MyPTO Maximization Program

Employees who are appointed to work at least 20 hours per week (0.5–1.0 FTE) in a benefits-eligible position that does not require student status as a condition of employment are eligible for EIB.

Under the MyPTO Maximization Program, employees receive an upfront grant of 80 EIB hours each calendar year. The hours are prorated based on FTE status and credited in full on Jan. 1.

Transition Note: Employees will receive a prorated EIB grant for 2026 on Jan. 3, 2026. All EIB hours accrued and unused as of Jan. 2, 2026, will also be retained by employees and managed in accordance with the provisions of the MyPTO Maximization Program.

New employees will receive a prorated EIB grant on their date of hire for the remainder of the calendar year.

Unused EIB hours may carry forward into the next calendar year with no limit.

Using EIB Hours

Before accessing the hours in their Extended Illness Bank, employees must:

• Exhaust all PTO and other paid leave accruals and
• Complete a 16-hour unpaid waiting period (prorated for FTE status)

A new waiting period is required for each illness-related absence.

When unable to work due to their own or an immediate family member’s illness/injury, employees are expected to follow departmental call-in procedures. Unscheduled time off is managed in accordance with UTMB policies and procedures.

Time-Off Process for Illness/Injury

1. Employee notifies supervisor of need to be away from work for illness/injury.
2. Employee keeps supervisor informed of their status and expected return, if known.
3. Upon returning to work, employee submits a time-off request in Kronos using the correct leave type and pay code, unless the supervisor or department timekeeper has already entered it.

Employees or their supervisor should contact HR Leave Management to request Family and Medical Leave (FML) if an illness/injury lasts five or more consecutive workdays or results in an overnight hospital stay.

Employees who are out for their own illness/injury for three or more consecutive workdays must

present a release from a licensed practitioner clearing them to return to work.

Employees who exhaust their PTO, EIB, and other paid leave accruals and need more time off may also be eligible for expanded income protection through the organization’s Reduced Paid Leave benefit. See the Reduced Paid Leave Fact Sheet for more details.

Employees may immediately access their EIB hours without first exhausting their PTO and other paid leave accruals and completing a 16-hour unpaid waiting period in the following situations:

• Overnight hospital admission for the employee or an immediate family member
• Continuous or intermittent leave approved by HR Leave Management
• Leave requests pending approval by HR Leave Management; if the request is denied, the employee must exhaust their PTO and other paid leave accruals and complete a 16-hour unpaid waiting period before accessing their EIB hours
• Illness/injury of a graduate assistant or an immediate family member

Hours may be used in 15-minute increments.

Please note that these immediate access provisions do not provide employees with additional leave. Employees must have EIB hours available in their bank to access them in these situations.

Employees may donate EIB hours directly to another employee if the recipient meets the eligibility requirements for EIB and has exhausted their own EIB balance.

The dollar value of the donated EIB hours is included in the donor employee’s taxable income for the pay period during which the donation is made, and UTMB will withhold taxes from the donor employee’s paycheck. The donor employee’s earnings must be sufficient to cover the taxes for the donation to be executed. See the Direct EIB Donation Overview for more details. 

EIB grants are based on employees’ FTE status on Jan. 1 of each calendar year. 

• Employees who move from a part-time to a full-time benefits-eligible position will be credited the difference in the EIB grant within two to three weeks of the change.
• Employees who move from a full-time to a part-time benefits-eligible position will not lose any portion of their EIB grant for the current calendar year. They will receive a prorated EIB grant at the beginning of the next calendar year based on their updated FTE status.
• Employees who move from a non-benefits-eligible to a benefits-eligible position will receive a prorated EIB grant within two to three weeks of the change.
• Employees who move from a benefits-eligible to a non-benefits-eligible position will no longer be able to receive or use EIB. Unused EIB hours are frozen until the employee returns to benefits-eligible status or terminates employment.

Transferring from UTMB

Employees who transfer from UTMB to another state agency may have their unused EIB hours transferred if the new agency accepts EIB/sick leave balances and there is no break in service or they are reemployed by the state within 31 calendar days to 12 months.

Transferring to UTMB

Employees who transfer to UTMB from another state agency cannot have their unused EIB/sick leave hours transferred, as the MyPTO Max Program does not accept EIB/ sick leave balances.

Employees who separate or retire from UTMB will not receive payment for any unused EIB hours.

Restoration of EIB Balance

Employees who separate from UTMB as a result of a formal reduction in force may have their EIB balance restored if they are reemployed by the state within 12 months.

Employees who separate from UTMB for any other reason may have their EIB balance restored they are reemployed by the state within 31 calendar days to 12 months of the date of separation.

Retirement

At the time of retirement, employees who immediately enroll in the MyPTO Max Program may use their EIB hours and/or granted PTO hours to purchase service credit through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) or the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

Employees who defer enrollment in the new program may use their EIB hours and/or vested PTO hours to purchase service credit.

See the State Service Credit Fact Sheet for more details.

Death Benefits

Upon the death of an active employee, UTMB will pay the deceased’s estate for one-half of their accrued EIB hours or 336 hours, whichever is less, provided the employee had at least six months of continuous state employment. Payment will be calculated based on the employee’s hourly or monthly base pay rate at the time of death.

Employees who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for RPL:

• Appointed to work at least 20 hours per week (0.5–1.0 FTE) in a benefits-eligible position that does not require student status as a condition of employment.
• Have exhausted all available grant balances and are either: 1.) Unable to perform the essential job functions of their position due to a personal illness/injury that directly results in a significant, adverse change to their physical or mental condition; or 2.) Unable to work due to the catastrophic illness/injury of an immediate family member and have had at least six months of continuous employment; a catastrophic illness/injury is defined as a severe condition or combination of conditions affecting the family member’s physical or mental health that is immediately life-threatening or likely to be fatal within the next 12 months.

Please note:

• Approved RPL runs concurrently with Family and Medical Leave (FML), parental leave, or any other health-related leave.
• Employees who have applied for or are receiving short-term disability insurance payments, if elected through the UT System benefits program, cannot receive RPL for the same qualifying illness/injury.
• Employees who have been approved for long-term disability insurance payments are no longer eligible for RPL if the payment periods overlap.
• Employees may not receive both Workers’ Compensation Insurance (WCI) and RPL. If an employee has filed, is filing, or intends to file a WCI claim or appeal, they are not eligible for RPL.

RPL may be granted two illness/injury periods within a rolling 12 months, up to a combined maximum of 480 hours. The two periods may consist of:

• Two unrelated diagnoses for the employee’s own illness/injury
• One period for the employee’s own illness/injury and one period for an immediate family member’s catastrophic illness/injury
• Two unrelated diagnoses for an immediate family member’s catastrophic illness/injury.

Employees on approved leave of absence for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child may receive up to 480 RPL hours, minus their personal paid leave hours. (Example: If an employee has 300 hours in available paid leave, they will be granted 180 RPL hours for a combined total of 480 hours.)

Employees must use their PTO, EIB, and other paid leave accruals before using granted RPL hours. RPL hours may be used to cover care and bonding time.

RPL ends the earlier of:

For an employee’s own illness/injury:

•  The date the employee is released to return to work by a licensed practitioner; or
• When the sum of all illness/injury periods reaches 480 hours within a rolling 12 months.

For an immediate family member’s catastrophic illness/injury:

• The date the immediate family member’s illness/injury is no longer catastrophic; or
• When the sum of all family member illness/injury periods reaches 480 hours within
  a rolling 12 months.

The rolling 12 months begins at the end date of the RPL grant.

RPL cannot be used for:

• Intermittent absences (even when associated with an approved leave of absence).
• Illness/injury requiring care outside the United States other than unplanned, emergency care
  while traveling.
• Absences related to treatments or procedures that are not medically necessary (cosmetic, infertility, sterilization treatments, or procedures).
• Absences related to dental services such as those provided for the routine care, treatment, extraction, removal, or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting the teeth.
• Absences related to dental-in-nature oral and maxillofacial surgery or any procedures related
  to dental implants.

Employees requesting RPL for their own illness/injury, the catastrophic illness/injury of an immediate family member, or parental leave are required to complete an online application. They must also provide certification from a licensed practitioner to support the leave. Failure to provide the certification may result in the delay or denial of the request.

HR Leave Management reviews all requests and supporting documentation to determine if the leave qualifies for RPL.

The number of RPL hours granted is determined by the physical and/or cognitive demands of the employee’s position; diagnosis leading to treatment or surgery; and the medical disability standards for the specified health condition.

Please be advised that the number of RPL hours granted may not be sufficient to cover the full length of incapacity noted by the licensed practitioner in the certification.

RPL provides 50% of the employee’s hourly or monthly base pay rate. RPL is payable after seven calendar days or the exhaustion of all available paid time off, whichever is longer.

Each new illness/injury period requires employees to satisfy a new elimination period, and RPL hours cannot be supplemented with other leave types.

Granted, unused RPL hours expire upon the employee’s return to work.

When an employee is on RPL, UTMB will continue to contribute its share of the employee’s insurance premiums. The employee is responsible for paying their share of the premiums in accordance with applicable billing procedures. Failure to make the monthly payments may result in the discontinuation of insurance coverage.

Employees do not receive PTO grants, EIB grants, or holiday credit while on RPL.

Employees may not donate granted RPL hours to another employee.

Employees who separate or retire from UTMB with granted, unused RPL hours will not be paid for these hours.

Upon the death of an employee, UTMB will not pay the estate of the deceased for any RPL hours granted but not used.