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1) How much can I shelter in a voluntary tax deferred account?
2) Can I use any company and any representative I want for my 403(b) tax deferred account?
No, you must use one of our approved companies and one of the two assigned representatives. You can find a list of the approved companies & representatives on the Human Resources website at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/orptdarepresentatives.htm.
Yes, you can change companies each payroll cycle. You have the choice of leaving the money you have contributed with the old company or rolling it to the new one. You can find a list of approved companies on the Human Resources website at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/orptdarepresentatives.htm
4) Can I contribute to both a 457 Plan and a 403(b) tax deferred account? Yes. In 2007, you can contribute $15,500 to each and if you are age 50 or older by the end of the calendar year, you may contribute another $5,000 to each.
No, the Teacher Retirement System does not allow this. Other considerations may be your 403(b) TDA or your Texa$aver (457) Plan if you are enrolled in either of those plans. Contact your TDA vendor representative for options. Contact information is on the Human Resources website at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/orptdarepresentatives.htm. You can contact a representative of the Texa$aver Plan at CitiStreet (plan administrator) at 800-893-0334.
6) When can I retire and qualify for retiree insurance benefits?
You can retire with State paid retiree insurance when your age plus years of service equals 80 or when you reach age 65 with 10 years of service. If you retire before age 65 with 10 years of service, you can elect interim retiree insurance at your own expense until you reach age 65. Then at age 65 you can enroll in the state paid retiree insurance plan. If you retire before age 65 with less than 10 years of service, you will never be able to enroll in the retiree insurance.
Teacher Retirement System staff ask that you contact them 4 - 6 months ahead of time, if possible. If you qualify for retiree insurance, you should come to Human Resources at least one month before your retirement date to enroll in the insurance. A Retiree Checklist is located at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/docs/Retiree%20Information/Retiree%20Checklist.pdf
When you retire and have Medicare at age 65, Medicare is primary. If you come back to work in a benefits-eligible position (at least 50% time), your health plan through Texas State becomes primary while you are working.
Insurance back to top
1) Do I have vision coverage?
Through HealthSelect, you are allowed one routine eye exam per year. Even though your eye doctor is a specialist, you are not required to obtain a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) for a routine eye exam. Your copay would be at the rate charged by specialist doctors. In addition to this benefit, you can get discounted rates on lenses, glasses and frames through the Davis Vision Eyecare Program. This program allows you to save up to 60% on eye wear through Wal-Mart, Eyemasters and other approved providers. To find a provider near you visit www.davisvision.com and enter control code 4495 or call 1-800-501-1459.
2) When do I need a referral from my Primary Care Physician (PCP)?
You do not need a referral for routine eye exams or well-woman exams with a gynecologist. Referrals are required for all other specialists.
3) Is the name of my insurance BCBS?
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) is contracted by the state to administer the HealthSelect Insurance Plan, including development and maintenance of provider networks and claims processing functions.
4) Where do I get a Medco prescription drug mail order form?
You can come by the Texas State Benefit Office in JCK 360 or you can click on http://www.ers.state.tx.us/insurance/medical/documents/MedcoMailOrderForm.pdf to print out a form.
5) I have not received my health or dental card, when can I expect them?
If you are a new hire or if you made changes, once your coverage or the changes are effective, it will normally take about 3-4 weeks to receive your card(s). They will be mailed to you directly from the carrier to your home address. If you have not received them and want to inquire about the status, you can contact the carriers directly. You can find all carrier phone numbers at http://www.ers.state.tx.us/customer_service/contact/carriers.aspx.
6) How do I get a Provider Directory?
Provider directories are not available in print. The reason they are not provided is because the document changes often. Doctors are added or deleted from the list at any time. The provider directories are located at http://www.ers.state.tx.us/customer_service/contact/carriers.aspx. If you would like to see printed copies of the Health and Dental directories, we have one copy in the Benefit Office in JCK 360.
7) Who is my Primary Care Physician (PCP) or how do I change my PCP?
We do not have access to your PCP information. In order to find out who your PCP is or to change your PCP, you must contact your insurance carrier directly to make the change. You can find the carrier phone numbers at http://www.ers.state.tx.us/customer_service/contact/carriers.aspx.
Workers’
Compensation back to top 1) I have an employee that has been injured at work. As the supervisor, what's my first responsibility?
2) Can I go to any doctor for my work-related injury?
Yes, you can go to any doctor of your choice as long as they accept the workers’ compensation insurance and you inform them that your injury is a work-related injury. In an EMERGENCY situation, the injured employee may go to any emergency room and then follow-up with a doctor who accepts the workers’ compensation insurance.
3) If an injured employee is off work due to their work related injury, what procedure is required?
The employee is required to complete an “Employee’s Election Regarding Utilization of Sick and Annual Leave” form. This form provides the employee four options concerning the use of sick leave while losing time from work due to a work related injury or illness. If an employee fails to make an election prior to the eighth day of disability, the election will automatically be to use no accrued leave time, causing the employee to be placed on Leave Without Pay (LWOP). Regardless of which choice is made, an employee cannot change their election after the eighth day of disability.
4) If an injured employee takes time off from work for physical therapy or follow-up appointments with the treating doctor, how is the leave recorded?
The employee must use sick leave if available. If no sick leave is available, then (s)he can use accrued vacation leave.
5) Does an employee have to use sick and/or vacation leave for lost time from work?
An employee does not have to use sick and/or vacation leave for lost time from work, but there are consequences if an employee does not choose to use it. If an employee does not use "paid leave", (s)he will immediately be placed on LWOP status which could impact the employee’s insurance benefits. Also, the employee would not be eligible to receive workers’ compensation income replacement benefits until the eighth day of disability. Have the employee contact Rose Trevino at 5-2557 to discuss the impact of his/her selection. 6) How much will workers' compensation pay while I am off work?
You will receive 70% of your average weekly wage.
7) While I'm off work, do I have to call into my office every day or week?
No, Rose Trevino in the Human Resources Department is the point of contact (liaison between employee, department, insurance carrier and medical provider). She will keep in contact with the employee and the doctor. She will keep the department and supervisor informed.
8) Can I change my treating doctor?
Yes, immediately if you receive a referral from the current treating doctor. Or, you can send a written request to DWC with the justification for the change and list the "new" doctor's name. You cannot see the new doctor unless you receive written approval from DWC.
Leave back to top 1) How many days do you get for funeral leave?
The President has routinely delegated to the university department heads the authority to approve emergency leave requests up to five (5) working days for funeral leave due to the death of one of the family members specified by the Legislature. Requests exceeding five (5) working days must be approved by the divisional vice president. See UPPS 04.04.30, Section 6 for a list of family members that would qualify at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-30.html.
2) When can I start using my leave (vacation, sick and comp)?
Once you’ve earned it, comp time is available for immediate use with supervisory approval. Sick leave is also available to use immediately once you have earned your accruals for the month and you have physically worked part of the month. Vacation use requires six continuous months of state service before the accruals are available to use. If you do not have six continuous months of state service (including prior state service), then vacation accruals cannot be used until six months from the date of hire.
3) If an employee was a non-student, non-regular (NSNR) employee and gets hired as a regular employee, will that time count towards his/her six continuous months of state service?
Yes, provided there was no break in service between the termination date of the NSNR appointment and employment date as a regular employee. 4) Can part-time exempt (unclassified) employees earn comp time?
5) I am a part-time non-exempt (classified) employee. How can I earn compensatory time for Spring Break and other energy conservation days?
Part-time non-exempt employees only earn FLSA overtime or state comp time for hours over 40 in a work week. Therefore, most part-time non-exempt employees do not bank FLSA overtime or state comp time for use at a later date. Instead, supervisors should allow the employee to work additional hours in another week (or combination of weeks) which are paid at the time they are worked. This additional pay should offset the loss of income for any LWOP during an energy conservation day.
6) If an employee is on leave without pay the entire day before a holiday, does he get the holiday paid?
No. See UPPS 04.04.30, section 10.06 at
7) If an employee works on a holiday, does he still get the paid holiday?
Yes. He would get credit for his hours worked plus holiday hours. The holiday hours would then convert to compensatory time which the employee could take off at another time within the next 12 months.
8) Why can’t I get paid for my state comp time when I terminate?
State law does not allow Texas State to pay for state compensatory time at termination of employment. If you don’t use what you’ve earned, you will lose it when you terminate.
9) Does my sick leave balance automatically get donated to the sick leave pool when I terminate?
No. You can complete a Request for Sick Leave Pool/Donation form to have your sick leave balance donated to the sick leave pool at termination. You can find the form on the HR website at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/hrforms.htm#leave. If you do not donate your sick leave, and you come back to state employment within 12 months, your sick leave balance will be restored.
10) If I am on vacation and I get sick during my vacation, can I change my leave to sick leave when I return to the office?
Yes.
11) Can I use sick leave pool for childbirth?
No. Sick Leave Pool does not cover routine childbirth. If the pregnancy is considered to be a complicated pregnancy, then you may request hours from the sick leave pool to help you through until the baby’s birth. Once the child is born, you are no longer covered by the sick leave pool.
12) I am terminating on the first day of the month, but I don’t want to come in that day. Can I use vacation on my last day?
Policy prohibits an employee from remaining on the payroll to exhaust compensatory time without divisional Vice President’s approval, or vacation leave without Human Resources approval. The employee must be removed from the payroll on the last day worked unless these approvals are obtained. See UPPS 04.04.30, section 3.13 c concerning vacation leave and UPPS 04.04.16, section 2.03 (b) (3) concerning compensatory time. These policies can be found at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps4-index.html#04.
13) When will my vacation leave accruals increase?
You will find a chart in the Staff Handbook found online at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/staffhandbook1.htm. You can also find a chart in UPPS 04.04.30, section 3.03 at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-30.html. Vacation accruals are based on years of state service. Your total state service consists of work performed at other state agencies and institutions of higher education (including prior Texas State employment) whether student, part-time or full-time service.
14) How do I code my timesheet when the university closes for bad weather or other days that are not on the normal holiday schedule?
When the university closes for unforeseen occurrences, the Human Resources Department will issue a campus-wide e-mail to all employees providing instructions on how to code their timesheets. Sometimes we are required to have skeleton crews and other times we close the campus completely, including classes that are scheduled. In most cases, these hours or days would be coded 2070 for “University Closure.”
Records back to top
1) I have not yet received my W-2. How can I get it?
The Human Resources department can verify if you have the correct mailing address on file. You can also view the current address on file by accessing the Catsweb at http://catsweb.txstate.edu/catsweb/catsfs.htm. Click on “Submit an Address Change” under the Employee Services category. Your current address will show. You can also access your address information from the SAP Portal Employee Self Service (ESS) on the Texas State homepage at http://www.txstate.edu/.
The Payroll Office distributes the W-2’s. If they have already gone out and your address is incorrect, contact Payroll at 5-2543 to give them the change manually. Also enter the address change using Catsweb or SAP ESS so that future mailings arrive at the correct address.
2) I did not receive a Texas State Service Award this year and believe I should have.
You may have prior state service with the university, but only regular, full-time service will count toward this award. Student work and temporary assignments are not counted.
3) How can I get a copy of my employment application or see what’s in my Personnel file?
Please come to the HR Benefits Office, JCK 360. If you want to make copies of anything, including your application, you will need to bring a copy card with you or coins for the copy machine. If you applied for your job through the new EASY online system, your application will remain online for you to access for 2 years after you applied for that job. A paper copy will also be in your personnel file.
4) When can I sign up for salary spread?
You must have a 9 month appointment to qualify to spread your 9 month pay over 12 months. Only regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff employees are eligible. You must elect salary spread by September 10 each year. There are no other dates during the year that you can elect this option. The salary spread election form is located at http://www.humanresources.txstate.edu/hrforms.htm#misc.
5) When will my State longevity pay begin or increase?
State longevity is a benefit provided to full-time staff employees. Staff receive $20 per month for every 24 months of lifetime state service up to and including 42 years of service (maximum of $420 per month). It begins the first of the month following completion of each 24 month period. Prior state service is calculated after verification from prior state employers. These verified months are entered into our system to automatically track eligibility for increases. State longevity pay is not available to faculty or part-time employees.
6) I used to work for the school district. Can I count this time toward my prior state service?
No. Independent school districts, Junior or Community Colleges are considered local government employers, not state, even though these may participate in TRS.
7) How fast will it take to verify my prior state service?
It usually takes three to six weeks from your date of hire to verify your prior state service. Some agencies may take a longer time to research your service. As soon as we have received all verifications, we will provide you and your supervisor a memo showing all prior state service that was verified. This information will be entered into our computer system so that it will continue to track correctly for purposes of State longevity pay and vacation accruals.
8) Will the University pay for my tuition and fees?
The University will pay for most fees for Texas State employees who enroll in Texas State academic courses provided they receive the required approval to take the course and are a full-time regular employee with the University.
If an academic course is directly related to your current or prospective job duties, your department head may choose to also pay for your tuition with departmental funds. See UPPS 04.04.01, Section 02 at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-01.html for more details.
There are also three other programs for which you may be qualified. These programs are listed in UPPS 04.04.35 located at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-35.html.
Rev 9/16/2007 |
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