PURPOSE

This policy was established to outline the method by which designated beneficiaries can receive a Faculty Member’s or Professional Staff Member's final wages due upon the death of that Faculty or Professional Staff Member.

APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all eligible Faculty and Professional Staff Members, excluding Professional Staff Members affiliated with a collective bargaining unit.

IMPLEMENTATION

Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the Department of Human Resources.

ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT

The Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer is the Drexel University Official responsible for the administration of this policy.

POLICY

Drexel University honors its commitment to a Faculty Member’s or Professional Staff Member's designated beneficiary (ies) based on the provisions of applicable policies in force at the time of the Faculty Member’s or Professional Staff Member's death.

1. Beneficiaries of deceased Monthly-Paid eligible Faculty and Professional Staff Members will be paid through the end of the month in which death occurs.
2. Beneficiaries of Bi-weekly paid Professional Staff Members will be paid through the end of the pay-period in which the death occurs.

DEFINITIONS

Beneficiary is defined as an individual, institution, trustee, or estate which receives, or may become eligible to receive, benefits under a will, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, trust, or other contract as designated by the Faculty or Professional Staff Member.

Bi-weekly paid is a non-exempt Professional Staff Member who receives a paycheck every other week, which results in 26 paychecks in a year.

Domestic Partner is defined as an individual in a committed relationship with a Faculty or Professional Staff Member of the same gender who is neither married to nor related by blood, adoption or law to the Faculty or Professional Staff Member.

Faculty Member is defined as an individual employed by Drexel University in a tenured, tenure-track, non-tenured track or adjunct position who teaches at any college, school, center or institute in the University.  A Faculty Member also is deemed to be exempt under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and/or applicable state law.

Monthly paid is an exempt Faculty Member or Professional Staff Member who receives a paycheck on a monthly basis, which results in 12 paychecks in a year.

Professional Staff Member is defined as an individual employed in any non-faculty category by Drexel University, including an individual who is deemed to be either exempt or non-exempt under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and/or applicable state law.

Relative is defined as any person who is related to a Faculty Member or Professional Staff Member in any of the following ways:

1. Parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, related by blood, marriage or through adoption.
2. Spouse, domestic partner, stepparent, stepchild, or other relation established by law or court order.

PROCEDURES

1. Upon being informed of the death of a Faculty or Professional Staff Member, that person’s immediate supervisor should notify their HR Partner of the date of a Faculty or Professional Staff Member’s death (if known) and process a termination Personnel Action Form, indicating “death” as the reason for termination.
2. Once the Personnel Action Form has been received, the HR Partner notifies Benefits and Payroll of the Faculty or Professional Staff Member’s death.
3. The HR Partner is the point of contact for the beneficiary(ies) and/or Relatives until all matters related to the deceased Faculty Member’s or Professional Staff Member’s University benefits are resolved.

PAYMENTS

Drexel’s Payroll Department will process the final earned wages and accrued vacation.  Earned wages, accrued vacation pay, and any other funds due to the Faculty Member or Professional Staff Member will be made payable to the Beneficiary (ies) named in the applicable Designation-of- Beneficiary form in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. If there is no designated beneficiary, payments will be made to the administrator or executor of the estate of the deceased Faculty Member or Professional Staff Member.  This benefit will be paid to the end of the pay period applicable to the Faculty Member’s or Professional Staff Member’s pay classification (i.e. monthly paid or bi-weekly paid).

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT NOT AFFECTED

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary stated in this policy, nothing herein is intended to alter the at-will status of any Non-Tenured Faculty or Professional Staff Member.  Drexel University at all times retains the right to terminate any Professional Staff Member at any time for any lawful reason, or for no reason at all.