Texas State Wellness Program UPPS No. 04.04.32
Issue No. 5
Effective Date: 12/16/2008
Review: March 1 E10Y

01. POLICY STATEMENTS

01.01 This UPPS outlines the opportunity for regular Texas State employees to participate in a voluntary wellness program utilizing educational and recreational facilities 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 Texas State Wellness Program encourages faculty and staff to utilize on-campus facilities to improve their personal health, leading to improved job performance, increased work satisfaction and reduced health care and 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 (group or individual activity such as walking or jogging on campus)

b. Health Fitness Screenings or Appraisals

c. Stress Management Classes

d. Smoking Cessation Classes

e. Weight Loss Classes

f. Nutrition Classes

g. Health Risk or Injury Reduction Classes

h. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Classes

i. First Aid Classes

03. PROCEDURES FOR PARTICIPATION

03.01 Employees receive thirty minutes per day paid release time to participate in approved wellness activities on the Texas State campus only. Texas State does not grant release time for off-campus wellness activities. Participants may not accrue release time for future use, and must record it on the individual’s time records as “Wellness Program”.

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

03.03 Approval authorities will make reasonable efforts to accommodate Wellness Program participation requests. If the authority determines the employee’s absence will negatively impact office workflow, he or she may disapprove participation. When the approval authority denies a participation request, he or she will provide a written explanation to the employee.

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 involved and the date, time, and location of the activity. The approval authority must approve schedule deviations in advance.

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 The employee’s divisional vice president must approve any exceptions to this UPPS’s policy and procedures.

04. REVIEWERS OFTHIS UPPS

04.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

Position Date

Director, Human Resources March 1 E10Y

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.

Director, Human Resources; senior reviewer of this UPPS

Vice President for Finance and Support Services

President