Eligibility and participation

Who is eligible

You are eligible to participate in the STD Plan if you are classified as a full-time, part-time or temporary employee of a participating employer. Participating employers are:

• ARCO Aluminum Inc.
• Atlantic Richfield Company
• BP America Production Company
• BP Amoco Chemical Company
• BP Corporation North America Inc.
• BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
• BP Lubricants USA Inc.
• BP Pipelines (North America) Inc.
• BP Products North America Inc.
• BP Sakhalin Inc.
• BP Solar and Wind
• Castrol Industrial North America Inc.
• Dome Petroleum Corp.

Full-time employee: An employee assigned a position that:

• Requires full-time service as determined by BP;
• Is established to fill regular and ordinary employment requirements; and
• Is expected to continue for an indefinite period of time.

Occasional employee: An employee who works:

• An irregular schedule of hours that may include periods of full-time work, part-time work, and work that is less than 20 hours a week and that is expected to continue for either a definite or an indefinite period of time. The key with this type of occasional employee is that the work schedule is irregular or infrequent in nature; or
• A regular schedule that is less than 20 hours a week and that is expected to continue for either a definite or an indefinite period of time.

Part-time employee: An employee assigned a position that is:

• Regular and ordinary in nature;
• Expected to continue for an indefinite period of time; and
• One in which the employee works a schedule that is less than that of a full-time employee but is at least 20 hours a week.

Temporary employee: An employee assigned to a position that:

• Requires full-time or part-time (not occasional) service as determined by BP;
• Requires a regular schedule of hours; and
• Will continue for a specified period of time or until the occurrence of a specified event, such as the return to work of a regular employee or the completion of a special assignment or project.

Interns and co-ops are considered temporary employees.

Who is not eligible

Regardless of your employee classification, you are not eligible to participate in the BP STD Plan if you are:

• An occasional employee.
• An employee of BP Products North America, Inc. employed in the Elite Customer Solutions Center USA (ECSC) after June 30, 2005, with the exception of an employee who was an eligible employee participating in the plan as of June 30, 2005, has continuously remained an eligible employee under the plan after June 30, 2005, and became employed by ECSC before January 1, 2008.
• A salaried employee of BP Products North America, Inc. below Level I hired after August 31, 2005, in support of the U.S. Convenience Operations site payroll and benefits.
• A member of a collective bargaining unit (union), unless your collective bargaining agreement provides that you may participate in the STD Plan.
• An at-site retail employee.
• An employee who is a participant in the BP Retirement Resource Account under the BP Retirement Accumulation Plan, even if temporarily assigned (for not more than 12 months) to a position in support of U.S. Convenience Retail operations for which the employee would otherwise be eligible under this plan.
• Not classified as an employee on a participating employer’s payroll, even if reclassified as a common law employee by any third party.

An employee’s classification in BP’s payroll records controls eligibility regardless of whether the individual is later reclassified. An employee’s classification is determined at the time of hire. If later changed, the new classification will only apply prospectively, regardless of the actual schedules or hours worked under the initial classification.

How to enroll

You do not have to enroll for coverage. As an eligible employee, you are automatically covered.

Paying for coverage

BP pays the full cost of your STD coverage.  

When coverage begins

If you are a temporary employee, coverage begins after six months of continuous employment. You must be actively at work for coverage to begin.  

For all other eligible employees, you are automatically covered on your date of hire or the date you become eligible for the plan if you are actively at work on that day. Otherwise, coverage begins on the first day you are actively at work.

When coverage ends

Your STD coverage ends as of the earliest of the following events:

• You have received the maximum STD Plan benefits.
• You begin a leave of absence.
• Your BP employment ends.
• You start receiving LTD benefits in connection with your disability.
• You cease to be in an eligible employee class.

There are no continuation or conversion provisions for STD coverage.