Charlotte Parental Benefits

Additional Information for Birth Mothers

Maternity and Parental Benefits Resources

Additional Atrium Health Benefits for Families

Parental Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

Atrium Health offers a robust suite of benefit programs that support the uniqueness of each teammate and their families. In addition to the host of benefits in place to support all families, Atrium Health is expanding financial support for families by offering Parental Benefits for parents and financial assistance for adoption.

• Paid Parental Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Transitional Child Care
• Tax Implications
• Benefits While on Leave

General

What are the Parental Benefits offered by Atrium Health?
For teammate parents:

• Four consecutive weeks of paid parental leave for parents
• Financial assistance for adoption in the amount of $5,000
• Up to 30 days transitional child care while new parents transition back to work

For teammates who give birth:

• A combined total of six weeks of paid leave for birth parents (combining paid parental leave and additional time for recovery)

Who is eligible for the Parental Benefits?
Teammates with at least 20 standard hours per week and who are parents welcoming a new child to their home through a birth, adoption or legal placement are eligible for the Parental Benefits. Eligibility begins upon hire or effective date of standard hours of at least 20 per week and is for birth, adoption or legal placement events that take place during employment with Atrium Health; there is no waiting period. Temporary teammates and contract workers are ineligible.

Paid Parental Leave

Paid Parental Leave for Non-Birth Parents

How does the teammate request their paid parental leave?
The paperwork to request the paid parental leave will be submitted in LeavePro to HR Leave Administration at least 30 days prior to leave (unless the leave is unforeseen, in which case submit the request as soon as practical). Visit the Leave of Absence web page for additional guidance or contact the HR Service Center Online or contact HR Leave Administration at 704-631-1500, choose Option 3. 

When does the 100% compensation for up to four weeks of the parental benefit begin?
The paid parental leave for teammates who are non-birth parents begins as soon as the teammate’s approved leave begins. The parental leave can be taken immediately or at a later mutually agreed upon time, within twelve months of the birth, adoption or legal placement of the child. Note: For teammates who qualify for FMLA, FMLA leave will run concurrently with paid parental leave, as described in the section titled "FMLA and Paid Parental Leave".

Do teammates have to take their approved paid leave consecutively or can they break it up?
Paid parental leave must be taken consecutively. Paid parental leave is continuous leave to support teammates as they care for and bond with their child.

If both parents are Atrium Health teammates who meet eligibility for the Parental Benefits, are both teammates allowed to take the paid parental leave?
Yes, if both parents are Atrium Health teammates and meet eligibility, each can take paid parental leave. They can take their paid parental leave at the same time, but it is not required. The leave time is a continuous leave and can be taken immediately or at a later mutually agreed upon time, within twelve months of the birth, adoption or legal placement of the child.

How does the teammate get paid for their leave?
Teammates will be paid 100% of their base pay while on an approved paid leave under the Parental Benefits program. Bi-weekly teammates who are non-birth parents will be paid 100% of their base pay for up to four consecutive weeks by Atrium Health through the regular payroll cycle.

Please note, the scenarios outlined above for teammates who give birth, represent the source of the teammates’ 100% compensation under the Parental Benefits program. In the event a teammate has an approved Short-Term Disability claim that begins prior to the birth of the child and/or extends beyond the six weeks of 100% compensation through the Parental Benefits program, the STD benefit paid to the teammate will be based on the claim dates approved on the approved Short-Term Disability claim by MetLife. 

Leader Action 

What action should leaders take in Kronos for a birth parent who is out on parental leave? 
Parental leave for birth parents is up to six weeks of paid leave from the date of delivery, and the pay is issued by MetLife directly to the teammate. During the six weeks of paid leave, no work hours or PTO should be entered for the teammate. For exempt teammates, the leader or time approver should remove the auto-populated work hours in Kronos to ensure the teammate is not overpaid.  

Following the six weeks of paid leave, if the teammate has additional approved leave time, they may elect to use PTO.  Teammates should communicate with their leader or time approver regarding the PTO they plan to use.

FMLA and Paid Parental Leave

If the teammate is eligible and approved for FMLA leave of absence, when does that leave begin?
An approved continuous FMLA leave of absence for the purpose of caring for and bonding with a child due to birth, adoption or legal placement runs concurrently with the paid parental leave (and, if applicable, with short-term disability for bi-weekly teammates). FMLA may have the same beginning date as the paid parental leave and can be up to a total of 12 weeks.

If the teammate is on an approved FMLA leave to care for and bond with their child due to birth, adoption or legal placement, can the teammate use PTO? 
Teammates cannot use PTO while receiving 100% compensation under the Parental Benefits program, or if applicable, when receiving a short-term disability benefit. For any unpaid portion of FMLA leave, teammates may elect to use available PTO. 

Adoption Assistance

At what point does the teammate receive the financial assistance for adopting a child?
Teammates can request the $5,000 in adoption assistance upon notice of placement of adoption; the paperwork to request the benefit must be submitted to Benefits Administration no later than six months after the notice of placement of adoption or once the adoption is finalized. Payment will be made as soon as administratively possible.

Complete the Financial Assistance for Adoption Request Form.

Note: The Adoption Certificate or Adoption Placement Decree is required supporting documentation. You will be prompted to upload this document as part of completing the Financial Assistance for Adoption Request Form.

Does the teammate applying for financial assistance for adoption have to provide proof of expenses incurred in the adoption process?  
No, the teammate does not have to provide documentation of expenses incurred in the adoption process. The Adoption Certificate or Adoption Placement Decree is required supporting documentation. 

If a teammate adopts multiple children in the same year, are they eligible for the financial assistance for each adopted child?
The financial assistance of $5,000 is the maximum benefit payable per family per calendar year.

Is a teammate who is adopting a child eligible for both the paid parental leave and the financial assistance?
Yes, the adopting parent is eligible for four consecutive weeks of paid parental leave to care for and bond with their child, and $5,000 in financial assistance for adoption.

If both adopting parents are Atrium Health teammates who meet eligibility for the Parental Benefits, are both teammates eligible for the $5,000 financial assistance?
No, the financial assistance of $5,000 is payable once per family, per calendar year. However, both parents are eligible for the four weeks paid parental leave.

Transitional Child Care

What is Transitional Child Care?
This benefit provides up to 30 days of transitional child care to eligible parents, who are returning to work following their leave for the arrival of a child to their home through a birth, adoption or legal placement. The program is designed to help the teammate transition back to work and support them as they decide on a longer term care plan.

What options of care are available? 
There are several options for transitional child care: 

• LifeCare has a nationwide network of child care centers and in-home agencies. When teammates use one of these providers, they will not have any out-of-pocket expense. 
• Teammates can use a child care provider of their choice. They will simply contact LifeCare to arrange the dates of care. Once care has occurred, the teammate can request reimbursement for the full cost of care.  
• Teammates can choose to have a friend or family member provide care for their child. They will need to contact LifeCare in advance to book the date of care. Then after the date of care, they will contact LifeCare to provide proof of payment to the caregiver in order to be reimbursed up to $60 per visit.

How does the teammate utilize Transitional Child Care?
The post-leave transitional child care is available through LifeCare. Teammates register by calling 1-866-621-7687 or go to LifeCare online and schedule child care up to 60 days in advance. The registration code is ATRIUM.

How long does the teammate have to use this benefit? 
Teammates are to make at least one care request within the first 6 months of the child’s birth, adoption or legal placement and have up to one year to utilize the Transitional child care benefit. 

How can teammates get more information about the Transitional Child Care benefit? 
Specialists are available 24/7 to answer questions and help teammates schedule care. Call LifeCare at 1-866-621-7687. The registration code is ATRIUM. 

Tax Implications

Is the $5,000 adoption assistance taxable?
For most teammates, the $5,000 adoption assistance is not taxable. However, for certain highly paid teammates, the adoption assistance is taxable. If the adoption assistance is not taxable, it will not be included in the teammate’s wages that are subject to federal income tax withholding, but it is subject to FICA taxes. The payment will be reported on the teammate’s W-2.

Per the IRS (IRC section 137) if the adoption is of a teammate’s step-child, the $5,000 adoption assistance is taxable income. 

Teammates are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor to determine how the financial assistance for adoption might impact their specific tax responsibilities.

If a teammate has a new addition of a child to their family, is that a Qualifying Event for the teammate to enroll/make changes to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account?
Yes, the birth, adoption or legal placement of a child is a Qualifying Event that allows a teammate to enroll or make changes to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) within 31 days of the event. Teammates can contribute up to $5,000 pre-tax to a DCFSA and use the funds to pay for any work-related dependent daycare expenses they incur.

Please note, a teammate can contribute to a DCFSA and utilize up to 30 days Transitional Child Care; however, if the value of the days used for Transitional Child Care and their DCFSA contribution amount combined are more than $5,000 in the calendar year, any amount over $5,000 becomes taxable. The amount over $5,000 is known as imputed income meaning the value or dollar amount is added to the teammate’s taxable wages in order to properly withhold income taxes and employment taxes from wages. It is highly advisable to consult with a tax advisor.

If a teammate falls into the IRS definition of a “highly compensated employee”, is there a different maximum contribution to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account?
Yes, the IRS limits the pre-tax contributions to the DCFSA by “highly compensated employees”. The IRS currently defines a “highly compensated employee” as anyone with gross annual compensation greater than $135,000: the contribution limit is $1,400. Additionally, the value of the days of Transitional Child Care the teammate may have used, when combined with the DCFSA contributions that are above, becomes imputed income.

Teammates are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor to determine what impact the benefits may have on their specific tax responsibilities. The limits for “highly compensated” may change each year, so it is advisable to consult a tax advisor.

If a teammate utilizes the Transitional Child Care but does not contribute to a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, is the value of the benefit considered imputed income?
It depends. If the teammate falls under the IRS definition of a “highly compensated employee”, which is currently anyone with gross annual compensation greater than $135,000, then the value of the days used for Transitional Child Care that is above will be imputed income. If the teammate is not considered by IRS definition to be a “highly compensated employee”, then the value of the days used for Transitional Child Care that is above $5,000 will be imputed income.

If the value of the days used for Transitional Child Care falls below the IRS limits ($1,400 and $5,000 respectively), then they will not experience imputed income in this situation.

What should teammates consider when utilizing Atrium Health benefits that support families?
If teammates are utilizing the financial assistance for adoption, up to 30 days of Transitional Child Care, and/or the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, there may be a tax event depending on the teammate’s situation. Teammates are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor to determine what impact the benefits may have on their specific tax responsibilities. The Fair Market Value of the transitional child care benefit is $3,750.

Benefits While on Leave

How does a teammate pay their benefits premiums while on a paid parental leave?

• For teammates who are non-birth parents receiving paid parental leave through Atrium Health’s regular payroll cycle, premiums will be deducted from the teammate’s paycheck while on a paid parental leave, just as they are when the teammate is actively at work.  
   
  If the teammate is on an approved leave of absence that extends beyond the four weeks of paid parental leave, benefits premiums will continue to be payroll deducted when teammates use PTO for income. If PTO is not used and there is no payroll generated for the teammate for the remainder of their leave, the benefits premiums owed per pay period will accrue for the remainder of the leave. Upon the teammate’s return from leave, the deduction of benefits premiums will resume on the first paycheck and accrued premiums will be deducted as follows:  
  • Accrued premiums for core benefits (medical, dental and vision) will be withheld over 4 pay periods  
  • The total of accrued premiums for voluntary benefits will be withheld on the first paycheck.  
    
    
• For teammates who are birth parents receiving paid parental leave from MetLife, premiums will not be deducted from the teammate’s pay. Benefits premiums owed per pay period will accrue. If the teammate is on an approved leave of absence that extends beyond the six weeks of paid parental leave, and they use PTO for income, CORE Connect will resume premium withholdings and will “catch the teammate up” with accrued benefits premiums. The teammate’s paycheck will include the following withholdings:  
  • The teammate’s per pay period benefits premiums, plus 1/4 of the total accrued premiums for core benefits (medical, dental and vision) – CORE Connect deducts the owed core premiums over 4 pay periods, and  
  • The total of accrued premiums for voluntary benefits  

If the teammate does not have PTO available for all or a portion of the leave that is beyond six weeks, benefits premiums that are not collected through payroll will accrue and the accrued amounts will be withheld (as described above) starting on the first paycheck following the teammate’s return from leave.

If the teammate chooses to enroll the child in their benefits, what is the process and what is the deadline to complete enrollment?
The birth, adoption or legal placement of a child is a Qualifying Event that allows the opportunity for teammates to make changes to their benefits, such as adding the child as a covered dependent. Requests for changes must be submitted within 31 days of the Qualifying Event, in CORE Connect, along with supporting documentation. For more information, visit the Submit Enrollment Changes page. 

What supporting documentation will the teammate need to submit when adding a child as a dependent to their health, dental and/or vision plans?
The required documentation is the child’s birth certificate or certification of adoption or legal placement. For more information, visit the Submit Enrollment Changes page.  

For more information contact the HR Service Center Online or contact HR Leave Administration at 704-631-1500, choose Option 3