Benefits Review Report Is Six Months Overdue

Faculty and non-union Harvard staff are now enrolling in health plans which are a major component of their recently revised fringe benefits packages. But the report which explains the revisions is still unavailable.

A University task force of central administration officials and representatives from several of Harvard's schools spent the better part of last year examining faculty and non-union staff benefits. That committee was supposed to release its final recommendations in May. With little explanation, the report is now six months overdue.

An October newsletter on faculty retirement refers instructors seeking "[m]ore information about the fringe benefits review process that led to these plan modifications [to] the Final Report of the Task Force on Benefits, which will be published soon."

The task force, originally led by former Provost Jerry R. Green, was charged with cutting $10 million from the fringe benefits budget. According to Sally H. Zeckhauser, vice president for administration and task force member, the group has cut $10.1 million.

In August, with the report still only three months late, Candace R. Corvey, associate voice president for human resources and a task force member, assured The Crimson that the report would be released within a month.

"The final report of the task force will be released in September," Corvey said at the time.

But September passed, and the report was not published. On October 4, Corvey once again promised that the report would be released within a few weeks.

"It should be ready soon," Corvey said a month ago. "It is slightly behind schedule... It's more time consuming process than we had hoped, but it should be ready soon."

In an interview October 19, Zeckhauser promised the report within a week.

"How soon can we expect the report of the task force to be released?" Zeckhauser said. "In a week. It's virtually done."

A week later, on October 26, a spokesperson for Human Resources said the report was not ready and would be given to The Crimson as soon as it is released.

According to a series of newsletters released to faculty and staff over the last month, major changes will include the following.

The amount Harvard contributes to health insurance premiums will be pegged to a percentage of the lowest-cost health plan available.

That percentage will be based upon both salary and full- or part-time status;

Co-payments for office visits will be uniformly $10, rather than ranging from zero to $10;

Harvard will lower its annual contribution to the faculty pension plan by one percentage point.

At last month's full Faculty meeting, professors called for an investigation of whether the task force and its faculty advisory committee adequately considered faculty concerns.

Last week, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles appointed two professors to conduct that investigation. They will put their findings in writing before the November 15 Faculty meeting

"It should be ready soon," Corvey said a month ago. "It is slightly behind schedule... It's more time consuming process than we had hoped, but it should be ready soon."

In an interview October 19, Zeckhauser promised the report within a week.

"How soon can we expect the report of the task force to be released?" Zeckhauser said. "In a week. It's virtually done."

A week later, on October 26, a spokesperson for Human Resources said the report was not ready and would be given to The Crimson as soon as it is released.

According to a series of newsletters released to faculty and staff over the last month, major changes will include the following.

The amount Harvard contributes to health insurance premiums will be pegged to a percentage of the lowest-cost health plan available.

That percentage will be based upon both salary and full- or part-time status;

Co-payments for office visits will be uniformly $10, rather than ranging from zero to $10;

Harvard will lower its annual contribution to the faculty pension plan by one percentage point.

At last month's full Faculty meeting, professors called for an investigation of whether the task force and its faculty advisory committee adequately considered faculty concerns.

Last week, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles appointed two professors to conduct that investigation. They will put their findings in writing before the November 15 Faculty meeting