FAQs for school administrators

Engaging with school district administrators is key to understanding their concerns. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) engages school districts and local ESDs to solicit feedback through a bargaining resource team, comprising school district leaders, to inform proposals and concepts exchanged at the bargaining table.

If a school employee strikes and does not start work on the first day of school, it could affect their benefits in the following ways:

• If the new school employee does not start on the first day of school, the school employee would get benefits the first day of the month following when they start working (WAC 182-31-040(7)). If a school employee were to strike long enough they may no longer be anticipated to work 630 hours in the school year and would not get benefits.
• A school employee returning to the same SEBB organization who is anticipated to work at least 630 hours in the coming school year, and who was receiving the employer contribution in August of the prior school year, will receive uninterrupted coverage from one school year to the next. (WAC 182-30-080(6)). The previous year’s benefits would end on August 31 and the current school year’s benefits would begin on September 1. View the chart under Enrollment Requirements to determine the number of days an employee could miss before they would risk not being anticipated to work 630 hours.

District administrators will decide this, based on the SEBB Program qualifications.

Collective bargaining law requires that the state negotiate in good faith with the union coalition. There are limits on what details can be shared away from the bargaining table. For the 2018 negotiations, OFM created a bargaining resource team to share news of the negotiations with school administrators.

Benefits administrators from school districts, charter schools, and ESDs can sign up for our secure messaging application, HCA Support. Your questions about continuation coverage and other topics will go directly to our Outreach and Training staff. 

Review Chapter 1 of the Benefits 24/7 manual if you are having trouble logging in to Benefits 24/7. 

The local benefits administrator must verify or deny it and enter that decision in Benefits 24/7. The benefits administrator doesn't need to upload the document or keep it.

Employers will continue to pay the full employer contribution for employees who go on approved leave without pay if they have already worked 630 hours during the school year or if they are on approved FMLA.

If the school employee has not worked 630 hours and the employer no longer anticipates the school employee will work 630 hours during the school year, the school employee is no longer eligible for the employer contribution toward SEBB benefits.

When the school employee returns to work after their unpaid leave, the employer will determine whether the employee is eligible for the employer contribution toward SEBB benefits. Employees who return from approved leave without pay will establish eligibility for the employer contribution if their work schedule, had it been in effect at the start of the school year, would have resulted in the employee being anticipated to work the minimum hours to meet SEBB eligibility in the school year.

No. They retain coverage until the end of the school year. Their premiums will not change, unless they have a special open enrollment event and change their coverage.

Yes. The employee’s SEBB benefits would begin June 1 and run through August 31.