Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

GU Employee Benefits Vary

Employee benefits such as free tuition, health care options and yoga are just some of the reasons staffers choose to work at Georgetown, but not all employee benefits are as valuable as they first appear.

The health care reform passed earlier this year yielded better services but higher costs for employees. According to the 2011 Georgetown University Benefits Fall Newsletter, university staff dependents will have medical coverage benefits extended until the age of 26. Staff will also be eligible to re-enroll children whose previous coverage stopped due to the age limit. In addition, some of the health care plans will have their lifetime maximum benefits limit dropped. But while medical services have increased, costs have risen as well. The four health care plan options available to employees have increased in cost by 7 percent, 9 percent, 17 percent and 21.5 percent over the past year, while the national average increase for employer-provided health insurance was 8.8 percent, according to Hewitt Associates.

Other benefits have not changed significantly from the past year. The Georgetown University Retirement Plan, a pension program paid fully by the university, is still in effect for employees hired before 2008, but new employees are not allowed to participate. Almost all staff at Georgetown University are eligible for the defined contribution retirement plan, wherein both the university and the staffer contribute funds to pay for a pension.

But pensions and health care plans are not the only reason staff choose to work for the university. Paulo Freyesleben, a patrol officer in the Department of Public Safety, said that he had previously taken classes at Georgetown. Although he is not currently taking any classes, the ability to take classes for free as an employee, with the only cost being that of textbooks, was the primary reason that he chose to come to Georgetown, he said. Freyesleben also said that many staffers took advantage of the family tuition package, which means that if a child of an employee is accepted to the university, their education comes free of charge.

Dwayne Cunningham, a facilities management and housekeeping worker, echoed this, saying that one of the benefits he values most is the Tuition Assistance Program.

TAP assists Georgetown employees and their dependents with tuition payments when enrolling at Georgetown or any other higher education institution, even covering approved study abroad programs. For employees, the benefits extend to both undergraduate and graduate programs; for dependents, TAP only covers undergraduate studies.

Employees can also receive tangible benefits daily -.the GUWellness program offers employees Weight Watchers At Work, free yoga and Tai Chi classes, meditation workshops, financial wellness workshops, faculty and staff Olympics, personal wellness consultations and spiritual offerings.

“Our main goal is to create a work environment in which people feel they can achieve some balance and thrive,” said Rachel Bridges, director of GUWellness. Bridges estimated that over 500 staffers attended the GUWellness fair, an event on Oct. 21 where employees were able to learn and take advantage of the different programs offered.

In addition to the physical benefits offered by the school, some employees also feel the school offers more intangible benefits.

“Georgetown fosters a culture of inclusion. They strive to include families and the community,” said Ellen Bateman, the office manager of the department of biology. Cunningham concurred with this assessment.

“You meet a lot of people here, a lot of good people,” Cunningham said. “I’d rather work here than any other university.”

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