Plan now for retirement: Know your options

Important information for employees with sick- or vacation-leave payments

The University of Florida implemented the Special Pay Plan administered by BENCOR in 2006. Employees separating from the university and receiving sick or vacation leave payments of $2,000 or more will be automatically enrolled in this program. Additional information about the plan is available online at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/retirement/other/specialpayplan.asp

Consultants available to discuss investment options

Consultants from various investment companies will be onsite at the HRS Building to meet with faculty and staff who may have questions about retirement plans.

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Meal memberships to Gator Dining available to faculty and staff

Gator Dining now offers UF faculty and staff a meal membership plan that offers 30 meals at the Fresh Food Company (Broward Dining Hall), Gator Corner Dining Center, and the café at the Cancer/Genetics Research Building, as well as $25.00 in Flex Bucks. The Flex Bucks that come with your dining membership are accepted at all Gator Dining locations including their three convenience stores.

Why should you buy a dining membership?

The faculty/staff memb ership offers a savings of 15% off the retail door price. The meals never expire and you can treat a co-worker to lunch with your dining membership meals or flex bucks. Faculty and staff will receive 30 meals plus $25 in Flex Bucks for $200. Those who qualify may purchase membership through payroll deduction.

How does the faculty/staff dining membership work?

The faculty/staff dining membership is geared specifically to provide a better dining value for your dollars when you use your meal membership instead of paying cash to eat. When you open an account, the magnetic stripe on the back of your Gator 1 card activates to identify you as a Dining Member.

For more information and to enroll, please visit www.gatordining.com/FacultyStaff.

Use your 2006-07 personal days by July 12

If you still have unused personal leave days or personal holidays, now is the time to use them. Any unused USPS personal holidays and TEAMS/faculty personal leave days not used by the end of the fiscal year will expire.

Eligible employees have until the end of the pay period in which June 30 (the end of the fiscal year) occurs–-meaning July 12, 2007, is the last day by which to use unused personal holidays (if USPS) or personal leave days (if TEAMS or eligible faculty). 

USPS personal holidays for the 2007-08 fiscal year will be awarded and reflected on the balance beginning July 15, 2007.  Personal leave days for 2007-08 for TEAMS and eligible faculty will be awarded in December 2007. Please note that even though the USPS personal holiday will be in effect on July 15, employees will not be able to report such usage until after July 28, 2007. 

Questions? Please contact Central Leave Administration at central-leave@ufl.edu.

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. A status change includes any of the following:

• Start or return from leave
• Marriage
• Termination
• Birth or adoption of a child
• Death or ineligibility of a dependent
• Court order pertaining to children (i.e., legal guardianship or a divorce decree)
• Change in FTE
• Gain or loss of other coverage
• Eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid
• Change in spouse's employment

If you need additional information or have any questions, please contact University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2HRS (SC 622-2477) or benefits@ufl.edu.

Employee Education Program information session offered in July

The Employee Education Program (EEP) is a popular benefit made available to eligible UF faculty and staff. The program covers the matriculation fees of up to six credit-hours of covered college-level courses for eligible employees. To better inform employees of the procedures and paperwork associated with participating in the EEP, Human Resource Services, in collaboration with the Registrar’s Office, will provide a short information session on Monday, July 23, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., in Room 120 of the HRS Building. The session will cover the following topics:

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