The death of a loved one can be a very difficult time. In many cases it can mean that in addition to dealing with the loss emotionally, surviving loved ones must also navigate the major life changes while adjusting to a new reality. This page provides a variety of resources and information designed to assist you as you work through and cope with challenges that you may face.
Our TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program is available for Illinois Tech employees and their families who are in need of short-term counseling services, as well as needs such as financial, legal, or estate planning consultations and resources. Family members do not need to be dependents of the employee by the IRS definition, do not need to be covered under any Illinois Tech benefit plans, nor do they need to live with the employee. Note that Illinois Tech login is required to access the TELUS Health page. Family members who are in need of access information should reach out to Human Resources for assistance.
Benefits eligible employees have a variety of resources available to them whether they need time off due to the death of a loved one, if a death in the family leaves them without benefits coverage, or if they are looking to learn more about advance planning tools and assistance that might be available. Please read on to learn more, and reach out to Human Resources with any questions or if you need to make changes do to your benefits as a result of this type of qualified life status changing event.
Bereavement leave options and benefits upon the death of a dependent
Time Off
Illinois Tech provides staff members with three days of Bereavement Leave upon the death of a qualifying family member. Additionally, all employees are eligible to take leave under the Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act (FBLA). Employees are required to notify their supervisor in advance of the time off, and are asked to contact Human Resources if they are using FBLA leave. For additional information, please visit the Bereavement Leave Policy.
Benefits
If your loved one was covered as a dependent or listed as a beneficiary on any of your benefit plans, or if you were covered under their plans, please contact Human Resources as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition.
For employees who were covered under their dependent’s planand need to enroll in Illinois Tech’s coverage due to loss of existing coverage, any enrollment requirements must be completed no later than 31 days following the coverage end date.
Employees who covered a dependent who was passed away on medical, dental, and/or vision plansshould alert Human Resourcesto ensure that premium deductions are updated accordingly (e.g., if the death results in moving from a Family to a Self+1 plan, or a Self+1 to a Single plan).
For employees who covered their dependent under the supplemental life insurance plan, please reach out to Human Resources to begin the claim process. Life insurance claims must be submitted to Blue Cros Blue Shield Ancillary within one year of the death.
For employees whose deceased dependent was a life insurance beneficiary, please make sure to complete and submit a new Beneficiary Designation Form. You can find blank versions of the form on the Life Insurance page of our website. For those whose dependent was a supplemental life beneficiary, please complete the Employer/Employee and Beneficiary Designation sections of the Supplemental Life enrollment form found on the Supplemental Life page of our website, and indicate “Beneficiary Change Only” at the top of the form. Please do NOT email these forms, as they contain sensitive information, rather contact Human Resources to obtain a link for secure upload.
For employees whose deceased dependent was a retirement plan beneficiary, please make sure to update your beneficiary designations with TIAA and/or Fidelity. You can do so by logging in to your TIAA and/or Fidelity account. complete and submit a new Beneficiary Designation Form.
Estate and pre-planning resources for employees
In addition to services available through our TELUS Health EAP mentioned at the top of this page, there are several resources for employees who may be battling a terminal illness, or who simply want to begin planning for the future.
Perkspot discounts on estate planning and will preparation legal services: Perkspot, Illinois Tech’s perks and discount program, has a variety of discounts for service providers, such as Legal Zoom and Trust & Will, to assist you with your legal needs. To search for offers, login to you Perkspot account. Access information is on the Perkspot page of the HR Portal (Illinois Tech login required). Online will preparation services are also available through BCBS Ancillary (see next bullet point).
Beneficiary Resource Services: BCBS Ancillary (formerly Dearborn National) provides a variety of complimentary services including grief counseling, legal advice services, and financial consultations. This benefit also provides free access to online will preparation and funeral planning services. For additional information, please refer to the Beneficiary Resource Services flyer on the Life Insurance page of our website.
Life insurance accelerated death benefit:this provision of our group life insurance policy allows individuals with terminal illnesses to receive a portion of their basic life insurance amount prior to their death if certain conditions are met. For additional information, please refer to the Basic Life Insurance Summary Plan Description on the Life Insurance page of our website.
If you are the dependent or beneficiary of an Illinois Tech employee in need of assistance following their passing, we do have several resources available to you. Information below may be helpful to you depending on your relationship to the deceased. Please feel comfortable reaching out to Human Resources for assistance with any benefits items listed here that pay pertain to you.
COBRA continuation information:active coverage will end for any covered dependents on the date of death. However, any dependents covered on the date of death will have the opportunity to continue coverage under Illinois Tech’s plans for up to 36 months. Dependents will receive continuation election information at the home address on file approximately two weeks after Human Resources is notified of the death. However, you may also obtain PDF copies of your notice via email if requested.
Medicare enrollment (for Medicare eligible dependents): dependents who are age 65 and over or who are otherwise Medicare eligible MUST enroll in Medicare immediately rather than continuation under the Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan in order to avoid late enrollment penalties. Human Resources will provide the Employment Verification Form for Medicare enrollment, and can provide decision support contact information for those who need assistance in choosing a Part D and/or Supplement plan.
Life insurance benefits: individuals listed as beneficiaries for the group life insurance policy and/or the supplemental life policy will be contacted regarding how to submit a claim for their benefit. Additional information on the benefits themselves can be found on the Life Insurance page of our website, which applies to all benefits eligible employees, and the Supplemental Life page of our website, which applies only to individuals who have elected to purchase additional life insurance.
Beneficiary Resource Services: BCBS Ancillary (formerly Dearborn National) provides a variety of complimentary services including grief counseling, legal advice services, and financial consultations. This benefit also provides free access to online will preparation and funeral planning services. For additional information, please refer to the Beneficiary Resource Services flyer on the Life Insurance page of our website.
Retirement plan beneficiary information: individuals listed as beneficiaries with our retirement plan vendors should contact TIAA and/or Fidelity regarding next steps. Contact information for TIAA and Fidelity can be found on the Retirement Plan page of our website. Beneficiaries may contact Human Resourcesif they are unsure as to which vendor to contact.
Final paystub and W2s: final paychecks will be deposited to the account for which we have direct deposit information on file. W2s will be mailed to the last known address at the end of January the year following the death. Beneficiaries who need a copy of the final paystub mailed to them are welcome to contact Human Resources for assistance.