FAQs
Benefits
Q: How can we make benefits/policy implementation more fair/standardized? (ex: SEB usage, telecommuting)
A: This is a long-term issue, and requires an annual committee to make progress on.
Q: Why do staff pay for parking and Rec Sports?
A: These are Auxiliary Units; rather than getting a budget allocation from the state of Texas or from tuition, they have to earn their own money to pay their staff, utility bills, equipment, etc. For Rec Sports, student memberships are automatically added as a fee to their tuition.
Q: Why are staff facilities at Rec Sports not the same standard as student facilities?
A: There are 50,950 Rec Sports memberships from students. There are about 1,500 staff/faculty memberships.
Q: Are there plans for free admission for staff at UT Rec Sports/Gregory Gym?
A: Gregory gym is funded through student fees and therefore, membership for staff cannot be paid for out of university monies, however...
If an employee has PayFlex and a letter of medical necessity, they can request reimbursement through PayFlex for the membership to RecSports. This cannot be used for pre-payment and reimbursement is not guaranteed. This does not apply to other gyms. More info: https://www.utrecsports.org/memberships/ut-affiliates#UT%20Faculty/Staff
UT Select BCBSTX offers a Member Discount Program; however, the number of gyms in the program are limited to some locations of Anytime and Curves and a few others. They sometimes have special offers that include things like waiving the enrollment fee, etc. More info: http://www.bcbstx.com/fitness_program/
Through LifeMart, our employee discount program, there are also other gym discounts available. More info: https://hr.utexas.edu/employee-discount-program
Q: Faculty can enter the Blanton and bring a guest for free. Can staff?
A: Yes, as of September 2014, the Blanton has a new benefit for staff – free admission for you and a guest when you show your UT ID. Go to http://blantonmuseum.org/ to learn more about the museum.
Q: I'd like to have a more flexible work schedule. How do I do this?
A: HRS's HealthPoint EAP provides consultation for employees about proposing and evaluating flexible work arrangements. Call 512-471-3366 if you would like to meet with a counselor about how to propose a flexible work arrangement to your supervisor or manager. See Tips for Employees: Building your case for a Flexible Work Arrangement – FAQ (PDF) for tips on bringing this up to your manager. Give the Flexible Work Arrangement form (PDF) to your manager to make a request. See https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/healthpoint-work-life-services for more info.
Q: Does UT offer adequate child care for staff?
A: Yes. The University of Texas at Austin Child Development Centers provides renowned child care services to university students, faculty, and staff. The centers are accredited by NAC, the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs.
There are two locations to choose from. The San Jacinto Child Development Center is located on the main campus in the SSW building and the Comal Child Development Center is located east of IH35, one block off Manor Road.
For more information about eligibility, rates & how to apply, please visit https://childcenter.utexas.edu
Q: Can I donate my excess sick time to a specific person?
A: You may donate sick leave to another leave eligible employee working at UT Austin if the recipient has exhausted their own sick leave accrual, including any time the employee may be eligible to withdraw from the Sick Leave Pool (SLP) program. The recipient may use the donated sick leave for permitted uses found in HOP 5-4120, Sick Leave. FMLA will run concurrently with donated sick leave as applicable.
To donate sick leave to an individual, submit a Sick Leave Pool Transfer Form to Human Resources. Note different from donating to the Sick Leave Pool. You can find the full HR policy on Sick Leave here.
Q: How is the university’s annual holiday calendar determined?
A: The university sets the holiday calendar according to guidelines set by the state legislature (Chapter 662 of the Texas Government Code: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/). The state code provides for 17 holidays each calendar year. The list of holidays can be viewed here: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.662.htm#662.003
Institutions of higher education are allowed to take these 17 holidays at the time of their choosing. Rather than spread these holidays out through the year, the university has historically chosen to cluster them around Christmas and New Year’s. If the stars align this can create a full two-week vacation.
However, as required by the state legislature, if any of those 17 holidays fall on a weekend, or fall on the same day as another holiday, we lose that holiday. This means that, as required by state law, our holiday calendar varies from year-to-year, with some years having fewer holidays than others. Also, skeleton crews are required when the university closes on days which are not federal holidays, although skeleton crews are not required December 24, December 26, and the Friday after Thanksgiving.
In 2015, July 4 is a Saturday. Therefore, instead of 17 holidays, we have only 16. Further, in 2015, December 26 also falls on a Saturday, so we are down to 15 holidays. Finally, in 2015, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Confederate Heroes Day both fall on January 19, so we lose another holiday. As a result, in 2015, instead of 17 holidays we have only 14.
Occasionally the university decides to reserve one of these holidays as a floating holiday, which gives employees the flexibility, given supervisor approval, to observe one of the holidays at the time of their choosing.
Q: How can UTSC help staff during intersession? Shuttles, campus food options, etc.
A: This is something a UTSC committee could look into, particularly staff demand vs. revenue needs of services/venues. They would have to find solutions to meet the needs of both sides.
Staff Educational Benefit (SEB)
Q: Can staff use the Staff Educational Benefit (SEB) for family members?
A: No. The Staff Educational Benefit (SEB) is for active university employees that are appointed full-time (40 hours a week). The SEB isn't available to faculty or to students employed in positions that require student status as a condition of employment. However, If you're in a regular position that doesn't continue for 12 months you may be eligible on an exception basis (e.g. elementary teacher, University Health Services). If you're in such a position you can contact the Human Resource Service Center at 471-HRSC (4772) to request an exception.
Q: Can staff use SEB for other courses – extension courses, PDC, etc.?
A: No. Staff Educational Benefit does not cover:
Dissertation courses with numbers ending in 99
Courses through the Division of Continuing Education (including Extension Credit Courses)
Courses through Executive Education
Courses offered through Option III programs
Your admissions application fee. (You must pay the application fee when you apply for admission. Fee waivers are available in certain circumstances. If an employee applies for admission and is not accepted, the fee will be refunded. For information call the Office of Admissions at 512-475-7325.)
Online courses
Optional fees such as Longhorn Sports and Cactus yearbook
Auditing courses
Reimbursement for previous semester's courses
Courses at any other college or university
Student services, such as the Counseling and Mental Health Center and University Health Services, excluding the Forty Acres Pharmacy
Costs associated with required vaccines for entering students are not covered by the SEB. Please see Required Vaccinations for more information.
Recreational Sports membership - You must purchase a RecSports membership to access classes that meet at a RecSports facility (Gregory Gym and Aquatic Complex, Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center at Clark Field, Whitaker Fields and Tennis Complex and the Recreational Sports Center).
Q: What statute allows us to provide the SEB?
A: The State Employees Training Act in the Texas Government Code allows the university to provide a benefit such as the Staff Educational Benefit. Subsections C and D specifically talk about the requirements and restrictions of the benefit.
Q: Does the course have to be related to my job?
A: As of February 2019, the coursework does not have to be related to your job, but that will change soon. The State Employees Training Act section 656.044 specifically says "The training or education must be related to the duties or prospective duties of the administrator or employee." HR is currently working on creating an HOP that will address some of the discrepancies between the way we administer the program and the way the State says it must be administered.
Professional Development
Q: I'm interested in professional development. What are my options?
A: There are several options available to you at no charge:
HRS's CareerSmart program offers the Management Essentials and Managing Beyond the Basics certifications. For those not interested in management, it offers the Essentials for Developmental Excellence certification.
University Operations offers Professional Development for its employees including a Reading Group, a Breakthrough Workshop, and an extensive Leadership Growth Program for those who have completed the Breakthrough Workshop and met other criteria.
UT Austin has a campus-wide subscription to Lynda.com, the #1 online training site. If you can think of it, Lynda probably has a course for it. You can log in here.
There's also the Staff Education Benefit (SEB), which covers the cost of in-state tuition for staff.
Q: How do we address lack of computer skills with staff?*
A: UT Compliance is working on a computer literacy course, open to all staff. Talk to Jaime Davis (jaime.davis@austin.utexas.edu) for more info.