RAND Employment Benefits
RAND is dedicated to helping our employees thrive physically, mentally, and financially at work and beyond. We offer a comprehensive benefits package to support you and your family today and as you plan for the future.
Health and Well-Being
Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Health Insurance
RAND pays a generous share of the cost of health insurance coverage for eligible employees and their covered dependents. The employee's cost of coverage varies with the medical plan selected and full-time or part-time status.
A comprehensive PPO medical plan is available at all RAND locations. The plan includes both retail and mail-order pharmacy networks as well as preferred provider hospital and physician networks. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans are also available at our California, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts locations. Eligible employees may select the type of coverage they prefer from these options.
The Transparency in Coverage rules require that our self-funded group health plan make machine-readable files (MRFs) available that disclose the cost of medical services, including in-network rates, out-of-network allowed amounts, and billed charges for plan or policy years that start on or after January 1, 2022.
Congress and federal agencies intended these MRFs to be used by researchers, regulators, lawmakers, patients, and consumer advocates to support consumer choice. Anthem has created and published these required MRFs on our behalf. You can access the plan's machine-readable files at https://www.anthem.com/ca/machine-readable-file/search/.
Dental Insurance
RAND pays a significant share of the cost of eligible employees' and dependents' coverage; coverage is voluntary. The plan reimburses 50 to 100 percent of reasonable and customary dental expenses up to $1,500 per person, per year. A $100 deductible applies to some expenses. Implants and child orthodontia are covered. Certain procedures are not covered.
Vision Insurance
RAND pays a significant share of the cost of eligible employees' and dependents' coverage; coverage is voluntary.
RAND Healthy Living Wellness Program
RAND Healthy Living is the wellness program encompassing physical, emotional, social, and financial aspects of well-being. Administered by Virgin Pulse, the program is available to all regular employees on the U.S. payroll, Pardee RAND Graduate School students, and sponsored fellows at no cost and is not contingent on enrollment in any of RAND's health plans.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
RAND's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential, short-term counseling (up to eight in-person sessions with a licensed clinical professional), as well as unlimited access to counselors by phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Administered by Magellan, these resources are available to eligible RAND staff any time at no cost.
Also, the EAP's resource and referral services can help employees and family members with such issues as
- family and relationships
- stress
- grief and loss
- alcohol or drug concerns
- depression and anxiety
- work-life balance
- finding suitable childcare or elder care providers
- caring for children or aging parents
- legal assistance and financial coaching
- identify theft resolution
Other Mental and Emotional Well-Being Resources
In addition to the Employee Assistance Program, RAND staff have access to mobile apps, digital wellness platforms, and a library of resources to help manage everyday stressors through personalized, holistic long-term and in-the-moment coping strategies.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible spending accounts (FSA) provide a way to save dollars on a pre-tax basis to use for IRS-eligible health care expenses not covered by the health, dental, or vision plans. RAND offers two flexible spending accounts: a health care FSA to reduce health care costs and a dependent care FSA to reduce childcare or eldercare costs.
Disability Insurance
There are two types of disability coverage.
- Short-term disability insurance provides benefits if employees cannot work because of non-occupational illness or injury. This coverage provides benefits after one week of disability for up to 52 weeks. RAND pays the full cost of this coverage.
- Long-term disability insurance is also available to eligible employees. RAND pays the cost for a basic level of coverage and employees can elect to purchase supplemental coverage.
Workers' Compensation
Workers' Compensation, which covers occupational illness or injury, and Unemployment Insurance are paid by RAND.
Time Off
Sabbatical Time Off and Pay
Sabbatical pay is a unique and attractive benefit that reflects RAND's belief that employees should take paid time off to ensure their health and well-being. When eligible employees take a vacation day, they receive sabbatical pay in addition to their regular salary. If all 20 vacation days are taken over the course of a year, then the total sabbatical pay will amount to an additional five percent of the employee's annual salary.
Vacation
Non-exempt employees who are not eligible for sabbatical time off and pay accrue 15 to 20 vacation days per year, depending on their RAND service.
Holidays
RAND's U.S. locations have nine paid holidays each year. Eight follow a common schedule, and the ninth is a "floating holiday" of the employee's choice.
Sick Time Off
Sick pay (up to 10 days annually) is available for occasional illness. Sick pay can also be used for medical appointments.
Bereavement
Bereavement time off pay is available for up to three days each payroll year following the death of an employee's family member (including domestic partner and their relatives) or other individual of special significance.
Family and Medical Leaves
RAND grants leaves of absence and time off to accommodate eligible employees who must be absent from work for limited periods of time to care for important family and medical needs.
For information about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), see dol.gov (PDF).
Military Leave and Supplemental Pay
Time off is provided for employees serving on active duty in the uniformed military services, including the Armed Forces Reserve and State National Guard, or for taking a qualifying physical examination for these services.
Regular and term employees are eligible to receive supplemental pay from RAND to make up any difference between their applicable military earnings and their regular RAND base pay during a military absence for up to five years. RAND earnings are not reduced by military pay received for subsistence, per diem, quarters, and transportation.
Personal Emergency
Personal emergency time off is available for up to three days each payroll year. These days are generally intended to cover events that are unexpected, such as a broken plumbing line or a fire.
Jury Duty
Jury duty time off of up to 10 days is available for regular and term employees serving on mandatory jury duty.
Retirement Savings and Financial Support
Retirement
RAND's contributions to employee retirement savings are significant and a major attraction of our benefits package. Contributions to the 401(a) Qualified Retirement Plan are fully vested after four years of service. RAND contributes the amounts shown below. Additionally, employees may contribute on a tax-deferred basis to a 403(b) Savings Plan. RAND also offers retiree medical coverage to eligible employees.
RAND's Annual Contributions to the Retirement Plan
| Employee Age | On Earnings Under SSWB1 | On Earnings Over SSWB1, 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Under age 35: | 5% | 10% |
| Ages 35-44: | 7% | 12% |
| Ages 45 or over: | 9% | 14% |
1. SSWB: Social Security Wage Base
2. Up to the maximum permitted by federal law.
Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
RAND pays the full cost of eligible employees' basic life insurance coverage.
- For employees under age 65, coverage is equal to 1.5 times basic annual earnings.
- For employees age 65 or over, coverage is reduced on a percentage basis.
- Employees whose coverage amount is greater than $50,000 will have imputed taxable income on coverage in excess of $50,000. These employees may elect to reduce coverage to $50,000.
Supplemental Life Insurance: Additional coverage is available for eligible employees and their dependents on a voluntary basis, paid for by the employee.
AD&D: Coverage is available for eligible employees and their dependents, paid for by the employee.
Travel Accident Insurance
In addition to other life and accident insurance coverage, eligible employees receive accidental death and dismemberment coverage up to $250,000 while on authorized RAND travel. The full cost of this insurance is paid by RAND.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
RAND meets the criteria of a public service organization under 501(c)(3) and assists staff with completing the PSLF Employment Certification Form.
Family and Caregiver Support
Welcoming a Baby/Adopting a Child
Time Off for New Parents
New parents are generally eligible for protected leave time (time off from work with the ability to return to their jobs) as governed by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and any additional relevant laws, but these laws do not provide specifically for paid time off.
At RAND, we specifically provide paid time off for new parents, and we support employees in taking time off in accordance with these protected leaves. We also aim to be flexible whenever feasible with employees who want to take extended time off, take intermittent leave, return to work gradually, or work part-time.
- Delivering mothers are eligible for eight weeks of parental leave at full pay (pro-rated for part-time employees).
- New parents who do not deliver a child are eligible for three weeks of parental leave at full pay (pro-rated for part-time employees). This paid time off can be taken within 12 weeks of the birth, adoption, or qualifying placement of the new child.
Adoption Assistance
RAND's Adoption Assistance Reimbursement Program helps eligible employees with adoption-related expenses (e.g., agency and placement fees, legal and court costs, transportation/lodging expenses incurred during the adoption process).
Care@Work Program
RAND's Care@Work program includes a free care.com membership, emergency backup care, senior care support, expert assistance, and childcare tuition discounts.
Family Building Support
RAND provides inclusive, expert-led on-demand video modules on fertility, family-building, and reproductive education (including LGBTQ+ family formation and menopause) through FertilityIQ, along with fertility doctor and clinic reviews. Adoption and surrogacy assistance reimbursement programs are also available.
Milk Stork
RAND partners with Milk Stork, a family-supports service that ships breast milk for eligible staff who are breastfeeding during approved business travel.
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
Employees who incur certain costs for the care of eligible dependents may contribute toward those costs on a tax-favored basis.
Professional Development
Staff Development
RAND's business divisions and corporate departments support a variety of skill-development and career-enhancing activities. In general, staff development activities relate directly to the division/department's mission, goals, and objectives. Examples include software training, writing/presentation workshops, and attendance at professional conferences. Occasionally, Human Resources may also offer training in areas likely to be of interest to a wide range of RAND personnel, such as supervisory skills training.
Staff development activities normally take place during the workday. Both the cost of the activity (if any) and coverage for time engaged in the activity are normally funded by the staff member's department or by one or more business divisions.
Professional Enrichment Time
Professional Enrichment Time (PET) enables research staff to pursue professional development, engage in innovative activities, extend the impact of their work, and increase collaboration. Example PET activities include developing new ideas and methods, learning new skills, and attending professional conferences.
Tuition Reimbursement Program
RAND’s tuition reimbursement program reminburses eligible employees for approved educational courses—those required for an academic degree in one of RAND's areas of interest or those that are directly related to any RAND job classification.
Other Employee Perks
Commuter Assistance
No matter how you get to work, RAND offers several forms of commuter assistance in each office. Benefits typically include parking, mass transit, vanpool, carpool, and incentive pay to walk or bicycle to work.
Merchant Discounts
A variety of merchant discounts are available to RAND staff in our U.S. offices, for computers, gyms and fitness classes, car purchases and repairs, and entertainment.
Credit Union
The RAND branch of the Premier America Federal Credit Union offers savings-deposit services and loans.
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Equal Opportunity Employer: race/color/religion/sex/sexual orientation/gender identity/national origin/disability/vet