Addition of Domestic Partner to Staff Personnel Policies

To: UCSC Staff Managers, Supervisors and Employees

From: Willeen McQuitta, Director, Staff Human Resources

The following Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) have been revised to include the category of domestic partner:

. PPSM 2 Definition of Terms. The definition of domestic partner has been added so that all references to domestic partner in the PPSM shall be consistently defined.

. PPSM 21 G. Appointment of Near Relative. Domestic partners are now part of the group of "near relatives" prohibited from being employed in the same department.

. PPSM 83 Death Payment. Domestic partners have now been added to beneficiary order of succession for the PPSM 83 death payment.

The Declaration of Domestic Partnership form may be used by employees to establish their domestic partnership with the university. This form will help to determine a domestic partner's eligibility for a number of survivor and death benefits, including the death payment under PPSM 83. Employees who previously completed this form to declare a domestic partnership under the UC Retirement Plan need not complete another form.

The revised policies are available on the At Your Service web site.

Questions regarding domestic partnership as it relates to survivor and death benefits may be directed to the campus Benefits Office at (831) 459-2013.

Questions regarding domestic partnership as it relates to the revised PPSM policies may be directed to Cathy Schoenfeld at (831) 459-2014.