July 2022 HRM Newsletter

Inside this Edition

Faculty Academic Year Pay Reserve Program

The Faculty Academic Year Pay Reserve Program is a volunteer pilot program for those faculty paid on an academic year basis and would like to utilize a KU program to hold funds (personal deduction) during the year and then disburse (refund) back in the summer. The pilot program has been extended for two more years, making it a three-year pilot. Information will be emailed to all academic year faculty in the coming weeks regarding the sign-up process for the new academic year 2022-2023. Re-enrollment is required each year.

New Employee Relations Employees

HRM is excited to share that in May, Beth Tucker began a position as Accommodation and Leave Specialist in Employee Relations and in July Jameson McCallister began as an Employee Relations Specialist Senior.

Beth has close to 20 years of Human Resources experience and a Masters in Human Resource Development/Organizational Development. She has been with KU since 2014. You may know Beth from her work as a Human Resource Coordinator in the Carruth Shared Service Center, where she worked from 2014-2019. Her most recent roles also been with KU in program coordination and continuing education. Beth comes to HRM with extensive HR and higher ed experience as well as established relationships on campus. Beth will be assisting employees with medical leaves and workplace accommodations.

Jameson (Jay) has close to 30 years of Human Resources experience. He served in Human Resource roles within the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years and has served in HR roles within the private sector for the last few years. Jay is working remotely from Chicago currently until he and his family move to the Lawrence area later this summer/early fall. In his role as Employee Relations Specialist Senior he will be partnering with employees and supervisors across campus to navigate personnel matters, assisting with providing guidance on HRM policies, and providing support to employees using the Performance Management System.

We are very excited to have Beth and Jay join our team.

Work Location and Work Type Updates

Employees are encouraged to review and update their current work type (on-site, hybrid and fully remote) and work location in HR/Pay under the Personal Details tile > KU Directory Info. Directory Job Aide: KU Directory Info (doc)

KU’s Leadership in Diversity & Inclusion Lunch and Learn

KU’s Leadership in Diversity & Inclusion graduate programs equip graduate students and working professionals to explore leadership roles in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our students are able to apply the skills they learn in real-world environments, fostering fairness and addressing bias in social and work spaces. Join us for a Lunch & Learn (with free dessert!) on Wednesday, October 19 at 12:00 pm (online or in-person) to learn more about our graduate programs and how additional certification in the DEIB field can benefit you personally and professionally.

Location: Online via zoom or in-person in Malott Hall, room 2010

Zoom Information:

https://kansas.zoom.us/j/96711318490

Meeting ID: 967 1131 8490

Passcode: 168958

Goal Alignment with Jayhawks Rising

As a reminder, the staff performance review period will now follow the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) rather than the calendar year. The goals added for staff to the FY2023 Goal Plan will cover 18 months (January 1, 2022-June 30, 2023), rather than just the fiscal year, due to the timing of the transition. While both staff and supervisors of staff can establish goals within the system, ultimately setting goals and expectations is the responsibility of the supervisor.

Starting with this new FY2023 Goal Plan, and subject to your leadership, Unclassified Professional Staff (UPS) and University Support Staff (USS) have the option to align their goals with the 13 objectives that make up the foundation of KU’s institutional strategic plan. The Jayhawks Rising Strategic Plan is organized around three institutional priorities and 13 objectives.

Employee of the Month Nominations

Thank you to all who took the time to nominate individuals for Employees of the Month, and we encourage others to follow their example and nominate an exceptional staff member by completing the Employee of the Month Nomination Form.

Winners receive a $750 award, a surprise visit from a member of the Provost’s Office, and they become a candidate for the 2023 Employee of the Year Award.

Nominations need not come from an individual’s supervisor; anyone can nominate staff whom they feel go out-of-their way to help others or exceed the normal requirements of their jobs. This program is open to all regular staff with half-time or greater appointment, with a year of service at the time of nomination. Employees of most affiliated corporations are also eligible for this program.

April – June 2022 Winners:

Will Allen

Jennifer Sanders-Kellogg

Daniel DePardo

Jessica Little-Greenberg

Derek Munoz

Teresa Aldrich

New Services Available at Watkins Health Services

Watkins Health Services continues to look for ways to expand offerings by bringing multispecialty services in-house. We are pleased to announce that physical therapy services are now available onsite. LMH Health recently opened a satellite office for providing physical therapy on the second floor of Watkins Health Center. Therapists from LMH Health come to campus each week to see patients instead of patients having to travel off campus to see them. Patients are seen by referral from Watkins medical providers. Outside referrals may schedule by calling 785-505-2725. LMH Health handles the billing for their own specialty services offered at Watkins. Please contact LMH Health directly with questions related to costs, insurance and billing.

For added convenience, Watkins Pharmacy invites KU faculty, staff and affiliates to fill prescriptions for their family members right here on campus. The employee should call 785-864-9494 to verify eligibility and have dependent(s) added to our records system. The employee will also need to complete the KU Employee/Dependent Authorization Form. Email whs-notifications@ku.edu to request this form. Watkins Pharmacy can fill any valid prescription issued by a healthcare provider licensed to practice in the United States. Bring the prescription to Watkins or your provider may call in the prescription to 785-864-9531, fax it to 785-812-0210 or send it electronically. Our staff can also assist with transferring prescriptions from a different pharmacy; call 785-864-9531 to initiate a transfer. Be sure to bring your insurance card with you. Most insurance plans are accepted. We are not a contracted provider for Medicare or Medicaid.

Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement

This quarterly newsletter from TIAA and Voya (pdf) about the Kansas Board of Regents 403(b) Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement Plans, contains information about inflation and market volatility, online tools and calculators, and on-demand webinars.

All benefits-eligible employees can participate in the Voluntary Plan.

The Mandatory Plan is available for eligible faculty and unclassified professional staff.

The State Employee Health Care Commission – Plan changes for 2023

All rates and plan design decisions are made annually by the State Employees Health Care Commission (HCC). Below is information about the changes the HCC voted to implement for Plan Year 2023. Later this year, the State Employee Health Plan will provide complete information in time for Mandatory Open Enrollment that begins October 1, 2022.

Medical Insurance

Increase the Employer's contribution towards medical coverage by 7.5%.
Maintain the current medical premiums for Employees.
Plan A - decrease copays to $20 for Primary Care office visits and $40 for Specialist office visits. A $0 Copay remains in place for services through the HealthQuest Health Center.
Plan A - Decrease deductibles to $800/$1,600.
Plans C & N - The overall family deductible isn’t changing but for employee plus dependent coverage tiers, the FIRST deductible applied to a family member will be $3,000 and the remaining family members will meet the balance of $2,500 for a total deductible of $5,500.

Dental Insurance

Remove the $13.38 per month Employee contribution for single coverage, making the single Dental plan a “zero cost” item for employees.
Reduce the Employee contribution for all other tiers of coverage (Employee/Spouse; Employee/Children; Family) by the same $13.38 per month.
Increase the Employer contribution amount for each coverage tier by $13.38 per month.

HSA/HRA Contributions

Plan C - Increase the Employer contribution amount to $2,000 annually for Employee + Spouse and Employee + Family coverage tiers.
Plan N - Increase the Employer contribution amount to $1,125 for Employee + Spouse and Employee + Family coverage tiers.
Plan N - Increase the Employer contribution amount to $1,000 for Employee + Children coverage tier.

HealthQuest

Eliminate the requirement for covered spouses to participate in HealthQuest to earn the annual premium incentive discount. Only the covered employee will now be required to earn the 40 HealthQuest credits to earn the full premium discount for the following year.
Eliminate the requirement for a covered spouse to earn HSA/HRA Rewards Dollars. In response, the employer HSA/HRA contribution amount was increased (see above).

Health Care Commission Maintains Vendor Relationships for an additional three years

The State Employees Health Care Commission (HCC) recently voted to award a three-year contract to existing vendors for the Employee Assistance Program (ComPsych), Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (NueSynergy), and Pharmacy Benefit Management (Caremark). Each new contract reflected a cost savings over the current contracts. The Commission also noted that maintaining consistency and minimizing disruption in member coverage as a deciding factor.

For more information about the HCC, or view previous meeting materials and recordings.

Student Hourly – Hiring Range

The current KU minimum wage for student hourly appointments is $8.00 per hour. Units may pay student hourlies up to $20.00 per hour with department approval. Rates of $20.01 or higher require advanced approval from Human Resource Management (HRM) by submitting a description of work and rationale to employ@ku.edu.

Managing Student Hourly Increases

Student hourly employees may be eligible for an increase due to performance, longevity, acquisition of new credentials, cost of living, etc. All increases must be recommended by the supervisor, funded, and approved by the unit hierarchy in advance for a future effective date and not be retroactive.

Beginning August 2022, KU will utilize a standardized process for units to request an increase for a student hourly employees active in the HR/Pay system. Rate increase requests will be collected three times a year for each academic period (fall, spring, and summer) with a standardized effective date.

Points to Remember and Deadlines

Advertise with JobElephant

Posting a job but don’t know where to advertise it? HRM has a new advertising avenue for those wanting to expand advertising efforts beyond the University’s subscription services. JobElephant is a service that can provide data metrics (views & clicks) and job-specific recommendations for online advertising locations, helping you to better use your budget and attract qualified candidates. When utilizing JobElephant you will only be charged for the posting rate for the advertising service(s) selected under one invoice. To see what JobElephant will recommend for your search, reach out to the SSC HR Coordinator for your department.

Jayhawks Rising – August Pay Increase

HRM will be working in August on the implementation of the increase as noted in the Provost email sent 7/1/2022.

HRM also has a webpage that includes details and a question-and-answer section.

*An accessible version of the documents on this site will be made available upon request. Please contact our office at hrdept@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format.