Employee Well-Being
Oregon State University provides a variety of well-being resources to support employees.
Emotional and Psychological Health
Lyra Health is OSU’s mental health and emotional wellness benefit available to employees and their dependents. Lyra Health offers a range of services, including access to a network of experienced and culturally responsive mental health professionals, therapists, and counselors who are available for in-person and virtual appointments. The Lyra platform provides resources for self-guided support and emotional well-being tools. Employees have access to online resources and eight coaching or therapy sessions during the calendar year.
The Lyra library offers employees structured courses, live webinars and gatherings that help reduce stigma, support managers and teams, and build mentally healthy workplaces. Lyra Gatherings, a part of the Lyra library, are clinician-led group discussions where employees engage in structured, moderated conversations intended to strengthen the connection between social identity, mental health, and workplace experiences. Lyra also offers OSU employees a variety of Worklife services including legal services, financial consultations, identity theft support, dependent care resources and referrals for child, elder, and pet care.
Lyra’s Care Navigators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
- 1-877-235-7812
- [email protected]
Employees can also create an account at the OSU Lyra website and engage with resources.
Additional Emotional and Psychological Health Resources
Equal Opportunity and Access is responsible for overseeing compliance with civil rights and affirmative action laws, regulations, and policies. They provide leadership, guidance and training in these key areas to promote equitable and inclusive environments for all Oregon State University community members. EOA serves as the university's Title IX and Americans with Disabilities Act/Section 504 coordinating office.
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) provides mental health counseling to students, and consultation, outreach and education to all OSU community members. Its’ mission is to (1) facilitate student’s academic success, mental health, and personal development and (2) promote a culture of positive mental health at OSU.
The Mind Spa is a unique sanctuary open to OSU students, faculty, and staff, where you can soothe your mind, body, and spirit. Come explore an experience like no other on the Corvallis campus. Relax privately in this quiet single-user space, unkink that stubborn muscle in the full body massage chair, center yourself in the meditation corner, use our guided relaxation software to find calmness, or sit by the therapy light on a rainy day. You do not need to be a CAPS client to use the Mind Spa — it's free and open to everyone in the OSU community.
Center for Advocacy, Prevention & Education (CAPE) cultivates a survivor-centered, trauma informed, culture of consent. The center’s aim is to create lasting social change and eliminate gender-based violence through shared goals of comprehensive sexual health education, action-oriented prevention, and compassionate survivor support.
The University Ombuds Office promotes civility and inclusivity by providing informal, impartial, and confidential conflict management services to all members of the university community. The Ombuds assist with individual concerns through service and education and serve as change agents to address group conflict and systemic concerns. It is the goal of the Ombuds to foster a culture of healthy, safe, and open dialogue, and facilitate cooperative problem resolution.
AgriStress Helpline for Oregon is a free 24-hour, 7-days-a-week hotline designed for the agricultural community and their families in Oregon supported by OSU Extension Service.
Environment and Occupational Health
The Workplace Safety Culture Task Force was created in 2021 to evaluate OSU workplace occupational safety and health programs. The task force developed recommendations that align with best practices at universities. One recommendation was to conduct an employee survey. In February and March 2023, OSU conducted an employee safety perception survey partnering with the National Safety Council. Qualitative results collected through the survey indicated safety perceptions were influenced by broader experiences at work that are typically outside the scope of the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) programs and would benefit from collaborative and integrated approaches aligned with the Total Worker Health approach. In December 2023, a Total Worker Health Basics and Practical Application for Higher Education workshop was provided by the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center to the OSU University Health and Safety Committee, which includes representatives from each college, Human Resources, Risk Management and Student/Occupational Health Services as well as SAIF consultants, a faculty/staff fitness coordinator, physical activity course director, and College of Health faculty.
Current focus areas identified in the survey for workplace safety improvement at OSU align with the Workplace Safety Culture Task Force recommendations that are currently being implemented. These include:
1. College/Department Safety Advisory Committees:
OSU’s EHS will work with all colleges and departments to establish safety advisory committees that provide management and employee forums for sharing and solving health and safety concerns and issues.
2. University Health and Safety Committee:
This committee will be restructured to improve communication and collaboration across the university. It will be comprised of one representative from each college and department safety advisory committees.
3. Dean’s Safety Reports:
EHS will develop and distribute periodic Dean’s Safety Reports on accident, injury, loss history and compliance status data by college. Reports will be shared with all deans and the provost to identify improvement areas and prevention strategies for their operations.
4. Fieldwork Safety:
Multiple academic departments are partnering with EHS and the Division of Research and Innovation to assess current practices and develop recommendations to enhance field safety. A Fieldwork Safety outreach event took place in May 2024.
Additional Environment and Occupational Health Resources
The University Health and Safety Policy outlines responsibilities for management, employees, and departments in implementing health and safety practices and procedures.
The Department of Public Safety believes that interactions involving members of the Oregon State University community, the public and public safety personnel should strive to follow an educational model, be responsive and non-escalatory, and be restorative, not punitive, whenever possible. The DPS seeks to advance and support an environment within Oregon State University that is welcoming, compassionate, caring, understanding, trusting and diverse.
OSU’s Workers’ Compensation provider is SAIF. SAIF endorses Total Worker Health and promotes the value of the approach. A TWH approach reduces workers’ compensation claims over time. SAIF is in a Total Worker Health Alliance with OR OSHA and the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences.
OSU’s Occupational Health Services believe that a healthy, productive workforce and safe working environment are of critical importance. It is a centrally funded program that provides a range of personalized health screenings and preventative practices such as medical screenings, physical examinations, surveillance, immunizations, hearing tests, travel consultations, and health and safety education.
Financial Health
OSU’s College of Business CAFE (Center for Advancing Financial Education) is a one-stop financial wellness center, providing free services to the OSU community and beyond. The CAFE provides support, resources and information to navigate college and make sound financial decisions. They provide free one-on-one appointments, self-study modules, and presentations and workshops on topics such as paying for college (billing, financial aid, scholarships, resources, and more), creating a budget, post-college financial planning, and more.
Tuition reduction is available to OSU employees appointed to at least .50 FTE to receive reduced tuition for themselves that can be transferred to family members for a maximum of 12 credits.
Relocation and housing resources for OSU employees include homebuying resources, discounts and benefits for home loans, Oregon housing and community services, and temporary housing opportunities.
Retirement Plans
There are two voluntary retirement plans at OSU to support employees with planning for retirement income through regular, planned investing. Employees determine how much to save each month and contributions are made to their accounts through payroll deductions. Contributions can be made on a pre-tax basis or post-tax basis. The plans include:
- TDI (Tax-Deferred Investment 403(b) Plan)
- OSGP (Oregon Savings Growth 457 Plan)
University-funded retirement plans are also provided to eligible employees working in qualifying positions. Eligible academic faculty, professional faculty, and police union employees have a choice between two employer-paid retirement programs. These options include:
- The Optional Retirement Program (ORP) is a defined contribution plan and is participant-directed (employees select the investments). Employee’s accounts are credited with earnings/losses based on their investment returns.
- The Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) is a pension program and is a defined benefit plan funded by OSU. It includes a lifetime pension benefit. It also includes an Individual Account Program (IAP) that is a defined contribution plan that is funded by OSU.
Eligible classified employees are enrolled in the pension program administered by the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), as described above.
OSU offers generous paid leave programs to eligible employees including vacation leave, sick leave, and paid holidays. The State of Oregon also provides a paid family and medical leave program.
Health Benefits
OSU employees receive medical, dental and vision benefits through the Public Employees Benefits Board. OSU pays 95% of premiums for employees and eligible dependents. These plans include unique benefits that support the physical, emotional and financial well-being of OSU employees and their dependents. They also provide support for chronic health conditions. PEBB offers optional benefits including flexible spending accounts to support savings for health and dependent care expenses, life insurance plans, short term disability plans, long term disability plans and long-term care plans.
Graduate employees receive health benefits through the Graduate Health Plan, which includes comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage.
Lifestyle Benefits
OSU employees have access to negotiated group rates on valuable benefits that fit their lifestyle through Corestream. These benefits are employee-paid through convenient, monthly payroll deductions, making life and managing finances a little easier. Options include accident insurance, critical illness insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, auto and home insurance, and pet health insurance.
Fitness
Faculty Staff Fitness provides a year-round opportunity to focus on fitness, embrace wellness, make connections, enjoy easy accessibility, and earn the long-term rewards of leading an active lifestyle. Faculty Staff Fitness has proudly served OSU’s faculty, staff, graduate assistants, spouses/partners, retired staff/faculty, and affiliates of the university since 1984. Classes include a wide range from aerobics, aquatics, mind & body, sports (pickleball, of course), and strength training. During office hours blood pressure can be checked. Courses are offered in person and online to accommodate employee schedules and locations across the state.
Physical Activity Courses (PAC) offers courses online and in person and professional certifications including CPR/First Aid, PADI SCUBA, Wilderness First Aid, and Yoga Teaching. The range of courses offered to OSU students includes aerobics and fitness, aquatics, dance, martial arts, mind/body, outdoor recreation, leadership, and sports.
Recreational Sports memberships are available to OSU students, faculty, and staff in the Corvallis area at reasonable prices with fitness, wellness, sport, and adventure opportunities on campus and in beautiful Oregon. Students, faculty and staff have access to the Fitness Center on the OSU-Cascades campus.
McDonald and Dunn research forests are in the “backyard” of OSU’s Corvallis campus. The forests are not only working and educational for our university, but they also offer a variety of recreational opportunities with over 35 miles of trails and over 110 miles of roads through the forests. Picnickers, trail runners, mountain bikers, equestrians, dog walkers, hunters, nature enthusiasts all enjoy access to these areas.
Professional Development
Mentoring programs are supported to create a sense of belonging at the OSU, college and program level. Mentorship is about building connection and trust as well as being in a place of vulnerability that allows for growth. Getting to a place where deep growth can happen takes time and intentionality from mentor and mentee. Resources are provided to department managers and leaders.
OSU’s New Employee Orientation is multi-faceted. Onboarding essentials are shared with a self-guided checklist, a supervisor checklist, an onboarding guide, orientation guide, benefits overview, and relocation and housing resources.
OSU Critical Training Program prepares faculty, staff, graduate assistants and student employees to contribute to OSU vision, mission and values, and to conduct themselves ethically, with the highest integrity, and in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and policies.
The Crucial Conversation Program helps participants see issues through the lens of their collaborators, dialogue on important issues, work more effectively as committed team members, and problem-solve in ways that reduce barriers. By learning how to speak and be heard, we help surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions, and act on decisions with unity and commitment.
The FourSight Mindset Reveal Program is a workshop that dives deep into the way people solve problems together. Grounded in research, FourSight teaches the four stages of the universal creative process and reveals people’s unique thinking preferences for clarifying, ideating, developing, and implementing.
LinkedIn Learning is available to all OSU employees and provides on demand learning solutions to build relevant skills from industry experts.
Understand your responsibilities as a supervisor and empower employees in every stage of employment. Recognizing that managers and supervisors play a key role in enabling employees to do their best work, the Managerial Competency Framework is woven throughout these trainings. It delineates the competencies OSU expects of supervisors and managers as well as the knowledge, skills, and abilities that OSU managers must develop and refine to effectively manage and lead people.
Social and Cultural Health
The International Moms Group creates an encouraging community for international moms to be healthy, thriving parents. To empower international moms to make healthy and informed decisions that will impact the health and well-being of their children and whole family. To help the community and future generations appreciate diverse cultures.
We have several OSU faculty and staff affinity groups that allow for community building and support. These include the Association of Faculty and Staff for the Advancement of People of Color, President’s Commission on Indigenous Affairs, President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty and Staff Affairs, and President’s Commission on the Status of Women.
The Office of Institutional Diversity plans, leads and collaboratively implements institutional change actions to advance Oregon State University's inclusive excellence mission.
Spiritual Life @ OSU is an association of religious, spiritual and philosophical advisors from various faith traditions and expressions. Spiritual Life seeks to encourage and cultivate spiritual exploration, discovery, and development by connecting students with religious, spiritual, and philosophical clubs or organizations on campus and in the community that align with their desired path. Our hope is to help foster a deepening sense of meaning and purpose.
The Mind Spa is a unique sanctuary open to OSU students and employees to soothe mind, body and spirit. There is a meditation corner, zero gravity chair, daylight therapy lamp, Buddha board, weighted blanket, biofeedback software and game, and more.
Discounted rates on season athletics tickets for all sports are available to employees.
Employees are welcome to enjoy a variety of art exhibits, musical events, lectures, and other events at OSU including events hosted at the new performing arts center, PRAx.
Substance Use
The Tobacco-Free Policy, implemented on Oct. 2, 2019, made OSU 100% tobacco free, prohibiting smoking and all forms of tobacco use on all university-owned or controlled property. This was an update to a previous policy from 2014 adding non-combustible products and extending the policy to cover all university owned or controlled property throughout the state. This policy reflects OSU’s commitment to promoting healthy learning and work environments for all students, academic appointees, staff and visitors. Support is provided to quit tobacco and cope with cravings through OSU resources. See health.oregonstate.edu/tobacco-free.
The Drug-Free Workplace Policy, effective in 1989 and revised in 2008, reflects Oregon State University’s commitment to maintaining a workplace free from the unlawful manufacture, use, dispensing, possession, or distribution of controlled substances (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 802]). Unlawful manufacture, use, dispensing, possession, or distribution of controlled substances by university employees in the workplace is prohibited under university policy. Abuse of controlled substances in the workplace is dangerous and must be avoided.
Nutrition
OSU Student Health offers unlimited one-on-one nutrition counseling to students at no charge, provided by our registered dietitians. These services are individualized and provide a supportive space for self-guided goal setting.
The Orange Cash program provides a 10% discount at all university restaurants and residence hall cafeterias.
Transportation
OSU is one of 12 U.S. universities to be awarded the gold-level by the League of American bicyclists under the Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) Program.
Transportation options at OSU include bicycling, walking, carpooling and public transit. The Corvallis Transit System is free of charge.
Work Life at OSU
OSU Work-Life has a philosophy of integrating work life, educational life and personal life. Balance in our lives and a flexible work environment promotes learning, productivity and well-being. Work-Life consultations and presentations are provided by a coordinator to individuals, units and administrators that cover work-life needs such as elder care, child care, and time management.
OSU’s Work Life and Wellness Ambassador Program brings together a committed group of volunteers who understand the importance and value of connecting employees to work life and wellness programs and resources at OSU to support the whole employee. These volunteers help create a culture of whole-person wellness by promoting participation, awareness, and engagement in work life and wellness programs, services and events.
There are various resources for dual-career couples at OSU, including the ability to apply for internal postings and access to the Greater Oregon Higher Education Recruitment Consortium free job board to explore employment at other institutions of higher education within the greater Oregon and southern Washington region.
OSU is committed to being a wonderful place to work, learn and flourish; and to create and sustain healthy environments that enable community members to live productive, balanced, and engaged lives. To confirm this commitment, OSU supports the use of flexible work arrangements in situations where there is a mutual benefit to the employee and university. A toolkit is provided to supplement guidance to create, implement and communicate a strategy for FWAs and to support a flexible work culture within teams.
The Family Resource Center advocates for and provides quality programming and services to all OSU families with dependent care needs to support academic, professional, and personal growth and success of the whole person.
OSU has 30 lactation rooms across the Corvallis campus available to students, employees, and visitors, in addition to locations at OSU-Cascades, the Hatfield Marine Science Center and the Portland Center. Most of these rooms have electronic keypads. A lactation parking permit is available for nursing parents. In accordance with State of Oregon rules and law, it is OSU policy to provide a private location and rest periods to employees for the expression of milk.
Child care on the Corvallis campus includes the Dixon Kits Early Care & Education Center, Beaver Beginnings Child Care Center, Azalea Child Care Center, and Our Little Village Early Care & Education Center. These offer both short term or full day and have NAEYC accreditation. Little Beavs Early Care & Education Center is on the OSU-Cascades campus. OSU has a Child Development Center within the College of Health, which is a student training and research program. KidSpirit offers programs for school-aged children with intentional, high quality, equitable learning experiences that promote positive experiences.
OSU has a membership for Care.com to search for free for care providers that includes not only children but elder care, pet sitting and housekeeping services.
Employees can find elder care resources available in the community designed to provide resources for support of seniors and the family members who are caring for them. FRC offers a monthly, lunch-hour informational meeting and discussion about what it means to be a caregiver and how to optimally support elders and their caregivers.
Beaver Family Connections, Beaver Mom Connections and Beaver Dad Connections are groups that facilitate connections across the OSU community for parents.