Work+Life Connections

Any employee who is 0.5 FTE and has been employed at UK for at least a year of continuous service can apply for assistance from the CRISIS program. However, application to this program does not mean assistance will be automatically awarded. Every application will be reviewed separately for eligibility.

2. For defined by the CRISIS program, a catastrophic event is something that is unanticipated and that has an immediate financial consequence. Examples of a catastrophic event would include a fire in your residence that would require you to replace your furnishings or clothing, a sudden or serious illness (for which you had no remaining TDL or vacation time) which would leave you with insufficient income to pay your rent or utilities, or an illness of a spouse, child or dependent which resulted in medication or co-pay expenses that you could not afford. It is difficult to list all possible catastrophic events, so each application will be considered separately. Applications requesting funds for everyday expenses will be denied unless a catastrophic event has occurred.

3. A committee consisting of UK staff and HR (work-life) employees will consider each application where the need for funds appears to be related to a catastrophic event or other unexpected circumstance. If the committee finds that an application meets these criteria, and there are funds available in the CRISIS program, the application will be approved. If an application does not meet the criteria, the request will be denied. If an application is for funds to meet normal expenses, with no interruption of income, the application will not be forwarded to the committee.

4. No. Applications will only be forwarded to the committee after all identifying information is removed. The committee members who decide whether the criteria for assistance have been met will never know who requested that assistance, who has been awarded assistance, and whose request has been denied.

5. Assistance will be awarded to a maximum of $500. It is important to note that this amount will be treated as taxable income for the employee who receives it, and therefore may impact either the net amount received from your regular paychecks or the amount of taxes owed when you file your tax return.

6. The CRISIS committee will meet on a monthly basis, and will deal with any applications forwarded to the committee at that time. Therefore, if you apply for assistance from this program, you will have to wait until after the next meeting of the committee to find out if you have received an award. If your application is not forwarded to the committee because you do not meet the CRISIS eligibility criteria, you will find out sooner, although an exact time for notification cannot be given.

7. No, although how the award is received will vary, depending on the need. If your award is for money to pay a utility bill or rent, the money will be sent directly to the utility or landlord. If the money is for co-pays or medication, a method will be worked out to pay the vendor for services rendered. You will not be given a check or cash for the amount awarded.

8. Awards are restricted to one per year. If your request has been denied, you may reapply to the program during the same year as your original application, although if your circumstances have not changed it is unlikely that you will receive an award.

9. Because CRISIS is funded solely through donations from UK employees, it is impossible to anticipate whether funds will always be available to help those who are eligible. If the CRISIS program does not have sufficient funds to make awards, you will be notified when you apply to the program. You can resubmit your application, if still necessary, when the program is funded again.

10. If your application is denied, you can contact Ann Bassoni (859-257-9433) in the Office of Work-Life for information about local, state and federal programs from which you may be able to get assistance, depending on the nature of your needs.

11. You can donate either through payroll deduction, for which you can submit a donation form to HR, stating whether you wish your donation to be a one time or recurring donation, or by check, for which you can submit a donation form to the Staff Senate Office.