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University of Colorado Boulder
Fringe Benefit Summary FY09
October 2009

Summary
Total fringe benefit expenses in FY09 increased $8.8m, a 9.14% increase from FY08. In FY07, total fringe benefit expenses were 21.67% of total salary expenses, in FY08 22.11% and in FY09 22.39%. Total salary for FY09 increased $33.9m, an 7.7% increase from the previous fiscal year. An increase in employer contributions is the primary reason fringe benefit rates increased at a greater rate than salaries.

Total fringe benefit expenses
The amount of total costs provided by the employer contribution has been greater in the past fiscal years causing benefit expenses to grow at a higher rate than salaries. Chart 1 - Total fringe benefit expenses, shows total actual fringe benefit expenses from FY04 - FY09.

Chart 1 -- Total fringe benefit expenses ($ in millions)

Total salary expenses
Total salary for FY09 was $471,784,929, a 7.7% or approximately $33.9m increase from the previous fiscal year. Chart 2 - Total salary expenses below compares actual salary expenses from FY04 - FY09.

Chart 2 -- Total salary expenses ($ in millions)

Fringe benefit expense categories

Below, Table 1 -- Actual $ changes in Fringe Benefit expenses from FY08 to FY09 identifies significant dollar changes for benefit categories by employment class. Many of the benefit categories are tied directly to salary and result in commensurate increases when salary increases.

Table 1 -- Actual $ changes (in millions) from FY08 to FY09

Health, Dental, and Life Insurance (HLD) - The overall HLD category increased from the previous fiscal year. Health and Dental Insurance are both elective driven; Life Insurance is automatic. For health insurance, the employer contribution amount grew (see table 2 below), as did the overall premium total, which increased between 2.5% and 28% (depending on plan and level of coverage). Dental insurance premiums remained the same for both Faculty and Professional and Classified employees; overall dental insurance costs increased very slightly. Life insurance premiums remained the same for Faculty and Professional employees and increased slightly for Classified employees, and overall life insurance expenditures decreased slightly.

Retirement (FICA, ORP & PERA) - All retirement categories are salary driven and increased due to higher salary expense. The overall category went up 10.0%, with PERA increasing the greatest amount. FICA costs are salary driven up to a dollar limit of $106,800 per employee for FY09; this amount is an increase from the previous fiscal year. Costs for Other Retirement Plans (ORP), covering faculty and professional employees, went up 7.6%. PERA expenses increased 15.9% above the FY08 amount.

Starting in January 2006, SB04-257 required an increase in the employer contribution for PERA for Classified employees. The Amortization Equalization Disbursement (AED) was put in place to reduce PERA's unfunded liability, caused by previous State decisions to reduce the employer contribution, as well as the downturn in the economy. In FY06, the 10.15% statutory employer contribution, plus the AED of 0.5%, made the total PERA employer-paid contribution 10.65% of salary. In January 2007, the total employer contribution increased to 11.15%. In January 2008, the total employer contribution increased to 12.05% due to a 0.4% increase in AED and a new Supplemental AED (SAED) component increase of 0.5%. In January 2009, the AED increased 0.4% and the SAED increased 0.5%, making the total employer contribution 12.95%.

Annuitants, Term Leave, Medicare - Annuitants, Term Leave, Medicare - This category total had modest increase, mainly driven by higher Medicare expenses. Annuitants includes health, life, and dental insurance for retired faculty and staff. It is elective driven and saw an increase of 2.6% or $119,704. Term Leave includes expenses associated with leave payouts for employees who separate from the University. The amounts can vary from year to year based on retirements and other separations. Term Leave decreased 18.4% from the previous fiscal year by an amount of $414,674. Medicare is salary driven with no limits and was a 7.5% increase or $388,774.

Disability Insurance - Overall disability insurance costs stayed virtually the same.

Unemployment Compensation Claims - This cost is driven by claims and increased $21,789 from the previous fiscal year.

Workers' Compensation Insurance - This cost is the annual total for the premium paid by Risk Management for all Boulder campus employees. This premium increased 29% from the previous fiscal year.

Graduate Student Health Insurance - This is health insurance for graduate students on academic appointment and the cost is elective driven; 70% of the premium cost is covered by the campus. This expense item accounts for nearly all of the Student Faculty fringe benefit costs. In FY09, the premium increased by $70/semester from $790/semester to $860/semester. Overall, graduate student faculty insurance increased 17.3%, or $315,018, from the previous year.

Employer contribution comparison for health insurance

Table 2 - % Increase from previous fiscal years for health insurance and specifically identifies fiscal year comparison amounts by employee category and elective coverage.

Table 2 -- % Increase in employer contribution for health insurance
from previous fiscal year (pfy)