Your Flex Benefits

Full-time UWOFA faculty members are entitled to $2,500 in flexible benefit credits per year and full-time librarian and archivist members receive $2000 in flexible benefit credits per year.

Members must decide how much to allocate of their flex credits to a Health Care Spending Account, Professional Expense Reimbursement, or a taxable Wellness Account by December 22, 2022.

Things to consider before making flex credit allocations

Consider what your professional or health needs might be for the upcoming year. Are you planning on attending a conference or replacing some technology? Do you need a new pair of glasses? Do you anticipate a family member requiring braces?

Use income tax benefits strategically. If you pay for a professional licence/dues (e.g. professional engineers, nurses, law and similar) as a requirement of your work, these costs are tax deductible and perhaps not the best use of your professional expense reimbursement (PER) dollars. However, a membership to an academic society or organization, which is not tax deductible, would be a very legitimate cost to recover through your PER.

Use of your health care spending account (HCSA) may be affected if you have a partner with benefits. Coordination of benefits will likely change (reduce) the extent to which you would rely on the HCSA.

Things to consider when planning how to allocate your flex credits

Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) – this account can cover the costs that the Western benefits program does not. Examples of coverage include:

  • The remaining 15% of prescription drug costscan be recovered with the HCSA
  • The additional costs for health care practitioners such as chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists and other practitioners
  • Prescription eyeglasses are covered at $150 per insured per benefit year. The benefit accumulates to a maximum of two years ($300). The remainder can be covered by your HCSA
  • Regular dental services are covered to 85% so the remaining 15% can be covered by the HCSA
  • Restorative dentistry or major dental work is covered at 80% so the remaining 20% can be covered by the HCSA
  • Only the initial orthodontic consultation fee is covered by your benefits so the cost of orthodontics can be covered by the HCSA

Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) – this account can be used for your work including, but not limited to:

  • Books, journal subscriptions
  • Membership fees, association dues (see note 2 above)
  • Conference registration and associated travel expenses (COVID travel restrictions permitting)
  • Technology expenses. This includes home internet charges, for example, which must be allocated between business and personal use. Only business use of internet is eligible for reimbursement. Click here for an example of how to determine business use
  • Supplies and related expenses for scholarly work
  • PER will continue to expand home office furniture as an allowable item for the 2022 year. The CRA has declared that employers may reimburse up to $500 per employee for home office furniture purchased between March 15, 2020 and December 31, 2022. Any reimbursed amounts greater than $500 will be added to an employee’s tax slip as a taxable benefit. For example, if an employee purchases a desk for $400 in 2020 and an office chair for $250 in 2022 that they will keep after the pandemic, an employer can reimburse the employee up to $500 without the employee receiving a taxable benefit under the administrative position. By contrast, if the employer reimburses the employee the full amount for these purchases, the amount over $500 (that is, $150) must be included in the employee’s income in 2022.
  • Wearable technology (i.e. Apple watches and headphones), which are only eligible in rare circumstances. Email reimburse@uwo.ca if you are uncertain about claiming a piece of wearable technology

Professional Expense Reimbursement Lookup

Western’s Financial Services has developed a quick lookup so members can look up the unspent balance on their PER. Members will be taken to Western’s Financial Services page where they will need to log in using their Western user ID and password. Once logged in, choose “Employee Self Service”, then “Professional Expense”. All entitlements and claims since 2006 are displayed.

Wellness Spending Account – this account is a taxable benefit. However, it does cover many areas that are beneficial to you:

  • Fitness, such as gym memberships, sporting equipment
  • Dental (whitening strips, toothbrushes, mouth guards)
  • Health (natural products, vitamins, heating pads)
  • Counselling (grief, addiction, weight loss programs)
  • Legal (lawyer fees, paralegal fees, accounting)
  • Personal development (personal interest courses such as cooking classes or meditation classes)
  • Renovations (air conditioners, air purifiers)
  • Environmental (composters, energy saving appliances, green home initiatives)

For more information about your flex credits, Health Care Spending Account, Professional Expense Reimbursement Account, and the Wellness Account, visit the university’s flex credit page.