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In this month's issue:
July Calendar
SPOTLIGHT
Benefits Fair
Idea Contest
HUMAN RESOURCES
Updating Information in P.A.S.S.
Open Enrollment is Here!
Click here to complete
a Human Resources quiz to WIN!
Payroll
Minimum Wage Increase
AROUND THE CAMPUS
Information Security
Summer Dining Hours of Operation
University Copy Center
If you
have comments or would like to
submit an article for the Spotlight,
contact Sara Carter at
scarter@uh.edu
Contents Edited by the Administration & Finance Customer Service Center |
July 2007 - EMPLOYEE
FOCUS
BENEFITS FAIR JULY 18, 2007
The department of Human Resources would like
to invite you to join us for our upcoming
annual Benefits Fair. The Benefits Fair is a
great opportunity for faculty and staff to
meet with the vendors who provide our
benefits. You can ask specific questions
concerning the benefits available to you and
find out about new and innovative projects
that might be on the horizon. You will have
the opportunity to learn more about how to
use the PayFlex convenience card, the new
disability benefits enhancements, the new
ROTH 403b program, and the new benefit
programs from Health Select.
Come early! The first 200 attendees will
receive a signature 2007 Benefits Fair
T-shirt.
Refreshments will be served. For more
information please visit our
website or contact the benefits office at
713-743-5764.
Some of the vendors will include: BCBS
Health Select, Pay Flex, Fidelity, TIAA-CREF,
UH Health Center, and UTEAP
Theme: A Passport to Health & Wellness
Date: July 18, 2007
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: UC Underground (Cougar Den)
Human Resources staff will be on-hand to
answer your questions.
We are looking forward to seeing you at this
year’s Fair! Just by attending the Benefits
Fair, you will have the opportunity to enter
to win one of many great giveaways, to
include an iPod.
Idea Contest
Who’s got the best newsletter idea? Enter
for a chance to win a $10 Cougar Flex
Account. Submit ideas to
scarter@uh.edu; if
it’s published in our August 2007 Employee
Focus you’ll receive ten flex dollars
applied to your
CougarOne Card.
Updating Information in P.A.S.S.
by Carla Ponzio
In July 2007 UH/UHS employees will be able
to log into P.A.S.S. to update their
business phone number, building
abbreviation, room number and their
destination email address. This information
will appear on the UH/UHS telephone
directory and on the UH online directory.
The process is very simple and takes just a
minute.
We encourage you to review all of your
personal information in P.A.S.S. and update
that information as necessary. Please make
sure that you have designated an emergency
contact as well.
Log into https://my.uh.edu, your UserID is
your Employee ID, (this may also be referred
to as your Operator ID or PeopleSoft ID). It
is located on your paycheck or pay advice
(direct deposit slip).
If it has been a while since you logged in
last and you have forgotten your password,
click on “Forgot Your Password.” Follow the
instructions online until a new password is
emailed to you.
Once you have logged into P.A.S.S., click on
the Personal Information Summary link and
scroll to each item you wish to update.
Click the save button with each change you
make. Most information is updated
immediately in PeopleSoft with the exception
of name changes and marital status changes
which require documentation to be submitted
to HR.
P.A.S.S. provides links to ERS to update
your personal information with them as well.
If you need assistance, please contact
Customer Service at 713-743-3988.
OPEN ENROLLMENT IS HERE!
We are excited to announce that Open
Enrollment will begin on July 23, 2007
through August 17, 2007. Open Enrollment is
your opportunity to make changes to your
benefit elections, such as adding
dependents, signing up for TexFlex, and
adding or increasing optional coverage
elections. Any changes made during open
enrollment will be effective September 1,
2007
- Monthly Premiums: We are pleased to
announce that medical, dental, and
disability premiums will NOT increase for
the upcoming plan year and life insurance
premiums will decrease!
- Important Legal Update: Effective
immediately, TexFlex health care and
dependent care reimbursement account
elections will automatically rollover for
next year. NOTE: You MUST go online to
cancel your elections, change your election
amount or enroll as a new participant.
- Enrollment Update: During the open
enrollment you will be required to enter
your dependent(s) social security number(s)
if enroll or are already enrolled in
dependent level coverage. If you do not
enter your dependents social security number
you will receive an error message from ERS
On-line.
- Benefit Enhancements: Effective September
1, 2007, short-term disability will increase
your monthly benefits from 60% to 66%.
Therefore, your monthly benefit will
increase by 6% if you qualify for short-term
disability benefits. In addition, the
monthly maximum benefit for short-term
disability increased from $1,800 per month
to $6,000 per month without an increase in
monthly premiums.
If you plan to add long- or short-term
disability coverage or increase your life
insurance election, you are required to
complete and submit proof of insurability.
Beginning July 1 through August 31, you can
submit your completed proof of insurability
form directly to Fort Dearborn Life for both
life and disability coverage.
RE-ENROLLMENT IN TEXFLEX WILL BE AUTOMATIC
The Board of Trustees approved a change in
ERS rules that will make participation in
TexFlex easier for plan year 2008.
Current TexFlex participants will be
automatically re-enrolled for plan year 2008
with the same elections they had in plan
year 2007.
Participants who want to enroll in TexFlex
or cancel participation in the Tex Flex
program must do so during open enrollment.
The TexFlex program enables employees to use
tax-free money for health care and day care
expenses. Employees can enroll in one or
both accounts - Flexible Spending
Account-Health Care and Flexible Spending
Account-Day Care – and choose to get a
PayFlex™ Debit Card to pay for eligible
expenses.
9 month 9 pay Faculty and TexFlex
If you are currently on a 9 month and 9 pay
option contract you must select the 9 month
TexFlex option when enrolling or
re-enrolling in TexFlex. If you are hired
during the summer months, insurance and Tex
Flex contributions are not deducted.
SKIP ENROLLMENT DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT
You must re-apply each summer to avoid a
break in the supplement for your children's
health care premiums. To ensure that your
SKIP application will be reviewed during
Summer Enrollment, you should mail your
application to TexCare by August 1.
The SKIP application requests information
about you and your family, the children for
whom you are applying, and your family
income. You will be asked to provide
verification of your family’s current income
with your application. Acceptable
verification includes:
• Paycheck stubs for the two months prior to
the application date, or
• Copies of your most recent federal tax
form, or
• A letter from an employer verifying
income.
A third-party administrator, Affiliated
Computer Services (ACS), through TexCare,
determines eligibility for the SKIP program.
SKIP eligibility is not determined by you,
the University of Houston, or ERS.
During the determination process, TexCare
will review your eligibility for Medicaid.
If you are eligible for Medicaid, you will
not be eligible for SKIP. Once SKIP
eligibility has been determined, TexCare
will send you a letter informing you that
your application was approved or denied.
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Minimum Wage Increase
A federal minimum wage increase was signed into bill May 25, 2007. The bill
amends the Fair Labor Standards Act raising the minimum wage in a three step
process. The first increase will be effective July 24th raising the minimum wage
from $5.15 per hour to $5.85 per hour. July 24, 2008 the rate will rise again to
$6.55. The last increase included in the spending bill will be effective July
24, 2009 making the minimum wage $7.25 per hour.
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Information Security
Computing policies and practices have been implemented to secure the
university’s resources as well as maintain ethical and legal standards. User
responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the protection of user ids and
passwords.
Access to most UH systems (including PeopleSoft) is granted on a per person
basis. This ensures that any system user can be uniquely identified and any
actions can be traced to an individual. System access is also limited to only
those functions needed to perform the duties of the position. Individuals do not
have accesses that are not needed. For these precautions to be effective, the
user id and password must only be used by the individual to whom it is assigned.
If new accesses are required, the employee should apply for them with the proper
security
forms and complete the required
training. Id sharing is not permitted.
Users should also make every effort to memorize their user ids and passwords.
Passwords should not be kept near the user’s computer (i.e. under the users
keyboard).
In an effort to continue enhancing computer security on campus, Information
Technology began requiring strong passwords for all UH CougarNet accounts March
19, 2007. For information related to strong passwords, including password
requirements and best practices
click here.
SUMMER DINING HOURS OF OPERATION
The following are Summer 2007 hours of
operation for the Welcome Center Retail Dining locations. For specific
information and offerings for Special Dates and Late Night Hours please contact
the individual locations.
JUNE 1, 2007 – AUGUST 12, 2007
Welcome Center
McAlister’s Deli
(713) 743-9921
M – Sat 10:00am - 7:00pm
Sonic
(832) 842-9000
M – F 9:00am – 7:00pm
Sat – Sun 10:00am – 7:00pm
These hours are subject to change without
notice.
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