Human Resources
JSU Employee Benefits
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
Cafeteria Plan/ Flexible Spending Accounts
| Plan Administrator: | Southern Administrators and Benefits Consultants |
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Contact Information:
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Phone: 601-856-9933 Website: https://www.sabcflex.com |
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Plan Information:
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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. |
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Plan Activation:
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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. |
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Deductions Eligible for Pre-Tax
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Insurance: Option 1: Group health, dental, vision, Cancer/ICU, Accident and Hospital Indemnity |
Resources:
Forms:
Dental Insurance
| Provider: | Delta Dental |
| Contact Information: | Customer Service: 800-521-2651 deltadentalins.com |
| Eligibility: | Benefits-eligible employee, their spouse and dependent children to the end of the month dependent turns age 26. |
| Coverage: | A dental plan that provides two options, High Option and Low Option. |
| Cost: |
The employee is responsible for the full cost of the premium.
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Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Group Health Insurance
| Provider: |
The State and School Employees’ Health Plan
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| Contact Information: | The State and School Employees’ Health Plan |
| Eligibility: | Benefits-Eligible Employees; their spouses, and children |
| Coverage: | Base Plan (High Deductible) and Select Plan (Low Deductible) |
| Cost: | JSU pays the full premium for employee only coverage under the base plan option and a portion of the premium for employee only coverage under the select plan option. The employee is responsible for the remaining portion of employee only coverage under the select plan option and the full cost of any dependent coverage. |
Group Life Insurance
| Provider: | Minnesota Life Insurance Company (Securian) |
| Contact Information: | Minnesota Life Insurance Company |
| Eligibility: | Benefits-eligible employees |
| Coverage: | Insured for twice the employee’s annual wage, with a minimum of $30,000 and a maximum of $100,000 coverage. Please note that state-sponsored group term life insurance coverage over $50,000 is subject to imputed tax under the Internal Revenue Service Code Section 79. |
| Cost: | The premium is 18 cents per $1,000 of coverage per month (9 cents per semi-monthly). The employee pays one half of the premium and the university pays the other half of the premium. |
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.
Procedures
If an employee is out for Family Medical Leave for two weeks or more:
- A paper Personnel Action Form (PAF) should be submitted to HR from the department.
- A Certified Family Medical Leave Act form should be submitted to HR.
- Upon the employee’s return from FMLA, a new paper PAF and health care provider release statement must be submitted to HR.
- Employee should send an email to hrbenefits@jsums.edu detailing if they would like to use sick pay to be paid for leave time.
- 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
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.
| Providers: |
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| Contact Information: |  |
| Eligibility: |
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:
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| Plan Information: | ORP is a defined contribution plan with the availability of funds being portable and transferable. |
| Contributions: |
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:
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| Vesting Period: | Immediately vested upon election of ORP |
| Retirement Eligibility: | Immediate availability of funds upon termination of employment. The employee must meet the same requirements as PERS for University Retirement with options to keep Retiree Health and Life Insurance. |
| Election Timeline: | ORP eligible employees have 30 days from date of hire to make their retirement election between ORP and PERS. Once an ORP election is made, this election is irrevocable as long as an employee holds an ORP eligible position. If no election is made within 30 days from date of hire, an employee will automatically default to PERS unless a previous ORP election was made while the individual was employed with another IHL institution through the State of Mississippi and he or she now holds an ORP eligible position through Jackson State University. In that situation, the employee must participate in ORP. Individual consultants are available to assist with investment options. |
| Plan Activation: |
The three approved providers are listed above. Employees should make their election by following these steps:
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| Thinking about Retiring? |
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. |
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Resources:
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Forms:
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Supplemental Insurance Options
Benefits-eligible employees are able to add supplemental insurance options at any time. However, 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. If any of these coverages are elected and the employee would like the deductions payroll deducted, the vendor must email their deduction form to hrbenefits@jsums.edu.
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Provider |
Coverage Options |
Contact |
| AFLAC |
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Olivia Griffith 601-750-9434
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| Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company |
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Robert Penn 601-624-5075 |
| Cigna |
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1(800) 557-7975 |
| Transamerica, Catchings Agency |
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Mr. Catchings 601-355-7489 |
| New York Life |
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Mr. Alvin Franklin 601-331-6685 |
| Legal Shields |
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Marshand Crisler 601-906-0516 |
| Diabetes Care Group |
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601-939-9923 |
Supplemental Retirement Options
Supplemental retirement plans include the Mississippi Deferred Compensation Plan and Trust 457 for all benefits-eligible employees. In addition, all employees are eligible to enroll in a Tax Deferred Annuity 403(b). Contributions for these plans are made by the employee only and deducted with pre-tax dollars. There are limits to the amount of contributions employees can make each year, and other restrictions apply. Enrollment is available at any time.
Vision Insurance
| Provider: | Superior Vision |
| Contact Information: | Customer Service: 800-507-3800 | superiorvision.com |
| Eligibility: | Benefits-eligible employee, their spouse and dependent children to the end of the month dependent turns age 26. |
| Coverage: | Vision benefits: eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. |
| Cost: | The employee is responsible for the full cost of the premium. |
Workers Compensation
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. JSU’s Workers’ Compensation claims are administered by:
AmFed Companies
PO Box 1380
Ridgeland, MS 39158
(800) 264-8085
About Human Resources
The role of the Division of Human Resources (HR) is to advance the overall mission of the University by providing quality support to the University for the following areas including, but not limited to:
Talent Acquisition
Salary and Benefits Administration
Employer and Employee Relations
Payroll
Student Employment
Professional and Workforce Development
Policy and Procedures
The Division of Human Resources supports the University pillars of student centeredness, teamwork and collegiality, and the pursuit of excellence. We are committed to excellence, honesty and integrity in all that we do and strive to build and maintain effective partnerships while promoting an environment in which human values and relationships are respected, diversity is supported, and people are recognized as our most valuable resource.
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