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Benefits Bulletin October 2022

Welcome to the Benefits Bulletin!

Our goal with this monthly newsletter is to communicate benefit changes and keep you up-to-date and informed on approaching deadlines.

Ways You Can Take Action Throughout the Month

  1. VRS Plan 1, 2 & Hybrid Members: Log into your myVRS account, 2022 Member Benefit Profile will be posted soon.
  2. Start saving more today by enrolling in a Supplemental Retirement Plan and full-time employees earn the Cash Match! Full-time and Part-time employees can save for retirement in either (or both) of the following plans:

3. Attend an educational webinar in our month long webinar series:

  • 'Are You on Track' - This online presentation for current VRS Plan 1 and Plan 2 members educates you on your VRS membership and the importance of planning now for your future. Topics include an overview of your VRS benefits and optional programs, purchase of prior service and member resources such as our online self-service tool, myVRS. Presented by John Kegel, VRS Member Education and Outreach Counselor. On Demand Click HERE to REGISTER
  • ‘What Are the Charts Telling Us’ - This online presentation will include the option for the audience to participate and ask questions. The speaker will review major market indexes and sector ETFs to uncover important market developments. The speaker will also use charts to provide insights that may help you with your investment decisions. Presented by John Gagliardi, Fidelity Regional Brokerage Consultant. Session is on October 4, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Click HERE to REGISTER
  • ‘Looking Ahead Build Retirement Security’ – This presentation will cover the importance of focusing on your future even when life gets in the way. Gain insights on designing a budget, why you should save now, and investing basics. Presented by MissionSquare (ICMA-RC). On Demand Click HERE to REGISTER

4. Explore a variety of financial wellness and educational tools including: articles, videos, calculators live webinars and resources with myVRS Financial Wellness portal. You can explore general information or log into to your myVRS account and explore personalized content!

5. Visit our National Retirement Security Month website to find all of this information and more!

Upcoming University Closings - Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks

The university will be closed November 21 - 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. The university will be closed December 21 – December 30 for the Winter Break*. Please review the Holiday Schedule and University Closings website for the 2022 Holiday and Closing Schedule.

*The university will also be closed Monday, January 2, 2023 in observance of New Year’s Day 2023.

Classified Employee Leave

With the holidays fast approaching, now is a good time for classified employees to review vacation leave balances for any hours that would be above the maximum carryover limit.

Employees should work with their supervisor to use any excess leave hours by Monday, January 9, 2023. As a reminder, you must work or be on approved paid leave the day before and the day after a holiday to receive holiday pay. Please review your leave balances in the event you are carrying a low leave balance and may fall into a time loss situation. Contact Reagan Neese, Leave Specialist, with any questions.

REMINDER: Time & Attendance Records for Non-exempt Staff

All non-exempt employees are required to maintain a Time and Attendance Record each leave year that shows hours worked, leave taken, scheduled days off, and university closures. This record must be submitted to Human Resources each January. Employees will receive an email in January with instructions on how to submit the record.

Election Day

Election Day for the next general election is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Voters are required to show a photo ID at the polls.

Election Day Attendance

Election Day can present staffing challenges resulting from employees wanting to arrive late or to leave early. It’s important to ensure that employees have a reasonable opportunity to vote, to maintain sufficient staffing coverage throughout the day, and to employ an approach that is equitably applied to all staff.

  • Encourage employees to vote before work, after work, or during their lunch breaks, and to coordinate their schedules with supervisors and co-workers.
  • Advise employees that late arrivals and requests for early departures or extended lunch breaks will require the use of personal leave. Annual, family/personal, overtime, compensatory leave, or service recognition leave may be used for this purpose. Community Service Leave cannot to be used to vote.
  • Consider adjusting the schedules of non-exempt employees as an alternative to using leave.

Election Day Volunteers

Employees are encouraged to volunteer to be Officers of Election. Those who serve as Officers of Election shall be allowed to use up to 8 hours of Civil and Work-Related Leave on Election Day. As with all leave, supervisory approval is required.

Employees who serve as Officers of Election shall be allowed to use Civil and Work-Related Leave to attend the required Officer of Election certification training only when the employee's locality does not.

Employees who serve as Officers of Election shall be allowed to use Civil and Work-Related Leave to attend the required Officer of Election certification training only when the employee's locality does not offer the training during non-work hours. Training schedules are available from local registrars and are typically posted on the localities’ websites. Contact Reagan Neese, Leave Specialist, if you plan to serve in this capacity.

If an employee uses Civil and Work-Related Leave to work as an Officer of Election and receives payment for duties and/or training, they must submit the payment to the Commonwealth. Contact Payroll Services to arrange the return of payment.

  • If the employee wishes to retain the payment, they must use annual, family/personal, personal day, overtime, or compensatory leave.
  • Employees who are reimbursed for expenses only (travel, parking, etc.) are permitted to keep such payments.
  • Neither Civil and Work-Related Leave nor Community Service Leave may be used by employees who wish to volunteer on Election Day in another capacity (e.g., poll workers not certified as Officers of Election, political workers, etc.) These activities are considered political activities, not community services as defined in the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) Policy 4.05-Civil and Work-Related Leave.

Virginia Department of Elections: http://elections.virginia.gov/

Social Security Column Newsletter for October 2022

Virginia Retirement System Member News

Be sure to read the latest issue of Member News from VRS. Included in this issue is information regarding National Retirement Security Month, auto-escalation, optional life special enrollment period, and many other topics. Subscribe to Member News directly for the latest updates.

Need to Talk with an Expert?

Member2Member Discount Cards

We have received a supply of Harrisonburg/Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Member2Member (M2M) discount cards. The M2M Discount Program offers discounts at local shops, restaurants, attractions, business services, and more.

Contact the Benefits Team at 540-568-3593 or benefits@jmu.edu to request a card.

https://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/balanced-dukes/wellness-fair.shtml

Jersey Mike’s Employee Appreciation Card

Jersey Mike’s has graciously donated a supply of Employee Appreciation Cards to receive a free regular sub.

Contact the Benefits Team at 540-568-3593 or benefits@jmu.edu to request a card.

Upcoming Benefits Training: Faculty…What to Expect When You Retire

If you are a faculty member in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) and contemplating retirement, you will want to attend this workshop! During the workshop, we will discuss retirement eligibility, the retirement process, and what happens to your benefits when you retire. This hour and a half session will equip you with everything you need to know to make a smooth transition into retirement!

ORP Participants: What to Expect When You Retire (TD1352)

Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Register with course number in MyMadison.

Featured Benefit

This month’s featured benefit is…

TicketsatWork provides 20 – 70% off on movies, hotels, shows, concerts, sporting events and more. Here are just a few of the savings through TicketsatWork:

  • Save up to 60% off hotels worldwide (guaranteed price match within 24 hours of booking)
  • Save up to 50% off on theme parks
  • Save up to 30% off on movie tickets
  • Save up to 40% off on shows and events worldwide
  • Save up to 50% off on water parks
  • Save up to 70% off on shopping deals
  • Receive access to over 80,000 events worldwide (concerts, sporting events, shows, and more)
  • Get great deals on gift cards with no convenience fees

Signing up with TicketsatWork is simple:

  1. Go to https://ticketsatwork.com/tickets/account.php?sub=enroll
  2. Fill out information to become a member (select sign up with company code)
  3. For company code, use “DUKEDOG”
  4. Complete the rest of the form, and then select submit

Once you create an account, you will receive emails from TicketsatWork with special offers and top picks!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

This bulletin has been brought to you by the JMU Benefits Team. If you have any questions or would like to reach out to us, please give us a call at 540-568-3593, visit us on the web at www.jmu.edu/humanresources/benefits, or email us at benefits@jmu.edu. Look for the Live Chat on our website and reach one of us instantly!

Appreciate