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We are a workforce that is healthy, productive and engaged in advancing our mission. Our benefits program supports this by offering employees tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Our programs balance a shared responsibility between Northwestern Medicine and the employee for stewardship of our resources.

Medical insurance and prescriptions

  • NM PPO
  • NM High Deductible Health Plan with Health Savings Account

Workforce Physician Referral Service

  • Dedicated line to connect you and family members to Northwestern Medicine providers in all regions

Vision coverage through Vision Service Plan

Aetna dental plans

  • Lo Plan and Hi Plan

Flexible spending accounts

  • Health care, dependent care and transportation

Reimbursable Well-Being Fund

  • Paid reimbursement benefit for physical, emotional and financial well-being
  • Eligible after 90 days of employment
  • Full-time employees: $250 annually
  • Part-time employees: $125 annually

Paid Time Off

  • Full-time employees can cash out up to 40 hours annually; Part-time employees can cash out up to 20 hours annually. Cash outs can be made during open enrollment
  • Casual employees earn one hour of sick leave for each 40 hours worked

Paid maternity and parental leave

  • Six weeks maternity (birth mother) paid at 100 percent of base pay, including first week elimination period using your PTO
  • Six weeks parental bonding paid at 100 percent
  • Non-union full time employees are eligible after 90 days in a benefit eligible position.  The child also needs to be born after these same 90 days

401(k) plan

  • Full-time and part-time employees are immediately eligible. Casual employees are eligible after working 1,000 hours by their service anniversary date
  • New hires and newly eligible employees are auto enrolled at 3 percent, with automatic escalation of 1 percent per year up to 6 percent
  • Matches 100 percent of the first 6 percent of employee contribution per pay period (100 percent vested after first year of service)
  • Set aside up to 80 percent of eligible earnings on a pre-tax or Roth after-tax basis, not to exceed IRS limits
  • Multiple investment options through Fidelity Investments

NM System Incentive Program

  • The staff incentive has a target payout of 2.5 percent with a maximum payout potential of 3.75 percent
  • Incentive compensation for staff is based on system and operating unit performance, and is calculated on the employee’s eligible earnings during the fiscal year
  • Separate incentive plans for managers and directors
  • Employees have to employed on June 1 to be eligible for this payout

Tuition assistance available for full-time and part-time employees

  • Eligible after 3 months of service. 
  • Full-time maximum benefit reimbursement: up to $10,000 per fiscal year
  • Part-time maximum benefit reimbursement: up to $5,700 per fiscal year

Student loan repayment services

  • Available for employees after 90 days from date of hire and for those that have graduated in the last 5 years and are currently making an active monthly payment on their education loan
  • Full-time employees are eligible for $100 per month up to a $10,000 lifetime maximum
  • Part-time employees are eligible for $50 per month up to a $5,000 lifetime maximum

Reimbursable professional development

  • Eligible after 90 days of continuous employment
  • Full-time employees: Up to $1,000 per fiscal year reimbursement
  • Part-time employees: Up to $500 per fiscal year reimbursement 

Childcare – three onsite locations (Chicago Northwestern Memorial Hospital campus, Northwest campus and Lake Forest campus)

  • Offered for children ages 6 weeks – kindergarten
  • Need-based financial assistance available

Onsite amenities (vary by location)

  • Variety of eateries
  • Gift shops/bookstores/florist
  • Credit unions
  • Pharmacies
  • Local/national discounts on retail, restaurants, parking, health clubs, etc.

Transportation (at Chicago main campus)

  • Parking – Available on a pre-tax basis through bi-weekly payroll deductions (daily discounted parking and monthly parking also available)
  • Shuttle bus service between Chicago main campus and Chicago train stations

Short-Term Illness and Injury Plan (STIIP) – provided at no cost to non-union, full-time employees

  • Eligible after 90 days in a benefit eligible position
  • Sixty percent income protection up to 26 weeks after one week of elimination period paid with PTO. Employees have the option to use their paid leave time to supplement the remaining 40%.
  • Part-time employees may select a voluntary short-term disability plan during open enrollment

Long-term disability insurance – provided at no cost to full-time employees

  • Basic coverage provides 50 percent of monthly salary (up to $8,000 per month)
  • Additional coverage, up to 60 percent of monthly salary (up to $10,000 per month), may be purchased
  • Part-time employees are not eligible

Term life insurance

  • Full-time employees
    • Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance coverage of 1.5 times their annual salary at no cost; maximum benefit up to $1.0M
    • May be eligible to purchase additional supplemental life up to eight times annual salary; maximum benefit $2.0M; evidence of insurability may be required
    • AD&D insurance may be purchased separately up to eight times the annual salary, maximum benefit $2.0M
    • Spousal life insurance may be purchased separately for $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000
    • Dependent life insurance may be purchased separately for $12,500 per child
  • Part-time
    • Provided with basic Life and Accidental Death or Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance coverage of $20,000 at no cost

Employee Assistance Program

  • Free confidential services through a third party (includes legal, adoption, etc.)