To ensure the university continues to offer the most appropriate slate of benefits to its employees and to safeguard its financial strength for generations to come, Lehigh is undertaking a review of employee non-medical benefits offerings.
As members of the Lehigh staff and faculty community, we are all eligible for an array of medical and non-medical benefits, from vacation leave to tuition remission. These benefits make Lehigh an attractive and competitive employer, helping to recruit and retain top talent.
The total cost of all University benefits is substantial, exceeding $77 million in FY25, and these costs have been increasing significantly faster than inflation. In today's higher education landscape, universities like Lehigh must be thoughtful and prudent with all of their resources to best serve their missions.
The last comprehensive review of the full package of Lehigh employee benefits occurred in 2010, making now an appropriate time to conduct a new evaluation. This effort is a proactive measure to manage resources effectively and maintain Lehigh's strong financial position for the long term while also supporting all employees.
To facilitate this work a Benefits Review Working Group composed of staff and faculty was formed during the summer. The group, co-chaired by Shamim Pakzad (Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering) and David Hammer (Associate Vice President for Finance and Treasurer) includes the following staff and faculty members:
Subhrajit Bhattacharya, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, and Faculty Senator
Cindi Deutsch, Program Coordinator, College of Education, and ERAC member
Patti Florkowski, Director of Benefits, Human Resources
Angela Hicks, Associate Professor, Math, and Faculty Senator
McKay Price, Chair, Perella Department of Finance
Kelly Woodbridge, Accommodations Specialist, Human Resources, and ERAC member
The Benefits Review Working group is evaluating Lehigh’s current non-medical benefits and will make recommendations to Lehigh leadership with the goal of optimizing the university’s offerings. They will engage with key stakeholder groups to evaluate the needs of our current employees. They will also review peer data and survey responses from the 2024 benefits and rewards survey, and have been asked to prioritize the following areas:
- Supporting employees
- Equalizing offerings across ranks/categories of employees where possible
- Maintaining competitive advantage
- Managing costs
The employee community will be kept informed of the group’s progress and recommendations throughout the study.
