Texas State Wellness Program                                          UPPS No. 04.04.32
                                                                                                Issue No. 4
                                                                                                Effective Date: 10/20/2004
                                                                                                Review: March 1 E10Y

 

 

01.       POLICY STATEMENTS

 

01.01  The purpose of this UPPS is to provide as a privilege an opportunity for regular Texas State employees to participate in a voluntary wellness program by utilizing educational and recreational facilities made available to them on the Texas State campus.

 

01.02  Chapter 664 of the Government Code authorizes state agencies to use funds and facilities for fitness programs.

 

02.       OBJECTIVE AND DEFINITION

 

02.01  The objective of the Texas State Wellness Program is to encourage faculty and staff to utilize on-campus facilities to achieve and maintain an improved level of personal health which research shows leads to improved job performance, increased work satisfaction and reduced health care/insurance costs.

 

02.02  The Texas State Wellness Program consists of various voluntary wellness-related activities that qualify as eligible for release time. Activities that qualify for release time are:

 

a.   Physical Exercise Activities

 

b.   Health Fitness Screenings/Appraisals

 

c.   Stress Management Classes

 

d.   Smoking Cessation Classes

 

e.   Weight Loss Classes

 

f.    Nutrition Classes

 

g.   Health Risk/Injury Reduction Classes

 

h.   Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Classes

 

i.    First Aid Classes

 

03.       PROCEDURES FOR PARTICIPATION

 

03.01  Employees approved for participation in the Wellness Program shall receive 30 minutes per day release time to participate in approved wellness activities on the Texas State campus only. Release time may not be granted for participation in wellness activities off the Texas State campus. Release time is paid time and does not have to be made up. Release time cannot be accrued.   Release time must be recorded on the employee’s time records as non-working time (refer to Section 05.02 of UPPS No. 04.04.11, University Classification and Compensation Policy for more information).

 

03.02  Approval from the appropriate authority must be secured prior to participation in the Wellness Program. The approval authority for employees is their account manager. The approval authority for account managers is their supervisor.

 

03.03  Approval authorities are expected to make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests for participation in the Wellness Program. However, it must be recognized that participation may be disapproved if the approval authority determines the workflow of the employee's department or office will be negatively impacted by the employee's absence to participate in the Wellness Program. When a request for participation is denied, the approval authority will provide the employee with a written memo as to the reason or reasons why the workflow will be impeded by the employee's absence.

 

03.04  To apply for approval to participate in the Texas State Wellness Program, the employee must submit a written request to the appropriate approval authority. The request must specify the type of activity to be participated in, the date and time of the activity, and the location of the activity. Deviations from the approved schedule must be obtained in advance from the approval authority.

 

03.05  Only regular employees are eligible to participate in the Texas State Wellness Program.

 

03.06  Abuse of the privilege to participate in the Wellness Program will subject the employee to revocation of the privilege and possibly disciplinary action under the provisions of UPPS No. 04.04.40, Disciplining and Terminating Staff Employees.

 

03.07  Any exceptions to the policy and procedures of this UPPS must be approved by the employee's divisional vice president.

 

04.       REVIEWERS OFTHIS UPPS

 

04.01  Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

 

Position                                                          Date

 

Mr. John McBride, Director                          March 1 E10Y

Human Resources

 

Chair, Staff Council                                       March 1 E10Y

 

Chair, Faculty Senate                                   March 1 E10Y

 

05.       CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

 

This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

 

Mr. John McBride, Director, Human Resources; senior reviewer of this UPPS

 

Mr. Bill Nance, Vice President for Finance and Support Services

 

Dr. Denise M. Trauth, President