Questions & Answers

Town Hall Questions

• Town Hall Question: (10/6/2021)

  Question: 

  I am concerned I will have no vacation time left under the new PTO system. As a person who often gets colds and respiratory infections due to year round allergies, I can often get back on my feet with just a day or two of sick leave... but under the new system, I will need to stay sick for 3 days to use illness leave - otherwise I'll have no vacation time. I typically have infections 4-5 times a year. This new system is completely dis - incentivizing staying home when sick; or taking care of illnesses in a timely fashion. If you add on all the needed doctor visits - allergies, physical, shots, female visit, mammogram, dentist 2-3x, orthopedics needs... you are already way over the 16 hours....

  Response:

  The new myPTO program shifts a portion of your previous sick leave accrual into the PTO (vacation) accrual rate – 4.5 days (36 hours) for employees with 4 or more years of service and 3.5 days (28 hours) for those with less than 4 years of service – and allows direct access to EIB (sick leave) for certain health and wellness conditions to allow you to manage your time-off as necessary.  While the first 16 hours of illness is indeed covered through the PTO bank or other available accruals, you have the discretion to access EIB directly for up to 32 hours for such related conditions each year.  In addition, chronic health conditions may qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act and those with an approved FML case also have direct access to their EIB.

• Town Hall Question: (10/6/2021)

  Question:

  Comparing VA, SL and HOL hours currently earned versus the PTO, EIB. and designated holidays to be earned, the time earned either breaks even or adds a day. The Official Holidays info sheet states that, in addition to the 9-10 designated holidays, hours equivalent to the amount of time granted for 5 floating holidays will be rolled into employees’ monthly PTO accrual rate each fiscal year. Are the 5 floating holidays included in the accrual grid on the Paid Time Off info sheet (meaning we earn the same total as today), or are they in addition to the accruals listed on the grid (meaning we will earn extra days)?

  Response:

  Thank you for reaching out regarding the myPTO program. 

  The new myPTO program shifts a portion of your previous sick leave accrual into the PTO (vacation) accrual rate – 4.5 days (36 hours) for employees with 4 or more years of service and 3.5 days (28 hours) for those with less than 4 years of service – and allows direct access to EIB (sick leave) for certain health and wellness conditions to allow you to manage your time-off as necessary.  While the first 16 hours of illness is indeed covered through the PTO bank, you have the discretion to access EIB directly for up to 32 hours for such related conditions each year.  In addition, chronic health conditions may qualify under the Family and Medical Leave Act and those with an approved FML case also have direct access to their EIB.

  The hours equivalent to the amount of time granted for five floating holidays will also be rolled into employees’ monthly PTO accrual rate each fiscal year. These hours have already been included in the monthly PTO accrual rates that are available online.

  You are encouraged to visit the myPTO website for more information on the new program. The site includes a number of tools and resources to help you prepare for the transition, including a comprehensive library of fact sheets, frequently asked questions, a glossary of commonly used terms, a PTO accrual calculator and more.

• Town Hall Question: (10/6/2021)

  Question:

  Where does the sick time we have accumulated go ?

  Response:

  Thank you for reaching out regarding the myPTO program.

  All sick leave hours previously accrued by employees under the state-sponsored sick leave plan will be deposited into their EIB on March 28, 2022. Employees will receive a personalized statement prior to the transition to the myPTO program to assist them in understanding how their previously accrued sick leave hours will be transferred and how they will accrue leave under the new program.

  You are encouraged to visit the myPTO website for more information on the new program. The site includes a number of tools and resources to help you prepare for the transition, including a comprehensive library of fact sheets, frequently asked questions, a glossary of commonly used terms, a PTO accrual calculator and more.

• Town Hall Question: (10/6/2021)

  Question:

  Based on the PTO accrual calculator, it looks like the accrual is less than our current combined sick and vacation accrual. In addition, nothing additional has been added for the five lost holidays. Is this accurate? 

  Response:

  Thank you for reaching out regarding the myPTO program.

  The myPTO program is a more modern approach for providing paid time off that differs from the state-sponsored vacation and sick leave plans. Under the myPTO program, PTO hours are accrue monthly based on total years of state service and FTE status. Employees accrue up to 40 hours of EIB each fiscal year, based on FTE status. The hours equivalent to the amount of time granted for five floating holidays will also be rolled into employees’ monthly PTO accrual rate each fiscal year. These hours have already been included in the monthly PTO accrual rates that are available online.

  The PTO accrual calculator is intended to help employees determine their PTO accrual rates and maximum carryforward limit under the myPTO program based on their total years of state service as of March 28, 2022, and FTE status. It does not calculate the number of EIB hours an employee will receive each fiscal year.
  

  You are encouraged to visit the myPTO website for more information on the new program. The site includes a number of tools and resources to help you prepare for the transition, including a comprehensive library of fact sheets, frequently asked questions, a glossary of commonly used terms, a PTO accrual calculator and more.

• Town Hall Question: (7/14/2021)

  Question:

  Can Ms. Sadro explain why the adjusted margin is $58.1M and not the actual ($41.2M) minus the budgeted of $<16.9>M which would bring the adjusted margin to $24.3M? Thanks!

  Response:

  Thank you for your question. The financial slide presented at today’s Town Hall showed UTMB’s actual adjusted margin was $41.2 million for the first 10 months of our 2021 fiscal year. The $58.1 million listed was simply the adjusted margin variance, or to say it another way, the difference between what UTMB budgeted ($<16.9> million) and our actual adjusted margin ($41.2 million), for the same time period. If this does not completely answer your question, please contact my office at 409.266.2007 and we’ll be happy to walk you through this month’s financial results. Thank you.

• Correctional Managed Care Telecommuting Question: (7/13/2021)

  Question:

  Concern regarding CMC employees return to work changes.

  Response:

  We understand and can appreciate everyone's concerns related to the changes in telecommuting. Covid office protocols are ever changing and sometimes decisions have to be made and implemented with little notice. While it is ideal to provide many days or weeks in advance notice, that may not occur. Telecommuters sign an agreement knowing they could be called back to the office at any time. Feel free to contact Dr. Murray directly via email at ojmurray@utmb.edu.  He will get in touch with you personally to answer questions or concerns you may have related to this topic.

• Parking Question: (7/13/2021)

  Question:

  Why is it that the Galveston Campus is the only campus that requires employees to pay an exorbant cost for employee parking but League City, Clear Lake and Angleton Campuses do not make employees pay to park?

  I am an employee of UTMB and I'd like to know who manages the money from parking contracts?  What improvements are being made that is pertinent to the parking garages ?  Most importantly, please add on a much needed covered walkway to the administration garage.

  Response:

  Auxiliary Enterprises/UTMB Parking Operations oversees the management and maintenance of over 7,000 parking spaces in 10 garages and on over 30 lots on the Galveston and League City campuses. The parking facilities and associated infrastructure require constant upkeep and improvements, which are primarily financed by employee and student parking contracts. Parking fees cover maintenance and repair projects, staff salaries, facility interest financing, technology, and other aspects of the parking operations. 

  Auxiliary Enterprises is, by state rules, required to be a self-sustaining department and needs to earn what it spends. While employees and students pay for parking in Galveston directly, employee parking is subsidized by the institution at the League City Campus. 

  The Clear Lake and Angleton Danbury campuses do not have the extensive parking needs and expenses associated with the League City and Galveston operations and do not require employee charges.

  Employee Parking at the Galveston Campus may seem high to some, but is significantly lower than at other institutions, such as UT Health and the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Garage rates at UT Health range between $95 and $180/month and garage rates at TMC range between $111.50 and $204.59/month. Lot prices are also significantly higher at these institutions.

• New Leave Program Question: (6/17/2021)

  Question:

  If the time and leave program is changing when will we get a rough draft of what it will look like? When will it be implemented? How will it affect the employees who have been here many years (such as over 20 years) and employees who have much accumulated (time saved for retirement purposes or saving for a surgery and will need the entire 12 weeks off)? Many employees worked directly with patients during the COVID crises and lost much in terms of time, family and mental and physical wellness and this seems like an additional burden or "slap in the face" to employees that this could have waited several more years until employees have had time to recover from such crisis'. Was there any input by floor staff/direct care staff employees not just managerial employees? In regards to UTMB-CMC employees this is very disheartening, if it is a negative impact on the workforce as now possible loss of time earned each month, time not able to be saved (rolled over) each year and employees at UTMB-CMC have not received any type of merit raise/salary increase since the year 2018 when other UTMB employees have.

  Response:

  UTMB is developing a new comprehensive leave program.  Because this is a new program, there will be some differences in its design and the state – sponsored leave program that we currently have. Human Resources has conducted multiple focus groups to get feedback on the plan design, and those faculty and staff provided great feedback around enhancing the plan design.  Those recommendations are currently being reviewed by UTMB’s executive leadership team, and more information will be shared in the coming weeks as final decisions are made.  Stay tuned for the official announcement about the program details.