Leaving UTD

UT Dallas > Office of Human Resources > Employees > Leaving UTD

Thank you for your service to UT Dallas and the State of Texas.

Please plan to give your department appropriate notice before you end or suspend your time with the University and help them through the transition (e.g.: reassign responsibilities and projects, turn in your keys, return library books, pay any library or parking fines, return any University charge cards, and cancel your network access). In addition —

  • If you are separating from the University, terminating your employment or retiring, a person designated by your department should start your Checkout Procedure and submit a Personnel Action Form for you.
  • If you go on an approved Leave of Absence Without Pay for 30 days or longer, a person designated by your department should start your Checkout Procedure.

Starting your Checkout Procedure ensures that your final paycheck clears when you are not a benefits-eligible employee.

To help ensure a smooth transition, review the applicable checklists below and contact HR if you have any questions.

Retiring

If you are thinking about or have decided to retire, please review the Pre-Retirement Checklist under the Retirees section to help guide you through the process.

Ending Employment

Provide Notice

Inform your department and HR of your decision to end your employment with UT Dallas. Written notice is recommended approximately two weeks prior to your expected last day of employment. This will begin the Checkout Procedure and the process of returning University property and closing University accounts (department charge cards, keys, computers and devices, network access, etc.).

UTD Employee Benefits & COBRA

Your UT Dallas employee benefits insurance coverage terminates at the end of the month in which you terminate your employment or become ineligible for insurance. However, you and your qualified beneficiaries can continue your insurance coverage under COBRA, keeping the same benefits and options that were in place at the time your employment ended — with all of the same deductibles, exclusions, limitations, and other provisions of your plan.  COBRA Rates are available online and you can expect to receive your COBRA offer letter via standard mail within two weeks after ending your employment. You have 60 days from the date your coverage ends to enroll  in COBRA.  If you decide to enroll in COBRA coverage, it will be effective the first of the month following your coverage end date at UTD. For further questions regarding COBRA, you can contact the UT System COBRA Administrator, Voya Financial, at (833) 232-4673 or email them directly at hasinfo@voya.com.

Voluntary Life Portability

When coverage ends due to termination of employment, Portability allows Active Employees and their dependents to continue the Voluntary Term Life coverage by remitting premium directly to Dearborn National. Portability is not available to insureds who elect to convert coverage or whose coverage terminated due to retirement.

  • The maximum age for coverage in force by Portability is age 65.
  • Provided premiums are paid when due, coverage terminates the earlier of age 65 or the date the insured no longer pays the required premiums.

For questions and additional information about Portability, please contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas at 1-866-628-2606.

Life Insurance Conversion

Conversion allows Employees and their covered dependents to convert some of their Basic Life and/or Voluntary Life insurance to an individual whole life policy if any portion of their Life insurance terminates by remitting premium directly to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Insureds who elect to port coverage are not eligible to convert. Provided premiums are paid when due, coverage will continue until the insured’s request to terminate coverage. For questions and additional information about Conversion, please contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas at 1-866-628-2606.

Long Term Disability Conversion

If you are enrolled in Long Term Disability (LTD) insurance and lose eligibility for the coverage for a reason other than retirement, you may be eligible to purchase the insurance under the group conversion policy. For questions and additional information about LTD Conversion, please contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas at 1-866-628-2606.

Vacation Balances & Payout

Vacation Balances & Payout Upon Separation from the University:

Employees with six months of continuous state service from any Texas State Agency at the time of separation and they have a break in service will have the option to receive a vacation leave payout of the balance or may transfer their balance to another Texas State Agency or eligible institution of higher education.  Employees transferring to another Texas State Agency without a break in service must transfer their vacation leave balance(s).   Whether receiving a payout or transfer, the option will apply to the entire balance; may not elect a partial payout or partial transfer.

Per State of Texas guidelines, a break in service is a separation of employment of at least one full work day from the Texas State Agency or institution of Texas Higher Education.  

Vacation Leave Balances

Vacation leave will be transferred or retained for 30 calendar days following an employee’s termination date. The separating employee may request a vacation payout sooner than the 30 calendar days, but must make this request in writing to the Leave Analyst by email to HCM-Timereporting@utdallas.edu. The Leave Analyst will evaluate the request and confirm your expected payout date. The payment issue date will depend on the date of separation (leave is not transferrable to ISDs or non-state community colleges). Approved agencies may be found here Texas State Agencies by Name and Number. Leave payout or transfer is subject to the departmental verification process with Leave Analyst.

Deferring Unused Annual Leave Pay in lieu of Payout

You also have the option to defer all, or a portion, of unused vacation pay as contributions into either or both your UTSaver TSA 403(b) Plan and your UTSaver DCP 457(b) plan under the Deferring Annual Leave option. If interested, please complete the Annual Leave Deferral Purchase/Change Agreement form. You must have a DCP 457(b) and/or TSA 403(b) account(s) established with an approved provider before the 10th of the month, prior to your departure. Please notify your Benefits Specialist in order to successfully defer unused time off pay. You must inform the Benefits Office, before the earlier of your last day of employment, or the last working day of the month of employment before your vacation payout is issued.

Sick Leave Balances

You will not receive a payout for Sick Leave balances.

  1. Restoration after Formal Reduction in Force: Employees separated from employment under a formal reduction in force policy will have their paid sick leave balance restored if re-employed by the state within twelve (12) months of termination.
  2. Restoration and Re-employment with Another State Agency: Employees who are separated for reasons other than a formal reduction in force and are re-employed by a different state agency will have their paid sick leave balance restored if re-employed within twelve (12) months of termination.
  3. Restoration and Re-employment with Same State Agency: Employees who are separated for reasons other than a formal reduction in force and are re-employed by the same state agency will have their paid sick leave balance restored if re-employed within twelve (12) months of termination and if they have a break in service of at least thirty (30) calendar days from the date of termination.
  4. Retirees who return to state employment will not have their sick leave balances restored.

Sick Leave Balance Donation

  1. An employee may donate their sick leave balance to the Sick Leave Pool, by notifying your department’s Administrative Assistance.  Employees need to make note of your request when the Termination ePAR is submitted.
  2. An employee may donate their sick leave balance to another UTD employee; however, there are some eligibility requirements and taxation implications that need to be taken into consideration.   The donor is taxed for the amount of hours they donate to another UTD employee.  Refer to the information under the Sick Leave Direct Donations section for further details. If you would like to begin this process, you will need to complete the Employee-To-Employee Sick Leave Donation Forms, Donor and Recipient Forms.   For questions, HCM-Timereporting@utdallas.edu.

Teacher Retirement System Members

When you terminate your employment, you have the option to request a refund, rollover, or leave your funds intact with TRS. Requests for a refund or rollover will only include your employee contributions. This will also apply for vested TRS member. Based on the legislature in place today, if you terminate your employment and are vested with TRS, you would still be eligible for an annuity once you file for retirement, if you leave your TRS funds in your account.

To withdraw your TRS funds, you need to submit a notarized Teacher Retirement System Application For Refund directly to TRS. You also have the option to request a rollover to an approved IRA. If you decide to request a refund or rollover of your TRS funds, whether vested or not, it can affect your eligibility for retirement. Either of those options will terminate your TRS membership, and as a result, you forfeit your retirement annuity and lose your service credits with TRS. You can learn more about this process by watching the TRS Request a Refund member educational video.

Refunded amounts are subject to mandatory federal income tax withholding unless you elect a rollover to another eligible retirement plan such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). The mandatory federal income tax withholding is 20% of any portion of the refund amount consisting of pre-tax funds that is not rolled over. A 10% early withdrawal penalty assessed by the IRS may also apply for members who terminate Texas public education employment before age 55; for TRS members who are qualified public safety employees, this penalty may apply if termination occurs before age 50.

To request a refund or roll-over option, you will need to complete the form in front of a notary, then send the form directly to TRS.  If you elect to roll your funds, TRS will send you additional paperwork to begin the rollover process.  If you elect to receive a refund, you will receive a refund within 6 to 8 weeks from your last paycheck.  For more information visit the TRS website.

See the TRS Benefits Handbook for more details.

ORP (Optional Retirement Plan) Members

An employee may terminate participation in ORP only upon death, retirement (including disability retirement), or termination of employment with all Texas public institutions of higher education.

  1. Employment Transfer is not a Termination. A participant’s transfer of employment between U.T. System institutions or other Texas public institutions of higher education without a break in service shall not be considered a termination of employment for ORP purposes, unless the new position is non-benefits-eligible, as defined in subsection 3.2.7 (Page 19 of the UT System ORP Policy).
  2. Transfer of Funds is not a Termination. A transfer of ORP funds between ORP accounts or ORP vendors shall not be considered a termination of employment for ORP purposes.

Ownership Rights to Employer Contributions –  A vested ORP participant shall have ownership rights to the employer contributions in his or her ORP accounts, meaning that, upon termination of employment with all ORP employers or reaching age 70-1/2, he or she may access both the employee and employer contributions (and any net earnings) in his or her ORP accounts.

Vesting Termination Form will be sent to your ORP provider at termination from employment.  Please contact your ORP provider to begin the distribution of funds.