Wellness Leave
Wellness Leave supports the overall well-being of staff and faculty. Benefits-eligible employees may have access to a maximum of eight (8) hours of Wellness Leave each fiscal year, which is prorated based on scheduled weekly hours for part-time employees. Wellness Leave hours may be used for activities supporting the prevention, treatment, and/or promotion of employees’ physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being.
Am I eligible for Wellness Leave time?
Staff and faculty who are benefits-eligible employees with at least 6 months of service with UT Dallas and who satisfy the requirements described below qualify for wellness leave. Students employed in positions that require student status as a condition of employment are not eligible for wellness leave.
How do I receive Wellness Leave?
There are two requirements you must meet during a plan year (September 1 through August 31):
- You must receive an annual health or preventative care exam; and
- You must complete a health-risk or well-being assessment.
- UT SELECT plan members must complete the Well-Being Assessment (WBA) in the UT Living Well Platform Powered by Limeade by logging in with your UTD credentials during the plan year. More information about the platform is available on the UT System Living Well – Make it a Priority web page. The university will not receive information about your assessments, only confirmation that you have completed one.
- Non-UT SELECT plan members can complete the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) from your medical plan or at 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 EmployeeWellness@utdallas.edu in the form of a completion certificate or cropped screenshot showing this was completed. Do not include any personal medical information in the documentation that is provided to EmployeeWellness@utdallas.edu.
What type of exam counts as a preventative care exam?
Preventative care exams fall within the categories below.
- Annual Physical
- Cancer Screenings
- Mammogram
- Cholesterol/Lipid Panel
- Colorectal Screening
What activities may I use Wellness Leave for?
Wellness Leave 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. Employees can use wellness leave in any increments up to 8 hours, unless your wellness leave is prorated due to part-time status.
Is documentation required to utilize Wellness Leave?
No. Documentation is not required; however, the expectation is that you will utilize this program for its intended purpose, and you should work with your manager to schedule your wellness leave in advance.
Will private health information be shared with the university?
No, the university will not receive information, such as the type of exam, the results of the exam, or answers to the health-risk or well-being assessment.
How will I know my Wellness Leave hours are ready to use in PeopleSoft?
Eligible employees who have completed the Health Risk or Well-being Assessment by the 10th of the month should have the Wellness Leave (WEL) hours available to use in their timesheet for that month. All health-risk and well-being assessments need to be completed by August 10th to receive WEL hours for the current year. Processing time may vary based on Payroll schedule. CAUTION: Non-exempt employees – do NOT delete the WEL hours that are added to the timesheet.
You must have completed the annual health/preventative exam and provide the date of examination under comments when entering WEL hours and must work with your manager to schedule time off in advance. The use of wellness leave approval may be based on critical operational needs of the department.
Am I required to use Wellness Leave?
You are required to use your available accrued balances, including Wellness Leave hours, before you may transition to unpaid leave and with the additional provision that Wellness Leave must be used for its intended purpose.
How often may I receive Wellness Leave hours?
You may receive Wellness Leave hours once per plan year, which is September 1 – August 31, as long as you meet the requirements each plan year.
As a new employee or faculty, do I have access to Wellness Leave during my probationary period?
No. Employees must complete the 180-day probationary period before they qualify for Wellness Leave time. Leave without pay status is not included in the calculation of 180-day of UTD service.
I am a part-time employee. Do I qualify for Wellness Leave?
All benefits-eligible employees who completed their 180-day probationary period qualify, and the amount of time off will be prorated in proportion to the number of hours you are appointed. If the employee’s standard hours per week is reduced after receiving the 8 hours of wellness leave as full-time employee in a particular plan year, the number of hours already provided to the employee will not be reduced during that plan year.
Will unused hours of Wellness Leave roll over to the next fiscal year?
No. The university provides a maximum of 8 hours of Wellness Leave each fiscal year, and the allotted wellness leave time must be used by August 31 of each year. Unused Wellness Leave hours will not accrue and will not be carried forward.
Does Wellness Leave contribute to the calculation of state compensatory time or federal overtime?
No, Wellness Leave does not count toward comp time or federal overtime.
Is Wellness Leave transferable to a different department within UTD?
Yes. If WEL hours are still available, your Wellness Leave time transfers with you.
Will unused Wellness Leave transfer to my new state agency or institution and will unused Wellness Leave be paid to me if I leave the university?
No. Wellness Leave time is not transferable to another state agency or institution, and Wellness Leave time is not payable upon separation of employment.
Is it possible for a health-risk/well-being assessment or annual/preventive exam from a prior plan year to count toward the next plan year?
No. You must complete a new health-risk or well-being assessment and have an annual/preventative exam each plan year. If you are a UT SELECT plan member, you must complete the well-being assessment in the UT Living Well Platform Powered by Limeade at the start of each new plan year in September.
Non-UT SELECT plan members also need to complete a new health-risk assessment at the start of the new fiscal year in September.
The annual/preventative exam needs to be completed in the same plan year that the Wellness Leave time is provided, from September 1 – August 31.