Classified Staff

Information on this page pertains to EVMS employees with a projected classification of Classified Staff after integration.

Find a summary of benefits and general guidance on which plan may best for you based on your individual circumstances by visiting ALEX, a virtual benefit counseling resource.

Annual Leave

• New state employees accrue four hours per pay period, for a total of 96 hours per year.*
• Up to 192 hours can be carried over every Jan. 10 for those with 5 years of service or less.
• Up to 192 hours will be paid out at separation.
• Annual leave accrual, carryover, and payout amounts are based on years of state service and increase every five years, up to 25 years of service.

* Prior state service and veteran service may increase the accrual rate.

Visit ODU Annual Leave»

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Legacy Leave

• All benefit-eligible EVMS employees may roll over their existing annual leave balances up to 80 hours on Day 1.
• ODU will provide “Legacy Leave” of up to 240 hours (cap includes roll-over time referenced above) for classified employees that will lose leave accrual hours due to years of service.
• Legacy Leave does not expire and is not counted toward future carryover of annual leave accrued from Day 1 forward.
• There will be no payout of unused legacy leave.

Legacy Leave Based on Years of Service

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Sick Leave

• Existing EVMS sick leave balances will not carry over.
• The EVMS Board of Visitors has approved the concept of paying out a portion (not all) of available leave balances. 
• Payout of EVMS sick leave balances will occur in the June/July timeframe at a flat rate of $10 per hour of unused sick leave.
• There is a one-year waiting period before employees can access the state-provided short- and long-term disability plan. EVMS will provide short and long-term disability for all employees for the one-year transition period.
• Classified staff will be enrolled in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) which provides 64 hours of sick leave and 32 hours of personal leave. These amounts increase with years of service.
• Sick leave and personal leave amounts reset every Jan. 10. They do not roll over.

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Additional Leave Benefits

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

• Provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for certain medical and military situations
• Must be employed for at least one year and have worked at least 1250 hours in the 12 months prior to leave beginning

Visit ODU FMLA»

Leave Share

• With approved FMLA for eligible family members

Visit ODU Leave Sharing»

Parental Leave

• Provides up to eight weeks of paid leave due to the birth/adoption/foster/custodial placement of a child
• Must be eligible for FMLA

Visit ODU Parental Leave Policy»

Other leave benefits

• School assistance and volunteer service leave
• Recognition leave
• Paid holidays
• End-of-year break (Medical Group will remain open to provide patient care)

Visit ODU Holiday Calendar»

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Short- and Long-Term Disability

• Applies after a one-year waiting period. EVMS will provide short- and long-term disability benefits for year one to cover the waiting period.
• VSDP’s short-term disability plan provides 60% income replacement for up to 125 workdays after a seven-day waiting period.
• Short-term disability income replacement amounts increase with months of state service.
• Employees do not have to exhaust paid leave prior to disability benefits beginning and may use paid leave to supplement disability benefits below 100%.
• Long-term disability benefits may begin after 125 workdays at 60% income replacement.

 Visit ODU VSDP short-and long-term disability»

VSDP sick, family and personal leave based on years of service

Visit ODU Virginia Sickness & Disability Program (VSDP)»

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Retirement

Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is an independent state agency that delivers retirement and other benefits to covered Virginia public-sector employees.

View a diagram of the mandatory and voluntary retirement options for classified employees. 

• Enrollment in the VRS is a condition of employment.
• Employees are enrolled with a mandatory 5% pre-tax contribution.
• VRS requires five years of service to be vested.
• Employees will be enrolled in the VRS Hybrid Plan unless prior state service requires enrollment in a grandfathered plan (Sworn police officers enrolled in VaLORS).
• The Hybrid Plan includes a defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) component.
• Employees contribute 5% (4% of creditable compensation into DB and 1% into DC.).
• Employer contributes 1% into the DC Plan.
• Employees may elect a voluntary contribution up to 4% into the DC Plan with the employers contributing up to an additional 2.50%.
• Employees contribute 5% (4% into DB and 1% into DC.).
• Employer contributes 1% into the DC Plan.
• Employees may elect a voluntary contribution up to 4% into the DC Plan with the employers contributing up to an additional 2.50%.
• Law enforcement officers will be enrolled in VaLORS Plan 2 unless prior state service requires enrollment in a grandfathered plan.
• VaLORS is a defined benefit plan.

View VRS Credible Compensation Definition»
View VRS Plan Vesting Schedule»
Learn more about the VRS Hybrid Plan»

Prior years of service credit

• Eligible employees may be able to purchase up to four years of service credit to allow faster vesting.
• Purchase of service credit within the first two years of covered employment typically comes at a cheaper rate.
• Purchases made after that time will be calculated based on actuarial rates.
• Employees will be able to purchase service credit using funds from their 403(b) and/or 457(b) retirement plans.

View VRS Purchase of Prior Service»

Supplemental retirement

• Employees may enroll at any time in a 403(b)-plan offered by TIAA and/or Fidelity Investments.
• Employees may also enroll in the state’s 457(b) deferred compensation plan through Mission Square.
• Full-time employees may be eligible for an employer cash match to one of the supplemental plans (conditions apply).
• Employees in the VRS Hybrid Plan will have to max their voluntary contribution into the DC Plan before eligible for cash match.

View detailed Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Information and Resources» 
Visit VRS Hybrid Retirement Plan»

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Life Insurance

• Employees receive a 100% employer-paid life insurance policy administered by Securian Financial.
• The basic benefit is 2x salary for natural death and 4x salary for accident death. with no cap.
• Employees may elect voluntary optional life insurance coverage of up to 8x salary with an $800,000 cap (evidence of insurability may be required). This is an employee paid benefit.
• Optional life insurance may be purchased on spouses and children (evidence of insurability may be required).

 Visit VRS Life Insurance »

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Health, Dental and Vision Coverage

6 Health Plan Choices

• COVA Care (Anthem)
• COVA HeathAware (Aetna)
  • The plan includes an employer-funded health reimbursement account (HRA).
• COVA HDHP (Anthem)
  • A Health Savings Account (HSA) is not a component of this plan.
  • Employees may fund an outside HSA.
• Optima Health Vantage HMO
• Kaiser Permanente HMO (regional plan primarily covering Northern Virginia)
• Tricare Voluntary Supplement for employees that are covered by federal TRICARE benefits
• The plan year runs from July 1 - June 30.
• Dental and vision insurance is bundled with the health insurance plan- standalone plans are not available.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services are included with the health insurance plan (up to 4 visits per incident). The EAP is not included with the TriCare Supplemental plan. 

 Visit ODU Health Care Benefits »

Coverage side-by-side comparison (Example 1)

*Based on maximum plan option without any discounts (for illustrative purposes only)

Coverage side-by-side comparison (Example 2)

*Based on maximum plan option without any discounts (for illustrative purposes only)

Coverage side-by-side comparison (Example 3)

*Based on maximum plan option without any discounts (for illustrative purposes only)

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Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Healthcare FSA
• Dependent Care FSA
• The plan year runs from July 1 - June 30. All expenses must be incurred by June 30 each plan year.
• Employees have until September 30 or three months from the end of the coverage period, whichever is sooner, to submit reimbursement requests.
• FSA funds are “use-it” or “lose-it.” They do not carry over into the new plan year.

 Visit ODU Flex Spending Account »

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Tuition Assistance

The Employee Tuition Assistance Program provides 6 credit hours for fall, spring, and summer semesters for each full-time employee (must be admitted, degree-seeking students at ODU). The one-year waiting period will be waived for EVMS legacy employees.

The Dependent Scholarship Program provides tuition assistance to degree-seeking dependents during the fall and spring semesters. There is a one-year waiting period for eligibility.

Visit ODU Tuition Assistance »

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Additional Benefits

• Legal resources/identity theft
• Personal accident insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• AFLAC
• Whole Life insurance
• State employee discounts
• Staff Dream Fund

 Visit ODU Financial Benefits »

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Town Halls

EVMS leadership holds periodic town hall sessions to share the latest information on key topics affecting faculty, staff, residents/fellows and students across campus. View the full town hall archive.

Latest recording

Classified employee integration Benefits Information Session

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