Disability Coverage
Short-Term Disability
Short-term disability coverage replaces a portion of an employee's income during the first 90 to 180 days of a qualifying disability — illness, injury, pregnancy, or surgery recovery. It bridges the gap between when a disability begins and when long-term disability coverage kicks in, and it's the disability coverage employees are most likely to use.
Disability Coverage
What You Need to Know About Short-Term Disability
Benefit Amount and Duration
Most STD plans replace 60–70% of an employee's pre-disability weekly earnings for up to 12–26 weeks, depending on the plan design. The benefit amount and elimination period (typically 7–14 days before benefits begin) are the key design variables.
Elimination Period
The elimination period is the number of days an employee must be disabled before benefits begin — typically 7 days for illness and 0 days for injury. Employees should understand how this interacts with any sick leave or PTO policy.
Pregnancy and Recovery
Short-term disability is the primary income protection for employees during maternity leave and recovery from childbirth. Many states don't mandate paid family leave, making employer-provided STD coverage the key income protection benefit for new parents.