Human Resources (HR) Connection
WINTER 2006
Table of Contents
Meet Kris Arko
New Manager of the Benefits Department
Kris joined the Human Resources Division as Manager of the Benefits Department on December 5, 2005.
Prior to the U, she worked at Autoliv as a Benefits Specialist and brings with her 10 years of experience in human resources.
Kris is a welcomed addition to the University’s human resources team!
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Spotlight on Training and Development
Effective Fall 2005, the Department of Organizational Development Services is now called Training and Development. The responsibilities of organizational development services have been split off from Training and Development and will primarily be the responsibility of the Department of Analysis Planning and Strategy, directed by Mary Anne Berzins.
Training and Development is committed to providing professional and personal development opportunities for University of Utah employees.
Do you want to become more assertive? Learn tools to deal with challenging customers? Practice management skills? Register on-line for one of our workshops at www.hr.utah.edu/training/register/.
And for just the cost of materials, Training and Development will also provide customized retreats to departments. Some of the most requested workshops are “Teambuilding Communication” and “Navigating Communication Styles.”
For more information, please call 585-2300 or check out our website at www.hr.utah.edu/training/.
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2006 Professional Development Workshops
2006 has just begun, take advantage of the professional development workshops offered by Training and Development. There is no cost to University of Utah employees. This is the year to enhance your professional and leadership skills.
Download the 2006 workshops schedule at www.hr.utah.edu/training/workshops06.pdf today!
For more information contact Training and Development at 585-2300 or register on-line at
www.hr.utah.edu/training/register/.
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Coming Soon: Revised Policies and Procedures
Employee Relations has been working on the revisions of several key policies. During this process, we sought feedback from employees from across the University through various focus groups.
In February 2006, the Board of Trustees will review the following policies:
| PPM 2-8 |
Staff Employee Separations |
| PPM 2-8.1 |
Reduction in Force and Severance Pay |
| PPM 2-9 |
Corrective Action and Termination Policy for Staff Employees |
| PPM 2-25 |
Staff Employee Grievances |
| PPM 2-32 |
Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Policy |
The Board of Trustees will also consider the following new policy
PPM 2-76 Violence in the Workplace and Academic Environment
Once these policies are approved, training will be provided to both the academic campus and health sciences areas. Information will be posted on the HR website at www.hr.utah.edu as more information becomes available..
For more information, please contact Employee Relations at 581-5469.
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Campus Information System will be unvailable for Student and HR applications March 3 through March 6, 2006
The Campus Information System (CIS) will be down at the close of business on Thursday, March 2 through Monday, March 6, 2006. Students, faculty, and staff will not be able to access student and HR applications (including job postings and applications) during a system upgrade.
Detailed information will be available on the Campus Information System website at
https://gate.acs.utah.edu/ as the upgrade approaches.
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Benefits Corner
Check your address!
Annual Open Enrollment is Coming Soon
Is your home address on the UU Campus Information System accurate?
If it’s not, you will need to update your information before March 15, 2006 to ensure that your enrollment packet is sent to the correct address when Annual Open Enrollment begins in April. You can make changes directly on-line at
https://gate.acs.utah.edu/
Once you are logged on,
- click on the the “EMPLOYEE” tab,
- then click on “Change Your Mailing Address”.
Annual Open Enrollment is your opportunity to enroll, change or discontinue your U health coverage. Your personalized open enrollment packet will be mailed directly to your home address. This important information is your notification of any changes to the health plans.
Additional Open Enrollment reminders will be sent via email, so don’t forget to also update your email address on the Campus Information System.
For more information, please contact the Benefits Department at 581-7447.
2006 Supplemental Retirement Accounts
For those who have a University 403(b) and/or 457(b) supplemental retirement accounts, the maximum amount that you can defer (through paycheck deductions) for 2006 is $15,000 to each account. If you are age 50 or older, you qualify to defer an additional $5,000. University employees can donate the maximum amount to both a 403(b) and a 457(b) account – that means a total of $30,000 ($40,000 if you are age 50 or older)! Other special catch-up provisions are available in both the 403(b) and 457(b) Plans if either are under contributed. For more information contact the Benefits Department at 581-7447.
For 2006 you can contribute either a flat amount or a percentage of your gross pay. Example: You could contribute $200 per paycheck or 20% of your gross pay.
You can also enroll or change your election at any time by contacting the Benefits Department at 581-7447. More information and forms can be found on the Benefits Department website at www.hr.utah.edu/ben.
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