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Treasurer's Office The following sections relate to specific aspects of Benefits and Compensation information for the Diocese of Chicago.The general 2010 Budget Guidelines are a synopsis of these data.
The church does not set minimum compensation guidelines for lay employees. Congregations are encouraged to fairly compensate lay employees and to make benefits available. Employers are encouraged to provide medical, dental, and life insurance benefits to lay employees. Employees who are paid hourly must be working half time (20 hours) or more in order to be eligible for coverage on the Diocesan group plans. All lay employees who are salaried are eligible for coverage. Are you wondering whether an employee can be considered an independent contractor? Please refer to the IRS website which can be found at http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html The minium compensation levels for clergy are set annually by Diocesan Covention. Compensation levels for clergy in 2010 are as follows: $55,880 which includes: Cash Stipend, Self Employment Tax and Cash Housing allowance $40,620 which includes: Cash Stipend and Self Employment Tax and assumes a residence and utilities are provided. A minimum of $1,000 must be budgeted for full-time clergy for continuing education. However, receipts should be turned in to receive reimbursement.
INSURANCE GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYEES OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE The benefits for an employee 65 and older must not differ in any way from the benefits offered to people who are not Medicare eligible. An employer must inform employees and employee spouses who are entitled to Medicare that they may reject coverage under the employer plan and choose Medicare as their primary payer. If they reject coverage under the employer plan, the employer may not offer them, facilitate or subsidize a plan intended only to supplement Medicare's benefits. However, employer plans may offer employees coverage for items and services for which Medicare provides no benefits (for example, eyeglasses). Beneficiaries who reject the employer plan may purchase Medicare supplemental (Medigap) coverage from some source other then the employer. This benefit guidance is adapted from: Instructions (forwarded from the Church Pension Group) for completing the Group Health Plan Report for the IRS/SSA/CMS Data Match. DISABILITY INSURANCE Disability benefits are provided through First Unum Life Insurance Company, New York, NY. Short-Term Disability Insurance replaces lost income for up to a year of disability, allowing parishes and other church organizations to hire temporary help while the cleric or lay employee recovers. Active clergy (clergy on whose behalf assessments are being paid and are up-to-date) are automatically enrolled in the Short-Term Disability plan, provided by the Church Pension Fund. Long-Term Disability Insurance benefits pick up when the short term plan expires, and they continue until employees are able to work again, or until they reach age 65 and longer, in some cases. Employers may provide this group benefits in full, or employees may purchase it on their own. There will be no premium change in 2009 in the employer-provided long-term disability plan. Disability retirement benefit for clergy Clergy who participate in the Church Pension Fund receive a disability retirement benefit. This benefit is for total disability only and does not cover those who work part time. After two years, a reduced disability benefit may be possible. For more information call CPG at (800) 223-6602 or go to their web site at: http://www.cpg.org/productsservices/disabilityinsurance.cfm Property & Casualty Insurance The Office of Finance and Administration does not carry insurance policies on individual congregations. Facillity insurance information can be obtained from the Church Pension Group via the Church Insurance Company of Vermont. For service questions call (800) 293-3525. For claims, please call (800) 223-5705. Any lay employee who has worked at least 1000 hours annually is eligible for inclusion in a chosen pension plan which is mandated as per General Convention Resolution D165(a). The Church Pension Fund has information about their plans at www.cpg.org. There are many other companies with equivalent pensions and you are not required to participate in any specific plan. The required employer contribution to a lay employee defined benefit plan is at least 9% of salary. The required employer contribution to a lay employee defined contribution plan is at least 5% of salary with a requirement to match employee contributions up to an additional 4%.
Supply clergy rate of payment is $175 for one service and $200 for two or more services. In addition, clergy should be reimbursed for travel. NOTE: Pension assessments are required for active clergy earning more than $200 per month (exclusive of travel expenses) for each of three consecutive months. Assessments are not required for retired clergy who are drawing their church pension. For more information on clergy pension, call CPG at (866) 802-6333.
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