Work/Life Balance
The University of Arkansas recognizes the importance of a healthy employee work/life balance.
As work/life balance advocates, Human Resources strives to guide and support employees through the many transitions they experience throughout their career at the university, including those that intersect both work and home. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is important to an employee's overall wellness. The university's vision for supporting a healthy work/life balance includes:
Valuing Employees
At the University of Arkansas, we value our employees and recognize them as our organization’s greatest asset. We understand that the personal and family lives of our employees contribute to who they are and affect how they perform. In order to gauge our organization, the University of Arkansas Staff Senate, in collaboration with the Human Resources department conducted a confidential online Staff Campus Climate Survey in May 2017 and 2019. The purpose of the survey was to aid the Staff Senate, and the university administration, in measuring the perceptions, attitudes, job satisfaction and engagement of all U of A staff members. The first of its kind at the University of Arkansas campus, the survey is meant to identify both strengths and concerns regarding work place issues, professional development, benefits and access to resources, among other topics.
Other methods to demonstrate the significance and value for our employees is the recognition of our employees through Career Service Payments (see Section 6.7) and the Employee Service Awards.
We support employees through generous paid leave programs that address the realities of personal and family life.
We facilitate flexible work schedule policies including job sharing, compressed work week and telecommuting.
We invest in our employees by paying 90% of an employee's tuition and 50% of tuition for spouses and dependents. Employees can request up to five hours of release time to attend one class per semester.
The University of Arkansas also has a Employee Educational Development Incentive policy that provides financial incentive to benefit-eligible employees for degree completion.
We assist employees in planning for life beyond their working years with generous and flexible retirement benefits that require no employee contributions but match optional contributions.
The university supports employees and their families through difficult times with personal, professional and family counseling at no cost through the Employee Assistance Program.
We care for the personal and financial well being of employees and their families by providing benefits such as no cost life and disability insurance, flexible and affordable health plans with no cost wellness benefits, optional vision and dental programs as well as other insurance options.
The university champions child and elder care by providing resources for Mothers and Fathers such as the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center and services such as Lactation Rooms, referrals and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts
On-campus conveniences for employees include:
- Banking
- Postal and Shipping Services
- Photo Processing
- Dining Hall Meal Plans through Payroll Deduction
- Laundry Services
- Multiple-account Direct Deposit
- Payroll Deductions to Purchase Computer Equipment
- Personal Printing Services for T-Shirts, Cards, Stationery, Envelopes, Banners, Posters, etc.
Discounts for employees include:
The university offers training and professional development opportunities for employees, including release time with approval.