Supporting Employee Families

Core benefits include health, vision, dental/orthodontia insurance, prescription drug benefits, employee and dependent life insurance, and short and long-term disability coverage. For more information, please review the Benefits Overview website (opens in a new window).

An adoption assistance benefit (opens in a new window) is available as part of the University's benefit package. The benefit provides reimbursement for up to $5,000 of adoption-related expenses.

The Parental Leave Program (opens in a new window) allows eligible employees to take advantage of a total of 12 weeks of parental leave for a single event birth or adoption (single or multiple children). The university will pay for six weeks of parental leave at the employee's current salary rate. The other six weeks will be unpaid but can be covered by accrued vacation time and/or sick leave, if available and appropriate according to Ohio University guidelines.

The University has designated lactation rooms on the Athens, Regional, and Extension Campuses for use by those who are breastfeeding, pumping, or chestfeeding. For a list of spaces, or for more information, please visit the Lactation Spaces website (opens in a new window). 

The University recognizes the positive impact flexibility in the workplace has on recruitment, retention, morale, engagement, and productivity. Given the mutually beneficial impact to both employees and the institution, supervisors and department/planning unit heads are strongly encouraged to utilize flex agreements (opens in a new window) in accordance with guidelines whenever and wherever possible.

Ohio University is proud to provide access to educational benefits that support professional and educational goals of OHIO employees and their qualified dependents including their partner or spouse and children. For more information, please review the Education Benefits website (opens in a new window). 

Employees may enroll in both traditional flexible spending accounts for health-related costs as well as dependent care flexible spending accounts which can be used to pay for nursery school or day care for dependent children (under age 13) and in-home care for dependent adults. For more information, please visit the Flexible Spending website (opens in a new window). 

Ohio University's Employee Assistance Program (EAP)  (opens in a new window) and Work/Life program is offered through Impact Behavioral Healthcare Services an AllOne Health Company. The EAP is available to all Ohio University employees and their family members and can provide helpful resources and information for a wide range of topics including financial wellbeing, eldercare, counseling, and much more.

The families of Ohio University faculty and staff have access to a wealth of additional resources within the University and in our surrounding communities including youth engagement programs such as Kids on Campus (opens in a new window) (available in the Athens, Alexander, Federal Hocking, Southern, and Trimble school districts) at Campus Recreation Youth Programs (opens in a new window) (at Ohio University - Athens), Kids in College (opens in a new window) (at Ohio University - Lancaster), and Medical Academy (opens in a new window) and PATHS² Academy (opens in a new window) (at Ohio University - Dublin).