Short Term and Long Term Disability

The University of Saskatchewan’s income protection plans (short-term disability and long-term disability) are designed to replace your income if you become disabled and are unable to work.

During the period covered by the short-term disability plan, if your injury or illness prevents you from working, you will receive your full salary for the first 112 days. After that, you will be eligible for benefits from the long-term disability plan.

Definition Of Total Disability

You will be considered totally disabled if, during the qualifying period and the following 24 months, you are prevented from performing the regular duties of your own occupation. After that, you are considered totally disabled if you are unable to perform any occupation for which you are suited by education, training or experience.

• You will receive a taxable benefit of 70% of your regular monthly earnings you were receiving at the date of your disability. 

• The maximum monthly benefit is subject to the median of the full professor rank.

Regular monthly earnings is defined as your regular earnings, clinical earnings and administrative stipends, but not including such income as lecture stipends, fees, intersession, summer school, sundry allowances, market supplements or honoraria.

Employees who are active members of a pension plan sponsored by the University will also have the appropriate percentage of their insurable earnings contributed to the pension plan to maintain their active membership in the plan.

You will receive short term disability benefits during the qualifying period of 112 days upon submission of medical documentation supporting your disability claim. Long Term Disability benefits may provide continuing benefits if your disability lasts longer than the qualifying period. Notice of claim must be received by Sun Life within 112 days of the date of disability beginning, while ‘proof of claim’ is due no later than 112 days after the end of the elimination period. The Human Resources Division has all the necessary forms and will assist with the completion of these forms. View Disability Claims.

You must be totally disabled and under the continuous care of a physician in order to receive benefits. Proof of disability will be required by the insurance company periodically while you are receiving benefits.

Integration Of Benefits

Cost Of Living Adjustment

After the first full fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) of payments, your monthly benefit will be reviewed. Any increase will be effective on July 1 and will be based on the Consumer Price Index. Increases are limited to a maximum of 3.5%. Benefits will not decrease.

If you are medically certified as only able to perform part of the duties of your own occupation, your claim would be adjudicated as a partial disability in the same manner as a total disability claim. Benefits would be calculated on that portion of the job you are unable to perform. The percentage of incapacity recognized as a partial disability is limited to 90%. Beyond 27 months, the adjudication is on any job for which you are suited by education, training or experience. The duration period of partial disability shall not be limited and shall be judged on a case-by-case basis.

Because recovery is the goal, you are encouraged to return to a gainful occupation of a rehabilitative nature. It must be approved by a physician and the insurance company and may include (but is not limited to):

1. your own occupation on a part-time basis;
2. any gainful occupation which is less demanding that your own;
3. a formal vocational training program;
4. medical or psychological therapy.

Your monthly disability benefit will be reduced by 70% of your income from rehabilitative employment. Your benefit will be further reduced if your total disability income, plus rehabilitative employment earnings and earnings from all other sources noted in Integration of Benefits, exceeds 100% of your pre-disability income.

If you recover from a total disability and return to work during the short-term disability period (which is also the qualifying period for long-term disability benefits), but are again totally disabled due to the same or related causes within three months, the disability is considered a continuation of the previous disability and you must satisfy the remainder of the qualifying period before long-term disability benefits will begin.

If you return to work after receiving long-term disability benefits but are again totally disabled due to the same or related causes within six months, the disability is considered a continuation of the previous disability and benefits will begin immediately.

No benefit is payable for a disability due to

• intentionally self-inflicted injuries;
• civil disorder or war, whether or not war was declared;
• committing or attempting to commit a criminal offence (not including the operation of a motor vehicle when the individual’s blood contains more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood);
• pregnancy, other than during complications of pregnancy.

You are not considered totally disabled due to the use of drugs or alcohol unless you are being supervised by and receiving continuous treatment for that disability from a rehabilitation centre or an institution provincially designated for that treatment.

If you are out of the country when you become disabled you must return to Canada as soon as possible for treatment.

Your Long Term Disability Insurance is insured by Sun Life Financial.

Benefit payments stop on the date that:

1. the member is no longer totally disabled or partially disabled
2. the member participates in any occupation for remuneration or profit or any educational program other than a Rehabilitation Program approved by their physician and the University and/or the insurance company
3. the member refuses to participate in a Rehabilitation Program approved by their physician and the University and/or the insurance company
4. end of the month in which the member dies
5. the member fails to submit proof to the insurance company that the member continues to be totally disabled or partially disabled; or the member fails to submit to a medical examination at the insurance company’s request, by a physician the University and/or the insurance company appoints
6. the June 30 coincident with or next following the member's 67 birthday
7. the period of an unpaid leave of absence if the member’s leave began prior to the date the employee became totally disabled (except for medical-related portion of pregnancy during maternity and/or parental leave)
8. if the member is absent from Canada for longer than four months due to any reason, unless Sun Life agrees in writing in advance
9. during any time the member is serving a prison sentence or is confined in a similar institution

Canada Pension Plan

A monthly disability benefit may be payable to you from the Canada Pension  Plan. This benefit begins in the fourth month of disability and continues until you recover, die or reach age 65. At age 65, the benefit is replaced by the Canada Pension Plan retirement benefit.

Your benefits from the Short and Long Term Disability plans will be reduced by disability benefits from the Canada Pension Plan.

Unemployment Insurance

You may be eligible for disability or maternity benefits under the Unemployment Insurance Act.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI)

If your disability is the result of an automobile related injury, you may receive weekly disability benefits from (SGI). Your benefits from the Short Term Disability plan will be reduced by disability benefits from the Saskatchewan Government Automobile Insurance. Your benefits from the Long Term Disability plan will be reduced if your total income from the Long Term Disability plan and other sources (including disability benefits from the Saskatchewan Government Automobile Insurance plan), exceeds 85% of your pre- disability monthly income.

Eligibility

You are eligible to participate in both the Short and Long Term Disability plans when you meet one of the following conditions: 

1. salaried full-time or part-time (50% of full-time or greater) permanent  academic staff who are paid from University funds, or
2. salaried full-time or part-time (50% of full-time or greater) term academic staff whose appointments are two years or greater in duration and who are paid from University funds, or
3. salaried full-time or part-time (50% of full-time or greater) academic research staff whose appointments are two years or greater in duration, who are paid from funds originating outside of the University and have been authorized to enroll in the benefit package by the Participating Affiliates; and
4. in addition to one of the above conditions, the Member must be actively working or on an approved leave of absence.

If, due to disease or injury, an employee is not actively working on the date the employee would otherwise become a member, the effective date of membership shall be the date the employee again is actively working.

The University may require evidence of insurability to establish the date that the employee is physically and mentally fit to be actively at work. If so, the employee becomes a member on the date established by the University and the insurance company.

Learn more about:

• Eligibility and effective date of coverage for you and your dependents.
• Termination of Coverage
• Converting your benefits to an individual plan
• Proof of Coverage for Health and Dental Benefits
• Premiums

• Coverage and Eligibility

View the process for submitting a claim for Disability Benefits which includes short-term disabilities (continuance of salary) and long-term disabilities.

• Disability claim process

This description is intended only as a summary of the Disability Plans sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan. In the event of any misunderstanding or discrepancy, benefits will be paid according to the terms of the official plan documents and applicable legislation. The LTD Plan is underwritten by Sun Life, Policy No. 101798