Benefits for Non-Employee Postdocs
Boston University provides benefits for non-employee postdocs. A non-employee postdoc is paid a stipend by an externally-funded training grant, or directly by a foreign country or institution of origin, and is engaged in a temporary and a defined period of mentored advanced training and professional development following completion of a doctoral degree program.
We are pleased to announce in partnership with Human Resources, Accounts Payable, and Payroll that on January 1, 2021, we will transition all non-employee stipend payments to be dispersed using our SAP payroll platform. This is important because it will give this group of postdocs access to several features within BUworks that were traditionally not available to them:
- Display and update home and emergency address data
- View salary statement and enroll in direct deposit
- Apply for and manage MBTA pass and parking enrollment
- Direct debit of postdoc out-of-pocket costs associated with enrolling in Aetna health care plans or monthly MBTA passes
- Stipend payments received at a consistent time and frequency (last day of the month)
Current and new non-employee postdocs will need to login to BUworks to update their banking information in order for their stipend to be disbursed on time.
Non-employee postdocs will receive a 1099 form for stipend payments in 2020, but going forward will not receive a 1099 form starting in 2021. The December salary statement available to them in BUworks should be used for estimating quarterly taxes and for filing purposes.
How do I view my salary statements?
You can view your salary statements in the Employee Self Service tab of BUworks. Please see BUworks’ instructions for more information.
How do I set up or change my Direct Deposit?
You can set up or change your Direct Deposit information in the Employee Self Service tab of BUworks. Please see BUworks’ instructions for more information.
How do I update my address and emergency contact?
Go to Employee Self-Service (ESS), select Personal Information, and enter your address and emergency contact information, by selecting “add”.
See below for details on what we provide.
Health insurance through the University:
BU Postdoc fellows can receive health insurance through Aetna till December 2022. From January 2023 they will be on BU’s Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, if they select to do so.
For details regarding insurance rates and process for Aetna till December 2022 and Blue Cross Blue Shield from January 2023, please contact postdocs@bu.edu
Dental insurance: Effective April 2018, discounted dental services are available to non-employee postdocs at the Boston University Dental Health Center at 930 Commonwealth Avenue. Please note that this is not considered dental insurance and that discounts are available only at the 930 Commonwealth Avenue facility. Discounts can not be extended to family members. There is no enrollment process necessary; simply make an appointment and show your BU ID at the office. Non-employee postdocs do not need to be enrolled in the BU Aetna health insurance plan to take advantage of this discount. Please also note that this discount is for self-pay patients only (those who already have dental insurance coverage are not eligible).
From January 2023, postdoc fellows can get dental benefits through BU’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan if they elect to do so. To inquire about the rates and process, email postdocs@bu.edu