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.
Employees and Jackson State University are required to contribute toward Social Security benefits from the first day of employment. The amount deducted from an employee’s wages are considered a social security tax used, together with the University’s contribution, to fund benefits. Employees need not apply for this benefit or payroll deduction — it is taken automatically by the University. Both the employee’s and Jackson State University’s contribution rates are established by law and represent a percentage of earnings up to a maximum amount.
Social Security provides four basic benefit provisions consisting of retirement income, disability, death, and health care. Eligibility varies among benefits, and entitlements are subject to individual circumstances too detailed for explanation here. Booklets explaining these details are available at your nearest Social Security Office or on the Social Security Website at http://www.ssa.gov/.
Jackson State University pays the entire amount of the worker’s compensation insurance premium that provides benefits to employees who experience injury or illness in connection with their employment. Eligibility automatically begins on the first day of employment. The University maintains standard worker’s compensation insurance coverage in accordance with Mississippi State laws which, in general, prescribe the amounts of indemnity payable for the degrees of disability, temporary or permanent, and for death if the injury or disability occurs on the job. These laws also provide for medical expenses, including doctor’s visitation, treatment, surgery, drugs, hospitalization, and weekly compensation for the period of disability. Back to Top
All injuries, regardless of how minor, should immediately be reported to the employee’s supervisor. The supervisor should complete a Report of Injury Form and direct the employee to the University’s Health Center to complete a B-3 Form.
Major medical leave and personal leave will be used when an employee is injured on the job.
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission is located at:
1428 Lakeland Drive
Jackson, Mississippi, 39216
From I-55, take exit 98B.
The mailing address is:
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission
PO Box 5300
Jackson, MS 39296-5300
The phone number for the switchboard is 601-987-4200.
The Web address is http://www.mwcc.state.ms.us/
The University contributes to the Mississippi State Unemployment Insurance Plan. Employees may be eligible for unemployment benefits upon termination of service with the University, depending on state law and circumstances connected with termination. This benefit is paid entirely by Jackson State University. The Web address is http://www.mesc.state.ms.us/
During the 1972 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature, House Bill 455 passed. This bill established the State Employee’s Health and Life Insurance Plan. This bill made it possible for all state employees to participate in a health and life insurance program. The state uniformly pays 100% of the cost of the basic health plan and 50% of the cost of term life insurance for the employee from their beginning date of employment.
Health insurance is available to all full-time and part-time employees who work 20 or more hours per week and a total of four and one-half months. Unmarried dependent children of employees up to 23 years of age, if a full-time student, are eligible for health insurance coverage. Spouses of employees may also be included. The cost of health insurance premiums for dependent children and spouses must be paid entirely by the employee. Rates for these plans, and benefits under the respective plans, are outlined in a booklet that is available in the Office of Human Resources.
The following is a summary of the coverage under the basic plan:
The comprehensive insurance plan provides health care coverage to each dependent with automatic restoration.
Out-of-pocket expenses for usual and customary charges: During each calendar year, the employee pays the first $250 or $500 ($250 if enrolled in a network waiver for accidents), the insurance pays 80% or 85% (if an mployee uses a provider network) and the employee pays 15% or 20% of charges up to $1,500, then the plan pays 100 % of additional charges up to $1,000,000.
In-hospital care for usual and customary charges: The employee pays the first $250 or $500 ($250 if they are enrolled in a network) of charges for each confinement. For additional charges, benefits are payable as shown above for out-of-pocket expenses.
Several optional insurance endorsements to the basic state plan coverage are available to employees who elect the coverage and pay the full cost of the endorsements selected as follows:
Catastrophic Illness Endorsements. A choice of two plans is available to cover cancer, poliomyelitis, spinal meningitis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, smallpox, leukemia, encephalitis, tetanus, rabies, tularemia and typhoid.
Hospital Indemnity Endorsement. This option may be selected as a supplement to one of the catastrophic illness endorsements to provide an additional $100 direct payment to the insured for each day while confined to a hospital with one of the stated diseases.
Intensive or Coronary Care Endorsements. A choice of two plans is available to provide a direct payment to the coverage for ICU (Intensive Care Unit) or CCU (Coronary Care Unit) hospitalization. This coverage begins on the first day for an accident, on the second day for an illness, and may continue for a maximum of 15 days.
The period of enrollment for health insurance without having to furnish evidence of insurability is within the first thirty (30) days of employment.
Employees on approved leaves of absences without pay or who are laid off from time-to-time, may apply for continuation of health insurance coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). Premium payments for COBRA should be made to the health carrier’s third party administrator by personal check or money order. Employees on a nine (9) month contract will have the cost of 12 monthly premiums for health insurance consolidated into nine (9) monthly payments.
Requests for changes in coverage (adding or deleting dependents, marriage, etc.) may be filed on the Application for Change which may be obtained from the Office of Human Resources. Changes must be made within one month of occurrence.
Employees are issued identification cards shortly after enrolling in the plan. The card should be carried at all times and presented to the physician or hospital whenever medical service is sought.
Claims are processed by the hospitals or physicians who are members of the Providers Network and mailed to the third party administrator for direct payment to either the provider of medical care or the patient.
Claim Forms may be obtained from the Office of Human Resources.
Group Life insurance is through the State and is available to all regular employees at 50 percent of the premium cost paid by the employee and 50 percent paid by the University. The amount of term life insurance for each active employee shall not be in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), or twice the amount of the employee’s annual salary rounded to the next highest one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), whichever may be less, but in no case less than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00). The monthly premium is $.30 per $1,000.00 of life insurance coverage. The coverage is double the face amount for accidental death. The life insurance also provides for accidental dismemberment. The schedule of dismemberment coverage is provided in the life insurance booklet available in the Office of Human Resources. Coverage is effective upon the beginning date of the insurance application.
Internal Revenue Service regulations require special treatment of group term life insurance coverage that exceeds $50,000.00. For certain employees, the increase in life benefits may impact your taxable income, depending upon your age and new level of coverage. You should contact your Payroll Office or the Office of Human Resources if you have questions regarding your specific situation.
The Public Employee’s Retirement System, enacted by the 1952 Legislature, includes all employees of the University employed full-time or part-time (at least 20 hours per week, 80 hours per month and four and one-half months per year). The system combines the benefits with the benefits of social security to give employees an excellent state retirement program. All full-time and part-time employees must contribute to the retirement program from the first day of employment. Retirement system contributions are shared by the employee and the University at rates based upon annual earnings up to a maximum amount as determined by state law. Employees earn vested rights for future benefits after four years of creditable service in the system. Should an employee terminate service with the University and the State of Mississippi, he or she may terminate membership in the retirement system by applying for a refund of contributions deducted from his/her salary while employed. Forms for Refund of Accumulated Contributions may be obtained from the Office of Human Resources.
The State Retirement Board operates a deferred compensation program for all state employees, whereby employees may elect to deduct a minimum of $15.00 per month from their payroll checks and invest it in one or more of five annuity program options. No state or federal income tax is withheld from the portion of salary that is deducted from monthly or bi-weekly payroll checks. Employees interested in this program should contact the Office of Human Resources or the Public Employee’s Retirement System for details.
University Health Center
The University is anxious for the health of employee to be safeguarded in every practical way. On all medical and health matters, employees, for a nominal fee of $2.00 per month for single coverage and $5.00 per month for family coverage, are entitled to services provided by the Z. T. Hubert Health Center located on the campus.
The Health Center, staffed by physicians, a registered nurse and licensed practical nurses, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Health Center’s staff have consultation hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Employees may call the Health Center for names of private physicians or specialists, but this will imply no obligation on the part of the University. Details of benefits that employees are eligible for through the Z. T. Hubert Health Center can be obtained from the Health Center. All employees who request services must be on the Health Center’s Plan prior to services being rendered.
The University has a flexible benefits/cafeteria plan which was established under provisions of Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Cafeteria Plan allows staff members to pay certain insurance premiums, major unreimbursed medical expenses before tax rather than after tax dollars. Employees may choose to participate in the plan at the time of employment or at the annual enrollment which is held just prior to July each year.
Staff members who choose to participate in the Flexible Benefits/Cafeteria Plan must agree to remain in the plan for the plan year (July 1 through June 30). The only exception to this rule involves having a major change in family status such as employment, marriage, divorce, death, or ineligible dependents.
Optional disability insurance plans may be obtained from a designated company with full premium cost paid by the staff member.
Employees of the University are eligible to participate in a tax sheltered annuity plan provided by Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended. The amount of annuities which an employee may authorize the University to purchase for him/her in lieu of a portion of the salary otherwise payable directly to him/her is determined by a formula prescribed by the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations. The amount of such annuity premiums is not reported annually as taxable income on the employee’s Form W-2, and payment of Federal/State income tax on these funds is not required until the annuity contract matures, is cancelled, or is determined to be taxable under the regulations.
Staff members are encouraged to take advantage of the vast number of academic courses offered by the University. These courses offer a variety of opportunities for personal and professional/career development.
Full-time staff of Jackson State University who qualify for admission may, with the approval of the immediate supervisor, have tuition and general fees remitted for two courses (including accompanying laboratory) per semester or per summer session.
Supervisors are authorized to allow employees to take course work during their lunch hour, whenever possible (provided the course does not exceed the one hour allotted for lunch which should be taken between the hours of 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.).
Eligible Dependents
The dependent tuition waiver policy applies to all single, dependent children of full-time faculty and staff and full-time employees of the Board.
In order to receive a waiver for 50 percent of the total tuition, the dependent must gain admission to the university and make a formal written request to the Office of Human Resources.
Single dependent children of continuing employees hired prior to July 1, 1977, are eligible for full waiver of undergraduate tuition because of the grandfather clause included in the April 28, 1977, minutes of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Employee not carrying dependent children on their health insurance, may verify that a child is a dependent by showing a copy of their current tax return. (Revised 2002)
Grade Point Average Requirements
A single, dependent child may receive an undergraduate tuition wavier (consistent with the continued employment of the parent or guardian) which may be continued if the student maintains a 2.5 cumulative grade point average until the degree requirements for one baccalaureate degree are met or until age 25, whichever come first. The tuition remission is automatically renewable on a semester-by-semester basis provided a 2.5 grade-point average is maintained. (For part-time students, the requirement is a 2.5 grade point average on each accumulation of 12 semester hours). In the event the student fails to maintain the required 2.5 grade point average, he/she will be ineligible for the tuition remission until he/she can demonstrate a 2.5 overall grade-point average. (Revised 2002)
NOTE: Changes to this policy were approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in March 1999.
Employee Tuition Remission
Dependent Tuition Remission
MS College Savings Program
Payroll Deducted Football Season Tickets
JSU Health Center
Personal Post Office Box Rental
Kids Kollege
Credit Unions
Plan Administrator:
Southern Administrators and Benefits Consultants
Contact Information:
Phone: 601-856-9933
Website: https://www.sabcflex.com
Plan Information:
A Section 125 Cafeteria plan is merely a tax savings plan which allows participating employees to deduct certain expenses from gross earnings before the computation of federal, state, and social security taxes. Under your Cafeteria Plan there are 3 options in which you may participate: You may pick any or all in which to participate. Please note: Because of the reduction in Social Security taxes, participation in the Cafeteria Plan could reduce Social Security benefits.
Eligibility: All benefits-eligible employees.
Plan Activation:
Employees make their decision to participate in the cafeteria plan at new hire orientation. Changes to participation can be made during open enrollment (generally, the month of October) each year.
Deductions Eligible for Pre-Tax
Insurance:
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
Contact Information
Department of Human Resources
P.O. Box 17028 Jackson, MS 39217
Phone: (601)-979-2015 | Fax: (601)979-5856
