Employee Perks

Wellness Release Time
The Sam Houston State University Wellness Program consists of various voluntary wellness related activities that qualify as eligible for release time. Employees approved for participation in the Wellness Program shall receive a maximum of two and one-half (2.5) hours of release time per week, taken in increments of no greater than one (1) hour per day.

Eligibility
Only current full-time employees who have been with the University a minimum of six (6) months and are not currently approved for education or teaching release time are eligible to participate in the Sam Houston State Wellness Program. Wellness, education and teaching release time are mutually exclusive and a supervisor may not approve leave for more than one of these activities.

Activities
Activities that qualify for release time are:

• Official Elevate Healthy Campus Initiative Events
• Burnout Programming Events
• Health Fitness Screenings/Assessments
• Stress Management Classes
• Smoking Cessation Classes
• Weight Loss Classes
• Nutrition Classes
• Health Risk/Injury Reduction Classes
• Exercise Activities

Approval
Approval from the appropriate authority must be secured prior to participation in the Wellness Program. The approval authority is the employee's current supervisor and department head. If the employee's supervision changes, the employee will need to request approval from the new approval authority.
Approval Form Read Policy

Sick Time
Full-time benefit eligible employees accrue 8 hours of sick time each month. Part-time benefit eligible employees accrue proportionate to their appointment. Sick leave begins with the first day of employment.
More about Time Off

Vacation Time
Full-time benefit eligible employees accrue at least 8 hours each month. Part-time benefits eligible employees accrue proportionate to their appointment. To be eligible to use vacation leave employee must have six months of continuous employment with the State of Texas.
More about Time Off

Veteran Leave
SHSU provides up to 15 workdays (120 hours) of paid veteran leave per fiscal year to eligible employees. This leave is specifically for attending medical appointments at VA facilities. Veteran leave is separate from other leave types such as military, sick, or vacation leave. It does not reduce accruals from other leave categories. For full details, refer to HR-04 Employee Leaves Policy (Section C).

EAP Your Worklife Solution
A self-help website full of information to help balance work-life issues related to relationships, career and workplace, and other resources. Use “SHSU” for the username and password.
Login to Your Worklife Solutions

ERS Wellness Events
Being in good health is important to everyone. A healthy lifestyle can improve your quality of life and increase your longevity. The Texas Employees Group Benefits Program routinely hosts events to help you on the road to wellness.
Upcoming Events      Past Event Recordings

Elevate Program
Elevate is the SHSU Healthy Campus initiative to prioritize the health and wellness of students, faculty and staff. Elevate promotes the “healthy choice as the easy choice” by utilizing the 8 dimensions of wellness model.
More about Elevate

Fitness Center
The Department of Recreational Sports and Activities offers a wide variety of recreational programming and provides facilities for students, faculty and staff.
More about Recreational Sports

Parent's Rooms
Sam Houston State University is pleased to provide multiple Parent’s Rooms across campus to meet the needs of parents with babies. Parent’s Rooms provide a private place to nurse, pump, bottle feed, and change a diaper.
Find a Room

Sam Houston State University contracts with the University of Texas Employee Assistance Program to provide assistance to faculty, staff and family members to help resolve issues related to marriage and family, stress and anxiety, grief or bereavement, finances, legal concerns, conflicts at work, and alcohol and drug problems to name a few.

Eligibility

EAP services are available to faculty and staff employees, their spouse, live-in partner, and eligible dependent children.

Cost

EAP provides up to five free counseling sessions per issue along with many other services and unlimited referrals.

Legal

Through the EAP, you have access to a free 30-minute face to face or telephonic consultation per issue with a network attorney. If you wish to retain the attorney after the initial consultation, you will receive a discount on the attorney's normal hourly rates. Many online resources are also available, including an interactive Online Will Program that provides you with a resource to create your own state-specific Simple Will privately in an online, secure environment.

Financial

All employees are also entitled to a no-cost telephone consultation with one of the financial counselors. Typical matters include credit counseling, debt and budgeting assistance, tax planning, retirement, and college planning questions.

Family

Consultation and referrals for a wide range of work-life referrals are available through the EAP. The EAP can help you find real solutions for child care, elder care, care for persons with disabilities, and other convenience and wellness issues.

Counseling

EAP provides counseling sessions and support for all types of life concerns. Some of the most common reasons that employees contact the EAP are:

• Stress & Anxiety
• Alcohol/Drug Problems
• Couples & Relationship Issues
• Anger Management
• Work Conflicts
• Depression
• Parenting & Family Concerns
• Grief or Bereavement
• Change & Life Transitions
• Communication Skills

Request Help

Request an appointment online or call (800) 346-3549. The EAP is available to employees whether they participate in the ERS health insurance plan or not.

Contact

Help Yourself

EAP offers a website, Your WorkLife Solution, full of information to help you balance your work-life. Information includes, but not limited to, managing your relationships, family, mental health, and career. To access the website, use “SHSU” for the username and password.

WorkLife Login

Monthly Reads

Monthly newsletters are available to help steer your growth.

Newsletters

The Employee Emergency Fund (EEF), designed by the Staff Senate and administered by People Operations (PO), is a donation-based fund that considers requests for a one-time payroll payment of $500.00 for full-time, benefits-eligible Sam Houston State University (SHSU) employees who experience a qualifying pressing financial need.

To donate to the Employee Emergency Fund:

• Donate online
• Send to University Advancement, Box 2537, Huntsville, TX 77341-2537

Purpose

The EEF provides limited financial assistance to full-time employees of SHSU who are experiencing a temporary hardship due to unexpected, unforeseen, or unavoidable circumstances. A temporary financial hardship is defined as one caused by a time-limited, specific event, such as natural disasters, accidents, catastrophes, deaths, or illness. The fund is not intended to help employees with routine financial management.

EEF Funding

1. The EEF is funded through generous donations from individuals and employees who are interested in supporting those in financial need due to unplanned circumstances.
2. Donations may be made:
   1. Online through University Advancement,
   2. Payroll deduction by SHSU employees, or
   3. Through the mail campaign form.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the EEF, an employee must meet the following:

1. Be an active full-time, benefits-eligible, SHSU employee. Student employees are not eligible for the EEF but may be eligible for the Bearkat Emergency Fund.
2. Full-time continuous employment with SHSU for at least 12 months prior to the application date.
3. Experience temporary financial hardship due to an emergency or significant event.
4. Have exhausted other possible financial resources and must demonstrate an immediate need.
5. Provide appropriate documentation to verify the circumstances listed on the application.
6. Not received an EEF payment within the past 2 years.
7. Have a gross income of less than $75,000 annually, and
8. Have not provided notice of retirement, resignation, or otherwise separating from the university. 

Program Administration

1. The program will be administered through People Operations.
2. Emergency funding is not guaranteed and is contingent on fund availability, demonstrated need, the short-term nature of financial hardship, and committee approval.
3. Given the limited amount of funds (as the EEF is contingent on donations), not all requests, even when there is a clear need for assistance, will be approved. The EEF may be insufficient in the case of widespread disasters, community crises, or war/terrorism.
4. Funding is not immediate. Payment is processed through Payroll and is subject to federal taxation and appropriate deductions, as well as payroll deadlines (which could delay processing).
5. Due to limited resources, the net award amount after taxes may not exceed $500.

Application Process

An online application is located on the following websites:

1. Employee Emergency Fund (EEF) Forms

An employee will complete and submit the application to HRbenefits@shsu.edu with documentation of the circumstances.

1. A PO administrator will be assigned as the EEF reviewer to verify applicant eligibility and review applications.
   1. Information submitted will be shared only with the PO personnel directly involved with the fund administration.
   2. To avoid any potential conflict of interest, should an employee assigned to a PO unit apply for EEF, the application will be verified for eligibility and availability of funds and then routed to the Controller for review and decision.
2. Any application found to contain misleading or inaccurate information will be denied.
3. Applicants may be contacted by the EEF reviewer for additional information and/or missing documentation, which may delay approval of funding.
4. Applicants will be notified of the EEF decision within 10 business days after the application has been received. EEF decisions may be appealed to the AVP for People Operations.
5. When approved, the EEF reviewer will process a one-time pay EPAF for payroll payment of the funds up to a net of $500.00 (after the award is increased to cover any federal or state taxes the employee may owe),
   1. The emergency fund payment will be taxable to the employee and the total award will be increased (grossed up) in an amount to cover applicable FICA taxes and federal withholding are deducted from the payment.
   2. Payments are made during the next available payroll processing.

The Sam Houston State Employee Education Assistance Program releases an eligible employee to take one course during regular work hours and waives local fees and tuition. The employee is only responsible for statutory (State) tuition.

Eligibility

This program is for full-time (1.0 FTE) benefits-eligible staff and faculty employees, through the rank of Professor, who desire to enroll in university credit courses at SHSU. Applicants must have a minimum of six (6) months full-time continuous employment at SHSU by the first day of class.

Coursework

Coursework must relate directly to the employee’s current or prospective job duties within their department. Participants must meet all admission and registration requirements and maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for undergraduate courses. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Approval

Each semester, staff employees seeking release time must submit an Employee Development Participation & Teaching Request Form to their department head for consideration. Department heads will complete the approval section and retain the form in department files. Submission deadlines are as follows:

Fall Semester – August 1st

Spring Semester – December 1st

Summer Semester – May 1st

Request Approval 

Read Policy

The Sam Houston State Employee Dependent Scholarship Program provides undergraduate tuition scholarship assistance to the eligible dependent children and spouse of full-time, benefit eligible employees.

Eligibility

An eligible employee is a full-time (1.0 FTE) benefits-eligible staff or faculty member employed at SHSU for at least one year. The eligible employee must have a minimum of one-year full-time continuous employment at SHSU by the dependent’s first-class day.

Assistance Amount

Program participants will receive a scholarship in an amount equal to the undergraduate designated tuition incurred for their enrollment in the term. Program participants are responsible for payment of all other institutionally assessed charges related to their enrollment.

Program participants may receive up to a maximum benefit not to exceed successful completion of an undergraduate degree or 150 undergraduate semester credit hours attempted, whichever occurs first.

Application

The dependents of eligible employees must first apply for undergraduate admission, and be accepted through SHSU’s student admission process. An employee applying for dependent scholarship must complete a separate application form for each dependent participant each semester. Forms must be submitted to the Human Resources Office no later than the following deadlines:

Fall – 20th Class Day

Spring – 20th Class Day

Summer – 15th Class Day

Apply

Read Policy

The vendors below offer discounts to you as an employee of Sam Houston State University! A few discount programs are exclusive to employees that works at least 20 hours a week (0.5-1.0 FTE) and elects ERS coverage.

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New Featured Discount Vendors

Vendors seeking to offer discounts/services to Sam Houston State University (SHSU) employees and to have such offers featured on the SHSU website must submit an application for review. Download instructions for eligibility, deadlines, and more.

New Discount Vendor Application Featured Discount Vendor Instructions