Human Resources

Full-time employees are eligible for all University benefits. Part-time employees working less than twenty (20) hours per week and/or four and one-half (4 ½) months are not eligible for any University benefits. However, they do qualify for unemployment and worker’s compensation.

This section provides an overview of JSU’s employee benefits. These benefits are offered at hire date. Check PAWS employee tab for a list of your current benefit elections. Email any benefits inquiries to hrbenefits@jsums.edu.

Additional Benefits

• Remission of fees for up to 6 hours per semester.
• Employees are eligible after their 6 months probationary period.
Complete the Remission of Fees Form and email to hrservices@jsums.edu prior to the close of registration for the relevant semester.

• 50% Tuition Waiver (100% if both parents work for the university) for single, dependent children of full-time employees
• Student must be covered on employee’s health insurance or tax return.
• Continued eligibility until baccalaureate degree requirements are met or age 25, whichever comes first; provided the student maintains a 2.5 GPA.
Complete the Application for Tuition Remission for Dependents form and email to hrbenefits@jsums.edu prior to the close of registration for the relevant semester.

• Contribute pre-taxed dollars to the program for tuition expenses.
• Phone: 601-359-3676
• Make an online account here.
To have JSU withhold money for this account, complete a Salary Reduction Agreement Form and submit it to HRbenefits@jsums.edu

• Visit the Department of Athletics to purchase your season tickets via Payroll Deduction.

• Visit the JSU Health Center to sign up for a monthly plan that can cover visits to the health center.
• Individual Plan: $10 per month
• Family Plan: $20 per month
• Eligible for Payroll Deduction.

• Visit the JSU Post Office to rent a personal post office box for a nominal fee.

• After-school program for school-aged children. Currently suspended due to COVID-19.

• Hope Community Credit Union
Contact Felicia Lyles at 601-362-8050
• Jackson Area Credit Union
Contact Wayne Cameron at 601-922-7055.

Cafeteria Plan/ Flexible Spending Accounts

Contact Information:

Plan Information:

Plan Activation:

Deductions Eligible for Pre-Tax

Option 1: Group health, dental, vision, Cancer/ICU, Accident and Hospital Indemnity
Flexible Spending Accounts:
Option 2: Dependent Care Expenses
Option 3: Unreimbursed Medical Expenses

Resources:

• Eligible Medical Expenses
• Claim Procedures
• Employee Portal
• SABC Flex Card

Forms:

• Cafeteria Plan Election
• SABC Status Change
• SABC Flex Card

Dental Insurance

The employee is responsible for the full cost of the premium.

• Login/Create an Online Account
• Delta Dental ID card : As an enrollee with Delta Dental, you don’t need an ID card. When visiting a Delta Dental Premier or Delta Dental PPO dentist, simply provide your social security or identification number. If you still would like an ID card, you can print a customized ID card on demand.
• Find a Dentist
• Plan Document

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Feel supported and connected with a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and innovative wellbeing resource.

Group Health Insurance

The State and School Employees’ Health Plan

Select Coverage (Legacy-employee hired before 01/2006)

• 2021 Plan Document
• 2021 Premium Rates
• 2021 Summary of Benefits
• FAQ’s About the Plan
• FAQ’S About Base or Select Coverage
• Wellness/Preventive Services and Screenings Covered at 100%
• CVS Caremark: Pharmacy Benefits
• BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi

Group Life Insurance

Employees who elect life insurance coverage should designate one or more beneficiaries with Minnesota Life Insurance Company, an affiliate of Securian Financial, to ensure that any benefits are paid in accordance with their wishes.

To manage your beneficiary designation online:

• Log in to bcbsms.com . If you have not previously registered, information will be required from your BCBSMS ID card to complete the registration process.
• Go to the My Benefits tab.
• Under the Life Benefits section, click the link to update the beneficiary information. You will see a notification asking you to “Agree” to be transferred to a secure portal provided by Minnesota Life. Click “I Agree.”
• Click “View beneficiary.”
• If you need to make any changes, click “Update Designation,” and provide the name(s), relationship(s) and respective benefit shares.
• After this information has been entered, you will receive an email acknowledgment, as well as a letter in the mail confirming your changes to your beneficiary designation.

While online, you can edit your profile, and make any updates to your email address and phone numbers. If you would rather designate your beneficiary using a paper form, click here .

• Life Insurance Needs Calculator
• Premiums

Leave

All leave time is accrued on the last paycheck of the month. To check your leave balances, check the employee tab in PAWS. Once leave time has been approved by your supervisor, it must be reported on the report of absence form and emailed to hrbenefits@jsums.edu .

• Faculty members employed by the eight (8) public universities on a nine‐month contract shall not be eligible for personal leave.
• Faculty only accrue Major Medical Leave (sick pay)

• Personal leave may be used for vacation and personal business and shall be used for illness of the employee requiring absences of one day or less.

• Major medical leave (sick pay) may be used for illness only after the employee has used one (1) day of personal leave or leave without pay if the employee has no accrued personal leave.
• If an employee is out on sick leave for more than 4 days, they must submit a Dr’s excuse to return to work.
• An employee may use up to 3 days of earned major medical leave for each occurrence in any calendar year because of a death in the immediate family.

Continuous Service

• The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks (during any 12 month period) of protected unpaid leave.
• Leave Reasons:
• birth of a child
• placement of a child for adoption or foster care
• serious health condition of the employee or an immediate family member
• Must have been employed 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months
• FMLA leave may be paid using the accrued major medical leave (sick pay).

Procedures

If an employee is out for Family Medical Leave for two weeks or more:

1. A paper Personnel Action Form (PAF) should be submitted to HR from the department.
2. A Certified Family Medical Leave Act form should be submitted to HR.
3. Upon the employee’s return from FMLA, a new paper PAF and health care provider release statement must be submitted to HR.
4. Employee should send an email to hrbenefits@jsums.edu detailing if they would like to use sick pay to be paid for leave time.
5. If leave needs to be extended, the employee should submit a letter from the doctor, documenting the extension. The department will need to submit to HR a PAF detailing the extension. The employee will need to send an email to hrbenefits@jsums.edu , detailing if they would like to continue to use leave hours to cover their pay during the extension.

Making Changes

• Benefits-eligible employees may elect to participate or make changes in the insurance plans due to the following events:
  • Within 31 days of the date of hire
  • During Open Enrollment in October of each year for an effective date of January 1 of the following year (Dates for open enrollment are announced before October of each year)
  • Within 60 days of a family status change, as long as the insurance change is consistent with the status change
  • Status changes include, but are not limited to:

  Ø Marriage or divorce

  Ø Death of a spouse or dependent

  Ø Birth or adoption of a child

  Ø Employee or spouse employment status change (full-time to part-time or vice versa)

  Ø Refused coverage for self or dependents at the time coverage was offered but subsequently, lost coverage due to termination of spouse’s employment

  • Medical underwriting may apply to some insurances if making application after 31 days of your date of hire or for spouse and dependent children elections.
  Changes to Name And Address
  • The following vendors will require you to change your name and address via HR:
    • State Health & Life Insurance
    • Southern Administrators & Benefit Consultant (Cafeteria Plan & Flexible Spending Accounts)
    • Superior Vision
    • Delta Dental
    • Cigna Long-Term Disability
    • MS Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS)

    Retirement

    Benefits eligible employees must complete retirement forms within 30 days of date of hire. Beneficiaries may be changed at any time by completing the necessary forms. All completed forms must be returned to Human Resources for processing.

    All benefits eligible employees are required to participate in a retirement plan; the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) or the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). However, participation in the ORP plan is only available to employees holding specific positions as defined by state law. Guidance on deciding between the plans can be found here.

    Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)

    To be eligible for a service retirement benefit, a PERS member must be either

    1. at least age 60 and vested – OR –
    2. any age if the member has 25 years of creditable service and was hired before July 1, 2011, or has 30 years of creditable service and was hired on or after July 1, 2011.

    Resources

    Optional Retirement Plan(ORP)

    Benefits eligible employees holding specific positions as defined by state law are eligible to participate in the ORP plan. Specific positions eligible for participation are:

    The employee’s pre-tax contribution is 9% of gross wages. The employers’ contribution of seventeen and four tenths percent (17.40%) of the participant’s earned compensation shall be disbursed as follows:

    1. One percent (1%) of the employer contributions (or the equivalent of 0.174 percent of the participant’s earned compensation) shall be paid to PERS as an administrative fee.
    2. Two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the participant’s earned compensation reduced by the pro-rata share of the 1% administrative fee, or an equivalent of 2.475 percent of the participant’s earned compensation, shall be remitted to PERS for application to the unfunded accrued liability.
    3. Fourteen and nine tenths percent (14.90%) of the participant’s earned compensation reduced by the pro-rata share of the 1% administrative fee, or an equivalent of 14.751 percent of the participant’s earned compensation, shall be remitted to the appropriate company or companies for application to the participant’s contract or account or both.

    The three approved providers are listed above. Employees should make their election by following these steps:

    1. Contact the provider(s) to find the plan that best fits your retirement income strategies. You may select multiple providers.
    2. Once you have selected the provider(s) in which you wish to participate, complete the ORP Retirement Plan Election/Vendor Selection ( Form 4E ) and return to HR.
    3. Complete an application for each provider you select. Contact the provider(s) to obtain an application.

    Contact your ORP vendor representative to discuss retirement options.

    To continue health and life insurance coverage as a retiree, you must be employed four years or more and currently enrolled in the coverage.

    Resources:

    Forms:

    • ORP Retirement Plan/Election Vendor Selection (Form 4E)
    • ORP Vendor Selection Change (Form 4S)