Short Term Disability

Short-term disability (STD) insurance replaces a percentage of an employee's income — typically 60 to 70 percent — during temporary disability preventing them from working, usually covering periods of 9 to 26 weeks. It bridges the gap between sick leave exhaustion and long-term disability coverage, covering conditions like surgery recovery, serious illness, and (in most plans) pregnancy and childbirth. STD can be employer-funded, employee-paid, or a combination, and is distinct from state-mandated temporary disability insurance (TDI) programs in California, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Rhode Island, which provide statutory benefits independent of employer STD plan design. Coordination between employer STD plans and FMLA is a critical administration element: STD leave runs concurrently with FMLA leave for qualifying conditions, and organizations must correctly designate, track, and coordinate both simultaneously.