Handbook of Operating Procedures

I. POLICY AND GENERAL STATEMENT

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ("University") uses the following categories for the purpose of determining benefit eligibility:

Employee: any individual who receives a W-2 form from the University, including classified staff, administrative and professional staff, and faculty.

Regular Appointment: A full-time or part-time appointment continuing for a period of at least four and one-half months. 

• Full-Time Benefits Eligible: Any employee who holds a one-hundred percent appointment.  These employees are eligible for the complete range of benefits and leave offered by the University. 
• Part-Time Benefits Eligible: Any employee who holds a fifty percent to ninety-nine percent appointment.  These employees are eligible for prorated (based on the appointment percentage) paid leaves (e.g., sick leave, vacation and holidays).  These employees may participate in insurance and retirement plan programs.  Part-time benefits-eligible employees may be compensated on a prorated basis of percent appointment to annual salary or may be compensated at an hourly rate for hours worked. 

Part-Time Non-Benefits Eligible: Employees who hold appointments of less than 50 percent time for four and one-half months or more are eligible to participate in the voluntary retirement programs.  Such part-time appointees are ineligible for paid leaves (e.g., vacation, sick leave and holidays), insurances, premium sharing, UTFLEX, and mandatory retirement benefits. Employees in a part-time status may be compensated on either a pro-rated basis of percent time to annual salary or may be compensated on an hourly rate for hours worked.

Temporary: A temporary appointment is defined as a period of less than four and one-half months (136 calendar days) which can be either full-time or part-time. All temporary appointees are eligible to participate in the voluntary retirement programs.

Temporary appointees are not entitled to participate in any University group insurances, premium sharing,  UTFLEX, paid leaves (e.g., vacation, sick leave and holidays) or mandatory retirement benefits. Employees in a temporary status are compensated on a pro-rated basis of percent time to annual salary or may be compensated on an hourly rate for hours worked.

Casual: A casual appointment is defined as less than 20 hours per week, normally discontinuous in nature, and irregular, infrequent, and not regularly scheduled. Employees in a casual status are compensated on an hourly rate for hours worked and are not eligible for benefits or paid leave.  Casual employees who work 15 hours per week or more on average for at least 90 days may qualify for Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) membership; for casual employees who are return-to-work retirees, their TRS benefits may be impacted.  Therefore, departments with casual employees should consult Benefits to ensure compliance with applicable TRS rules.

Student: A student appointment is defined as an assignment that requires the appointee be enrolled as a student at any University of Texas institution. Students appointed for four and one-half months or more and for 50 percent time or more, are eligible for participation in group insurance programs and UTFLEX but are ineligible for participation in other benefit plans. Students are compensated on a pro-rated basis of percent time to annual salary.

All employees and student appointees in a student job title and on the University payroll are entitled to Worker's Compensation and Unemployment Compensation, regardless of the type of appointment.

 

II. CONTACTS

• • Human Resources - Compensation Services
  • 713-500-3130
  • https://www.uth.edu/hr/department/compensation/
• • Employee Benefits
  • 713-500-3935
  • benefits@uth.tmc.edu
  • https://inside.uth.edu/finance/benefits/contact-us.htm

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