HR News

You can save on taxes over the course of a year through effective use of an FSA, and HealthEquity/WageWorks makes reimbursement easy. If you wish to contribute to an FSA during 2021 to help pay for health care and dependent care expenses, you must take action during Open Enrollment to elect the benefit and set your contribution levels.

Learn more on the Open Enrollment website. If you choose to enroll in an FSA, you can update your benefits online by logging into MySlice through Nov. 13.

Questions?

Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.

Enroll Now

Visit MySlice and enroll today.

Open Enrollment is a time to reflect on the various benefits available to you and make choices that best meet the needs of you and your family. Regardless of what goals you’re striving for or what challenges you may be facing, there are benefits and resources available to assist you.  If you have any benefit questions related to this year’s Open Enrollment, be sure to attend the virtual information session tomorrow at 10 a.m. via Zoom.

Caregiving Resources

In support of the changing needs of families, the University provides several resources, including a free premium membership for Care.com, where you can get help finding child care providers, tutors, elder caregivers, pet sitters, house cleaners and more through the world’s largest network of caregivers.  In addition, the Dependent Care Subsidy Program provides assistance to households with an annual income of less than $150,000. Other resources can be found on Human Resources’ WorkLife Benefits and Resources webpage, including information on Carebridge, the University’s faculty and staff assistance program, which connects faculty and staff with information, resources and referrals for caregiving.

Tuition Benefits

A cornerstone of our benefits program, tuition assistance helps eligible employees and dependents afford the cost of college tuition. If attending college is on the horizon for you or a family member, be sure to review the eligibility policies and submit any necessary paperwork to HR Shared Services.

Wellness

The Syracuse University Wellness Initiative provides learning opportunities, activities, programs and other resources to empower and encourage you to make choices and changes that lead to a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Learn about upcoming programs and subscribe to the Wellness email list.

Adoption Assistance

Adopting a child is a joyous occasion, but one that often brings unique financial challenges. In an effort to assist employees who are building families, Syracuse University offers adoption assistance benefits to eligible employees.

Will Preparation Services

Experts recommend that you review your will with your attorney every five to 10 years. If you experience a major life event—such as a birth or death—it is extremely important to review your will to ensure your wishes are carried out. If you are already enrolled in or are considering supplemental life insurance through MetLife, remember that with enrollment, you can take advantage of will preparation at no cost. Don’t forget to submit the completed Statement of Health form directly to MetLife if you are newly enrolling or increasing your insurance amount.

Questions?

Visit the Open Enrollment website or contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042. Make sure to check out the Top Ten: What You Need to Know for 2021 to educate yourself about the benefit program for 2021.

Enroll Now

Visit MySlice and enroll today.

Open Enrollment, the annual period when University employees make their benefit choices for the coming year, continues through Friday, Nov. 13. This is the one time of year when eligible faculty and staff may elect or change their coverage for many benefits, unless they experience a qualifying life event.

There are a variety of resources to support faculty and staff during Open Enrollment:

• Open Enrollment Highlights: What You Need To Know for 2021
• Virtual Information Session on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Recorded Information Session Available 24/7
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Open Enrollment Website

Faculty and staff must complete their enrollment by Nov. 13 by logging into MySlice. If access to a computer for Open Enrollment purposes is needed, the University has a number of workstations available across campus, or they may contact HR Shared Services by phone or email during normal business hours.

With questions about Open Enrollment or benefits, please contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042. Virtual appointments are available upon request.

Open Enrollment is the one time of year when eligible employees can reflect on their benefit options, connect with the variety of available resources to help make the best decisions to meet their needs and enroll for the coming year.

A recorded webinar, information sessions and other important information for faculty and staff about 2021 benefits are available on the Open Enrollment website.

Questions about Open Enrollment, benefits or the enrollment process? Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.

Reflect on your benefits. Choose what best meets your needs.

Syracuse University strives to offer a comprehensive benefits program that provides flexibility and choice to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Unless you experience a qualifying event, Open Enrollment is your one opportunity during the year to review your current benefits, consider all of your options and decide which benefits you wish to select for the coming year.

Questions about benefits?  Connect with us!

There are several ways to connect with resources that will enable you to make the best decisions for you and your loved ones.

• Review our Top Ten Things You Need to Know for 2021, the comprehensive Open Enrollment FAQs and visit the dedicated webpage for faculty and staff.
• View the 24/7 on-demand information session or attend a live information session to learn everything you need to know about 2021 benefit offerings.
• Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 to get your personal benefit questions answered. Virtual appointments are available upon request.
• Connect with our benefit vendors.

Visit the Open Enrollment website to learn more. You can update your benefit selections for 2021 through Friday, Nov. 13, by logging into MySlice.

Open Enrollment, the annual period when eligible employees reflect on their benefit options for the coming year, begins Monday, Nov. 2, and continues through Friday, Nov. 13. This is the one time of year when University faculty and staff may elect or change their coverage for many benefits, unless they experience a mid-year life event change.

All of the relevant Open Enrollment information, including benefit plan details, various resources to learn more and answers to frequently asked questions are available on this website.

Questions About Benefits? Connect With Human Resources!

There are several ways for faculty and staff to connect with resources that will enable them to make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.

• View the 24/7 on-demand information session to learn everything employees need to know about 2021 benefit offerings.
• Attend a virtual information session on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. or Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to learn about 2021 benefits.
• Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu to get personal benefit questions answered. Virtual appointments are available upon request.
• Connect with the University’s benefit vendors.

Faculty and staff can enroll online through MySlice from Nov. 2-13. If access to a computer for Open Enrollment purposes is needed, the University has a number of workstations available across campus, or they may contact HR Shared Services by phone or email during normal business hours.

Dear Colleagues:

To continue to assist faculty and staff through these challenging times, I am pleased to share that the University will continue to offer a comprehensive set of benefits for 2021—a direct result of the great work of many members of our University community—including the faculty and staff of the Benefits Advisory Council.

This Benefits Open Enrollment period, Nov. 2-13, provides you with the opportunity to reflect on your benefit options, explore resources that provide additional support for you, virtually connect with the HR team to help make the decisions that best meet your needs and enroll for the coming year.

All of this year’s Open Enrollment information, including benefit details, opportunities to connect virtually with HR Shared Services, frequently asked questions and more are available on the Open Enrollment website.

Visit the What’s New for 2021 webpage to learn about the top things you need to know about your 2021 benefits. Then, from Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 13, you can log in to MySlice and enroll.

If you have any immediate questions, please contact HR Shared Services by phone at 315.443.4042 or by email at hrservice@syr.edu. Thank you in advance for your participation and engagement in this process.

Sincerely,

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Opportunities for the campus community to receive a flu vaccine and/or COVID-19 testing continue weekdays throughout the month of October as part of the University’s ongoing effort to keep our campus safe, healthy and open for residential learning.

As outlined in the Syracuse University SAFE public health framework [PDF], all members of the Syracuse University community who access campus services are expected to get a flu shot this year. Additionally, a permanent COVID-19 testing site opened earlier this month at the stadium and is available to students, faculty and staff Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Here is what you need to know.

Information for Students

• Flu shots: All students, including those who live on campus; those who live off campus and/or use campus facilities, such as the libraries; and those who are studying remotely for fall 2020, but will return to campus in spring 2021, are required to get a flu shot. Appointments are available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at both the stadium (enter at Gate N) and Skybarn. Appointments are required and can be made via the Patient Portal up to 72 hours in advance. Alternatively, students may be vaccinated by a medical provider or pharmacy off campus and upload documentation that they received the vaccine via the Patient Portal. Learn more about receiving a flu shot (or documenting a needed religious or medical exemption) on the Barnes Center website.
• COVID-19 Testing: As announced by Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie last week, the University’s third round of COVID-19 surveillance testing is currently underway. Residential students are required to participate by Oct. 27 based on class year as follows.
  • Thursday, Oct. 22: juniors, seniors, graduate and law students
  • Friday, Oct. 23, and Monday, Oct. 26: First-year students and sophomores
  • Tuesday, Oct. 27: Alternate testing day for all students who weren’t able to get tested at an earlier date

Appointments are not required for COVID-19 testing. Please bring your Syracuse University I.D. card and wear a face mask or covering to your flu vaccine appointment or to receive a COVID-19 test.

Information for Faculty and Staff

Flu Vaccines

Faculty and staff can obtain their flu vaccine in one of the following ways:

1. Visit your primary care doctor. If you are a member of a Syracuse University health plan, you and your eligible dependents may obtain a flu vaccine through your doctor’s office using your Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) ID card. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months or older, and a high-dose vaccine may be available to individuals ages 65 years or older.
2. Stop by a local pharmacy. For maximum flexibility, you may use either your OptumRx or your Excellus BCBS member ID card when receiving covered vaccines at a participating pharmacy at no cost to you. If you need help locating a participating pharmacy, contact the customer service team by calling the number on the back of your OptumRx or Excellus BCBS ID card.
3. Attend an onsite flu clinic. Faculty and staff members—including temporary staff—may schedule an appointment for a flu shot at either the Stadium (enter at Gate N) or Skybarn (151 Farm Acre Rd., South Campus) Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Appointments can be made on the flu vaccine webpage of the Wellness Initiative website, with new time slots opening up each Thursday for the week that follows.

If a faculty and staff member receives a flu vaccine at a location off campus, or has a medical or religious exemption, they’ll be required to complete a brief attestation survey via Qualtrics. This step is not necessary for faculty and staff members who participate in an on-campus flu clinic.

COVID-19 Testing

Faculty and staff are also encouraged to take advantage of on-campus testing for COVID-19 at the stadium weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. without an appointment. Please bring your Syracuse University I.D. card and wear a face mask or covering to your flu shot appointment or to receive a COVID-19 test. Temporary employees may show an alternate photo ID. For faculty and staff, short-term parking near the stadium is available in the Quad Lot.

Questions?

If you have questions about the flu vaccine, students may contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000, and faculty and staff may reach out to HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu. If you have questions about being tested for COVID-19, please contact the Syracuse University Public Health Team at 315.443.6180 or SUcovid@syr.edu.

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Several weeks ago, we announced that the University’s ongoing virus surveillance testing program would transition from repeated testing of all students to large-scale “freedom from disease” sampling of the residential campus population. Faculty epidemiologists from the Falk College have designed this freedom from disease sampling protocol to include the opportunity for faculty and staff to routinely access on-campus COVID-19 testing.

That said, we have heard from some of you that while you would like to take advantage of on-campus testing, the stadium can be challenging to access given the limited parking close by.

Accordingly, I’m writing to inform you that in response to this feedback, with the support of Parking and Transit Services in the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services, we will immediately implement a policy where faculty and staff will be issued a temporary access pass to the Quad Lot to get COVID-19 testing at the stadium. This pass will be issued to you directly by the Quad Lot parking attendant and allow you to park in the Quad Lot for 20 minutes while you are being tested.

As a reminder for those who plan to take advantage of on-campus COVID testing:

• Location: Access the testing site through Gate N, stay to the right upon entering the stadium and follow the signs to the testing center.
• Time: Testing is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and only requires a few minutes of your time.
• Appointments: No appointments are necessary; simply bring your SU I.D. and show up at a time that is convenient for you.
• How Often Should You Be Tested: To support the freedom from disease sampling protocol, we encourage faculty and staff to be tested once every two weeks.
• Preparing for a COVID-19 Test: Please do not eat, drink or brush your teeth for 30 minutes prior to arrival at the stadium.
• Safety Reminder: You must wear a face mask or covering when you arrive at the testing site.
• Type of Test: The test itself is a saliva swab and the entire process only takes a few minutes.
• Delivery of Results: You will receive confirmation of a negative result via email. Individuals who return a positive test result will be notified by phone.

We appreciate your continued cooperation and support of our public health initiatives. If you have any questions, please contact the COVID-19 Project Management Office at SUCOVID@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation