Human Resources

A 403(b) plan, also known as a Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA), is a tax-deferred retirement plan that allows you to contribute a portion of your compensation as a pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) contribution (if allowed by your Employer) in order to save for retirement. Participation in the 403(b) plan is completely voluntary. If you are already contributing to the 403(b) plan, now is a perfect time to increase your contributions. Click the following link for more information.

• 2019 Retirement Plan Limits
• 403b-Plan
• 3121 FICA
• SecurePlus Flexure 5
• SecurePlus Forte 5
• SecurePlus Forte

Some positions in the Diocese of Brownsville require the use of a personal vehicle to get to events, meetings, retreats, etc. Mileage reimbursement is available for occasions such as these. A monthly expense report should be generated and signed by the employee and submitted to the director/Moderator of the Curia for approval and processing. Eligible mileage is from the work base to the location and back. Mileage from home to the office and office to home is not eligible.

Employees who wish to take time off due to the death of an immediate family member should notify their supervisor immediately.

Up to three days of paid bereavement leave will be provided to eligible employees in the following classification(s):

• Regular full-time employees
• Regular part-time employees

Bereavement pay is calculated based on the base pay rate at the time of absence and will not include any special forms of compensation.

Bereavement leave will normally be granted unless there are unusual business needs or staffing requirements. Employees may, with their supervisor’s approval, use any available paid leave for additional time off as necessary.

The Diocese of Brownsville defines “immediate family” as the employee’s spouse, brother, sister, parents, children, step-children, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, grandparents, or grandchildren.

The Diocese of Brownsville participates in a section 125 Cafeteria Plan. This allows employees and the Diocese of Brownsville to save the taxes on insurance premiums. Along with the tax savings, a variety of products are offered to employees on a voluntary basis. The employees have options of choosing as many or as few of the products offered. Products include: disability insurance, medical reimbursement accounts, cancer policies, heart and stroke, etc. Most of these products are portable and if and when an employee leaves the Diocese of Brownsville, they can continue with these products independently of the Diocese. Contact the Human Resources Department for more information on the Cafeteria Plan.

The Diocese of Brownsville’s health insurance plan provides employees and their dependents access to medical and dental insurance benefits. Employees in the following employment classifications are eligible to participate in the health insurance plan:

• Regular full-time employees
• Regular part-time employees

Eligible employees may participate in the health insurance plan subject to all terms and conditions of the agreement between the Diocese of Brownsville and the insurance carrier.

Details of the health insurance plan are described in the Summary Plan Description (SPD). An SPD will be provided to eligible employees no later than three weeks after enrollment. Contact the Insurance Department for more information about health insurance benefits.

Holidays 2021

The Diocese of Brownsville will grant paid holiday time off to all eligible employees immediately upon assignment to an eligible employment classification. Holiday pay will be calculated based on the employee’s straight-time pay rate (as of the date of the holiday) times the number of hours the employee would otherwise have worked on that day. Eligible employee classification(s):

• Regular full-time employees
• Regular part-time employees

A recognized holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday. A recognized holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed on the following Monday.

If a recognized holiday falls during an eligible employee’s paid absence (such as vacation or sick leave), holiday pay will be provided instead of the paid time off benefit that would otherwise have applied.

If eligible nonexempt employees work on a recognized holiday, they will receive holiday pay plus wages at one and one-half times their straight-time rate for the hours worked on the holiday.

Paid time off for holidays will not be counted as hours worked for the purposes of determining overtime.

Life insurance offers you and your family important financial protection. The Diocese of Brownsville provides a basic life insurance plan for eligible employees.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance provides protection in cases of serious injury or death resulting from an accident. AD&D insurance coverage is provided as part of the basic life insurance plan.

Employees in the following employment classifications are eligible to participate in the life insurance plan:

• Regular full-time employees
• Regular part-time employees

Eligible employees may participate in the life insurance plan subject to all terms and conditions of the agreement between the Diocese of Brownsville and the insurance carrier.

Details of the basic life insurance plan including benefit amounts are described in the Summary Plan Description provided to eligible employees. Contact the Insurance Department for more information about life insurance benefits.

The Diocese of Brownsville provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees for periods of temporary absence due to illnesses or injuries.  Eligible employee classification(s):

• Regular full-time employees
• Regular part-time employees

Regular full-time employees will be awarded sick leave benefits at the rate of 10 days per year. Sick leave benefits are calculated on the basis of a “benefit year”, which is actually every fiscal year.

Regular part-time employees will be awarded sick leave based on the amount of hours that are worked during the workweek. The following schedule will be used to calculate sick leave for regular part-time employees:

 If the employee works : 

• 30 hours a week         10 days at 6 hours a day
• 40 hours a week         10 days at 8 hours a day

Paid sick leave can be used in minimum increments of one hour. Eligible employees may use sick leave benefits for an absence due to their own illness or injury or that of a family member who resides in the employee’s household.

Employees who are unable to report to work due to illness or injury should notify their direct supervisor before the scheduled start of their workday if possible. The direct supervisor must also be contacted on each additional day of absence. If an employee is absent for three or more consecutive days due to illness or injury, a physician’s statement must be provided verifying the disability and its beginning and expected ending dates. Such verification may be requested for other sick leave absences as well and may be required as a condition to receiving sick leave benefits.  Before returning to work from a sick leave absence of three calendar days or more, an employee must provide a physician’s verification that he or she may safely return to work.

Sick leave benefits will be calculated based on the employee’s base pay rate at the time of absence.

Sick leave benefits are intended solely to provide income protection in the event of illness or injury, and may not be used for any other absence. Unused sick days may be rolled over for a maximum of 30 days. Unused sick leave benefits will not be paid to employees while they are employed or upon termination of employment. If an employee has depleted their sick days, they will begin the new fiscal year with 10 days.

Vacation time off with pay is available to eligible employees to provide opportunity for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits. Employees in the following employment classification(s) are eligible to use vacation time as described in this policy:
 

• Regular full-time employees
• Regular part-time employees

• After 1 year of eligible service – entitlement is 10 vacation days each year
• After 5 years of eligible service – entitlement is 15 vacation days each year
• After 10 years of eligible service – entitlement is 20 vacation days each year

• After 5 years of eligible service - employees are eligible to carry over a maximum of five vacation days per year into the next fiscal year.

▪     After 10 years of eligible service - employees may carry over a maximum of 10 days into next fiscal year.

This change was effective 2017. A maximum of 10 days will be allowed to be carried over. Employees will forfeit the remainder of unused time.

Upon termination of employment, employees will be paid for unused vacation time that has been earned through the last day of work.

The Diocese of Brownsville provides a comprehensive workers’ compensation insurance program at no cost to employees. This program covers any injury or illness sustained in the course of employment that requires medical, surgical, or hospital treatment. Subject to applicable legal requirements, workers’ compensation insurance provides benefits after a short waiting period, or, if the employee is hospitalized, immediately.

Employees who sustain work-related injuries or illnesses should inform their supervisor immediately. No matter how minor an on-the-job injury may appear, it is important that it be reported immediately. This will enable an eligible employee to qualify for coverage as quickly as possible.

Neither the Diocese of Brownsville, nor the insurance carrier will be liable for the payment of workers’ compensation benefits for injuries that occur during an employee’s voluntary participation in any off-duty recreational, social, or athletic activity sponsored by the Diocese of Brownsville.