In preparation for open enrollment, the state of Florida usually captures address information in early August; therefore, it’s important to make sure your address is current so that you do not miss any important mailings. To ensure you receive important benefit and human-resource related communications — particularly relating to fall benefits open enrollment — make sure your home and work addresses are up-to-date by August 25 in the myUFL systems by completing the following steps:

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Open Enrollment and Benefits Fair slated for fall

This year's annual Open Enrollment and Benefits Fair is just around the corner. Open enrollment is scheduled to begin on September 19 at 8:30 a.m. and end on October 18 at 5:30 p.m. The Benefits Fair, which provides more information about available programs and options, will be held on September 25 and 26 in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. 

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New employees should make benefits enrollment a priority

To enroll in benefits, new employees should register for a Group Benefits Enrollment session at www.hr.ufl.edu/training as soon as possible. All new hires must complete enrollment within 60 calendar days from the date of hire. Enrollment is not automatic and cannot begin prior to the employee’s start date. Benefit enrollments also must be completed prior to the effective date of coverage, and coverage can only begin on the first calendar day of each month. For example, to have coverage begin September 1, all enrollment forms and processes must be completed by no later than August 31, 2006. Please note that due to the time associated with processing enrollment paperwork and the collection of premiums in both the university’s and the state of Florida’s systems, newly hired employees typically experience a short delay with use of coverage.

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Registration for fall training courses is now open

Registration for the fall training schedule is now open at www.hr.ufl.edu/training. Look for workshops on a variety of topics such as supervisory skills, project management, computer courses, myUFL (PeopleSoft) classes, business communication, and “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Fall classes include:

• The UF “ManagerSpeak” Series
  Spend some time cultivating specific management competencies to ensure that you are as effective as you can be. In these small group sessions, we’ll discuss topics of concern for UF managers. These discussions are designed to provide more in-depth understanding of supervisory scenarios. Limited to current supervisors and managers only, registration is required, and space is limited. Topics for fall include “Building Team Trust” (MGR040), “So, How Am I Doing?” (MGR050), “How’s My Team Doing?” (MGR060).
  
• Life Plans Sessions (sponsored by University Benefits and Retirement)
  These sessions are designed to help faculty and staff achieve their financial and/or retirement goals. The sessions for September are:
  
• Guidelines for Personal Budgeting (GET570)
  Wednesday, September 13, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Florida Retirement System and the DROP Program (GET573)
  Thursday, September 21, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Registration
To register, log on to myUFL, select “My Self Service,” “Training and Development,” then “Request Training Enrollment.” When searching by course name or number, leave the field blank to get a list of all available courses.

Organizational Development
Training and Organizational Development also offers organizational development services and activities based on performance management principles.  These include strategic planning, customer service and performance needs assessments, retreat planning and facilitation, team development, department training visits—tailored for specific environments and related to identified work-related competencies, and meeting facilitation.

Our organizational development services take a systems-based approach in that we focus on the performance of UF faculty and staff in the context of their work environment. Emphasis is placed on organizational purpose, values, and culture; workplace competencies; strategic alignment; and employee commitment and adaptability. Some fees may apply.

Questions or need additional information? Please contact Training and Organizational Development at training@ufl.edu, 392-4626 (SC 622-4626).

Visit Equal Employment Opportunity's new web site

Updated content, a new layout, and online resources all make up the newly designed Equal Employment Opportunity web site which went live on June 28.

New features include:

• An online sexual harassment tutorial
• Easy access to UF and other resources
• PDFs of brochures, letters, and more

The EEO office hopes the new site's functionality and readability will create a clearer way for users to find EEO information. Check out the new web site at: http://www.hr.ufl.edu/eeo

What every UF employee should know about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The Family and Medical Leave Act, also known as the FMLA, provides up to 12 work weeks of protected leave to an employee for an absence due to prenatal care, parental leave, foster care/adoption, or a serious health condition of self or a family member – spouse, parent, and child. It protects employees from being penalized for being absent during an FMLA-qualifying event and eliminates the fear of losing employment while absent.

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