Career Benefits
VES Invests in Your Success: Career Benefits Designed for You
At VES, compensation is more than a paycheck—though we are proud that faculty pay is competitive, in line with the median NAIS Boarding-Day faculty salary benchmark and, if you consider Cost of Living, we are above the 95th percentile.
Your total rewards package includes tools that will benefit you in the immediate and longer term—from financial benefits to professional growth opportunities to programs that support your overall wellbeing. We have designed this comprehensive package with an eye toward making VES a place where you will want to pursue a long-term career.
*Programs included here are reflective of benefits for regular, full-time employees. Details are provided in the VES Employee Handbook.
Your Wellbeing
Effectively guiding students Toward Full Stature begins with fostering a healthy work environment for you—our faculty and staff. And we know that to perform your best, you have to feel your best. VES offers a variety of benefits and programs designed to help support the way you live and work.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Our relationship with All Points EAP offers you 24/7, 365 days a year access online, via a mobile app and by phone. You’ll find a wide breadth of free services and resources including wellness and mental health tips, resources and counseling, legal and financial services, childcare and elder care resources and life coaching.
Mental Health
You may access EAP for confidential assessment, short-term counseling—providing four free sessions with an EAP provider, and referral to community counseling services or other resources when needed. Depending on the provider, you may be able to utilize your medical benefits for in-person therapy visits.
Fitness & Exercise
You have access to our state-of-the-art Van Every Athletic Center, featuring athletic courts, cardiovascular training equipment, free weights and strength training machines. Enjoy our outdoor pool, athletic fields and tennis courts, run the track or nearby cross-country course, hike and bike the miles of trails on campus and in Lynchburg, and join in our regularly scheduled faculty fun events focused on wellness.
Nutritious Meals
Our community enjoys delicious and nutritious meals with a commitment to farm-to-table selections and meeting a breadth of dietary needs. Every employee is eligible for complimentary lunches in the dining hall, and employees-in-residence and their families are typically eligible for free breakfast, lunch and dinner daily when school is in session.
Insurance for Your Health
We offer medical, dental and vision insurance to help you stay healthy, support you when you need care and manage healthcare costs.
Medical Insurance
If you elect employee coverage, VES pays 100% of the basic school group health insurance plan for you. You may elect additional coverage beyond the basic plan, such as a reduced-deductible plan, family coverage or additional available services. And you can tap into support from knowledgeable advisors with our insurance broker who help to ensure you select the best insurance option for your anticipated needs.
Dental Insurance
We offer dental coverage through Delta Dental on a voluntary basis in which the employee pays the premium. The plan available covers two annual preventive care visits per person and, at varying levels of coverage, routine dental treatments, replacement work, endodontic and periodontic services, and oral surgery. Orthodontics are not covered.
Vision Insurance
This voluntary plan that you may purchase is offered through EyeMed and covers exams with a small co-pay, and provides allowances toward and discounts on frames, contacts, laser vision correction, hearing exams and hearing aids.
Your Financial Security
We want to help you save money, protect your income and grow assets for your retirement.
We offer several tax-advantaged programs that will help you save on expenses.
Dependent Care Reimbursement
You may choose to have the school deduct an amount you determine from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis for dependent-care expenses.
Health Savings Account (HSA)
You may set up an HSA—a triple-tax-advantaged account—to pay for qualified healthcare, dental and vision expenses not covered by insurance, including copays and deductibles, that you may incur now or in the future. You can contribute funds to the account on a pre-tax basis through payroll deductions.
Pre-tax Premium Deductions
Employees enrolled in our medical and dental plans as well as optional life insurance may opt to participate in VES’ Section 125 Plan, in which premiums are deducted from employees’ paychecks on a pre-tax basis.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) allow you to set aside pre-tax money to pay for eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses.You decide how much to contribute to your FSA(s) each year during Open Enrollment based on your unique needs.
It’s not easy thinking about accidents and death, but if they happen, VES provides benefits to protect your financial resources.
Life Insurance
We offer full-time employees—at no cost to you—a life insurance policy in an amount equal to twice your annual wages or salary up to $200,000.
Income Protection in the Event of Disability
- Short-term disability is partial income replacement for a period of time if you are unable to work due to illness, injury or childbirth. Participation in this plan is optional and premiums are paid by the employee. Currently, the plan pays 60% of your salary or wages for up to six months after two weeks of leave for a qualified reason. We strongly urge employees to make the small investment in this important benefit.
- Long-term disability (LTD) starts when your short-term disability benefits end. LTD pays a percentage of your monthly earnings until you return to work or reach age 65. Your LTD is currently paid 100% by VES. The plan provides up to 60% of your base pay after a 180-day elimination period.
Save for your future today—while benefiting from tax breaks and enjoying matching contribution from VES—by participating in the retirement plan.
Your Retirement Plan
No matter where you are in your career, we encourage employees to start saving right away into the VES retirement plan—a TIAA tax-sheltered annuity. It's simple to save through payroll deductions transferred directly into your retirement account. You choose how much to contribute and how to invest. Plus, you have free access to TIAA experts for personal guidance.
The best part? VES contributes a percentage of your base pay to your plan beginning after one year of employment for employees at least 21 years of age. And, if you have prior service and participation in TIAA, VES honors your years of participation. Employees are always 100% vested in their own employee contributions; and are immediately 100% vested in the employer contribution:
| Your Tenure | VES % Contribution of Your Base Salary |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 years | 2.50% |
| 5 to 10 years | 5.00% |
| 10 years + | 10.00% |
For those with children, we seek to support a strong education and manageable costs.
Tuition Support
- High School at VES. Your high-school aged children are eligible for 100% remission of the VES day student tuition rate. You will pay bookstore charges and other fees.
- K-8 Discount Opportunity. If you choose to send your younger children to James River Day School (K-8), you currently will benefit from a 20% tuition discount per student.
Having dedicated, engaged faculty in the apartments and houses across campus is vital to fulfilling our student-centered mission and community values.
Campus Housing
We will discuss with new faculty the availability of housing as it aligns to the needs of the school and the needs of the faculty member. In certain circumstances, employees in staff positions also may be considered for campus housing.
Professional Development & Growth
We are committed to helping you achieve and sustain professional success and pursue continuing education opportunities.
Development & Growth Programs
Thanks to generous alumni donors, we offer a robust professional development program—supporting opportunities to expand your skills, knowledge and experiences through formal education, leadership development and other programs. Faculty and staff also may apply for consideration for a summer enrichment/travel program and a program to offset costs associated with pursuit of an advanced degree. In addition, VES recognizes exceptional faculty and staff with a variety of masterships, awards, gifts and stipends to celebrate their meaningful work and achievements.
Mentoring Program for New Faculty
We match each new faculty member with a VES teacher, who will serve as their first-year mentor. Through regular mentoring sessions and this one-on-one partnership, we work to help you to successfully live into our expectations for your role and assimilate into our VES community in a seamless, productive and joyful manner.
Paid Time Off & Leave
We've designed benefits and policies that give you time to recharge, celebrate, attend to personal matters, heal and focus on your family.
Holidays
Each year, 12- month staff typically receive 15 holiday days off per year. Holidays for faculty and 10-month Student Support Services staff are determined by the school schedule.
Vacation
Faculty and 10-month Student Support Services staff typically take vacations when school is not in session (for some, administrative time may be required when school is not in session). Administrative 12-month employees receive paid time off as follows:
3 weeks during the first 5 years
4 weeks beginning with the 5-year anniversary
5 weeks beginning with the 10-year anniversary
Sick Leave
Faculty and other 10-month staff receive 4 days per year of paid sick leave, and 12-month staff receive 6 days per year.
Family and Medical Leave
VES will grant unpaid medical leave in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or applicable law. Generally, the FMLA entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for specified family or medical reasons.