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HR
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YOUR SOURCE FOR HR NEWS AND INFORMATION
* Compensation * Work Life, Child &
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HR REVIEW monthly electronic newsletter provides University faculty
and staff news and information about Human Resources programs. Please
forward any questions or comments about HR Review to human
resources.
The HR Review Newsletter is now available via RSS.
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June 2008
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
BENEFITS BRIEFS
WORK/LIFE and WELLNESS
HR DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE – SAVE THE DATE
LifeSource Blood Services of Glenview, Illinois will be on the Evanston campus for a faculty and staff blood drive on Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Norris Center, Louis Room. The donation process takes approximately 45 minutes. Scheduling an appointment is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome.
To schedule an appointment, contact Phyllis Ellis at the work/life office at 847-467-1460 or via e-mail at p-ellis@northestern.edu. Please be sure to include your campus telephone number and your e-mail address so your appointment can be confirmed.
TEAM HR PARTICIPATES IN NU RELAY FOR LIFE
On May 16, the Office of Human Resources participated for the first time in Northwestern's Relay for Life along with two additional staff teams. As the American Cancer Society's main fundraising event, the Relay for Life is held in locations across the country, raising millions for cancer research as well as prevention, patient support and early detection programs. Team HR raised well over $2,500 through several fundraisers, such as a Jeans for Greens day, a bake sale, and a coin collecting competition. Many from the 15-member team brought their families to participate in the activities set up in the sports pavilion/aquatics center. They enjoyed entertainment provided by Northwestern student groups along with refreshments offered by the sponsors. The Relay began with an opening ceremony and Survivor Lap at 7 p.m. and lasted until 6 a.m. the next morning.
As a whole, Northwestern University raised more than $100,000, and the total continues to rise as the University strives to be the “Best in the Big Ten” by raising the most post-event money. Donations are gratefully accepted by visiting Northwestern's Relay for Life.
NU GRADUATES SUPPORT CLASSIC EDUCATION AT BAKER DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL
Two 2008 Northwestern graduates have been working alongside the lead Latin teachers at Baker Demonstration School and helped the Wilmette private school's Certamen team win top honors at the regional contest held April 29, 2008 at Elgin High School. Certamen, a Latin word meaning “contest,” encompasses three sectional level quiz-bowl type competitions with questions drawn from Latin language, Roman culture, art and history.
Northwestern graduate Mina Marien has been an associate teacher at Baker's Latin department since January 2006 and most recently taught a seventh grade Latin class. In addition, Marien co-teaches two after-school classes in etymology and classical mythology with Baker's lead teacher, Alexandra Vastardis, who is herself a Northwestern B.A. 2005, M.S.Ed. 2006 alumna. Additionally, Northwestern graduate Colleen Kron has been working with the lead teacher in a seventh grade Latin classroom. “Baker is grateful to both of these extraordinarily talented young Classicists who have so deeply enriched our students' Latin learning and enhanced the quality the Baker Latin program,” said Deidre Harrison, Baker Demonstration School admissions director.
Northwestern University's relationship with Wilmette-based Baker Demonstration School may qualify NU faculty and staff children for school-age tuition discounts at the school. Contact the school admissions for more information.
BENEFITS BRIEFS
UPDATE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS
Because important information about the university may be delivered to your home address from time to time, please be sure to update your personal address information using HRIS self-service at https://nuhr.northwestern.edu.
HEALTH CARE FSA PARTICIPANTS:
* SAVE RECEIPTS FROM PAYFLEX CARD EXPENSES
Those enrolled in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account may use their PayFlex Debit Card to cover eligible health care expenses (such as a copay) at a health care provider or pharmacy that accepts MasterCard. The amount of the qualified purchase is deducted from the FSA automatically. However, remember that it is very important to save pharmacy or provider receipts as PayFlex may request documentation to validate the transaction as an IRS eligible expense. Users may receive a Request for Receipt letter from PayFlex seeking information such as the merchant name, name of the item/product, date and amount. However, generally when the card swipe matches the co-pays or verification from the healthcare provider, a Request for Receipt letter may not be needed. For more information on using the PayFlex Debit Card visit http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/plans/fsa/payflex-card.html .
*ONLINE STORE SAVINGS
PayFlex has partnered with a variety of online vendors (such as drugsource, inc and drugstore.com) to offer Health Care FSA participants savings and home delivery for more than 3,000 over-the-counter items, 4,000 plus prescriptions, and vision and hearing products. The Spending Account Buying Center is a convenient way to utilize health care spending account dollars! The online store is accessible from the PayFlex member website by clicking on the PayFlex Spending Account Buying Center button. To learn more about these online vendors, visit http://www.payflex.com/forms/sabcFaqs.pdf to view a list of frequently asked questions. When accessing drugstore.com, click on "Go to FSA Store."
For more information about PayFlex, contact the University's Benefits Division at 847-491-7513 or email at benefits@northwestern.edu. You may also contact PayFlex at 800-284-4885 or visit their website at www.mypayflex.com. A number of helpful frequently asked questions (FAQs) are available.
WORK/LIFE and WELLNESS
MORE THAN 500 FAMILIES JOIN SITTERCITY.COM SINCE JUNE 2007
More than 500 Northwestern faculty, staff and students took advantage of a free membership to Sittercity.com, a parent and sitter online matching service, to help them locate part-time, full-time and occasional sitters to meet the flexible needs of families.
Sittercity can help …
- with evening meetings or social occasions;
- when regular providers are ill or unavailable;
- when children have school holidays; and
- when schedules necessitate a flexible child care arrangement.
Families either post their “job” and are contacted by interested sitters, or they can search the sitter database by criteria such as references, availability, first aid and CPR certification, and background checks. Families are responsible for screening and hiring appropriate sitters as this is not a nanny placement agency. To help facilitate the screening process, the service enables users to run optional Lexus-Nexus background checks at a discounted rate. When using the service, families are encouraged to plan ahead by screening and interviewing providers and checking references before the need for care suddenly arises.
The service has recently expanded its caregiver pool to include pet-sitters, senior caregivers, house-sitters and tutors.
NU families can learn more about the program and how to sign up for free access to the database at http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/childcare/sittercity/index.html . Then follow the HRIS Self-Service link to register.
KINDERCARE HAS IMMEDIATE INFANT SPACES AND BACK-UP CARE
Is your nanny or sitter taking vacation this summer? Are you transitioning back to work from leave? KinderCare on the Chicago campus has immediate infant openings and back-up care spaces. Parents may call Leigh, the center director, at 312-867-7056 to inquire about space availability this summer. Preregistration is required for the back-up program. Visit http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/childcare/solutions/backup.html for forms and more information.
PREVENTING RISKY BEHAVIORS IN TEENS/PRE-TEENS
- Evanston – July 28 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Norris Center, Alumni room
- Chicago – July 29 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Lurie Medical Research Building, Gray room
A representative from the Evanston School District will discuss the prevention of risky teen and pre-teen behaviors so parents know warning signs and can keep kids safe. Some topics covered will include cyberspace safety, drug and alcohol use, and promiscuity. Please contact Phyllis Ellis at 847-467-1460 or p-ellis@northwestern.edu with questions or to register.
PERSPECTIVES ON-LINE – WORK/LIFE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES JUST A CLICK AWAY
Northwestern University 's Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) provider, Perspectives, Ltd., offers a valuable on-line resource. The site provides thousands of articles and self-assessment tools on a variety of work/life topics including emotional well being, family and care giving, health and wellness, daily living, and working well. Access to Perspectives online is free for Northwestern faculty, staff and their families.
The FSAP also provides faculty, staff and family members free and confidential professional support for working through personal challenges that can upset the work and life balance. These personal challenges might include time management difficulties, emotional problems, family issues, financial and legal troubles, stress management, work-related concerns, and substance abuse. Evaluation, counseling and referral services are provided at no charge from a confidential third-party vendor, Perspectives, Ltd. Call (800) 456-6327 to speak to a counselor.
SUMMER FUN AT NORRIS
Norris Center is featuring campy fun on campus this summer. A list of summer events is planned including free movies under the stars, concerts by the lake, mini courses, art projects, a used bike sale and more. Visit http://www.norris.northwestern.edu/summer.php for a list of on campus opportunities.
Norris Outdoors also rents high-quality camping and recreational equipment to faculty, staff and students. If you are planning an outing or family reunion this summer, check out the rental options from Norris at http://www.norris.northwestern.edu/norrisoutdoors.php#camping .
FITNESS AND RECREATION SUMMER SPECIALS
Summertime membership specials are available on the Evanston campus at the sports pavilion, aquatic center, tennis center and north beach. For more information visit http://www.fitrec.northwestern.edu/membership/summerpricing.html .
HR DEVELOPMENT
NU HR DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS THIS SPRING
SUMMER 2008 OFFERINGS
Registration is open for NU's Summer 2008 training & development offerings, which will help individuals and organizations work more effectively. Learning opportunities from July through September include workshops, tools and coaching in the areas of:
- NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION PART 2 -- Q&A with NU senior leader; University's mission, vision, Standards for Business Conduct, and Performance Excellence process; and network-building luncheon with colleagues
- LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT -- Capability building for supervisors and managers . . . plus a NEW offering, Advanced Communication Skills: How to Hold Difficult Conversations
- NU BUSINESS PROCESSES -- Internal controls, and ethics
- WORKPLACE SKILLS -- Recruiting & hiring, relationship building, time management, making presentations, and business grammar
- MANAGING YOUR CAREER -- Assessment, exploring options, creating your plan, applying for the job, and interviewing
- ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT -- Strategic planning, process improvement, and communication
- COMPUTER APPLICATIONS -- Access, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Excel, Mail Merge, Office Fundamentals, Outlook, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Project, and Word
escriptions, schedules and registration instructions are available at http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/training . If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at training@northwestern.edu or 847-467-5081.
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