Ahead of the presentation at tomorrow’s Virtual Town Hall, we wanted to let all UTMB employees know about a new paid time off (PTO) program being developed to modernize how we manage vacation, personal and sick leave.

Within the next year, UTMB will be joining other UT System entities that have already transitioned, or are planning a transition, from the existing state-sponsored vacation and sick leave plan to a PTO program for all benefits-eligible faculty and staff. 

UTMB’s plan, called myPTO, will have four main components:

• Paid time off (PTO) – A bank of hours that may be used for vacation, personal or family illness/injury, and personal leave; all vacation leave hours previously earned under the state-sponsored plan will transfer to PTO.
• Extended illness bank (EIB) – Income protection for personal or family illness/injury that lasts longer than 16 hours; all sick leave hours previously earned under the state-sponsored plan will transfer to EIB.
• Reduced paid leave (RPL) – A new benefit funded by UTMB that offers expanded income protection for extended periods of illness/injury and parental leave.
• Official holidays – Paid time off in observance of authorized national and state holidays.

The myPTO program will offer a number of advantages for employees and the institution, such as: 

• More flexibility and privacy in how employees use their leave balances
• Reduction of UTMB’s significant financial liability related to vacation accruals
• Ability to transfer existing leave balances to the new program
• Encouraging employees to use their earned time off to focus on themselves and their families, promoting a culture of wellness
• The new Reduced Paid Leave program, which will expand income protection for times when employees exhaust their leave accruals but require more time off related to health needs or parental leave 

We began planning for this new program almost a year ago with a team representing faculty and staff in the Health System, Academic Enterprise and Institutional Support. Through regular meetings, this group studied plan designs and made recommendations that form the foundation of the myPTO plan. After the design phase, we conducted several focus groups across all mission areas to help determine how the initial design could be improved. The focus groups’ valuable input is being considered as we make decisions about final details of the program.

Our next steps are to finalize those details, along with our implementation and communications plans. Our communications will include information sessions, robust online resources, training, and tools for departments well in advance of the official rollout. 

To watch a recording of the July 14 Virtual Town Hall, visit https://utmb.us/52a. You can also check the myPTO website regularly for updates. We look forward to sharing more about the myPTO program once all details are finalized later this year.

Thank you.

Ben G. Raimer, MD, MA, FAAP

President ad interim

Tim Harlin, DSc, MBA, FACHE

Executive Vice President and CEO

UTMB Health System

Becky Korenek, MBA, MHA

Executive Vice President for Business Development

Chief Strategy Officer

Charles P. Mouton, MD, MS, MBA

Executive Vice President and Provost

Dean, School of Medicine

Cheryl A. Sadro, CPA, MSM

Executive Vice President, Chief Business and Finance Officer