan, University Health Services, UW Athletics and libraries.

In addition, specific groups of employees are eligible to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner during illness. Currently, unclassified employees, non-represented classified employees and classified employees covered by SEA, UPQHC, WPEC and WSP bargaining units are eligible to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner during illness. Neither the federal Family and Medical Leave Act nor the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act provide for an employee to use leave to care for a domestic partner with a serious health condition.

Additional information on the above services and the complete UW–Madison Domestic Partnership policy can be located at http://www.provost.wisc.edu/dppolicy.html.

For more information:

• Refer to the Domestic Partner benefit information chart on the EC&BS Web site at: http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/emp-info.html. Extensive information on all benefit programs can be found on this site, making it a good site to bookmark.
• Contact a benefits specialist at employee@bussvc.wisc.edu.