Overview
The loss of income due to illness or injury can cause serious financial hardship for your family. Disability benefits provide income protection if you become disabled as a result of a non-occupational injury or illness and are unable to work.
As a valued Sonos employee, we want you to be informed and prepared in the event you should require disability leave. Visit Confluence for the information you need prior to your leave and upon your return to work.
Short-Term Disability (STD) — Outside California
If you work outside of California, Sonos provides basic STD insurance at no cost to you.
| Administered and paid by Lincoln Financial Group | |
|---|---|
| Weekly STD Benefit | 66.67% of your weekly pre-disability earnings up to $2,000/week. This is an additional amount that's paid on top of the Weekly STD Benefit. It's equal to the difference between your pre-disability earnings and the Weekly STD Benefit. |
| Top-Up Benefit | The Top-Up Benefit is partial salary continuation from Sonos. Between your Weekly STD Benefit and the Top-Up Benefit, you'll receive 100% of your pre-disability earnings. |
| Waiting Period | Benefits are payable immediately for disability due to injury or after a period of seven calendar days due to sickness. Benefits will be payable retroactive back to day one after the Elimination Period is met. |
| Maximum Benefit Period | 90 days |
| Benefits end when you terminate employment or retire. | |
Your Weekly STD Benefit will coordinate with the Top-Up Benefit and any state disability benefits available. You’ll be responsible for filing any claims directly with Lincoln Financial Group. All disability leave requests should be communicated to the People Team and Lincoln Financial Group as soon as possible.
Voluntary Disability Insurance (VDI) — California Only
If you work in California, you’re required by state law to have disability insurance. This applies to full-time, part-time, and temporary employees.
As a Sonos employee, you can either be covered by:
- Sonos VDI or
- The California State Disability Insurance (CA-SDI) program.
You cannot be covered by both plans.
How the Sonos and California State Disability Plans Compare
| Sonos Voluntary Disability Insurance (VDI) | California State Disability Insurance Program (CA-SDI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a Claim | Claims are filed with the Sonos disability plan administrator, Lincoln Financial Group. | Claims are filed with the state. |
| Benefit Payments | Benefits are paid by Lincoln Financial Group. | The state mails benefit payments directly to you. Expected benefits are deducted from your Sonos paycheck on a current basis. |
| Waiting Period | There’s no waiting period, but an absence must be greater than one week to be eligible for Sonos VDI. | There’s a seven-day waiting period before benefits begin. |
| Benefit Amount | For details, see “Your Benefit Amount Under Sonos VDI” in the next section. | Benefits are based on your highest quarter of earnings in California during your base period and approximately 60-70% of your weekly pay during that quarter, up to a maximum of $1,681/week in 2025. |
| Employee Contributions | You contribute 1.2% of pay, up to the first $200,000 of taxable wages. | For 2025, you contribute 1.2% of all W-2 earnings. |
| Taxability of Contributions | N/A | Contributions may be deductible on your federal income tax return if you itemize deductions. |
| Taxability of Benefits | Benefits that you receive are generally not taxed. | Benefits that you receive are generally not taxed. |
Enrollment in Sonos VDI is Automatic
When you become eligible for Sonos benefits, you’ll be automatically covered by Sonos VDI — unless you waive coverage and instead choose the CA-SDI program. By law, benefits under Sonos VDI can never be less than benefits under the state CA-SDI program.
Your Benefit Amount Under Sonos VDI
Through Sonos VDI, if you become disabled due a non-work-related illness or injury, you’ll be eligible for the following type of benefits. Benefits are administered and paid by Lincoln Financial Group. See the table below for details about these benefit amounts.
- Weekly VDI benefit: This is a portion of your pre-disability earnings, up to a maximum. Your type of leave — disability (including pregnancy) versus family leave (including new child bonding leave) — determines the amount of income replacement that you receive.
- Top-up benefit: If you’re a full-time employee, you’ll also receive the Sonos “top-up” benefit — an extra amount that will effectively get you to 100% of your pre-disability earnings.
Note: Disability income from all sources cannot exceed your regular pay.
| Sonos VDI Based on Leave Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| Disability (including pregnancy) |
Family Leave (including new child bonding leave) |
|
| Weekly VDI Benefit1 (based on your pre-disability earnings) |
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| Sonos Top-Up (for full-time employees only, an amount paid in addition to the weekly VDI benefit) |
|
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| Waiting Period | There’s no waiting period, but an absence must be greater than one week. | There’s no waiting period. |
| Maximum Benefit Period | 52 weeks | 12 weeks in a 12-month period |
| 1 If you earn less than 1/3 of the state’s average quarterly wage, the benefit will be 70%. 2 Employees earning no more than 70% of the State Average Weekly Wage will be eligible for up to 90% of their earnings, instead of 70%. |
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Long-Term Disability (LTD)
Sonos provides basic LTD insurance at no cost to you.
| Administered and paid by Lincoln Financial Group | |
|---|---|
| Benefit Coverage | Your benefits will begin 90 days following a sickness or accidental injury |
| Monthly Benefit | 66.67% of your monthly pre-disability earnings |
| Maximum Benefit | $10,000/month |
| Definition of Disability | You may be eligible for disability benefits if you are unable to perform the material duties of your own regular occupation and you are unable to earn 80% or more from working in your own regular occupation. |
| Imputed Income | Sonos pays for the premium for your LTD coverage and will be imputing the cost of coverage. This means coverage is paid with after-tax dollars, so that LTD benefits will not be taxable if you become disabled. |
Income From Other Sources — Impact to Your STD and LTD Benefits
If you receive any income from other sources, your STD and LTD disability benefits will be reduced so that your benefits from all sources do not exceed 100% of your base pay. Examples of other income include, but are not limited to:
- Pension benefits
- Unemployment compensation
- Workers’ compensation
- Statutory disability benefits
- Social Security retirement income
- Social Security Disability Insurance
- Sonos salary continuation
The list above includes some of the more common sources of deductible income; it excludes other income benefits that are payable to your spouse, children, and dependents due to your disability or retirement.
Washington State Long-Term Care Insurance
Employees in Washington state pay up to a maximum 0.58% of annual wages through payroll taxes into a state fund for Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance benefits. These payments are withheld quarterly by Sonos. Long-term care insurance helps cover the costs of care when you have a chronic medical condition, a disability, or a disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease. This includes coverage for care given at a variety of places such your home, a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or an adult day care center.
In order to qualify for the state-funded LTC benefits, employees must pay into the program for three of the past six years or a total of 10 years (five of which must be consecutive). This program provides up to $36,500 in lifetime benefits (up to $100/day). At the time of claim, employees must be a Washington resident and receive care within the state. The first claim for benefits can begin on July 2026.
To learn more and explore options, visit WA Cares Fund.