1411 - Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI) (Historical View)

** Effective: 6/28/2019 3:55:47 PM - 1/7/2020 8:43:04 AM **

Status: Active

Change Notes

Added EDD website

Category

Benefits and Insurance

Audience List

Synopsis

This policy:

Introduction

Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI) is a program funded by state employers to provide partial wage replacement to eligible state employees who have wage loss due to a non-work related illness or injury, including disability due to pregnancy.

Employees excluded from bargaining and those represented by bargaining units (BUs) 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 18, and 19 are eligible for the NDI program.

Employees eligible for NDI enrolled in the annual leave program are eligible for Enhanced Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (ENDI) benefits.  

Effective July 1, 2019, employees excluded from collective bargaining and enrolled in the annual leave program, are eligible to receive Non-Industrial Disability Insurance Family Care Leave (NDI-FCL) to care for an eligible family member or to bond with a new child.

SEIU represented employees (BU 1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, and 21) are eligible for State Disability Insurance (SDI).

Statement

The Department of Human Resources has program responsibility for NDI, such as procedural instructions and clarification of Government Code sections, California Code of Regulations, and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The Employment Development Department (EDD) has administrative responsibility such as claim approval/denial, review of medical reports, and benefit period.

An employee may be eligible to receive NDI when they are unable to perform their regular or customary work and suffer a wage loss as a result of a non-work related disability, illness, or injury including disability due to pregnancy or child birth.

Employees enrolled in annual leave (AL) are eligible to receive Enhanced Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (ENDI).  The differences between NDI and ENDI are described below.

NDI Eligibility and Benefits

Employees are eligible for NDI if they are:

Permanent or probationary part-time or intermittent state officers or employees, with at least the equivalent of six compensated monthly pay periods of service in the 18 months of pay periods immediately preceding the pay period in which the disability begins, may also be eligible for NDI benefits on a pro-rata basis.

Benefits under the NDI program are payable for a period not to exceed 26 weeks for any one disability. The 26-week benefit period shall be equivalent to 182 calendar days. Excluded employees who meet the eligibility requirements (Gov. Code, § 19878) receive 50 percent of their gross pay up to $135 per week. To determine the applicable NDI benefit rate for represented employees refer to the applicable MOU. Employees shall not be required to exhaust leave credits prior to receiving this benefit.

Per California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 599.770, excluded employees may waive the seven day waiting period.  The waiting period may be waived commencing with the first full day of confinement in a hospital or nursing home.  To determine if there is a waiting period for represented employees, refer to the applicable MOU.

Excluded and eligible represented employees who enroll in AL while on NDI leave shall continue to receive NDI at the old rate throughout the disability period.

Once NDI payment begins, an employee may at any time switch from NDI to sick/vacation leave, or other leave credits, but may not return to NDI until that leave is exhausted.

An employee is not eligible for a second disability benefit due to the same or related cause or condition unless they have returned to work for at least 14 consecutive work days. Paid leave shall not be used to cover the 14 days.

ENDI Benefit

Employees enrolled in annual leave are eligible for ENDI benefits. Benefits under the ENDI program are payable for a period not to exceed 26 weeks for any one disability. The 26-week benefit shall be equivalent to 182 calendar days. Employees who meet the eligibility requirements (Gov. Code, § 19878) receive 50 percent of their gross salary. Employees eligible for ENDI may elect to supplement their ENDI benefit to either a rate of 75 percent or 100 percent income replacement at the time they file the ENDI claim. With the exception of bargaining unit (BU) 5 employees, once a claim for ENDI has been filed and the employee has elected the rate of supplementation, the supplemental rate must be maintained throughout the disability period. BU 5 employees may elect to change their supplementation rate one time during the period of the claim. The change shall be effective upon such date as requested by the employee, provided that such notification is received by the department's Human Resources Office at least twenty (20) days in advance of the requested effective date.

In the event an excluded or eligible represented employee no longer has leave credits for supplementation or is no longer partially employed, the 50 percent ENDI benefit level will be payable to the employee for the remainder of the ENDI claim.

Excluded and represented employees who supplement their ENDI benefit at the 100 percent level shall be considered to have served a qualifying pay period for any of the rights and benefits dependent on having worked a completed month, as prescribed in California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 599.608. These rights or benefits include, but are not limited to, qualifying service for merit and special in-grade salary adjustments, annual leave accruals, paid educational leave, and seniority credit. Excluded and represented employees who supplement their ENDI benefits at the 75 percent level shall receive state service and annual leave credits at one-half the rate granted to those who supplement at 100 percent. If a holiday falls during the period of supplementation, an employee will not have to charge the day against the leave supplementation amount.

Per California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 599.770 excluded employees may serve a seven day waiting period. The waiting period may be waived commencing with the first full day of confinement in a hospital or nursing home. To determine if there is a waiting period for represented employees, refer to the applicable MOU.

Once ENDI payments begin, an employee may at any time switch from ENDI to annual leave or other leave credits, but may not return to ENDI until that leave is exhausted.

Excluded employees who elect to change to AL from the sick/vacation leave program do not have a waiting period for ENDI benefits. Refer to the applicable MOU to determine if a represented employee is subject to a waiting period upon enrollment in to AL and receiving ENDI benefits.

NDI Family Care Leave

Effective July 1, 2019, excluded employees enrolled in the Annual Leave Program are eligible for Non-Industrial Disability Insurance - Family Care Leave (NDI-FCL). This program provides partial wages for up to six weeks within any 12-month period. All other NDI rules, requirements, and processes remain the same.

For those employees who recently elected the Vacation/Sick Leave Program or switched to the Vacation/Sick Leave Program and have not met the 24 month requirement, CalHR is offering a one-time open enrollment period to allow excluded employees who opted into the Vacation/Sick Leave Program within the past 24 months an opportunity to switch from the Vacation/Sick Leave Program to the Annual Leave Program. Employees must submit their election form to their Human Resources Office by August 29, 2019. The effective date will be the first of the pay period in which the election was received (not prior to July 1, 2019). If an employee chooses not to participate in the one-time open enrollment option, they must remain in vacation/sick until they meet the 24 month requirement before they can have the option to switch leave programs.

To qualify employees must be unable to perform their regular or customary work due to the need to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child (because of the birth of a child of the employee, adoption, or foster care placement of a child with the employee). A family member for purposes of NDI-FCL means child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner. 

Beginning January 1, 2021, NDI-FCL will include qualifying exigency leave. A qualifying exigency is leave related to the covered active duty or call to active duty of the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child or parent in the Armed Forces. Qualifying reasons may be found in Unemployment Insurance Code section 3302.2.

Calculation of Benefit

The employee’s salary rate on the day of the monthly pay period in which NDI benefits are compensable shall be used to compute NDI payments. Thereafter payment shall not be modified to reflect any salary adjustment, which the employee would have received had the disability not occurred.

Working while on NDI/ENDI

In accordance with the state’s return to work policy, an employee who is eligible to receive NDI/ENDI benefits and who is medically certified as unable to return to their full-time work during the period of his or her disability, may upon the discretion of his or her appointing power work those hours (in hour increments) which when combined with the NDI/ENDI benefit will not exceed 100 percent or their regular full pay.

If the NDI/ENDI benefit plus the employee’s partial work payment exceed 100% of the employee’s regular full pay, the NDI/ENDI benefit shall be reduced such that the total equals the employee’s regular full pay.

Voluntary Movements (Promotion, Transfer, Demotion)

If an excluded or eligible represented employee voluntarily moves to a position in another category on a permanent, limited, or temporary basis, NDI/ENDI payments in progress would continue at the same rate. The payment rate for a new claim will be consistent with the new Collective Bargaining Identifier (CBID).

Investigations and Appeals

The EDD has the authority to investigate NDI/ENDI claims filed by employees in all state agencies. All fraudulent claims are subject to both criminal and civil prosecution by appropriate authorities. NDI/ENDI benefits may be immediately suspended upon the filing of a criminal complaint concerning such fraudulent activity. The EDD shall be responsible for appeals arising out of the NDI/ENDI Program.

Cessation of Benefits

Payments for NDI/ENDI shall not be payable for any day on or after death, separation, leave of absence, or retirement from state service. An employee shall not have an application for NDI/ENDI benefits approved for payment while on suspension due to a disciplinary action.

Application

The State Controller’s Office provides NDI/ENDI calculators and information on how to document and process NDI/ENDI. Processing instructions for NDI/ENDI can be found in the Payroll Procedure Manual (PPM), Section E – Disability.

EDD has created a new form specifically for NDI-FCL, Claim for Nonindustrial Disability Insurance – Family Care Leave, DE 8501F. Prior to human resources staff completing Part A of the DE 8501F they are required to confirm the employee is eligible by verifying the employee is excluded from bargaining and enrolled in the annual leave program.

Departments are required to track the number of NDI-FCL days used by employees. Departments utilizing the State Controller’s Office, Leave Accounting System will track the number of days using that system (SCO CLAS Letter #19-005). Departments using other systems to track leave will need to create a mechanism, whether electronically or manually, to track the number of days used. Departments must ensure employees do not exceed six weeks of NDI-FCL in a 12-month period.

Departments are required to notify new and current eligible employees of this benefit entitlement.

Authorities

Resources

PML

Related Policies

Web Pages

Authorized By

Melissa Russell
Chief, Personnel Management Division

Contact Person

Personnel Services Branch
Personnel Program Consultant, , Personnel Services Branch
Phone: 916-323-3343
Fax: 916-327-1886
Email: psb@calhr.ca.gov

Superseded Policies

Not Applicable.