A message from the Office of Human Resources.

CommonHealth, the Virginia Employee Wellness Program, has just announced a free wellness opportunity for Virginia employees.

The WW (formerly Weight Watchers) series is available to ALL EMPLOYEES (you do not have to be a WW member).

The live series is presented on Saturdays. They will also be available on demand.

Register here.

 

 

 

 

A message from the Office of Human Resources.

To: All Staff and Faculty

The UMW community has done an amazing job responding to the challenges we’ve faced as a result of the coronavirus.  Over a short period of time, the majority of our workforce transitioned to telework and has since been finding new and creative ways to serve our students and provide excellent institutional support.

This is a reminder that, even while teleworking, there may be times when taking leave becomes necessary.  Below are some guidelines regarding leave types that are available and their appropriate usage:

Regular leave (sick, vacation, annual leave, etc.)

• Use your regular leave for your own illness (non-COVID-19) or if you just need to take some well-deserved time off (use your department’s usual approval process).

 

State and Federal leave options are available for different COVID-19 scenarios:

Virginia Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) – applies to all employees including wage and adjunct positions

Under the Virginia’s revised State Public Health Emergency Leave policy you may be eligible for Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) if you:

• Are an essential, on-campus employee and have been required by public health officials to self-monitor during the incubation period
• Are diagnosed with COVID-19 or are caring for someone who has been diagnosed
• Are in a job that is not conducive to telework and no other work arrangements can be made.  Every effort is being made to keep employees in a working status.
• Are unable to work onsite due to high risk category or underlying health condition.

Leave hours available:

Full-time employees are eligible for up to 160 hours;

Wage employees are eligible for up to the maximum normally worked in a four-week period

Process for supervisors to request this leave on the employee’s behalf:

1)      Complete the online MyTime Supervisor Form for each employee, indicating the total number of PHEL hours

2)      Once approved, you will key into MyTime the total number of PHEL hours for the pay period.   A special leave code is added to the timesheet.

Please contact Denise Frye at dfrye@umw.edu with any questions about PHEL.

 

New Federal Leave: Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)  

Click here to view the federal FFCRA poster.

Overview:  Additional paid leave for full time and part time (including wage) employees and expanded family and medical leave for specified COVID-19 issues that affect you and your family members. This is in addition to the State Public Health Emergency Leave described above.

Effective Date:  04/01/2020 to 12/31/2020

Two Components:

Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act 

If you are unable to work or telework for the following reasons, you will be provided with two weeks of paid sick leave for full-time and pro-rated for part-time employees:

1. To self-isolate due to diagnoses with positive COVID-19;
2. To obtain a medical diagnosis/care for symptoms of COVID-19; or
3. To comply with recommendation of health care provider that you need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 concerns

If you are unable to work or telework for the following reasons; you will be provided with two weeks of paid leave that will pay 2/3 of your regular pay up to $200 for full-time and pro-rated for part-time employees:

1. To care for an individual who is quarantined or advised to self-isolate;
2. To care for a child if the school or child care provider has been closed or the provider is not available due to COVID-19;
3. Who are experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As a reminder, Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) participants WHO ARE ILL with COVID-19 symptoms must file a short term disability claim by calling Reed Group at 1-877-928-7021. DO NOT file a claim simply because you have been exposed but have no symptoms or are self-isolating.

 

Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (FMLA)

Paid leave time for the last 10 weeks of the Family Medical Leave Act Period at 2/3 of your regular rate of pay; maximum pay is $200 per day. (previous periods of 2020 FMLA usage is included).

This leave may be used intermittently and when returning to work from the emergency period you still have your job protections thein the same manner as FMLA affords you.

To be eligible:

1. You must have worked for at least 30 calendar days.
2. You are unable to work, including telework, due to the need to care for your child under age 18 because school or your child care provider is closed or the provider is unavailable due to COVID-19 (documentation is required).

Please contact Denise Frye at dfrye@umw.edu for more information about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

 

Thank you for all you’re doing to keep UMW moving forward while keeping yourselves and your families safe.

Sincerely,

Beth Williams
Executive Director for Human Resources

A message from the Office of Human Resources.

As President Paino stated in his recent email, UMW is facing unprecedented financial challenges due to COVID-19, and we must make difficult decisions in order to ensure we are able to continue to serve our students.

As a part of the larger effort to reduce expenses and prepare for the coming impact to revenue, UMW has decided to suspend the Tuition Waiver and Tuition Reimbursement programs for the academic year, beginning with summer classes. This is a difficult decision for us as an educational institution, and we appreciate your understanding as we make these hard choices. We are hopeful the University will be in a position to restore these programs in the next academic year.

Thank you for your continued hard work and flexibility as we navigate these challenging times together.

Thank you,

Beth Williams
Office of Human Resources

A message from the Office of Human Resources.

The 2020 UMW holiday calendar designates May 11 as Employee Appreciation Day; this has not changed, we still have the day off!

Traditionally, this day is intended to give faculty and staff a break after Commencement. Although there’s no graduation ceremony this spring, UMW employees have been working tirelessly responding to COVID-19 and continuing to do great work under very challenging circumstances. We want to show our gratitude with this well-deserved break on Monday, May 11.

Thank you for all you do, and enjoy your time off to rest, relax and recharge.

 

Best wishes, and Be Well!

Beth Williams
Executive Director for Human Resources

Starting Friday, May 1, it’s Open Enrollment!  This is your window each year to enroll in a health plan and/or a flexible reimbursement account (FSA), change your health plan, add or remove family members or waive state health coverage.

Changes to your premiums, health benefits and FSAs will take effect on July 1, 2020.

Plans Offered	Administrator	Available
COVA Care	Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield	Statewide and elsewhere
COVA HealthAware	Aetna	Statewide and elsewhere
COVA HDHP	Anthem	Statewide and elsewhere
Kaiser Permanente HMO	Kaiser Permanente	Regional, primarily in Northern Virginia
Optima Health Vantage HMO	Optima Health	Regional, in Hampton Roads
TRICARE Supplement	Selman & Company	Statewide and elsewhere for employees or their spouses who are military retirees

 

Need help making decisions?  ALEX, your online benefits counselor, is on the job again!  ALEX can assist you in reviewing your health plan options, do the math based on your input, and recommend a plan for you.

See the Spotlight newsletter, which was mailed to your home address. Or you can visit the Open Enrollment page for more information.

Make your elections on EmployeeDirect or complete, sign and mail an enrollment form.

The deadline to enroll or make changes is Friday, May 15, 2020.

Questions?  Contact your Benefits Administrator or send an email toopenenrollment@dhrm.virginia.gov

.

To: All Staff and Faculty

From: Beth Williams, Executive Director of Human Resources

With the constantly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the health, safety and well-being of  UMW staff, faculty and students is our primary concern, and we want to ensure we are providing timely and accurate information, support and resources. This message is intended to reiterate important information provided in prior campus-wide emails, and provide additional information of particular concern to UMW employees.

Things to do now:

• Read all the University email updates and stay informed with accurate information. The University’s Coronavirus Information page is a reliable resource.
• Continue to practice frequent handwashing and respiratory etiquette, as detailed on the Coronavirus FAQ page.
• Managers should ensure that any employees who are able to telework are prepared to do so. Review your part of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and ensure your team knows who is designated as essential personnel.
• If you are sick, please stay home, to care for your own health as well as to avoid spreading the illness to others.  Follow your department procedures for notifying your supervisor that you are staying home (or leaving work) and report your time off in MyTime.
• Use your health insurance to seek medical care.  All the Commonwealth medical plans offer options for online doctor visits, which can be a good option for some, as it minimizes exposure.
• The coronavirus situation may cause heightened anxiety levels; if you would like assistance coping with anxiety, or need other emotional support, the Commonwealth’s health insurance plans offer individual counseling sessions through Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). Covered employees and their dependents qualify for up to four sessions at no charge. Confidential assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Simply call the number below that corresponds to your health plan and you will speak to an EAP specialist who will assess your concerns and coordinate the appropriate assistance. This benefit is always available through your health plan.

COVA Care and COVA HDHP

Anthem
Member Services: 1-855-223-9277

EAP Brochure

EAP Website

(Select Member Login, then enter “Commonwealth of Virginia” as the company)

 

COVA HealthAware

Aetna – www.covahealthaware.com
Member Services:  1-888-238-6232

www.mylifevalues.com

(Username and Password:  COVA)

 

Kaiser Permanente HMO

Member Services:  1-866-517-7042
www.achlevesolutions.net/kaiser

EAP Brochure

 

• Employees covered under the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP), whose illness lasts longer than seven calendar days, may be eligible for short-term-disability. To apply, you may call the Reed Group directly at 1-877-928-7021 or apply online at www.reedgroup.com/vsdp-claims.
• Employees who are quarantined but not sick, and for whom telework is not an option, should use annual or family/personal leave rather than sick leave.
• Leave share donations are an option for Non-VSDP classified and AP Faculty employees who have exhausted their leave.  VSDP employees are not eligible for leave share donations except to care for an ill family member (must meet the requirements for FMLA).

 

In the event of a disruption to University operations or a shutdown:

• Managers and Supervisors:  Encourage employees to adhere to the guidance provided in emails and on the Coronavirus FAQ page.   Support your staff members’ decisions to go home when feeling sick or work from home. Respect the privacy of employees by not seeking information from them about their medical conditions. As necessary, HR will provide more supervisory guidance.
• Nonessential Staff: Talk with your supervisors about working at home remotely. Refer to the telework page on the HR website.
• Designated Essential Staff: Talk to your supervisors regarding expectations, work assignments, and various relevant operational contingencies.  Be prepared for the possibility that your schedule may need to be modified, including any leave you have requested.
• Faculty: A separate memo from the Provost was distributed Sunday evening, March 8, and can be found on the University’s Coronavirus Information page.
• If the University shuts down, UMW will follow the state’s emergency closing policy: http://web1.dhrm.virginia.gov/itech/hrpolicy/pol1_35.html.  Under this policy, full-time employees will be paid at their regular rate of pay.

Support the members of our community:

In keeping with ASPIRE, we are committed to a working and learning environment that supports the wellbeing of all faculty, staff and students free from harassment, discrimination and unfair bias. Faculty, staff, and students who have questions or concerns are encouraged to report a bias incident or contact Terri Arthur tlockhar@umw.edu or Sabrina Johnson sjohnson@umw.edu directly.

We will send updates as things progress.

For questions about benefits or time off, please visit the Human Resources Website; if you don’t find what you need, contact the HR Department.