The following message is from the Office of Human Resources.

Dear Colleagues:

Open Enrollment for Tuition Reimbursement for courses starting July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 has begun and will end on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (courses outside of UMW) The complete policy and procedures are posted online but some important and key provisions are listed below. You may contact Denise Frye at dfrye2@umw.edu with any questions.

Program Purpose:

Eligible employees enrolled in a degree seeking program at other accredited institutions of higher education will be provided with tuition reimbursement up to a specified amount for courses after completion of the course and submission of proof of grade.

Eligibility:

This policy applies to classified, wage, administrative professional faculty, and other non-faculty part-time employees. Graduate Assistants who are required to be enrolled in UMW graduate programs are not eligible for this program. Eligible employees must be continuously employed by the University for a minimum of one year prior to their application for reimbursement and job performance must be satisfactory or at the “contributor” level. Tuition up to the approved amount will be reimbursed upon receipt of proof of completion of approved courses. Employees who receive tuition reimbursement must remain employed at the University of Mary Washington during the term of the courses taken and for one year after receipt of tuition reimbursement for those courses(s) or be subject to terms for repayment as described in the written agreement.

Important Information to Know:

• The open enrollment period is for courses taken July 1 2021 – December 2021 (The open enrollment period for courses taken January 1 to June 30 will be in October 1 – October 21)
• The program’s funding will be limited to $50,000 per calendar year; $25,000 will be budgeted for each period  January-June and July-December.
• Each eligible employee may receive up to $2,500 in assistance each period. The amount of assistance will vary depending on the number of requests and the  available funds for that period i.e.  where $25,00.00 is available, 20 requests may each be awarded  $1,250.
• A Tuition Reimbursement Request form is required to be submitted to Human Resources during open enrollment for courses starting July 1 2021- December 2021. (Link to the form is on page 3 of the policy and forms may be scanned)
• The Finance office will notify the employee the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form has been approved within 2 weeks of the open enrollment timeframe closing and request the following:

1. a) Proof of enrollment  in a degree granting program
2. b) Schedule of the institution’s fees
3. c) Proof of payment

• The assistance awarded will then be reimbursed to the employee upon submission of evidence of course completion with a minimum grade of “C” or “PASS” if a Pass/Fail course.  Submission of grade must be within 30 days of semester end.  The employee will receive reimbursement within 10 business days of grade submission to the Finance Office.

 

Thank you,

Denise M. Frye
Benefits Manager
Office of Human Resources
University of Mary Washington

The 2020 Fall and 2021 Holiday Calendar is provided below. Included are hours of leave granted by the Governor and other state holidays. President Paino has awarded recognition leave for your continued contributions and dedication to the University. If you have questions regarding this schedule, please contact the Office of Human Resources at X1214. (* indicates important non-holiday dates)

Thanksgiving Holiday 2020: Monday, November 23, 2020 thru Friday, November 27, 2020

Winter Holiday Break 2020: Monday, December 21, 2020 thru Friday, January 1, 2021

University Reopens 2021: Monday, January 4, 2021*

Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18, 2021

UMW Spring Break Day: Wednesday, March 10, 2021

UMW Employee Appreciation Day: Monday, May 10, 2021

Memorial Day: Monday, May 31, 2021

Juneteenth Day: Friday, June 18, 2021

Independence Day: Monday, July 5, 2021

Labor Day: Monday, September 6, 2021

Thanksgiving Holiday 2021: Wednesday, November 24, 2021 thru Friday, November 26, 2021

Winter Holiday Break 2021: Monday, December 20, 2021 thru Friday, December 31, 2021

University reopens 2022: Monday, January 3, 2022*

A message from the Office of Human Resources.

Dear Colleagues,

As you are aware, furlough days were due to be requested and approved in MyTime by Friday, July 10. Supervisors: Please make sure you have approved all requested furlough days in MyTime in order for them to be populated in employee timesheets. Below are several reminders regarding furlough days:

• Furlough days cannot be taken the day before, after or on the day of a UMW holiday (see pay period dates below, updated based on revised UMW holiday calendar).
• When on furlough, employees are to perform no work; this includes emails, meetings or phone calls. This is very important, and supervisors should have no expectation for employees to perform work on furlough days.
• In order to manage service expectations, please ensure you have an “away” message programmed for emails. This message should indicate that you will not be checking or responding to emails until you return to work, and give your return date.
• If, due to business needs, you end up having to work on a previously scheduled furlough day, the furlough leave will need to be canceled for that day and rescheduled for a later date.

• • Due to stringent payroll deadlines and manual adjustments Payroll must make, furlough days will be identified by Payroll at the beginning of each furlough eligible pay period.
  • If there are any adjustments needed to furlough days/hours at the end of the pay period, Payroll must be notified.
  • Necessary adjustments will be made on a future pay date.

• During weeks in which furlough days are taken, please ensure your work hours do not exceed 40 for the week.This applies to Exempt employees as well as Non-Exempt.

 

• Furlough Days are based on salary:

Below $30,000                                    0 days
$30,000-$39,999                                5 days
$40,000-$49,999                                7 days
$50,000-$74,999                                8 days
$75,000-$99,999                                9 days
$100,000-$124,999                         10 days
$125,000-$149,999                         12 days
$150,000 and above                        15 days

• Pay Periods During Which Furlough Days May Be Scheduled:
  

7/10-7/24	12/1-12/09*
8/10-8/24	12/10-12/17*
9/10-9/24	1/5-1/9/2021*
9/25-10/9	2/10-2/24/2021
10/25-11/9	3/10-3/24/2021
11/10-11/19*

 

*These pay periods have fewer furlough days available due to UMW holiday breaks. Furlough days cannot be taken the day before, after, or on the day of a UMW holiday.

Please refer to the June 2 furlough guidance email, and the attached Furlough FAQs document if you have additional questions.

Beth Williams
Executive Director for Human Resources
University of Mary Washington

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

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