Wellness Time Off supports the overall well-being of leave-eligible university employees. Eligible employees have access to a maximum of eight (8) hours of wellness time off each fiscal year, which is prorated based on scheduled weekly hours for part-time employees. Wellness Time Off hours may be used for activities supporting the prevention, treatment, and/or promotion of employees’ physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being or for any other reason of personal significance to the employee.
Am I eligible for Wellness Time Off?
Leave eligible staff and faculty employees qualify for wellness time off. You are a leave-eligible staff or faculty employee if you earn monthly sick time off accruals.
How do I receive Wellness Time Off if I am a UT SELECT plan member?
There are two requirements you must meet during a plan year:
- You must receive a preventative care exam.
- You must complete a well-being assessment.
If you receive a preventative care exam as a UT SELECT plan member and complete the Well-Being Assessment in the UT Living Well Platform Powered by Limeade during the same plan year, you will automatically receive wellness time off in Workday. The university will not receive information about your visits, only confirmation that you have received an exam.
How do I sign on to the UT Living Well Platform powered by Limeade?
If you are not a UT SELECT plan member, you do not have access to the UT Living Well Platform powered by Limeade. To complete your well-being assessment and attestation, please get in touch with HealthPoint for more information.
If you are a UT Select plan member, Log into the UT Living Well Platform here.
How do I receive Wellness Time Off if I am not a UT SELECT plan member?
If you are not a UT Select member, there are two requirements you must meet:
- Please complete the attestation form that you fulfilled the requirements and send the signed form to healthpoint.wellness@austin.utexas.edu. Do not include any personal medical information
- Complete the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) https://thedefender.cancer.org/ OR one of the free tools available here: Heart Disease Risk Calculator, Diabetes Risk Test, and Lung Cancer Risk Quiz. Provide documentation to healthpoint.wellness@austin.utexas.edu. A completion certificate or cropped screenshot showing this was completed is sufficient. Do not include any personal medical information.
How do I complete a well-being assessment?
If you are a UT SELECT plan member, you must use the Well-Being Assessment in the https://ut.limeade.com/ UT Living Well Platform Powered by Limeade by logging in with your EID and password. More information about the platform is available on the UT System Living Well – Make it a Priority web page.
What activities may I use Wellness Time Off for?
Wellness Time Off is intended to encourage employees to spend time participating in activities supporting the prevention, treatment, and/or promotion of their physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being or for any other reason of personal significance to you in increments of one hour unless your wellness leave is prorated and you received a partial hour.
Is documentation required to utilize Wellness Time Off?
No. Once you have completed the necessary steps in Limeade or submitted your attestation if you’re not a UT Select plan member, further documentation is not required to use Wellness Time Off. Wellness Time Off will appear as a leave type in Workday. You must work with your manager to schedule time off in advance.
How will I know my Wellness Time Off is ready to use in Workday?
After your Wellness Time Off is added to Workday, an email will be sent to your primary work address in Workday, and you will receive a Workday inbox notification. Processing time may vary based on how long your medical provider takes to file a claim with BCBS. Notifications are sent the first Wednesday of each month following receipt confirming the completion of requirements. You will receive an email at the primary work address listed in your Workday profile, as well as a notification in your Workday My Tasks inbox.
Where can I see my Wellness Time Off balance in Workday?
To view your Wellness Time Off balance:
- Log in to Workday
- Click View All Apps on your homepage
- Click My Time and Absence
- View your balance in the My Time Off Balances as of Today chart or click Time Off Balance under Time Off Balance Reports on the right side
Am I required to use Wellness Time Off?
You are required to use your available accrued balances, including Wellness Time Off, before you may transition to unpaid time off, with very limited exceptions. This means you may be required to use your Wellness Time Off in place of sick or vacation time off without advance approval from your manager.
How often may I receive Wellness Time Off?
You may receive Wellness Time Off once per plan year, which is September 1 – August 31, as long as you meet the requirements each plan year.
Will unused hours of Wellness Time Off roll over to the next fiscal year?
The university provides a maximum of 8 hours of Wellness Time Off each fiscal year to help encourage employees to seek preventative care. Unused hours can roll over only once to the next plan year. The hours that roll over must be used within 12 months of the date they became available in Workday.
Does my Wellness Time Off expire?
Yes. If you do not use your wellness time off within 12 months of the date it becomes available in Workday, it will expire. For example, if your Wellness Time Off becomes available to use on November 1 and it is not used, it will expire the following October 31.
Can I receive Wellness Time Off for the new plan year if I have unused wellness leave from the prior plan year?
Yes. While you can only receive wellness time off once per plan year, it’s possible the Wellness Time Off you receive during different plan years may overlap until it is used or expires.
As a new classified staff employee, do I have access to Wellness Time Off during my probationary period?
Yes. If you meet the requirements and receive Wellness Time Off during your 180-day probationary period, you may use wellness time off before your probationary period ends with your manager’s approval.
As a new staff employee, do I have access to Wellness Time Off before I have access to my vacation time off?
Yes. If you meet the requirements and receive Wellness Time Off before you have the six months of state service required to use your vacation time off, you may use Wellness Time Off with your manager’s approval.
How long after I meet the requirements of completing an annual physical exam and completing the HRA will I be awarded Wellness Time Off?
The time off will show up in Workday the month after the university receives confirmation that you have met both requirements. Note that the university cannot confirm the preventative care exam until your medical provider submits the claim to BCBS, so processing time will vary. Once the Wellness Time Off is added to your balance in Workday, you will have 12 months to use the hours.
I am a part-time employee. Do I qualify for Wellness Time Off?
All leave-eligible employees qualify, and the amount of time off will be prorated in proportion to the number of hours you are appointed. You are a leave-eligible staff or faculty employee if you earn monthly sick time off accruals.
Will unused Wellness Time Off be paid to me if I leave the university?
No, Wellness Time Off is not payable.
Does Wellness Time Off contribute to the calculation of state compensatory time or federal overtime?
No, Wellness Time Off does not count toward comp time or federal overtime.
Is Wellness Time Off transferable to a different department?
Yes. If it has not expired, your Wellness Time Off transfers with you.
Will unused Wellness Time Off transfer to my new state agency or institution?
No. Wellness Time Off is not transferable to another state agency or institution.
Will private health information be shared with the university?
No, the university only receives confirmation that the requirements for Wellness Time Off have been met. No other information, such as the type of exam, the results of the exam, or answers to the well-being assessment, will be shared.
Is it possible for a well-being assessment from a prior plan year to count toward the next plan year?
No. You must complete a new well-being assessment each plan year. If you are UT SELECT plan member, HealthPoint recommends that you complete the Well-Being Assessment in the UT Living Well Platform Powered by Limeade at the start of each new plan year in September.
Is it possible for a preventative care exam from the prior plan year to count toward the new plan year?
Yes. If the university doesn’t receive confirmation of your exam as a UT SELECT plan member until the new plan year. For example, if you receive your exam near the end of the prior plan year and the university doesn’t receive confirmation of your exam until the beginning of the new plan year, it will count towards the new plan year. However, you must complete the Well-Being Assessment in the UT Living Well Platform Powered by Limeade for the new plan year to receive Wellness Time Off.
What type of exam counts as a preventative care exam?
Preventative care exams fall within the categories below.
- Annual Physical
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cholesterol Screening
- Colorectal Screening
- Colon Cancer Screening