Eligibility

Salaried Team Members, including Team Members whose primary job is Sous Chef, MIT, GEDM or Flex Manager are automatically enrolled in Core Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, and have the option to select a Buy-Up option. All benefits in this plan are paid on a monthly basis, regardless of your regular pay period.

You have the option to add either STD or LTD Buy-Up, or both. See below for how to calculate your premiums, which are based on your pay.

STD Buy-Up

This optional plan offers you the opportunity to enhance your coverage by electing to change your gross weekly benefit to 60% of covered earnings per week and to change your maximum weekly benefit amount to $2,000.

LTD Buy-Up

This optional plan offers you the opportunity to enhance your coverage by electing to change your gross monthly benefit to 60% of covered earnings per month and to change your maximum monthly benefit amount up to $15,000.

Changes for 2023

Note this page describes your benefits as of 2022. For 2023, the Short-Term Disability (STD) Buy-Up option rate is increasing slightly to $0.121 per $10 of monthly covered earnings, and the Long-Term Disability (LTD) Buy-Up option rate is decreasing slightly to $0.28 per $100 of monthly covered earnings.* There is no change to the benefits available. The rate change is because BBI has aligned the STD benefit period and LTD waiting period to be consistent with market practices. The STD benefit period will be up to 180 days instead of 90 days, and the LTD waiting period will move from 90 days to 180 days.

* Note this rate for 2023 may reflect a reduction from prior communications. $0.28 is the 2023 LTD buy-up rate.

Enrolling in Buy-Up disability

If you elect Buy-Up coverage when you are first eligible, you will be able to enroll without having to provide evidence of your good health.

If you don’t enroll when you are first eligible, you can enroll at a future annual open enrollment, but you will need to complete an Evidence of Insurability Form that New York Life Insurance Group Benefits Services (New York Life) will provide to you following your election. Coverage will not begin until New York Life provides their approval of your election.

See New Enrollment for instructions on how to enroll.

How much your coverage will cost

The cost of basic STD and LTD coverage is paid by Bloomin’ Brands. When you elect either or both Buy-Up coverages, you are authorizing payroll deductions from your paycheck.

Cost of STD Buy-Up

The cost of this coverage is $0.104 per $10 of monthly covered earnings. Costs are subject to change. To calculate the cost of your coverage, follow these steps:

Step 1. Start with your gross or pre-tax weekly pay (not including commissions, bonus, or overtime).

Step 2. Multiply this gross weekly pay amount by 0.60 and round to the nearest dollar. This weekly benefit amount cannot exceed $2,000.

Step 3. Multiply this weekly benefit amount by $0.104.

Step 4. Divide by 10 to determine the monthly premium.

Step 5. To convert the monthly premium into a biweekly paycheck contribution, multiply by 12 (annual rate), then divide by 26 (number of pay periods).

For example, for a weekly salary of $1,000, your biweekly STD Buy-Up premium would be $2.88.

Cost of LTD Buy-Up

The cost of this coverage is $0.375 per $100 of monthly covered earnings. Costs are subject to change. To calculate the cost of your coverage, follow these steps:

Step 1. Start with your gross or pre-tax monthly pay (including bonus, but not including commissions or overtime). Please note this amount cannot exceed $25,000.

Step 2. Multiply this gross monthly pay amount by $0.375.

Step 3. Divide by 100 to determine the monthly premium.

Step 4. To convert the monthly premium into a biweekly paycheck contribution, multiply by 12 (annual rate), then divide by 26 (number of pay periods).

For example, for an annual salary plus bonus of $60,000, your biweekly LTD Buy-Up premium would be $8.65.