Employee Benefits

Our program allows our employees to choose benefits that are best and most cost effective for them. We also offer employees increased opportunity for tax savings through the Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, pre-tax health and dental insurance premium payments and tax sheltered annuities.

Mass. Eye and Ear employees are eligible for retirement and health care benefits if they are weekly-paid, regular employees scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week.

Health Care Coverage

Medical, dental and vision coverage are available at the following levels:

• Employee
• Employee and spouse
• Employee and children
• Family

Other benefits include:

• Two medical plan options 
• A prescription drug benefit for both pharmacy and mail order services 
• Two dental plans with different levels of coverage
• A vision care plan with coverage for annual comprehensive eye exams and corrective lenses
• Two flexible spending accounts that may reduce your out-of-pocket costs for health care and dependent day care
• Long-term disability (LTD) insurance is available for financial protection in the event you cannot work due to an extended illness or injury
• Basic group life insurance in an amount equal to your annual salary 
• Optional group-term life insurance allows you to purchase additional life insurance for yourself, your spouse or your dependents
• Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance is available to protect you and your spouse 

Retirement

You are enrolled in a core Cash Balance Retirement Plan (pension) that provides employer-paid contributions toward your retirement savings after completing one year of service (1,000 paid hours in 12 consecutive months). Upon hire, you may also contribute to a Tax-Sheltered Annuity (403(b)) account, which allows you to save for retirement through Fidelity and/or TIAA-CREF. Mass. Eye and Ear will match 100% of the first 2% of pay that you contribute to your 403(b) each pay period, starting after one year of service. If you are age 50 or older, you may enroll in a Retiree Medical Savings Account (RMSA) that lets you save up to $4,500 a year toward retiree medical expenses.

Tuition Reimbursement

After six months of service, you are eligible for $1,500 per fiscal year.

Time Off

Most regular full-time employees accrue a minimum of three weeks of vacation per year. You can accrue up to a maximum of four weeks in your sixth year of employment. Mass. Eye and Ear celebrates nine holidays per year. Employees also earn from one to three personal days based on years of service.

Work/Life Resources

There are a wide variety of resources available to assist employees with maintaining a healthy balance. Our Employee Assistance Program, Harvard Credit Union, child/adult/elder care programs and College Coach benefit help you meet the challenge of balancing work and family. Mass. Eye and Ear also offers a 25% commuting subsidy for MBTA/Commuter Rail passes.