April 2009 > HR Forum > HR Pro > HRS Home
HR Forum - April, 2009
Also available as a downloadable PDF file: Presentation [PDF: 398 KB; 42 pages]
Safety Awareness - Connie Deutsch, Director, Work/Life Services & EAP and Chief Robert Dahlstrom, University Police Department
See handout [PDF].
Work/Lifes Services & EAP Update - Connie Deutsch, Director
Lunchbox Presentation: Saving Your Sanity-The Teenage Brain and How to Parent It
Presenter: Kristi Cannon, Ph.D., private practice
Today, April 8, 2009
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Texas Union, Eastwood Room, UNB 2.102
Contact: eap@austin.utexas.edu
Workplace Rudeness & Incivility
Presenter: Rita Handrich, Ph.D., Psychologist
For Supervisors, Managers & HR Reps
Thursday, April 9, 2009
8:30 a.m. to Noon
North Office Building A
NOA 4.106A
Registration required
Contact: eap@austin.utexas.edu
Manager Series: First-Time Supervisor's Coaching Group
Co-presented by Work/Life Services & EAP and Employee Management Services (EMS)
Fridays, May 1 through June 19, 2009
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
North Office Building A, Training Room, NOA 4.106A
Registration required
Contact: eap@austin.utexas.edu
University Compliance Services - Kay Novello, Training Coordinator
Compliance Office
- Director - Rudolph (Rudy) Green
- Compliance Coordinator - Clay Simmons
- Training Coordinator - Kay Novello
- Sr. Administrative Associate - Cristy Oliver
- Administrative Assistant - Darlette Powell
Compliance Training Modules Required of All Employees:
- CW 101 Introduction to U.T. Compliance Program (14 min.)
- CW 121 Sexual Harassment (9 min.)
- CW 123 Equal Employment Opportunity -EEO- (18 min)
- CW 170 IT Security Awareness (12 min.)*
* (required if you have an e-mail address in the directory)
Compliance Training Modules Rquired of All Full-time Employees:
- CW 102 Use of U.T. Austin Property (4 min.)
- CW 103 Information and Records (6 min.)
- CW 106 Gifts and Gratuities (4 min.)
- CW 107 Political Activities and Contributions (3 min.)
- CW 108 Copyrighted Property (5 min.)
- CW 122 Drug-Free & Weapon-Free Workplace (6 min.)
- CW 124 Overtime Compensation, Exempt & Nonexempt Timekeeping (3 min.)
- CW 125 Family and Medical Leave Act -FMLA (4 min.)
- CW 126 Outside Employment (5 min.)
- CW 162 Purchasing (9 min.)
- CW 163 Contracts & Agreements (3 min.)
Departmental Compliance Report
- Designated HR representatives are authorized to run reports for their unit codes.
- Others employees must get authorized by Kay Novello.
- To run reports go to https://utdirect.utexas.edu/cts/ and select “Department Compliance Status”.
- Report will show each employee in your unit code that needs training and which modules they need.
The University of Texas at Austin Office of Institutional Compliance, Compliance by Class (April 2, 2009)
Thank You!
- I (Kay Novello) am retiring from UT Austin effective April 30, 2009.
- Our training numbers are excellent. This is due to your hard work and constant vigilance.
- You have made my job easier and I greatly appreciate it.
- I will always remember the many friends I made here.
Attach-A-File -Jim McElroy, Director, Human Resource Service Center, Human Resource Services
Attach-A-File
- Allows job applicants to create a “formatted” resume, letter of interest, and list of work references
- Job Application System
- Document Management (Resume Information)
- 15 Resumes
- 15 Letters of Interests
- 5 Work References
- “Do I Qualify”
- Job posting Additional Materials will display
- Hard audit
- Other Material
- Document Management (Resume Information)
- Job Application System
- HRMS-Recruiting Summary (JZ8)
- Only those job applicants who selected the required Additional Materials (resume, letter of interest and/or work reference list) will appear
- Hiring manager determines what Additional Materials are required for selection
- Resumes are always required
- New columns added to Applicant List to view required Additional Materials
- If Other Materials (transcripts, coursework, work samples) is selected, allow 5 days for mailing after the job closes
- Hiring manager determines what Additional Materials are required for selection
- Roll-out in early May
Staff Service Award Certificates - Kelly Lomasney, Interim Assistant Director, Human Resource Service Center, Human Resource Services
Certificates
- Please pick-up your department’s 10-25 year award certificates if you have not done so already
- 30 years and above will be presented at the President’s Awards for Outstanding Staff Members
- Thursday, May 7, 2009
- 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
- Texas Union Ballroom
Federal COBRA Subsidy - Kelly Lomasney, Interim Assistant Director, Human Resource Service Center, Human Resource Services
Summary
- Result of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
- 65% COBRA premium reduction effective March 1, 2009 for medical, dental and vision coverage
- “Assistance eligible individual”
- Qualified COBRA beneficiary as the result of an involuntary termination during the period of September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009
- Eligible for COBRA continuation coverage during that period
- Elects the coverage and pays 35% of the premium
- Premium reduction ends
- If individual becomes eligible for coverage under any other group health plan,
- After 9 months of the reduction, or
- When the maximum period of COBRA coverage ends
- Employer is reimbursed for the 65% premium through a credit against its payroll taxes
Involuntary Terminations
- For staff and A&P employees, separation reason codes will be used to determine subsidy eligibility
- Dismissal
- Layoff
- Separation reason code may not reflect subsidy eligibility if
- Employee resigned or retired in lieu of termination
- Employee does not accept a reduction in hours, and resigns, retires or is terminated
- For faculty, the Provost’s Faculty Separation Profile will be used to determine subsidy eligibility.
- For graduate student employees, we will rely on departments or graduate students to report dismissals to determine subsidy eligibility.
- HRS may contact you for assistance and any documentation available to determine subsidy eligibility.
Communication
- UT System Office of Employee Benefits (OEB) will send a special notice to all employees who lost eligibility for coverage after September 1, 2008
- Notice must be provided by April 18
- Going forward, HRSC will include notice about the subsidy with the regular COBRA notice that is sent to individuals who have lost eligibility for coverage
2009-2010 Holiday Schedule - Lisa Milne, Interim Assistant Director, Employee Management Services, Human Resource Services
| Holiday | University Status | Date | Day of Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | University closed | 9/7/2009 | Monday |
| Thanksgiving Day | University closed | 11/26/2009 | Thursday |
| Day after Thanksgiving | University closed | 11/27/2009 | Friday |
| Winter Break | Skeleton crew required | 12/22/2009 | Tuesday |
| Winter Break | Skeleton crew required | 12/23/2009 | Wednesday |
| Winter Break | University closed | 12/24/2009 | Thursday |
| Winter Break | University closed | 12/25/2009 | Friday |
| Winter Break | Skeleton crew required | 12/28/2009 | Monday |
| Winter Break | Skeleton crew required | 12/29/2009 | Tuesday |
| Winter Break | Skeleton crew required | 12/30/2009 | Wednesday |
| Winter Break | Skeleton crew required | 12/31/2009 | Thursday |
| New Year's Day | University closed | 1/1/2010 | Friday |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | University closed | 1/18/2010 | Monday |
| Memorial Day | University closed | 5/31/2010 | Monday |
Please note: December 26, 2009 and June 19, 2010 fall on Saturdays, and July 4, 2010 falls on a Sunday.
Summer Insurance - Vilma Santos, Interim Human Resource Manager, Human Resource Service Center, Human Resource Services
Summer Insurance
- Summer Insurance Coverage
- 9-month faculty, TAs and AIs automatically pre-pay for summer insurance coverage
- Communication will be sent via e-mail on Monday, April 13
- Cancellation of Pre-Payment
- To cancel pre-pay, employees must be working and earning enough during the summer months to pay for insurance premiums
- Cancellation may be possible if the employee experiences a Qualified Status Change
- To cancel pre-payment, must submit signed authorization
- Cancellation form must be returned to HRSC (J5600) no later than Monday, May 4
- Re-enrollment must occur during Annual Enrollment and EOI requirements will apply
- Summer Insurance: GRAs
- GRAs do not have the option to pre-pay for summer insurance coverage
- GRAs must be appointed in a benefits eligible position
Academic Advising Job Title Series - Kirsha Del Pino, Interim Assistant Director, Staffing & Career Management Services, Human Resource Services
Background - Provost's Council on Academic Advising worked with SCMS to form a subcommittee to review Academic Advising job title series.
- Issue 1: Lack of an entry level job title for those wishing to gain access to the professional field.
- Issue 2: Job Descriptions needed review and updating.
- Issue 3: Career path was defined by numbers in the series.
Recommendations
- The subcommittee developed an entry level job title and job description.
- Updated and modernized the job descriptions to
- Reflect common tasks and language;
- Increase level of responsibility; and
- Incorporate feedback from key stakeholders.
- Addressed the series designation (I, II, and III)
- Dropped numerical designation
- Adapted the prefix series that is used in academic and research titles and in other jobs families on campus
- Job titles, purpose, functions and qualifications are now consistent with trends published by NACADA
- Received favorable feedback during informational sessions
Title Comparison
| Existing Title | New Title |
|---|---|
| N/A (Entry Level Title) --> | Assistant Academic Advisor (JC 3098) |
| Academic Advisor I --> |
Associate Academic Advisor (JC 3097) |
| Academic Advisor II --> (JC 3086) |
Senior Academic Advisor (JC 3096) |
| Academic Advisor III --> (JC 3085) |
Academic Advising Coordinator (JC 3095) |
Migration Plan
- All titles have an Effective date of 03/01/2009 within the UT Austin Pay Plan
- Salary ranges are identical to existing classifications; no financial impact
- Options for implementation: Use the new titles or wait until 9/1/2009
- 9/1/2009 all current incumbents in existing Academic Advising titles will be moved to the new titles
- SCMS will work with lead HR departmental contacts to ensure there is proactive communication to employees prior to 9/1/2009
HRMS End User Training - Kirsha Del Pino, Interim Assistant Director, Staffing & Career Management Services, Human Resource Services
- SCMS offers a hands-on computer lab course that covers creating documents for new positions, reclassifying, modifying and recruiting for positions.
- Next class: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from 9:00am – 12:00pm
- To enroll online: PN 704 (EID Required)
- Online training videos available on HRMS Project Web site
FMLA Compliance Poster - Cindy Posey, Communication Coordinator, Human Resource Services
Compliance Poster - Spanish version of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) poster is now available online.
Next HR Forum
- Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 10 a.m.
