All newly hired faculty and staff are required to attend New Employee Onboarding by your first day. You will be registered for Onboarding by your department representative. The location, time, and parking information will be included in a welcome email that will be sent when registration is complete.

The checklist below lists forms that need to be completed on your first day of employment. You can either (1) print and complete the forms prior to your first day, or (2) complete the forms when you attend onboarding. Please use black ink to complete the forms. 

You also will need to bring the identification you used to complete your Form I-9 (passport or driver's license and Social Security card).

New Hire Forms Checklist for Regular Faculty and Staff

• Employment Eligibility Verification — Form I-9 (with accompanying required documents)
• State of Maryland Payroll Direct Deposit Authorization Form
• Employee's Withholding Certificate (Federal & State)
• Supplemental Data Form
• Retirement Forms (for Pension or ORP) — State law requires all regular faculty and staff to enroll in a retirement plan immediately upon employment.
• Health Insurance

If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, contact HRS at 410-706-7171, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., before arriving at Onboarding.

Retirement Plan Enrollment 

State law requires all regular faculty and staff to enroll in a retirement plan on your first day of employment. Membership begins with your enrollment date and ends on your last day of employment.

FACULTY AND EXEMPT STAFF

Regular status exempt employees and faculty are eligible for one of two retirement programs.

1. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System (MSRPS)
2. Optional Retirement Program (ORP). (Fidelity Investments, and TIAA)

Both programs offer income upon retirement. The main difference between the two plans is that the SRPS is a defined benefit plan that guarantees a benefit amount based on a formula, while the ORP is a defined contribution plan. An election to join either retirement plan is permanent and irrevocable. Enrollment in a retirement program is a condition of employment as stated in the Annotated Code of Maryland. If you do not make a retirement selection by your first day of employment you will be defaulted to either the Employees’ or Teachers’ Reformed Pension System. 

For basic points to consider in making your decision, please watch this short video and review the document below.

• Pension Plan/Optional Retirement Plan Comparison Chart

NON-EXEMPT STAFF

Non-exempt staff must join the Pension Plan that is available through the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System.

Law Enforcement officers are required to join the Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System available through the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System 

Health Benefits Enrollment

UMB participates in the State of Maryland health benefits plans. Please visit the State of Maryland Employee Health Benefits Division website for additional details on the benefit options available to you. 

How to Enroll: As a new employee, you have 60 calendar days from the date you begin employment to choose your benefit programs. UMB uses Maryland’s SPS Workday for employee health benefits management. SPS Workday allows UMB employees to view their current benefits, make benefits elections if they are new employees, or make changes to their benefits during an open enrollment period or after a qualifying life event. 

You will not be able to enroll until you receive a series of emails from the State that will include your user name (known as a “W” number) and a temporary password. Once you receive this information you will be able to enroll in benefits. Please note that these emails can take up to 30 days from your start date to be sent to you. This process cannot be expedited in any way

To enroll in health benefits:

• Find your SPS ID 

  New Hires will get an email alert to their UMB email within 2-3 weeks of their hire date or the date their were entered into our payroll system.  The email alert will be from stateofmaryland@myworkday.com and will contain

  Email 1:  The New Hire’s SPS ID (W#)

  Email 2:  A link to your temporary password - you must click on this within 24 hours of receipt

  New Hires must use the temporary password link in their initial email from stateofmaryland@myworkday.com to login to the SPS Workday System for the first time

• Login to SPS Workday
• Use the following Quick Reference Guide for New Employees to Elect benefits for the first time.
• Have your documentation such as marriage certificates, and birth certificates scanned for quick upload.
• Make sure to review the Benefits Guide and Rates, and have your elections handy

Effective Dates of Coverage: Coverage will begin on the 1st of the month following the start date of a new hire. The exception is if your hire date is the 1st day of any month. Then your effective date will be the 1st of the month that you started work. Coverage may NOT be backdated to your date of hire.

Effective Date Examples:

New Employment Date January 22nd = February 1st Effective date of coverage

New Employment Date March 1st = March 1st Effective date of coverage

Even though your coverage will become effective the 1st of the month following your hire date you will not receive your benefits cards until the State of Maryland Employee Benefits Division has processed your online request. If you have a medical need during this time you may be required to pay out of pocket for these services by your medical providers. If you pay out of pocket for a service it may be possible to submit claim forms for reimbursement. For more information, please contact the State of Maryland Employees Benefits Division at (410)-767-4775