All permanent Professional employees are eligible for immediate benefits coverage. In most cases, temporary Professionals who have been hired for a full-time contract of more than six months are also eligible for benefits coverage. Occasional and short-term contract Professionals are not eligible for health or dental insurance coverage.

Participation in the basic health insurance plan is mandatory for all eligible Professionals. However, a Professional may, by giving prior written notice to the College, decline or cease to participate in the basic health insurance plan, provided that he or she can provide proof of similar coverage under an alternate group insurance program.

Based on La Fédération du personnel professionnel des colleges’ (FPPC’s) current agreement with SSQ, eligible Professionals may choose between three different insurance plan options, each of which offers a different level of coverage; life insurance is also optional for all Professional employees. All other coverage, including basic health insurance, dental care, and long-term disability, is compulsory.

Professional employees who continue to pay their insurance premiums will experience no interruption in coverage as a result of an approved leave.

Professional employees with questions about sick leave, maternity, paternity, and other related leaves should contact the Benefits office, local 1373.

Professional employees’ questions about leaves of absences, voluntary workload reductions, sabbaticals and other time away from work should contact the Human Resources Administration Technician (non-teaching employees), local 1389.

Retiring Professionals’ health insurance questions can be answered by the retirement specialists at SSQ, who administer this aspect of FPPC’s Professional employee health insurance plan. They can be reached at the following phone number: 514 223 2501.

Upon receiving the Confirmation of Retirement letter from Human Resources, the Benefits office electronically transmits the retirement date to the insurer SSQ. SSQ then will contact the employee in order to process the transfer of their insurance coverage to the retiree plan. Retirees have 30 days to transfer their coverage from the date of their retirement.

Questions about pensions and other related retirement policies for all cégep employees should be directed to CARRA (La Commission Administrative des Regimes de Retraites et d’Assurances) at 1 800 463 5533 or their website: www.carra.gouv.qc.ca