Staff Benefits

NUI Galway provides staff members with an array of benefits that increase their financial security, help them develop professionally and promote healthy work life balance.

VHI Healthcare

The NUI Galway group scheme with VHI commences in April and ends the following March each year.Deductions can be made through the payroll office to pay for your VHI only. You must notify VHI if you wish to arrange salary deductions. Email payroll@nuigalway.ie for the group scheme number before contacting VHI.

Any amendments or request to stop deductions must be informed by the staff member to VHI directly.

Contact details for VHI: Kieran Shrahan 087-2361956 / Email: kieran.shrahan@vhi.ie 

VHI call centre in Kilkenny: 1890 44 44 44

Please see details on the Pensions & Investment website in relation to Health Insurance Comparison Service offered by Cornmarket.

Life Insurance

Friends First have been selected as the underwriter and providers of the NUI Galway Voluntary Life Cover plan

The Voluntary life cover plan offers members the opportunity to avail of additional life cover. The Life Cover benefit is three times your pensionable salary.  The Premiums will be deducted through your salary on a monthly basis and they will also attract tax relief at your marginal tax rate. 

For further information is available from the Pensions Office website.

For information relating to NUIG Group AVC Scheme and Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) please visit the Pensions and Investment Office website

NUI Galway is committed to supporting staff undertaking educational programmes to enhance their professional and personal development. This commitment is in accordance with the strategic aims of the University to maximise the potential of staff, to support the recruitment and retention of staff and to ensure a positive commitment to equal opportunities.

Supports include:

1. FEP (Further Education Policy) - a fund for which staff can apply for support when undertaking a part-time programmes of study. 
2. Study Leave

For further information please visit Staff Training and Development

Staff Training and Development

The learning and development programmes are available to view on-line or download from the eBook.  The opportunities listed on the eBook can be used to support staff development needs that are discussed during a performance review, inducting new staff to University, upskilling and development of indivduals and/or teams. 

The eBook is valuable resource with training offerings categorised from management and leadership development, information technology, supporting the student, university policies, and health and safety.

To view or register to attend a course offerings, please view the Course Registration page of this website.

Time Off‌

Holidays

Annual leave forms an integral part of each staff member’s contract of employment with the University where the annual leave year is from the 1st January to the 31st December. Annual leave should be taken within the leave year.  Details of staff annual leave entitlements are available in the Staff Annual Leave Policy.

Public Holidays and Good Friday

In addition to annual leave, the following days shall be extra leave: Good Friday and nine Public Holidays: 1^st January; St. Patrick's Day; Easter Monday; the first Monday in May, June and August; the last Monday in October; Christmas Day; St. Stephen's Day. Staff not rostered to work on a Public Holiday will be given the option of taking a day’s leave at an alternative agreed time or will be paid one fifth of their weekly pay. The choice of option will be by agreement with their line manager. The Human Resource Office should be informed of this in advance and will make the necessary adjustments.

Sick Leave

 

Sick Leave forms an integral part of each staff member’s contract of employment with the University. The granting of sick leave to a staff member who is ill is intended to provide an adequate opportunity for that staff member to recover from the illness and its effect so that s/he may make an early return to duty without a likelihood of a relapse into illness. For further information and the full scheme please refer to the Sick Leave Policy.

Maternity Leave

 

An employee is entitled to 26 weeks paid leave plus public holidays falling within the period plus option to take 16 weeks unpaid leave unless they are on a fixed term/fixed purpose contract in which case when the contract ends, the Maternity Leave will also end. For further information and tthe full scheme please refer to the Maternity Leave Policy.

The University confirms its commitment to develop, maintain and support a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities in employment with the University. To assist in this the University will actively support special leave/career break, parental leave and carers leave where it is reasonable and practical to do so and where operational needs will not be adversely affected.

Use of Facilities

Enjoy the use of Kingfisher facilities for sports and recreation; attend lectures, concerts, athletic events and exhibits; and obtain access to NUI Galway’s library facilities.

News and Information

Stay informed about events and initiatives throughout the broader university community via the online Ollsceala e-zine.

Employee Assistance Programme

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides free and confidential professional counselling and information services which are available to all employees of National University of Ireland, Galway and members of their families/households. The service is provided by EAP Consultants, a firm of external consultants who operate independently of management. The EAP offers help in the following areas:

• General information queries
• Family relationships
• Emotional problems
• Relationship problems
• Work related problems
• Marital problems
• Face-to-Face & Telephone Counselling
• Legal advice
• Independent financial advice
• Support to line managers
• Critical incident response

NUI Galway recognises the pressures all staff and their families experience and that internal resources are sometimes not appropriate for personal concerns. We also know that it is in everyone's best interest to ensure that personal and work-related problems are solved as early as possible. Staff are encouraged to use the EAP service, to help with problems at home and at work.

To make contact with the service, please contact the following FREEPHONE number: 1800 201 346 or log onto our dedicated web serviceand enter the following:

Login: nuigalway (case sensitive), Password: nuigp@ss

Further information can be received in confidence from Fiona O' Malley (ex.5420) or email: fiona.omalley@uigalway.ie Comments or Suggestions are welcome by emailing: Fiona.o’malley@nuigalway.ie

Parking and Transportation Services

Staff can participate in commuter programs, including free transit on campus via park and ride incentives and more. Be part of NUI Galway’s commitment to a green and sustainable workplace.

Relocation Expenses

It is University policy to assist its new appointees with the costs of relocating to Galway on first appointment to an academic staff post or to a senior support services staff post (A.O. and above). Such assistance is granted in accordance with the Removal/Relocation expenses Scheme.

Staff Discount Scheme

NUI Galway Staff may avail of discounts/benefits on presentation of a valid staff card at the time of purchase. Please click here for full detail of the discounts available under each category.

Creche

Spraoi Early Learning Centre operates the University Crèche, located at 50, Upper Newcastle.

About Spraoi: At Spraoi the focus is on learning through play. They implement the Aistear curriculum and incorporate elements of Steiner and Montessori. The centre has been refurbished to meet the needs of children between 6 months and 12 years. Their software app keeps parents updated in real time about their children's day, thereby including parents, as the primary educator, in the care of their child. The balanced and varied menu is prepared in house to meet the nutritional needs of the child and the new garden growing project links in with this. For smaller children the focus is on sensory play and Spraoi are working to develop the sensory experience both internally and externally in the crèche garden. Parents of children who are interested in enrolling children in the Crèche should contact spraoinuig@gmail.com

For a tour of the centre or more information, please contact Crèche Manager, Niamh Heneghan, on 091 493739

Academic Staff PC scheme

ISS in conjunction with the Human Resource's Office administers a Staff PC scheme. This is only relevant to new academic staff.

New Permanent academic staff and contract staff being appointed for a minimum of three years duration are entitled, under a scheme administered by the Human Resource's Office, to a new PC and a printer on appointment.

The Human Resources Office will advise ISS of all new appointments and she will then contact the appropriate Head of School and/or the new staff appointee to ascertain relevant details. A standard PC and printer will be supplied. ISS  will pre-configure the PC with MS Office, SPSS, Internet browsers and Mailers.

Please note that if the staff member requires any non-standard features, which increase the cost beyond the standard specification, this additional cost will have to be met from departmental funds.

Existing academic members of staff who wish to ascertain whether they are eligible for funding of a new PC to replace an existing old machine should contact Ms. Róisín Cahill-McCormack of the Registrar's Office in the first instance with details of the age of the existing machine.

More information may be found on the ISS website at: http://www.nuigalway.ie/cs or by contacting the ISS helpdesk at  servicedesk@nuigalway.ie

Note: In all other cases Schools/Units are responsible for costs incurred in the issue or replacement of PC's.