Work/Life: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Work/Life All About?

Work/Life is the system of policies, programs and attitudes within a corporate/institutional culture that allows people to maximize their contribution to an organization while enhancing their personal lives.

How Does a Work/Life Program Benefit the Individual?

Because it allows people to:

Experience more job satisfaction
Have a better balance between their personal and professional/academic lives by

offering alternative work arrangements (part-time, job sharing, etc.) and by
offering on-campus services (post office, gift shops, travel agency, credit
union, access to University Library)

Reduce family conflict
Learn things of importance in their personal life (budgeting, lawn care, home

buying, etc.) and pursue wellness opportunities at a time that is more
workable (often lunch)

How Does IUPUI Compare to Others Relative to Work/Life?

• IUPUI already offers a lot of what typical work/life programs offer to full-time, appointed employees:
• Flexible Work Options (part-time, job sharing, etc.)
• On-site Childcare Availability
• Paid Vacation/Leave
• FMLA (Family/Medical Leave Act) Leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for Personal Counseling
• Insurance (medical, dental, life, supplemental life option, long-term disability option, personal accident option)
• Retirement Plan (pension, tax deferred annuity option)
• Supplemental Retirement Options - tax-deferred annuity (TDA/403b) and 457(b)
• Tax Saver Benefit (TSB) Option
• Fee Courtesy (saves you money if you or eligible family members are enrolled for credit or noncredit courses at the university)
• Paid Holidays
• Indiana Family College Savings Plan (an option for saving for college with some tax benefit)
• Discounts on Goods and Services (apartments, hotels, movie tickets, dry cleaning, fitness programs, etc.)
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Staff Recognition/Rewards Program

With So Much Already Available, What Else Do We Hope to Do in the IUPUI Work/Life Arena?

While the above list is extensive (something IUPUI can be proud of) it is felt that there is still a lot more we can do for our employees. We hope to:

• Offer personal development opportunities such as home/family/garden/consumer workshops (financial management, eldercare, home buying, etc.) to all faculty, students and staff regardless of part-time/full-time status.
  
  
• Make IUPUI employees more aware of what IUPUI offers them and how those things can help them balance their lives.
  
  
• Develop guidelines and appropriate forms for alternative work options and train managers and employees to effectively utilize the options.
  
  
• Explore new opportunities, which might make us an even more attractive employer - review/change policies that impede work/life balance, offer wellness opportunities, etc.

How Can I Get Involved?

• Serve as an advocate for the work/life program by calling 274-5466 or sending a message to mstimmin@iupui.edu and having your name added to the work/life e-mail list. Talk about work/life with others you are involved with. If you see work/life information in the HR Update, JagNews or other places spread the word to others.
  
  
• Let us know about work/life-related opportunities (wellness workshops, etc.) being offered on campus. We don't want to duplicate other efforts, but we are interested in helping to communicate existing efforts and possibly adding links to our Web site.
  
  
• Let us know about people with specific work/life interests (childcare, eldercare, wellness, etc.) so that we can involve them as we start working on those areas.
  
  
• Let us know about barriers to good work/life balance in our policies, etc.
  
  
• Suggest a slogan for the work/life program.
  
  
• Be patient. We are just getting a start on building the Work/Life program at IUPUI and only have a limited amount of time to work on it so while we have many tremendous ideas (and are still looking for more), it DOES take time.