Introducing…SASMI’s New Sick Leave Benefit
SASMI’s new paid Sick Leave Benefit provides you with up to eight hours of pay (at your last reported pay rate) on those days when you just can’t work because you’re sick, you have a medical appointment, or you need to take care of a family member. Simply complete the application on the member portal within 90 days of the date you took the time off.
The Sick Leave Benefit is good for up to five days per year, and three of those days can be consecutive.
Eligibility
You become eligible for the SASMI Sick Leave Benefit starting in the period after the period in which you meet your initial SASMI eligibility requirements. But there are a few additional plan rules that may affect your eligibility for the Sick Leave Benefit:
- To receive payment, you must have worked the workday before and the workday after the day for which you are seeking Sick Leave Benefits, and you must maintain your SASMI eligibility through the date of your application for the benefit.
- This benefit is subject to the 100% rule. This means that if you’ve already received benefits from SASMI equal to or more than the contributions paid by your employers, then you are not eligible for this benefit.
Is This Benefit a Deduct or Non-Deduct SASMI Benefit?
The amount you are paid for sick leave counts as an active benefit when determining your Severance and HCRA at retirement. Taking this benefit, however, does not affect your eligibility for Unemployment/Underemployment Benefits, because the hours for which you receive sick leave pay are not counted as employer (work) hours when it comes to determining the amount of your SASMI Unemployment/Underemployment Benefit.
For more information, read the Sick Leave Benefit plan amendment.
The Sick Leave Benefit is taxed at the federal level, so if you receive the benefit, you should expect a W-2 form as if SASMI were your employer. No state tax is withheld.