SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY E-5

NEW EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ORIENTATION

REVISED 01/20/2004

                                                                                   

 

 

SUBJECT:   New Employee Benefits Orientation

 

PURPOSE:   To provide a standard procedure to ensure that all faculty, staff, and insurance eligible graduate student employees attend a New Employee Benefits Orientation group session upon their appointment to a benefits eligible position at Sam Houston State University.  The orientation session will include topics such as benefits, university policies, and state mandated training on state and federal employment related laws.

 

POLICY:   It is the policy of Sam Houston State University that all faculty, staff, and insurance eligible graduate student employees attend a New Employee Benefits Orientation group session on or before their first active duty date in a benefits eligible position.

 

CONTENTS:

1.  Procedure

2.  New Employee Benefits Orientation

 

 

1.   Procedure

 

a.   It is the Department Head's responsibility to make sure that each benefits eligible faculty and graduate student employee is aware of his/her eligibility status.

  

b.   For benefits eligible employees, a New Employee Benefits Orientation packet should be obtained from the Human Resources Department.  The packet will contain the New Employee Benefits Orientation Schedule.  This schedule can also be accessed on the Human Resources Department's web site at http://www.shsu.edu/~hrd_www/benefits/orien.html.

 

c.   It is the Department Head's responsibility to allow the employee the time away from work that is necessary to attend one of the group orientation sessions on or before the employee's first active duty date.  Time does not allow for individual sessions. 

 

2.   New Employee Benefits Orientation

 

a.   The orientation session will include topics such as benefits, university policies, and state mandated training on state and federal employment related laws.

 

b.   The paperwork completed at orientation includes the documents necessary to initiate an employee's Payroll setup.  An employee cannot be paid unless these documents are completed and received by Human Resources before the appropriate Payroll deadline.

 

c.   In addition to the other documents necessary for Payroll setup, insurance enrollment forms must be completed within 30 days of the first active duty date or before the end of your eligibility period (when applicable).  Following the initial insurance enrollment period, the next opportunity to apply for insurance coverage (without a qualifying life event) would be during the next Summer Enrollment period.

 

d.   Participation in the state retirement plan is mandatory.

 

Approved:

James F. Gaertner, President

Sam Houston State University