Death of a Family Member

Applicable Paid Time Off

Absence from work may be allowed with full pay depending on your appointment and your relationship to the deceased. Please refer to the funeral leave information for details.

Benefit Changes

If your spouse or partner passes away and you were a dependent on their medical, dental, or vision plan, you may need to enroll in a University sponsored plan. If your spouse, partner, or child pass away and they were a dependent on your benefits you will need to remove them from your plan. You may also need to change your life insurance and/or pension beneficiary, and you may want to change your participation in flexible spending accounts. Some benefits require that you make changes within 31 days of the event to avoid waiting periods for coverage.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The EAP is available to provide free and confidential counseling on a wide-variety of topics to help you adjust to life changes.

Beneficiaries of Penn State Employees

If you are a beneficiary of a Penn State employee who has passed away, you should contact the Penn State HR Services at 814.865.1473. They can provide you with information regarding your partner’s benefits such as life insurance, VADD plan, retirement plan, final pay, vacation pay, tax-deferred annuity plans, flexible benefits plans, etc. In addition, they can provide advice regarding filing claims for certain benefits and counsel you regarding your eligibility to continue medical, dental and vision coverage.