Newsletter
November 2009
BENEFITS FAIR - 2009 OPEN ENROLLMENT
Personalized benefit summaries and informational packets will be coming out soon! Upon receipt please review the materials and decide what you have to do. If no changes are required then re-enrollment in the medical, dental, vision, life and disability coverage is automatic. New forms are required if you want to make changes to your existing benefits or if you want to participate in the 2010 Medical Premium Rebate or Flex Spending Account (FSA) program. Forms will be due into Human Resources by Friday, December 4. Call HR at x. 6108 with any questions you might have.
When: Wednesday, November 11 - 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Old Chapel/Hale House/Everest Lounge
Who: All Faculty and Staff are Welcome!
What: Meet with vendors and enroll in or change your benefits
GET A FLU SHOT AT THE BENEFITS FAIR (by appointment only 8:30 - 1:00 pm, Everest Lounge)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if everyone got a flu shot, sick days would be reduced 32 to 45 percent. Do your part and take advantage of this "free" offering, at the benefits fair, sponsored by the Union College Wellness Program. Call Human Resources at x. 6108 for an appointment. If you cannot make it for a free flu shot at the Benefits Fair, all Union College UC-CDPHN HMO, UCPOS and MVP HMO members-including family members, if appropriate for their health status, may receive a free flu shot from their primary care physician. (*Employees who are on antibiotics and women who are pregnant or nursing will need a note from their doctor before a shot can be administered).
*At this point, because of controlled distribution and limited availability, we have no plans for offering the H1N1 vaccine.
SAVE ON YOUR TAXES - FLEX SPENDING ACCOUNTS - (a.k.a. Health/Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts)
Elect to redirect a portion of your salary to a "Reimbursement Account" and "bank" your money in a TAX-FREE account. The UNTAXED money can be used to pay for all those health and/or dependent care expenses that eat away at your take home pay. Expenses for you and your family members include, but are not limited to: insurance plan co-pays for medical and dental visits, over-the-counter medications, prescription co-pays, contact lenses or glasses, chiropractor, hearing devices, insurance deductibles, child care or elder care. A Reimbursement Account Enrollment Form is included in the benefits packet.
Employees using the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account have until December 31 of each year to incur claims. Employees using the Health Care Reimbursement Account have until March 15 of the following year to incur claims and until March 31 to submit claims for reimbursement. To receive more information, please call Human Resources. Remember, year 2010 re-enrollment is not automatic and the deadline to enroll is December 4.
MEDICAL PREMIUM REBATE
Want to save some money? If you are enrolled for medical insurance at Union and your total household adjusted gross income is less than $67,731, you can save money by completing and returning a simple form along with proof of adjusted gross income (2008 Income Tax Return, page 1). The Medical Premium Rebate Program supplements the cost of your medical insurance premiums. The size of the rebate is based on level of medical insurance coverage and total household income level. Rebate dollars are determined by total household adjusted gross income level with a phase-out beginning at $45,154 and reduced to zero at $67,731. For more information, stop by Human Resources.
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES AT UNION COLLEGE
Union College offers a "menu" of financial planning advisors as a proactive step to helping employees and retirees better manage their personal finances through education and assistance from trained professionals. Those on the "menu" have been reviewed by an employee committee and are well suited for providing advice on topics including: retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, insurance, estate planning, charitable giving, and long term care.
We are very pleased to announce that UBS Financial Services/The Quinn Group, has been re-added to our "Menu of Financial Planning Services Options". Your contact person with UBS Financial is Alissa Quinn (Calabria) Union College Class of 1984 (alissa.quinn@ubs.com).
We were also informed that Banc of America Investment Services, Inc. was merged into Merrill Lynch. Merrill Lynch is now considered the investment/brokerage division of Bank of America. Brad Wagner continues to be the contact for Merrill Lynch/Banc of America (brad.f.wagner@ml.com).
For information on how to contact Alissa Quinn, Brad Wagner or any of the listed Financial Planners, please contact HR or go to:
- UnionCollegeis providing this information as an employee service. The decision to use one of these companies is at the sole discretion and risk of the employee. Union College accepts no responsibility for the services rendered by these companies nor makes any representation that a company's services or commission charges are the most competitive.
OPTIONAL "SUMMER" HOURS FOR "WINTER" BREAK
During the Winter Break, beginning Monday, November 30, 2009, and ending Friday, January 1, 2010, and with the approval of department heads or chairs, individual departments may institute "Summer Hours" of 8:00 a.m. to 4:24 p.m. As is customary, administrators are not considered to be on a fixed 37 or 40 hour week and need to work the hours necessary to get the job done.
EFFECT OF MOVING HOURLY STAFF JANUARY 1, 2010 PAYCHECK ON VACATION ACCRUAL
The recent change in the hourly staff pay calendar for 2009, making December 31st a payday instead of January 1, added an additional pay day in 2009 -- 27 pays instead of 26. Some employees noticed the reduction in their vacation accrual rate and expressed concern. Because of the additional payday it was necessary to reduce the accrual rate so that employees were not credited with vacation time in excess of the vacation accrual schedule. In the end, all staff will be credited with the correct amount of vacation time.
PREPARE FOR TOMORROW TODAY - TIAA/CREF & FIDELITY
TIAA/CREF will be on campus for counseling sessions on Tuesday, November 24, and Tuesday, December 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., HR Conference Room - 17 South Lane. To schedule an appointment with the TIAA/CREF Representative, call 1-866-842-2046, 786-5900, or go to www.tiaa-cref.org/moc (select New York and Union College).
FIDELITY will be on campus for counseling sessions on Wednesday, December 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - HR Conference Room, 17 South Lane. To schedule an appointment with the FIDELITY Representative, call 1-800-642-7131. For general questions, you can speak with a Fidelity representative at 1-800-Fidelity (800-343-3548).
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)
The EAP provides counseling and referrals for a wide variety of issues, such as:
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Union College employees and household members can see an EAP counselor for up to 3 sessions per issue at no cost to you. EAP counseling sessions may be enough to resolve the matter. However, if an employee or eligible household member needs additional services, the EAP counselor will make an appropriate referral. Should there be a cost for those additional services, it is possible that medical insurance may cover those costs. The best way to become familiar with the many benefits of the EAP is to log onto the website at www.WellnessWorkLife.com. To set up an appointment for any of the above services, simply call (800) 828-6025 Monday - Thursday between 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM Eastern time, or between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM on Fridays. In the event of a clinical emergency, call 800-828-6025 any time, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week and you will be able to speak to an EAP counselor. All conversations with the EAP are strictly confidential!
UNION WELLNESS
Union College cares about the health of its employees and promotes a work culture and environment that supports healthy and safe behaviors/lifestyles. The College offers a variety of health education, fitness, wellness, and health promotion programs through Human Resources, Athletics, the Arts Department, Health Services, and our health insurance providers. These programs are generally offered free of charge or at a reduced cost through the Employee Wellness Program! Employees and their families may also avail themselves of the health and fitness facilities of the Alumni Gym, the wellness programs offered by an insurance provider, and the EAP.
HURRAY FOR BROADWAY - ½ PRICE BROADWAY SHOWS
The School Ticket Program provides Union employees (or students) with discount coupons, which can be exchanged for Broadway, Off-Broadway, theatre, dance or music tickets, either by mail, telephone, or in person at the box office. The number of coupons is limited so please take a coupon only if you will use it. Coupons are currently available for Altar Boyz, Avenue Q, Big Apple Circus, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, Burn the Floor, Bye Bye Birdie, Finian's Rainbow, Fuerza Bruta, Lion King, Mamma Mia, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Mary Poppins, New York Philharmonic, Phantom, Rock of Ages, Stomp, and the 39 Steps. Coupons are available at Human Resources, 17 South Lane.
The EAP offers free, confidential counseling assistance for you and your family members
Call 1-800-828-6025
* The Human Resources Newsletter is now being distributed electronically, to the majority of employees, with only paper copies printed for those departments with limited email access. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at ext. 6108.