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The InfoGator newsletter is the primary source of employment information at the University of Florida. We have redesigned the InfoGator in an effort to make it more reader-friendly. Please let us know what you think by e-mailing your suggestions to Ryan Ray, HR communications coordinator.

VP for Human Resources search narrows to three candidates
Three finalists have been selected in the search for UF’s newly created position of vice president for human resources. The finalists are Paul Michaud, director of human resources at Florida International University; Kyle Cavanaugh, human resources director at the University of Texas-Austin; and Loretta Harper, vice president of human resources at the University of Utah.

The VP for human resources will carry out UF President Bernie Machen’s vision for reorganizing and streamlining the human resources functions at the university. Final interviews are currently underway, and President Machen is expected to announce the new vice president finalist later this month.

The Small Business Conference and Trade Fair scheduled for March
The 14th annual Small Business Conference and Trade Fair is scheduled for March 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hilton Conference Center.

Participants may register on line for conference workshops and trade fair or registration forms may be obtained by contacting the Division of Small Business and Vendor Diversity Relations at (352) 392-1331, ext. 308 or via e-mail at bmills@ufl.edu.

Vendor spaces are still available and can be purchased for $125 for small/minority businesses, $150 for government agencies, and $300 for corporations.

Group Benefits Enrollment now available on a biweekly basis
In an effort to help new employees sign up for their benefits packages, University Benefits and Retirement is now offering Group Benefits Enrollment on a bi-weekly basis. New employees may enroll in the various insurance options provided by the university—including health, life, and supplemental insurance plans; flexible spending accounts; and a variety of other options.

Experiencing a work or life-event status change?
UF employees experiencing or expecting to experience a “qualifying status change” should contact University Benefits and Retirement as soon as possible to ensure they receive the appropriate benefits. Employees have only 31 days after a qualifying event occurs to make coverage changes.

Announcing open enrollment for term life insurance
The annual open enrollment for term life insurance will be held from March 1 to 31 for all eligible employees with an FTE of .50 or greater. Current participants will have an opportunity to increase or decrease coverage levels, and non-participants will have an opportunity to enroll. Although premiums have been constant for some time,they will increase overall by 5 percent this year. This term life plan is underwritten by Jefferson Pilot Financial Insurance Company and is administered by Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs.

In February, all Academic Personnel, TEAMS, and USPS employees with an FTE of .50 or greater will receive correspondence including a plan brochure and an enrollment form at their home addresses. In addition, letters to current plan participants will highlight existing coverage, beneficiaries, and the level of benefit participants may add.

During open enrollment, a new enrollee may apply for coverage of $10,000 for himself or herself and $5,000 for his or her spouse and children. At this time, a current participant may increase his or her coverage by $10,000 and coverage for his or her spouse and children by $5,000. Greater amounts of coverage may also be added for both current and new participants, subject to medical approval by the company via a medical application. Although this coverage may be increased only during open enrollment or via medical application, it may be decreased or cancelled at any time.

Please contact University Benefits at 392-2477 (SC 622-1225) or benefits@ufl.edu with questions.

Added dependents to any plans lately?
If you added dependents to any of your state-sponsored benefits plans during last fall’s benefits open enrollment period as a new hire or due to a qualifying status event, the People First Service Center—UF’s new state-sponsored benefits administrator—is requiring dependent documentation.

Double deductions begin for 9- and 10-month Academic Personnel
To ensure continued coverage for health, state life, optional and supplemental insurances during the summer, 9- and 10-month academic personnel will have double deductions taken from their paychecks beginning with the February 4 paycheck and continuing through May 13.

Sick Leave Pool deductions taken
Sick leave deductions have recently been taken for employees who joined the Sick Leave Pool during October's open enrollment. The deduction will be reflected as "Sick Leave Use" rather than "Sick Leave Adjustment" in the payroll processor's "Review Accrual Balance" screen and as a sick leave deduction in the employee's view paycheck screen.

Don’t allow others to create an online resume using your sign-on
As a UF employee, you should use the portal to apply for other TEAMS/USPS positions. To view current job postings go to My Self Service > Jobs at UF > View Job Postings.

Develop your project management or communications skills
Training and Development will present several week-long series of programs designed to improve the performance of UF faculty and staff. All Training and Development sessions are provided as a benefit of employment and are, therefore, free to UF employees.

Training Interest Group (TIG) will meet February 11
Kim Raymond, assistant director for the Career Resource Center, will discuss the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and discuss how both organizations can provide a resource for networking and professional development.

Some changes to W-4s may be made online
To change your W-4 information via the UF portal http://my.ufl.edu, follow this navigation: My Self Service > Payroll and Compensation > W-4 Tax Information.

Salary information available online
Visit “My Self Service” in UF’s portal, http://my.ufl.edu, to review your current salary online. Click on “Payroll and Compensation,” then “Compensation History.” Your current salary along with any salary increases awarded since June 18 will be reflected. Hourly employees may notice an eight hour discrepancy in their annual salary because the system has calculated the salary based on 2080 hours rather than 2088 hours. This is a reporting error only and does not impact the employee's actual compensation level.

Getting ready to issue TEAMS contracts?
The following guidelines are provided to assist departmental administrators with the issuance of TEAMS contracts. Please note that contracts may only cover six (6) or twelve (12) months at a time, as outlined below.

Lump-sum payments differ from bonus pay
While lump-sum payments and bonus pay are both processed through the “Additional Pay” area of the myUFL systems, they are completely separate forms of pay.

Tips for Level 1 approvers: Past effective dates and recycling
Level 1 approvers should not use the recycle function for job or position actions that need to be corrected but that have an effective date prior to the date of review.

Time and Labor revises schedule
To improve processing for departmental administrators and the Central Payroll and Human Resources offices, Time and Labor will now close a day earlier. The revised schedule for closing the Time & Labor and "Confirming" the bi-weekly payroll may be viewed at: http://fa.ufl.edu/payroll/paydays-2004-2005.asp. For more information about this change, please read the DDD memorandum at DDD memorandum.