HR News

Life is full of situations that invite stress. While we cannot always control what is happening around us, we can control how we respond. Our responses to stress, both positive and negative, can affect our physical well-being and overall health. The good news is that by trying a variety of techniques and strategies to help manage your stress, you can see what works best for you.

Faculty and staff are invited to take the Stress Buster Challenge, Feb. 12-March 1, a three-week, email-based challenge designed to empower you to take action to manage stress effectively.

All who complete the challenge will be entered into a prize drawing.

Learn more and register by Feb. 8.

Questions? Email wellness@syr.edu or call 315.443.5472.

Add your name to the email list to stay up to date on the latest wellness events.

Chancellor Kent Syverud identified five immediate priorities for Syracuse University in his Winter Message, which he delivered on Tuesday, Jan. 16, to a standing-room-only audience in the Jack and Laura Hanhausen Milton Atrium in the Life Sciences Complex.

The Chancellor said that entering the spring 2018 semester, the University is “in remarkably good shape to respond to the challenges coming at us and to seize opportunities to have a better impact in the world.”

He spoke of five priorities for the new semester: Invest Syracuse; the need to remain open and welcoming to the world; major building projects; community engagement; and a reexamination of policies governing sexual harassment and abuse of power in relationships between faculty or staff and students.

View complete story and video

Happy New Year! As of Jan. 1, 2018, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Excellus BCBS) is the medical plan administrator for Syracuse University. Please show your Excellus BCBS member ID card for all medical services and continue to use your OptumRx card to obtain prescription drugs. Below are some helpful tips and reminders about our medical coverage.

Member ID Cards
Welcome packets, including member ID cards, were mailed to your home address in mid-December. Each dependent who is over the age of 18 and is enrolled under your plan should have received a welcome packet with two member ID cards as well. If you cover any dependents under the age of 18, please provide your ID card to their provider when they seek services. If you have not received your ID cards, please contact our Excellus dedicated customer care team to request a new card.

Excellus BCBS on Campus
An experienced Excellus representative will be on campus for personalized meetings to review any of your detailed questions surrounding our medical coverage. Stop by if you have questions; no appointment is necessary. Visit our website for the most current schedule.

Access Your Medical Information
If you have questions on your account, you may access your information in a variety of ways:

•  Calling the dedicated Excellus BCBS customer care team at 800.493.0318 (TTY/TTD: 800.662.1220)

•  Registering for secure online access at ExcellusBCBS.com/syredu

•  Downloading the mobile app through iTunes or Google Play by searching for Excellus BCBS

Set Your 2018 Fitness Goals
Thinking about setting your fitness goals by joining a gym in 2018? With the Fitness Your Way plan through Excellus BCBS, you’ll have access to 10,000 gyms nationwide. And, as a way to jumpstart your workout, the enrollment fee will be waived Jan. 1-31, 2018 by using the code SYRACUSE2018. Learn more about Fitness Your Way and other gym memberships by visiting ExcellusBCBS.com/syredu and click on Blue365 Discounts under the Health and Wellness section.

24/7 Nurse Call Line
With Excellus BCBS, you can contact a registered nurse by phone anytime—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Excellus BCBS specially trained registered nurses can provide support and education for members with chronic or complex health conditions, or provide answers to more general health questions.

Prior Authorizations
As a reminder, please have your health care providers contact Excellus BCBS to obtain required prior authorizations. You may contact our dedicated customer care team at Excellus BCBS with any questions on the prior authorization process, or to obtain a list of services that require prior authorization.

We are here to help: If you have any questions about your medical benefits, please contact our Human Resources Service Center at 315.443.4042.

The University will be operating under its Green Days and reduced occupancy schedule format for the Winter Break period from 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, through Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018.

Request for Building Access:During the Holiday/Green Days period:
• All academic and administrative buildings will be locked or closed.
• Building temperatures will be lowered to 60 degrees, unless prior arrangements have been made.

If you require your building to be open over the Winter Break/Green Days period, please submit a request to your building coordinator, noting the specific dates and times. Requests should be made by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19. (Note that faculty and staff will be able to access all buildings, as usual, by swiping their SU I.D. cards, even when the buildings are locked.)

Request for Adjustments to Temperature and Lighting:
Deans, directors and department heads may submit a detailed request for adjustments to temperature and lighting during the Winter Break/Green Days period. Please review the University’s temperature guidelines. We ask that requests be made using the online form by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19. Requests will be reviewed and approved by either the vice president and chief facilities officer or the provost.

Important: Buildings Not Included in Winter Break Reduced Occupancy Schedule
Due to academic and research needs, the following buildings will be excluded from the temperature setback, and will remain on normal access, temperature and lighting settings:
• Heroy Geology Laboratory
• Bowne Hall—Fourth Floor
• Lyman Hall—Fourth Floor
• Sims Hall—Department of Public Safety
• Center for Science and Technology
• Bird Library—Operating hours are listed on the library website.
• Life Sciences Complex
• Link Hall
• Physics Building
• Women’s Building

Additional information regarding Winter Break/Green Days services and resources may be found at:
• University services available during Winter Break/Green Days: http://news.syr.edu/winterbreak/
• HR Winter Break/Green Days info: https://hr.syr.edu/benefits/paid-time-off-and-leaves/winter-breakgreen-days
• Winter Break/Green Days FAQ: http://humanresources.syr.edu/green-days-faq/

Questions on building occupancy can be directed to the Department of Energy Systems and Sustainability Management, 315.443.6195 or energy@syr.edu.

Thank you for your continued support of the University’s sustainability initiatives.

Don’t forget about important information and benefits application deadlines for faculty and staff:

Child Care Subsidy

The child care subsidy—$1,000 per child younger than age 6, up to a maximum of $2,000 per year—is available to eligible faculty and staff with gross household incomes of $100,000 or less. Applications [PDF] are due to Human Resources by Friday, Dec. 8.

Reduced Medical Contributions

Depending on an employee’s household size and income, reduced medical contributions are available through Schedule B. Learn more online and apply by Friday, Dec. 8.

Supplemental Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability

If you chose to enroll or increase your supplemental life insurance, please remember to complete your statement of health. If you chose to enroll in long-term disability insurance, please remember to complete your medical history statement.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

As a reminder, Excellus BCBS will be the University’s medical plan administrator effective Jan. 1, 2018. If you elected to enroll in the University’s medical plan effective Jan. 1, you will receive a welcome packet at the permanent address you have on file with the University as recorded in MySlice. This welcome packet will include two member ID cards with your name on both.

In addition, each dependent who is over the age of 18 and is enrolled under your plan will also receive a welcome packet with two member ID cards at their home address as recorded in MySlice. If you cover any dependents under the age of 18, please provide your ID card to their provider when they seek services. If you have not received your cards by Dec. 15, please contact Excellus BCBS at 800.493.0318 (TTY/TTD: 800.662.1220) to request a new card. Please refer to the comprehensive set of FAQs for additional information regarding the transition to Excellus BCBS and 2018 benefits.

Questions?

Please visit the benefits website or contact the HR Service Center at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu.

With a new law taking effect in 2018, Syracuse University is working to stay ahead of changes and ensure employees know and understand their benefits. Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, new benefits are available with the passage of the New York Paid Family Leave (NYPFL) law, providing paid leave for eligible staff members to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition or prepare for a family member’s call to active military service. Relevant information has been posted on the Human Resources website.

Summary of the New Paid Family Leave Benefit:

Staff and student employees, including graduate assistants, working in New York State are eligible if they meet the following requirements:

• If a regular work schedule is 20 or more hours per week, an employee is eligible after 26 consecutive weeks of employment.
• If a regular work schedule is less than 20 hours per week, an employee is eligible after working 175 days.
• New York’s legislation establishing Paid Family Leave does not apply to those working in a teaching capacity. Faculty continue to be eligible for leaves of absence and paid parental leave benefits, and may request administrative leave through their departments, as appropriate.“Syracuse University provides several kinds of leave to assist faculty, non-academic staff and other eligible employees in balancing the demands of the workplace with their personal needs,” says Andrew R. Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “Our human resources team is prepared and ready to assist employees who may have questions to help them maximize their available benefits.”Under the new law employees are provided several benefits, including:
  • wage replacement for eight weeks of leave at 50 percent of pay (up to 50 percent of the state’s average weekly wage), increasing to 12 weeks and 67 percent pay in 2021;
  • job protection upon return from Paid Family Leave; and
  • continuation of health insurance while out on Paid Family Leave.

New York State specified that the Paid Family Leave Program is employee-funded, and that employers shall collect an employee contribution through a payroll deduction determined annually by the New York State Department of Financial Services. In 2018, the rate will be 0.126 percent of an employee’s average weekly wage, capped at $1.65 per week.

Resources and Training

• Several upcoming information sessions are available. The state continues to clarify the regulations. Human Resources will continue to update the website as further information becomes available. Additional information can be found on the New York State Paid Family Leave website.

Timeline Moving Forward

• New York’s timeline calls for a phased rollout over four years, with the benefit level starting at eight weeks, 50 percent pay in 2018 and reaching 12 weeks, 67 percent pay in 2021. Employees do not need to take any action to enroll in this coverage and the benefits will be available beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

Questions about Paid Family Leave

• Questions can be directed to an employee’s supervisor, a senior human resources business partner or the HR leave administrator at 315.443.4042.

The new Advisory Work Group on Staff Climate Matters will begin meeting this month to address areas identified by staff in the Universitywide survey Climate Assessment Survey conducted during the Spring 2016 semester. Staff participating in the advisory work group include a broad representation across the campus from schools, colleges and administrative units at many levels.

Throughout the academic year, the advisory work group will examine and form recommendations on staff-related issues identified in the survey. Topics that may be addressed include staff morale, staff retention, career pathways and training opportunities, as well as avenues for addressing confidential matters.

The advisory work group will work with Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Andrew R. Gordon. “Staff, along with faculty and students, are an important part of the University community. They undertake many crucial responsibilities that are vital for the institution’s continued success,” Gordon says. “I look forward to engaging with this dedicated team to identify ways of improving our community and address the issues raised in the climate survey.”

 Some 6,000 students, faculty and staff participated in the survey. Formation of the Advisory Work Group on Staff Climate Matters was one of five recommendations presented by the University’s Climate Assessment Planning Committee and approved by Chancellor Kent Syverud as an outcome of the survey project.

 Advisory work group members are:

• Rebecca Bostwick, managing director of the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
• Susan Dean, office coordinator in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management
• Patrick Kelly, parking services technician in Parking & Transit Services
• Amy Kennedy, academic advisor for the International Relations Program in the Maxwell School
• Heather Ketcham, operations specialist in the physics department in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Joseph Lee, director/general manager of WAER
• Laura Marra, administrative assistant in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• Joseph O’Connor, community services officer in the Department of Public Safety
• Craig Powers, machine repair technician in Physical Plant
• Pamela Peter, assistant dean and director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience
• Rob Pusch, interim director of the LGBT Resource Center

The employee Holiday Sharing Program is again partnering with PEACE Inc.’s Adopt-a-Family Program and the Salvation Army’s Christmas Bureau to make the season brighter for local families. University departments and groups are invited to register now to participate in the program, which provides gifts, food, toys and more to families in need.

Visit the University’s Holiday Sharing website for full details on each program and to register your group or department to participate. The deadline for departments to sign up is Friday, Nov. 17. The online form to sign up for the program can be accessed here.Participation options through PEACE Inc. include purchasing gifts for an assigned family, providing a basket of household supplies or donating food. PEACE Inc. will assign families to participating departments. Individuals, departments or groups may also elect to donate food or toys to the Salvation Army. The items will be distributed at the organization’s annual Christmas Bureau event at ShoppingTown mall.

The Syracuse University Holiday Sharing program is voluntary. In 2016, 31 University departments participated in Holiday Sharing. Their efforts provided food and gifts for 28 families in the Syracuse region and an additional 10 baskets of food, toiletry items and grocery store gift cards.