Benefits and Leave

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) are required to have health insurance. PDTs will have three options for health insurance plans. For those electing coverage for partners or dependents, the cost to the PDT will be significantly lower. Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans will mirror options available to faculty and staff.

Three medical plans 

Keystone Health Plan HMO, Aetna POS II, and PennCare/Personal Choice. All three plans provide access to the Penn Provider network. For details, review the medical plan charts in the Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows Benefits Enrollment Guide.

MetLife Dental Plan 

Choose from two dental options: Penn Dental or MetLife. Your share, paid through pre-tax payroll deductions, depends on the plan you choose and whether you are covering dependents. For details, review the dental plan options and current rates here.

VSP Vision Plans

Choose from three vision options: Davis Vision, VSP, and VSP Choice. You pay for coverage through pre-tax payroll deductions. Your cost depends on the plan you choose and whether you are covering dependents. For details, review the dental plan options and current rates here.

Fertility Benefit. 

Penn’s fertility benefit is administered by Carrot Fertility, effective July 1. Carrot will work with Penn Fertility Clinic and fertility clinics nationwide to support staff and postdocs in different locations, and the benefit will offer a concierge level of service. The benefit is a flat $ 30,000 lifetime maximum that can be used for a variety of fertility treatments.

No Health Insurance

If PDTs elect to waive health insurance coverage through the University, PDTs must certify that they have alternate health insurance that provides at least comparable coverage. 

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) have the option to participate in one of Penn’s two types of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): a Health Care FSA and a Dependent Care FSA. These plans are administered by WageWorks/ HealthEquity. They provide you with a way to pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses with pre-tax dollars. They’re designed to save you taxes when you pay for certain eligible expenses that are not covered by other benefit plans. You can elect a maximum of $3,050 for Health Care and $5,000 for Dependent Care. You have until the end of the plan year to incur expenses and until the end of September of that year to submit eligible claims for services you received before the end of the plan year.

For more information go to www.wageworks.com or review the Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows Benefits Enrollment Guide.

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) are eligible for life insurance through Penn’s carrier, MetLife. PDTS will be required to provide their life insurance beneficiary information via the Workday@Penn portal.

You can find more information about any of the insurance offerings, here. 

Note: Your benefits base salary for life insurance purposes is calculated and frozen in March of each year. This amount will not change even if your salary changes during the course of the plan year.

In any appointment year, a PDT may elect to take up to ten University business days as paid vacation days, on which days the PDT will continue to receive their stipend. PDTs are also entitled to the eight official holidays observed by the University and are eligible to take the University’s special winter vacation, during which time the University is typically closed. If a PDT wishes to work and/or perform research during an official holiday or special winter vacation, the postdoc can use the equivalent time as additional paid vacation days. PDTs forfeit any unused vacation days or holidays at the end of any appointment year. 

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) may continue to receive stipends for up to 15 University business days of sick leave per year. PDTs forfeit any unused sick leave at the end of the appointment year. Under exceptional circumstances, a period of leave due to illness or incapacity may be extended at the discretion of the mentor. Mentors may request for any extended absence medical documentation from a healthcare provider, to be provided to an appropriate administrative office consistent with confidentiality. Additional sick leave may be approved at the discretion of the mentor.

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) are entitled to receive stipends for no more than 60 calendar days of leave per appointment year for adoption or birth of a child. Either parent is eligible. PDTs must discuss the use of new child leave in advance with the mentor. A mentor may not deny a request to use new child leave without the authorization of the appropriate administrative office. Unused sick leave or vacation days may be used, with approval, to extend the period of new child leave. Additional new child leave may be approved at the discretion of the mentor.

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) requesting extended periods of time away from their training experience, including leave in excess of available sick and/or parental leave, must obtain approval for a leave of absence without stipend continuation. Approval for such leave must be requested and approved by the mentor in advance. 

PDTs requesting extended periods of time away from their training experience, including leave in excess of available sick and/or parental leave, must obtain approval for a leave of absence without stipend continuation. Approval for such leave must be requested and approved by the mentor in advance. It is recommended that PDTs use Workday@Penn to track and record their leave requests.

PDTs who are classified as postdoctoral researchers or postdoctoral fellows are eligible to participate in the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania. Under this retirement plan, eligible PDTs may defer a portion of their eligible compensation each payroll period to the retirement plan. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center.

Penn is committed to helping faculty and staff maintain a balance between work, personal goals, and family responsibilities. PDTs take advantage of a wealth of family-friendly programs to meet their everyday needs.

PDTs are eligible to participate in Penn’s Backup Care Program which offers up to ten days of subsidized backup childcare (minimum four hours) per fiscal year. Care can be offered in your home or in a childcare center including Bright Horizons centers, with some of the cost covered. To learn more about this benefit, please visit the Penn HR Wellness webpage.

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) are eligible to participate in Penn’s Department of Parking & Commuter Services programs.

The University’s commuter programs accommodate a variety of circumstances and include discounted, pre-tax purchases of commuter passes and cards that can be used for the robust network of transit systems that serve Penn’s campus. 

Penn’s commuter benefit provides a 5% discount on commuter fares and passes purchased through pre-tax payroll deductions and 10% discount on SEPTA monthly passes.

Effective September 1, 2023, the University plans to raise the discount on Philadelphia regional passes to 50% with a maximum discount of $105 per month. The new discount is scheduled to coincide with the Department of Parking & Commuter Services’ launch of a new program management platform that will offer an enhanced user interface and related support services.

This 50% discount will be available for transportation options including SEPTA’s Monthly City TransPass and Monthly Regional TrailPass (SEPTA Key’s Travel Wallet is not included), PATCO, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak’s Prepaid 10-pack tickets and Monthly Pass.

The Commuter Card will continue to be offered with a discount of 5%. This card allows participants to load pre-tax contributions onto a debit card that can be used to pay for a variety of eligible transit expenses. The pre-tax deduction of up to $300 per month will still be available, adding additional savings potential to riders.

Penn Bike Commuter Expense Reimbursement Program 

To see if you qualify for this benefit or for more information, please see the Program FAQs or contact bikecommuter@upenn.edu.

For additional commuter information and Office of Transportation & Parking contacts, visit the Penn Transportation Commuter Services web pages.

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) are eligible to participate in Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Penn’s EAP provides eligible faculty, staff, PDTs, and their families access to free, confidential, 24/7 counseling and referral services for personal and professional life issues from any location. EAP services are available by phone, email, webchat, video, and through face-to-face sessions. The Health Advocate EAP counselors will connect you with the right experts at the right time: masters level clinicians, work/life specialists, medical bill negotiators, and financial and legal professionals.  

In addition, Penn PDTs and their family members can access free and confidential support on legal and financial topics. Receive 30 minutes of free legal consultation over the phone. The number of initial consultations per year on each new legal topic is unlimited. They can also receive 30 minutes of over-the-phone access to financial guidance about everything from managing current debt to making decisions about future purchases. Health Advocate offers multi-language capabilities.

Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) are provided wellness and behavioral health services. Behavioral health benefits include the categories of mental health and substance abuse benefits. The behavioral health benefits included in each plan allow you to maximize your mental health and substance abuse benefits by utilizing in-network providers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses or social workers, therapists, or other clinicians. Behavioral health benefits are integrated into each of the medical plans; however, they do not use the same networks. Benefits allow for a range of treatment options, from individual and family counseling to substance abuse programs and inpatient treatment facilities

To learn more about Behavioral health benefits, refer to the Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows Benefits Enrollment Guide.

Penn also provides Postdoctoral Trainees (PDTs) with access to Penn COBALT. Penn COBALT connects PDTs to curated mental health and wellness content, live groups, and individual virtual support. COBALT uses targeted assessments to streamline content and triage PDTs to the right level and type of support. With its embedded scheduling and telehealth capabilities, it provides HIPAA-compliant mental healthcare at a safe distance. The available resources include peers, resilience coaches, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists, as well as podcasts, articles, mindfulness sessions, and other group support.

Choose from a variety of options, including one-on-one appointments with doctors, licensed clinicians, or resilience coaches. Penn Cobalt can help with the following methods of treatment and more:

• Topic specific discussions
• Psychotherapy
• Psychiatry
• Coping First Aid (CFA)

The CFA program, hosted on Penn COBALT, serves as a resource for individuals who want to speak to someone for support but are not sure they want or need therapy. CFA coaches are trained to address a variety of concerns including those that are work-related, or other stressors, such as being new to Philadelphia, experiencing stress in the family, and much more. Coaches provide a listening ear, assess needs and concerns, and facilitate access to resources, including therapy and other psychological services, when necessary. CFA is free, has flexible scheduling, including during and outside of work hours, and is always confidential. 

Through Penn Cobalt, you can book your appointment online for a time that is available and convenient for you. Payment options vary by provider. Services may be free of charge, covered by insurance, or self-pay, and you may choose to filter by your specific payment preferences including scheduling with an EAP counselor. Penn Cobalt also provides helpful articles with personalized recommendations and revolving studio sessions with experts for you and/or your team focusing on topics like current events, staying active and healthy, and more.

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call 988  OR  1-800-273-TALK (8255) – The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.