Mason's Onboarding Portal
Classified Staff
Welcome!
We are delighted to welcome you to the Mason community and look forward to working with you! As you embark on your career as a Mason Patriot, we hope you will find the information below of assistance. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (703) 993-2600 or via email at hr@gmu.edu.
Select from each of the boxes below to access the New Employee Welcome (NEW) Center, including MasonOnBoard (new hire documents) as well as information on benefits, policies and handbooks, and the many resources available to you to enhance your well-being.
Supervisors of new employees should also view this Supervisor Checklist for Onboarding New Employees (PDF).
Before visiting the NEW Center, complete your MasonOnBoard hiring documents.
GPS Address:
4441 George Mason Boulevard
Fairfax, VA 22030
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
(best time to visit is between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon)
Parking:
- Drive to the Rappahannock River Deck (Campus Map).
- Go to the Visitors Parking entrance located off Patriot Circle.
- Park in the #21 or #22 designated spots (or any other space marked “NEW Center”).
- You do NOT need to pay for parking while visiting the NEW Center. The signs to prepay do not apply to you.
- Follow the directional arrow on the green sign to Merten Hall, go up the stairs, and cross two zebra-striped pedestrian walkways.
- The entrance to Merten Hall is located between Panda Express and Einstein Bros.
- Take the elevator to the fourth floor and turn left for the Human Resources & Payroll Office.
- Check in with the reception desk.
- If you have any questions, please contact us at 703.993.2600 or hr@gmu.edu.
- We look forward to welcoming you to our Mason community.
Federal I-9 Documentation:
You will need to bring your ORIGINAL documents with you to the NEW Center/Human Resources & Payroll within 3 days of your FIRST day of work for pay). A list of acceptable documents can be found at USCIS acceptable I-9 documents.
Parking:
Would you like to park your vehicle at the Fairfax, Prince William, or Arlington campus? Check out the parking options at http://parking.gmu.edu. If you plan to buy a permit, please bring your vehicle registration issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles with you when you go to the parking office located next to the Shenandoah Parking Deck on the Fairfax Campus.
Note: Arlington and Science & Tech parking information is also on the parking website shown above.
Please visit the International Tax Office
If you are a Foreign National who does not have U.S. Lawful permanent residence (green card), please follow the steps in the International Employees document.
New employee orientation for Classified Staff is held virtually on a bi-weekly basis across two separate sessions (see below).
- Part I (Tuesdays): Intro to Mason, Policies and Procedures, and Employee Resources
- Part II (Thursdays): Employee Benefits for Classified Staff
Your orientation is scheduled based on your start date and is included in your official welcome letter.
- Classified Benefits Orientation PowerPoint (English)
- Classified Benefits Orientation PowerPoint (Spanish)
If you have any questions, please contact the Organizational Development and Learning team at hrlearn@gmu.edu.
Below is a summary of benefits available to classified staff. When you visit the New Employee Welcome (NEW) Center, you will be signed up for a benefits orientation during which a member of the Benefits team will discuss these topics in detail. For more information on each topic, please click the hyperlinks which will guide you to our Benefits website.
Retirement
Virginia Retirement System Hybrid - Combination Defined Benefit (DB) and Defined Contribution (DC) plan. The DB portion has a mandatory employee participation of 4% with an actuarially determined employer contribution and vesting after 5 years of service. There is a mandatory employee contribution of 1% in the DC and a 1% employer match. Participants may contribute up to an additional 4% in the DC portion with a corresponding employer match (see table below).
VRS Hybrid Contribution Schedule |
||
| Employee | Employer | |
|---|---|---|
| Defined Benefit: | ||
| Total Mandatory Contribution | 4.0% | Actuarially Determined Rate |
| Defined Contribution: | ||
| Total Mandatory Contribution: | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Voluntary Contributions | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.5% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.25% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.25% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.25% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.25% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.25% |
| Voluntary Contributions | +0.5% | +0.25% |
| Total Voluntary Contributions | 4.0% | 2.50% |
| Total Maximum Contributions | 9.0% | 3.50% + reduced Actuarially Determined Rate |
Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP)
Classified Staff are automatically enrolled in the VSDP. Under VSDP, full-time staff are credited with the following VSDP leave hours on January 10th each year:
| Years of State Service | Sick Leave | Family/Personal Leave |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 | 64 | 32 |
| 5 to 9 | 72 | 32 |
| 10 or more | 80 | 40 |
Unused sick and family/personal leave may not be carried forward from one year to the next and staff are not paid for any unused leave at separation. (New full-time staff hired on or after July 10 will receive 40 sick leave hours and 16 family/personal leave hours for that calendar year.)
Part-time classified staff are credited with the following hours on January 10th each of year:
| Years of State Service | Sick Leave | Family/Personal Leave |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 10 | 32 | 32 |
| 10 or more | 40 | 40 |
Unused sick and family/personal leave may not be carried forward from one year to the next and staff are not paid for any unused leave at separation. (New part-time faculty hired on or after July 10 will receive 20 sick leave hours and 16 family/personal leave hours for that calendar year.)
VSDP also includes short-term and long-term disability benefits. There is a one year waiting period before the staff member is eligible for VSDP short-term disability coverage.
After one year of employment, new hires and rehires will be eligible for a 60% benefit for the first 5 years. After you have satisfied the waiting period, short-term disability benefits are payable during periods of total disability, partial disability, maternity leave, or periodic absences due to a major chronic condition, as determined by the VSDP administrator. Short-term disability benefits provide an income replacement for a maximum of 125 workdays. You become eligible for long-term disability payments after you satisfy a 180 calendar-day (26 weeks) waiting period, following the commencement of your disability. Long-term disability benefits provide you with an income replacement of 60% of your compensation and are payable during periods of total or partial disability.
VSDP participants are also covered under the VRS Long-Term Care Program. There is no cost to you. This long-term care plan assists you in paying for nursing home care, assisted living facility care, hospice care, at-home services and community-based care. The maximum daily benefit amount is $96 with a lifetime maximum of $70,080.
Supplemental Retirement Accounts
403(b) Tax-Sheltered Annuity, offered through TIAA & Fidelity Investments.
VA 457 plan, offered through the Commonwealth of Virginia. The record-keeper for investments is ICMA-RC.
The Cash Match Plan is available to salaried employees enrolled in the 403(b) plan or the 457 DCP who are not enrolled in the VRS Hybrid Plan or have maximized their voluntary contributions to the VRS Hybrid Plan. This plan provides a match equal to 50% of your contribution up to a maximum of $20 per pay check (The maximum cash match is $18.46 for bi-weekly employees paid over 26 pays)
Rehired employees not participating in the VRS Hybrid Plan will be automatically enrolled in a 403(b) plan after 90 days of employment if they do not either enroll in a supplemental retirement account or complete an opt-out form. Mason will deduct $20 per pay period and deposit it with Fidelity Investments, the default vendor for auto-enrollment. Mason will open a second account with Fidelity Investments and contribute a $10 per pay period cash match. Both accounts will be invested in Fidelity Freedom Funds, a fund tied to the estimated year of retirement based upon age.
Health Insurance
Classified Staff who work at least 20 hours per week may choose one of the following health insurance plans through the Commonwealth of Virginia:
- Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield (PPO or HDHP)
- Aetna (CDHP)
- Kaiser Permanente (HMO)
- TRICARE Supplement
Plans include prescription and dental coverage (with the exception of the Tricare Supplement, which does not include dental). Staff who work at least 30 hours per week have their premiums shared between the employee and Mason. Part-time classified staff who work 20-29 hours per week are eligible for health benefits, but must pay the total premium (employee plus employer contribution). Premiums are payroll-deducted on a pre-tax basis.
A decision to waive or enroll in single, dual, or family coverage must be made within 30 days of the employment date. For staff hired after the first of the month, health insurance will take effect the first of the month after the first date of employment. Staff hired on the first calendar day of the month will have coverage effective the first of that month if the form is received within 30 days of the first working day.
Plan or membership changes can be made during the Annual Spring Open Enrollment for an effective date of July 1. Membership changes can also be made within 60 days of a qualifying mid-year event and will take effect on the first of the month following receipt of a completed enrollment form or the event, whichever is later (except in the case of birth/adoption or divorce when coverage is retroactive to the first of the month in which the event took place).
For the most up-to-date information on rates and coverage, please visit the DHRM website. You are also encouraged to review DHRM's Eligibility Guide for enrollment timeframes and qualifying mid-year event (QME) deadlines.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Mason Classified Staff may enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) through the Commonwealth of Virginia:
The Dependent Care FSA allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible dependent care expenses (child or elder care).
The Medical FSA allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for IRS-approved medical expenses.
Basic Life Insurance
Mason automatically provides basic life insurance policy through Securian Financial for full-time and part-time classified staff (50% appointment time or greater) effective on the employment date. Mason pays the entire premium. The basic benefit is two times the individual's annual salary. There is also an accidental death and dismemberment provision of four times the individual's annual salary. A benefit amount above $50,000 is subject to taxes, per IRS regulations.
Optional Insurance Plans
Family Medical Leave Act
Annual Leave
Full-time classified staff earn annual leave on an accrual system in accordance with the number of years of state service.
Part-time classified staff earn annual leave on a proportionate basis.
Leave must be earned before it is used and may not be advanced. Once separated from employment, classified employees are paid for unused annual leave up to the allowable maximum. Please note that no leave is accrued in a pay period during which an employee has unpaid leave hours. An employee must have worked or have been paid for the entire pay period in order to accrue leave in that pay period. The chart below shows the hours earned per years of service and the allowable maximums for each category for semi-monthly classified staff:
| Years of Service | Hours Accrued per Pay Period | Hours Accrued per Year | Maximum Carryover Limits* | Maximum Payment Limits |
| Up to 5 years | 4 hours (bi-weekly = 3.69 hours) |
96 hours (12 days) |
192 hours (24 days) |
192 hours (24 days) |
| 5 years | 5 hours (bi-weekly = 4.62 hours) |
120 hours (15 days) |
240 hours (30 days) |
240 hours (30 days) |
| 10 years | 6 hours (bi-weekly = 5.54 hours) |
144 hours (18 days) |
288 hours (36 days) |
288 hours (36 days) |
| 15 years | 7 hours (bi-weekly = 6.46 hours) |
168 hours (21 days) |
336 hours (42 days) |
288 hours (36 days) |
| 20 years | 8 hours (bi-weekly = 7.38 hours) |
192 hours (24 days) |
384 hours (48 days) |
336 hours (42 days) |
| 25 years | 9 hours (bi-weekly = 8.31 hours) |
216 hours (27 days) |
432 hours (54 days) |
336 hours (42 days) |
*As of January 9th each year
For further information on annual leave for classified staff please refer to DHRM Policy 4.10.
Parental Leave
Up to 320 hours of paid parental leave are available for full-time classified staff. Those working part-time will be allocated a prorated amount as appropriate.
Parental leave can be used starting from the date of birth/placement of the child. Employees have six (6) months from that date to take the leave. Any unused hours after six (6) months will be forfeited. Holidays and weekends cannot be used to extend the parental leave usage window. For example, an employee whose baby was born on July 10, 2018 has until January 10, 2019 to use up their parental leave allotment.
Employees should contact a Benefits Administrator at least thirty (30) days in advance of the leave period to begin the parental leave process. Proof of birth or legal custody documentation will be required.
Please see DHRM Policy 4.21 for more information.
Commuter Choice Transit Benefit
Employee Tuition Exemption
Faculty and staff (including adjunct faculty and non-student wage) are eligible for the tuition exemption. Conditions apply. Please see the Tuition Exemption page.
Benefits Action Summary
Action Needed: Time frames are based upon first day of employment.
| Within 30 days 1 | • Health insurance (complete form even if waiving coverage)
• Flexible spending accounts 2 • Additional life insurance |
| After 1 Year | • VRS faculty and classified staff become eligible for short-term disability after a one-year waiting period. The date of any eligible event must occur after one year of employment to invoke short-term disability for that event. |
1 Next time to enroll will be during Open Enrollment in May of each year with an effective date of July 1. Eligible employees may also enroll, stop, or modify within 60 days of a qualifying mid-year event (e.g. marriage, divorce, or birth of a child). Any mid-year changes will be effective on the first day of the month following receipt of the completed election form except for adding newborns, adopted children, or children placed for adoption. In these cases, health coverage is retroactive to the first day of the month in which the birth, adoption or placement for adoption occurred.
2 You must enroll every plan year in a Flexible Spending Account to have an account, so if you want to continue using your FSA or enroll in one for the first time, be sure to take action during Open Enrollment.
Please review the Policies and Handbooks page which contains important information for all university employees at George Mason University. This is not intended to cover every applicable law, rule, or regulation or provide answers to all questions that may arise.
During the first few months at Mason, new employees are required to take a series of trainings. To access the trainings (including instructor-led and online) please log in to MasonLEAPS and search the titles below.
- FERPA 101 → Due upon employment*
- Security Awareness Training → Due within the first 14 days of employment*
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Required Trainings → Due within the first 30 days of employment
- University Policy 1204 Training (Prohibited Relationships with Students) → Due within the first 30 days of employment*
- Civility and Violence Prevention Training → Due within the first 90 days of employment*
- Emergency Preparedness Training → Due within the first 90 days of employment*
*This training will automatically be assigned to your MasonLEAPS transcript.
For additional details, including a full breakdown of the trainings, please view our State Mandated Training handout.
Payroll Information
The Payroll Department is responsible for the timely and accurate processing of all University payrolls. We also make all payroll related tax deposits, reconcile health care billings, make retroactive pay adjustments, pay all third parties payroll vendors as well as collect and disburse all garnishments, tax liens, and child support orders.
Payroll Schedules
Most Faculty and Classified employees are paid under the Semi-monthly payroll, with some exceptions for Facilities, Police, Freedom Center, Housing, and HR & Payroll departments. All wage employees are paid under the Bi-weekly payroll. Please check with your Department to confirm your payroll schedule. Visit the Payroll Calendar & Schedules page to find the most up-to-date schedules.
Timesheets
You will receive e-mail reminders to your Mason e-mail account to inform you about the submission deadlines. You can also refer to our Payroll Calendars for those dates.
Administrative and Professional Faculty, and Classified Staff:
May be categorized as exempt or non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. All wage and student wage employees are considered non-exempt employees.
-
- Exempt employees do not receive overtime pay and should only report leave used on their timesheets.
- Non-exempt employees receive overtime pay and should submit the hours they worked on their timesheets each day worked.
Adjunct Faculty, 9 Month Instructional/Research Faculty, and Graduate Assistants:
These employee types are not required to complete timesheets.
Timesheet Approvers
If you are a timesheet approver, you can correct a submitted time sheet in Patriotweb before approving it and also submit a time sheet for an employee who has missed the deadline. For further information, see our details on the process.
We recommend all timesheet approvers to set up a proxy who can take care of approvals if needed. Please see How to Create a Proxy for Timesheet Approval.
If you anticipate approving timesheets for wage employees under the bi-weekly payroll, please refer to the timesheet charges FAQ for more details.
Tax Forms
New employees who do not submit Federal or State tax forms completed correctly will be taxed at the rate of single with zero exemptions (withholding allowances). This tax rate will not be changed until the correct W-4 and State Tax forms are received. Taxes withheld at the higher single/zero rate, due to incorrect submission, will not be refunded to the employee by the Payroll Office.
International employees should contact the International Tax office to complete any tax forms.
Federal Tax
Once we setup your Federal tax information you should be able to update your W-4 Form any time via patriotweb.gmu.edu. While we cannot provide tax advice, we can give you some tools to address your needs:
State Tax
Due to the complexity of the state tax regulations, we do not offer the ability to update the state tax information via Patriotweb. If you need to update your State tax information, you will have to complete the tax form and send it to HR & Payroll.
Virginia Withholding Calculator for VA-4 Form
Virginia has reciprocal agreements with Kentucky, Maryland, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. If you are resident of one of these states, you can submit the corresponding state tax form, so no withholding for Virginia will be taken from your payments. Find your state tax form.
Mason does not provide courtesy withholding, so residents from other states will have to complete a VA-4 Employee’s Virginia Income Tax Withholding Exemption Certificate and claim exemption.
If you are an employee working remotely from another state, please look for your state tax form.
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Spouse and Partner Employment
- HR assists Mason employees' spouses and partners in finding local job market information tailored to their interests and experience. For more information, visit the dual career assistance page.
Please visit our Employee Perks and Incentives page to view all of the well-being resources available to new and current employees.