Frequently Asked Questions

Benefits

I need to meet with someone to set up my benefits. How do I do that? If you are a new employee you must sign up for benefits within your first 31 days of employment. Please call Human Resources to set up your appointment. Can I change my benefits? Some changes are allowed due to qualifying events and some are not – most benefits changes must be made within 31 days from the date of the initial event (when in doubt- check with Benefits). First see if your change qualifies and if so, set an appointment. If not, you can change your benefits during the next open enrollment period in April - effective July 1st. What is our policy on tuition waivers, reimbursements, and remission? Please visit the policies page to view. Where are the Human Resources Offices located? All the HR Offices (except for HR Training)are located on the corner of Main Street and North MacGregor Drive in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza in suite 2600 (26th floor). The closest visitor parking to our office is in the Founders Court Lot on the Rice University campus, which is accessible via Entrance 2 off Main Street. From the Founder's Court Lot, you will need to walk to Entrance 3 (located at the intersection of Main Street and MacGregor) and cross Main Street. The Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is located at the southwest corner of Main Street and MacGregor directly across MacGregor from Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. The entrance to the building is located on MacGregor Drive. We are located on the 26th floor in suite 2600. HR Training is located in the IBC building at 5616 Kirby Drive, suite 300.

Compensation

Where do you find a list of pay grades? They are listed on our Human Resources website under compensation. Please click here to see the pay grades. Where can I find a job description for a position, or find out what the grade is for a posted position? If the position is posted, please call the employment office at 713-348-4074. If the position is a current position, please call compensation 713-348-2514.

Employee Relations

My last day is coming up, what do I need to do? Please view our webpage:Leaving Rice. Do we have an employee assistance program (EAP); someone we can talk to outside of Rice about issues? Yes, it is called LifeWorks, and it is available to all Rice employees, their family, and anyone significant in their life. LifeWorks is available by phone 24/7 and can be accessed on-line from any computer. The website ID is Rice and the password is Owls. If calling, just identify yourself as a Rice employee, a family member of a Rice employee or the friend of a Rice employee for access to the program. The individual is allowed up to 3 visits per problem, per year, free of charge with a counselor. If additional visits are needed, this is coordinated through your insurance (whether a Rice plan or not), or a cash pay. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about LifeWorks call Colleen or Scott. Feel free to visit the Lifeworks website at http://www.lifeworks.com. Who do I talk to about evaluations, service awards or orientation? Please call Scott Helsinger at 713-348-4760. Where are the Human Resources Offices located? All the HR Offices (except for HR Training)are located on the corner of Main Street and North MacGregor Drive in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza in suite 2600 (26th floor). The closest visitor parking to our office is in the Founders Court Lot on the Rice University campus, which is accessible via Entrance 2 off Main Street. From the Founder's Court Lot, you will need to walk to Entrance 3 (located at the intersection of Main Street and MacGregor) and cross Main Street. The Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is located at the southwest corner of Main Street and MacGregor directly across MacGregor from Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. The entrance to the building is located on MacGregor Drive. We are located on the 26th floor in suite 2600. HR Training is located in the IBC building at 5616 Kirby Drive, suite 300.

General

Where are the Human Resources Offices located? All the HR Offices (except for HR Training)are located on the corner of Main Street and North MacGregor Drive in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza in suite 2600 (26th floor). The closest visitor parking to our office is in the Founders Court Lot on the Rice University campus, which is accessible via Entrance 2 off Main Street. From the Founder's Court Lot, you will need to walk to Entrance 3 (located at the intersection of Main Street and MacGregor) and cross Main Street. The Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is located at the southwest corner of Main Street and MacGregor directly across MacGregor from Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. The entrance to the building is located on MacGregor Drive. We are located on the 26th floor in suite 2600. HR Training is located in the IBC building at 5616 Kirby Drive, suite 300. I am a new hire at Rice and was told to come to Human Resources to fill out paperwork, what do I need to do? Please visit the Human Resources department in Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, Suite 2600 (26th floor) to fill out your paperwork. Please bring your work authorization documents with you. You must come by the Human Resources Department within your first three days of employment. I need to have a letter verifying my job at Rice, to whom do I go? We do employment verifications in Human Resources. Please bring a signed consent form with you when you come to Human Resources. Employment verifications take approximately 48 hours to process. When the verification is completed, you will be contacted to come and pick it up. How do I change my home address? That can be done by logging in and changing your address on ESTHER or on a Personal Data Form (PDF). I need a particular form, where do I get one? Please check out our forms page. The link can be found in the sidebar under the Quicklinks heading. I want to change my name because I just got married/got divorced. What do you need from me to do that? From a US Citizen: To change someone’s last name we require their updated social security card. From a Non-US Citizen: We require their updated passport. We also recommend that they get their social security card changed as well and bring it in to us to update their records. How do I get my PIN number and password to check my records in ESTHER? Send your request to people@rice.edu and you will receive a prompt reply with that information. My work authorization is going to expire and I haven’t gotten my new approval yet, what do I do? Please call Pheobe Reuhl at 713-348-5175.

Jobs@Rice

I am a new hire at Rice and was told to come to Human Resources to fill out paperwork, what do I need to do? Please visit the Human Resources department in Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, Suite 2600 (26th floor) to fill out your paperwork. Please bring your work authorization documents with you. You must come by the Human Resources Department within your first three days of employment. Where do you list the jobs that are available? All open staff positions are posted on the RICEWorks website. To be considered for a position, you must apply online. How do I apply? To apply for a position, go to the RICEWorks website, identify the position(s) you wish to apply for, and complete the online application. How may I check on the status of my job application? Once you have applied for a position, you will be able to monitor the status of the search via RICEWorks. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by either Human Resources or by the hiring department. Will I be contacted? If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted either by HR or by the hiring manager. Where are the Human Resources Offices located? All the HR Offices (except for HR Training)are located on the corner of Main Street and North MacGregor Drive in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza in suite 2600 (26th floor). The closest visitor parking to our office is in the Founders Court Lot on the Rice University campus, which is accessible via Entrance 2 off Main Street. From the Founder's Court Lot, you will need to walk to Entrance 3 (located at the intersection of Main Street and MacGregor) and cross Main Street. The Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is located at the southwest corner of Main Street and MacGregor directly across MacGregor from Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. The entrance to the building is located on MacGregor Drive. We are located on the 26th floor in suite 2600. HR Training is located in the IBC building at 5616 Kirby Drive, suite 300.

New Employees

I am a new hire at Rice and was told to come to Human Resources to fill out paperwork, what do I need to do? Please visit the Human Resources department in Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, Suite 2600 (26th floor) to fill out your paperwork. Please bring your work authorization documents with you. You must come by the Human Resources Department within your first three days of employment. Where are the Human Resources Offices located? All the HR Offices (except for HR Training)are located on the corner of Main Street and North MacGregor Drive in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza in suite 2600 (26th floor). The closest visitor parking to our office is in the Founders Court Lot on the Rice University campus, which is accessible via Entrance 2 off Main Street. From the Founder's Court Lot, you will need to walk to Entrance 3 (located at the intersection of Main Street and MacGregor) and cross Main Street. The Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is located at the southwest corner of Main Street and MacGregor directly across MacGregor from Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. The entrance to the building is located on MacGregor Drive. We are located on the 26th floor in suite 2600. HR Training is located in the IBC building at 5616 Kirby Drive, suite 300. I need to meet with someone to set up my benefits. How do I do that? If you are a new employee you must sign up for benefits within your first 31 days of employment. Please call Human Resources to set up your appointment.

Training

I have heard about the ACT program, how can I find out more about it? View our act website at http://act.rice.edu/ to learn more about the ACT Program. If you have any questions please contact Marie Wehrung.

... Eligibility

Do I need my supervisor's approval to attend training? It's always a good idea to have your supervisor's buy-in before attending a training session. Will the registration system prevent you from enrolling in a course without some explicit approval from your supervisor? No. However, it's highly advisable that you share with your supervisor what your motivations are for taking a class (what you believe you'll get from it), and how that will benefit you back in your job. Then request his or her support for you to be in training on the appointed day and time, and work together to make sure your work is covered, critical tasks are completed, etc. My spouse works for another organization, but thinks we have some helpful training classes available. Is my spouse eligible to participate in our training classes? We're flattered that your spouse thinks the training we offer would be beneficial to him or her! In order to preserve the safety of the training environment, and create a space in which all participants feel free to share from their experiences, we believe it's important to limit participation in HR-sponsored Training opportunities to members of the active Rice working community (specifically current staff and faculty). Are Rice alumni eligible to participate in our training programs? Ditto our answer to the preceding question! If a Rice alum is REALLY motivated to take one of our courses, we'd be happy to discuss alternative ways for that alum to get the benefit from the course without perhaps sitting in on the actual course. The interested alum should contact Marie Wehrung in the Training office at x6003 or learn@rice.edu to discuss this. Are current Rice students eligible to participate in our training programs? There have been rare occasions when a current Rice undergraduate student has participated in one of our training programs. Typically it happens because the student has a particular job on campus whose training requirements include one or more of our training classes. In those cases, the student's supervisor has discussed this issue with us and gotten approval in advance for the student to enroll in the class. As with the answers to the two previous questions, we believe it's important to limit participation in HR-sponsored Training opportunities to members of the active Rice working community (specifically current staff and faculty), so will make exceptions for students in rare circumstances.

... Scheduling

When are training classes typically offered? ACT Program and HR Training classes typically are held in the fall and spring months, to coincide with the academic calendar semesters. In the fall, most classes are offered in October and November, with fewer available in September and December. In the spring, most classes are offered in February and March, with fewer available in January and May. Do you offer HR and ACT Program training classes in the summer? With limited exceptions, the HR Training and ACT Program don't offer training classes during the summer. Those exceptions include the ACT Program's Faculty Administration and Faculty Promotion and Tenure Process classes (which typically are held in late May and early August, respectively), and classes requested by individual departments for their staff. Otherwise, our experience is that most folks either are busy with activities related to the end of the old fiscal year and the start of the new one, or they're taking well-deserved time off, so aren't available to attend training. If you REALLY want to attend training in the summer, and can guarantee at least the minimum number of participants for the course(s) you desire, we're happy to arrange something with you. Just contact Marie Wehrung in the Training office at x6003 or learn@rice.edu. Are classes ever canceled? What's the procedure for that? On occasion, it becomes necessary to cancel a class due to low enrollment. If you're interested in taking a class, it's CRITICAL that you sign up for it sooner rather than later. Classes with below-minimum enrollments 3 days prior to the class date will be canceled (though that window of time may expand to as much as 3 weeks if the facilitator is coming to us from outside of Rice). In the event we cancel a class, we'd send an email notifying you of the cancellation so you could free up that time in your schedule, AND not make a needless trip over to the training room. My department wants training in a particular course, but it's not currently scheduled to be offered. Is there some way that I can arrange that? Absolutely!! We're happy to offer training for individual departments, providing (1) training really WILL address your needs and (2) you provide at least the minimum number of people necessary to have a successful class. Just contact Marie Wehrung in the Training office at x6003 or learn@rice.edu to discuss this.

... Logistics

Is there a cost for attending training? At this time, neither individuals nor their home departments are charged for training set up by the Training office. Training pays fees to outside consultants to facilitate some of the classes, and of course Rice staff who facilitate training are receiving a salary for their "day jobs," so we don't like the valuable time they set aside to facilitate training to be wasted by facilitating too-small classes (caused by either below minimum enrollment from the start, or as a result of no-show participants). The best way to help us not think about implementing fees for training is to sign up for courses, and communicate in advance when a change in your schedule prevents your participation in a class for which you're registered. Where is training typically held, and how do I get there? Most training classes are held in the International Bank of Commerce (IBC) Bank Building, 5615 Kirby Drive (1 block south of Sunset Blvd.; between Nottingham and Quenby Streets), Suite 300. As class size dictates and space permits, courses may occasionally occur in a classroom on campus. Of course, if you make arrangements to bring a course into your department, you'd have the option of having the training in a venue convenient to your department offices, or to have it in the IBC Bank building. Parking is available in the garage just east of the IBC Building; enter from Nottingham Street. For further details, follow the instructions you receive in your training reminder email message. Can I park my vehicle in the parking lot of the building where I attend training? It depends! If you're attending a class in the IBC Bank building, then you're welcome to park in the garage just east of the building (watch for details in your training reminder email message). Of course, if you're attending a training class held on campus, then your best bet is to park in your assigned lot and walk or take the bus to the location for the training. What's the difference between "Series __" and "Part __" in a course description? "Series" represents the number of times a course has been offered, and ties back to a particular date in which a course is offered (e.g., "Rice 101, Series 8" means this is the eighth time we've offered "Rice 101" to the campus). The "Series" number is mostly for internal Training use, and allows us to monitor dates, number of participants, etc. On the other hand, a course listing that indicates "Part I," "Part II," etc., means the course is offered over the course of two or more sessions, and is complete ONLY when you've attended all of its parts. Each training class listed on the schedule will have a "Series" number assigned to it; very few classes will be offered in multiple parts, so few will indicate "Part I, Part II, etc." How do I know if a class has multiple parts? A class with multiple parts will indicate the number of parts in its description, just behind the series number. For example, the following class will be offered in two parts (and will be complete only when someone has participated in and completed both parts): Interviewing: More Than a Gut Feeling - Series 6 (Part 1): Mar 21, 2007, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Part II): Mar 22, 2007, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Do I have to have taken all previous series of a course before I can take the series currently offered? NO! The Series number simply is a running tally of the number of times a course has been offered. HOWEVER . . . if you're considering participating in a multi-part course (see questions above), you MUST have attended Part I before you attend Part II.

... Miscellaneous

Do I get recognition for participating in training? First, you get the satisfaction of taking action to further your own personal and professional development! Second, you walk away with useful new information and tools to better support you in getting your job done. Finally, you'd certainly want to get a copy to your supervisor, and you're encouraged to send a copy your certificate of completion to Human Resources to be filed in your personnel file. In this way, it will become a part of your official University record, and can be taken into account when you're under consideration for promotions, transfers, pay increases, etc. I have an idea for a course that could make a good addition to the training roster. How do I pass along that information? We're all ears! Just contact Marie Wehrung in the Training office at x6003 or learn@rice.edu to discuss this.