Employee Benefits

Health Insurance

Medical Insurance—PES employees working a regular schedule of 20+ hours per week are eligible to participate in our health insurance plan. Our current health-care provider is Health Net of New York and our employees can choose to participate in either an EPO (open access HMO) or a POS (Point-of-Service Plan). Payroll contributions vary depending on the plan selection and the number of participants enrolled. PES Open Enrollment is every September for an October 1st plan effective date.

Dental Insurance—PES employees working a regular schedule of 20+ hours per week are eligible to participate in our dental insurance plan. Our current dental care provider is Aetna. This plan offers both “in-network” and “out-of-network” benefits. Participants in the dental plan are required to choose one option or the other, but unlike medical coverage, can change their election on a monthly basis. PES Open Enrollment is every September for an October 1st plan effective date.

Flexible Healthcare Spending Account (FSA)—PES employees can choose to participate in a flexible health-care spending account. Open Enrollment is every September for an October 1st plan effective date. Employees can choose to make a pre-tax contribution to their FSA account and use that money to reimburse themselves for medical expenses including co-payment for doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospital visits. Ceridian is the administrator of PES’s flexible spending accounts.

Insurance and Welfare Benefits

Life Insurance/Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)—PES provides full-time employees with term-life insurance and AD&D. Life insurance benefits are paid to beneficiaries in the event of the employee's death. AD&D benefits are paid in the event death or dismemberment occurs as a result of an accident. The amount of coverage provided is based on a multiple of an employee’s base earnings. The current carrier of our Life Insurance and AD&D is SunLife Financial.

Short-term Disability—Under New York State law, PES is required to provide short-term disability coverage. New York State Disability currently provides a maximum weekly benefit of $170 for full-time employees. Benefits continue for a maximum of 26 weeks or until the employee is no longer disabled, whichever comes first.

Long-term Disability—PES provides full-time employees with coverage for disabilities that prevent the employee from returning to work on a long-term basis. After a 90-day elimination period, monthly benefits are provided for as long as the total disability continues (up to age 65). SunLife Financial is the carrier of our LTD plan.

Travel Accident Insurance—PES carries a travel accident policy that covers employees during any time the employee may travel on PES business. Workers’ Compensation—Under New York State Workers’ Compensation Law, workers are protected financially in the event of injury while performing duties in the office or in the field.

Retirement Plans

403b Plan—A new employee is immediately eligible to participate in PES’s 403b plan. Under the terms of this benefit, an employee may choose to make pre-tax payroll deductions to the maximum allowed by federal law. Their deductions are deposited into an account established for that employee with the administrator of the plan, Mutual of America (MOA). On the first of the month following one year of employment, a participant becomes eligible for the Company match. PES matches 1.5% of the first 3% that a participant contributes to his account.

Pension Plan—An employee is eligible to participate in PES's Pension Plan on the first of the month following one-year of employment. MOA is the administrator of this plan. PES makes a monthly contribution of 5% of the employee’s salary to the employee’s account with MOA. As before, the employee invests the money in any of the investment options offered by MOA. An employee becomes vested in the pension after 3 years of continuous employment.

Work Life Benefits

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)—All employees are eligible to participate in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This is an optional and confidential referral program administered by Harris Rothenberg, an international human resource consulting firm specializing in employee assistance programs. The basic EAP provides assessment, referral, and follow-up services for a variety of personal problems, including financial, marital, family, legal, emotional, alcohol, and drug related. It is available to employees and their immediate family members. It provides services for a broad range of problems, and it is also available to eligible persons regardless of whether or not they intend to file a claim.

Flexible Schedule Program—Flexible scheduling is an alternative work arrangement that allows an employee to modify his/her normal work schedule on a temporary or long-term basis. Some examples of a flexible schedule include (this is not an all inclusive list): reporting to work later than 9 a.m. and leaving after 5 p.m.; reporting to work earlier than 9 a.m. and leaving before 5 p.m.; working longer hours on some work-days and shorter hours on other work days.

Jury Duty—PES encourages employees to fulfill their civic responsibilities. Employees summoned to jury duty will continue to receive their full salary for a reasonable period determined by the Company.

Educational Assistance Program—PES encourages employees to pursue job-related graduate and undergraduate degrees, certifications, and similar qualifications. Full-time regular employees with a minimum of one year of service and satisfactory job performance and attendance, are eligible to participate in the Company’s Educational Assistance Program. Tuition reimbursement is available to full-time regular employees for a maximum of two (2) courses per semester. Reimbursement of 50% to a maximum of $750.00 per course is offered for a regular three-credit-hour course at an accredited college/university. The costs for textbooks and other materials will not be reimbursed. Other miscellaneous expenses, such as parking, supplies, social duties, athletic fees, and computer access charges are not reimbursable.

Job Posting—PES encourages employees to apply for openings within the Company for which they qualify. E-mails are sent to the staff announcing new or vacant positions, and arrangements are made through Human Resources for interviews. Employees interested in applying for posted positions must be in good standing and have been employed by PES in their present position for not less than six consecutive months.

Ancillary Benefits

AFLAC—This is supplemental coverage designed to pay cash directly to the policyholder, regardless of any other insurance. This cash can then be used to help offset the non-medical expenses associated with accidents and illnesses such as co-payments, deductibles, loss of income, travel to specialty treatment facilities, and other family disruption costs. This product is voluntary and employees may elect coverage through payroll contributions.

Enhanced Short-term Disability—Employees can elect to purchase additional short-term disability from First Unum.

Supplemental Long-term Disability—Employees can elect to purchase additional long-term disability from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

Paid Time Off

Vacation—All employees at PES are immediately eligible to accrue vacation time. The amount of time is dependent on an employee’s job and on his/her tenure.

Sick Time—PES provides paid sick leave to all regular employees for periods of temporary absence due to illness or injury. Employees accrue paid sick leave at the rate of 10 sick days per year.

Personal Leave—Employees receive personal leave to a maximum of 5 days per calendar year.

Paid Holidays—PES observes 13 legal holidays a year.

Optimal Location

PES’s office is located on the upper west side of Manhattan in the Interchurch Center, across the street from Barnard College and Columbia University. The Interchurch Center officers a variety of services to its tenants including: