Services available for university faculty and staff impacted by layoffs

The Office of Human Resource Services regrets that the current budget circumstances have resulted in a number of employee layoffs at the University of Florida. This is a difficult time for individuals directly impacted by the layoffs. We also understand that the impact is felt by concerned colleagues and by the campus community at large. Our office is committed to providing helpful service during this time. A web site has been created with critical information related to the decisions that have been made at the university, how the layoff process works, and the available services for impacted employees. The President's web site also offers additional information about budget decisions. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.

A reminder about visa status reports

Please remember to review the visa status of your employees to ensure that all documents are current. A report to assist in this review is available in the myUFL system under Enterprise Reporting. This report is used to track foreign national employees on visas by providing the status and expiration date of current visas.

Staff responsible for reviewing the reports should provide any updated forms as follows: I-20s for F-1 visa holders; DS-2019s for J-1 visa holders; and I-797s for H1B1, O-1, and TN visa holders.

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Employee overtime compensation resources available

It is important for departments to have procedures in place that document the approval of overtime payments or overtime compensation leave. The following resources are available to help you with this process.

http://www.hr.ufl.edu/class_comp/policy/wageandhour.asp

http://www.hr.ufl.edu/leave/compensatory.asp#overtime

Questions? Please call Classification and Compensation or Leave Administration at 392-2477.

Employee exit checklist available on HRS web site

It is important for departments to complete the exit checklist for all employees upon transfer or termination. This will ensure that all exit procedures have been completed. The Employee Exit Checklist is available on the HRS web site to assist you.

Upon completion, the checklist should be included in the employee’s personnel file.

Questions? Call Employee Relations at (352) 392-1072.

Review Job Data prior to initiating or approving ePAF actions

When initiating or approving an ePAF action, please first refer to Job Data to confirm that other actions have not been entered that could affect the intended action to be entered. While this review is most important for terminations involving student assistants, work study students, and regular OPS staff, the same practice is highly recommended for all ePAF actions.

When a duplicate ePAF is approved for an action that has already executed in the system, an error will occur which has to be manually reviewed and corrected and could hold up other ePAF activity for that employee in the interim.

Questions? Call Classification and Compensation at (352) 392-2477.

Registration opens May 12 for summer training

Registration opens May 12 for Training and Organizational Development’s summer course offerings. This summer's schedule features the Pro3 Series, including the new Academic Department Support track; computer application training; myUFL workshops; the Supervisory Challenge; and more. To register, log on to myUFL and follow the links to “My Self-Service” and “Training and Development,” or visit http://www.hr.ufl.edu/training/schedule.asp for more information as well as a schedule of courses. Registration opens May 12 at 8:00 a.m.

Summer enrollment now open for GatorGradCare

Enrollment is now open for summer-only coverage under GatorGradCare and runs through May 16. Summer-only coverage begins on May 16, 2008, and ends on August 15, 2008. Summer-only coverage is for students who did not enroll in annual or spring/summer coverage for the 2007-2008 academic year. Students must meet the GatorGradCare eligibility requirements in order to enroll in summer-only coverage. The eligibility criteria includes a graduate assistantship with a .25 FTE or greater and appropriate registration or a pre-doc fellowship and appropriate registration. Students interested in summer-only coverage must log on to www.gatorgradcare.com and select the “Enroll Online” tab to complete the enrollment process before May 16, 2008.

The GatorGradCare eligibility requirements, brochure, and other related information can be found at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits/gatorgradcare/default.asp. If you have any questions about GatorGradCare, please contact the GA Benefits Office at 352-392-0003.

Information on GatorGradCare premiums

GatorGradCare premiums for eligible graduate assistants and pre-doc fellows will continue to be charged to the department or appropriate grant/auxiliary funds.

The premium charges for graduate assistants are applied through payroll deduction over seven pay periods in the fall and six pay periods in the spring. If the graduate assistant is paid from state funds, then the Provost Office will reimburse the department for these insurance premium charges during the appropriate semester. If the graduate assistant is paid from grant/auxiliary funds, then the supporting grant/auxiliary funds will be charged the premium and will not be reimbursed.

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GatorGradCare annual or spring/summer enrollees eligible to use the SHCC during summer

Graduate students who are not registered for courses during the summer and are enrolled in annual or spring/summer coverage together under GatorGradCare may still use the Student Health Care Center during the summer months. Graduate students falling into this category have the following two options in order to utilize the Student Health Care Center during the summer months:

1. The GatorGradCare graduate student with annual or spring/summer coverage may pay the summer health fee, which covers office visits and use of the Student Health Care Center Pharmacy. The health fee cost for the summer are as follows:

Summer A: $75
Summer B: $75
Summer C: $150
(Entire Summer)

The health fee is paid directly to the Student Health Care Center.

The graduate student’s office visit would be covered by this health fee. Once the health fee is paid, the Student Health Care Center benefits under GatorGradCare would be in place. A description of these benefits can be found on page 8 of the GatorGradCare brochure or by calling Student Resources at 1-800-996-4698.

If a GatorGradCare graduate student has purchased coverage for a spouse or domestic partner, then both the graduate student and the spouse or domestic partner would have to pay the health fee in order for the spouse or domestic partner to be seen at the Student Health Care Center.

2. The GatorGradCare graduate student with annual or spring/summer coverage may be seen at the Student Health Care Center without paying the summer health fee. The Student Health Care Center benefits under GatorGradCare would be in place. A description of these benefits can be found on page 8 of the GatorGradCare brochure or by calling Student Resources at 1-800-996-4698. An additional $60 fee will be added to the graduate student’s total bill. This will make the student’s 20 percent coinsurance amount slightly higher.

Example: If a student’s total bill was regularly $100, the student would pay 20 percent, which equals $20. However, an additional $60 will be added to the total bill per visit. So, the total is now $160. The student will pay 20 percent of $160, which equals $32.

The GatorGradCare graduate student with annual or spring/summer coverage may also use the Student Health Care Center Pharmacy without paying the summer health fee. An additional $10 fee will be added to the cost of the prescription. The student would still pay the appropriate copay under GatorGradCare for the prescription. Students will only notice this extra fee if the cost of the prescription was usually less than the $10 minimum copay.

This is not an option for spouses or domestic partners covered under GatorGradCare.

These options do not apply to students who are registered for summer classes and are covered under GatorGradCare.

Reminders from University Retirement

FICA Alternative reminder
FICA Alternative Distribution requests cannot be processed until all eligible jobs are terminated in Job Data. Please process terminations within the biweekly pay period following the last day worked.

ORP Reminder
Termination certifications for ORP distributions cannot be submitted to the Division of Retirement until one full calendar month following the termination of all jobs in Job Data.

Don't forget to read the regular edition of the InfoGator

As an administrator in your department, you have an important role to play in ensuring your employees are up to date about HR-related issues that affect them. Please make sure to review and ensure they see the following articles in the regular edition of the InfoGator, which was distributed earlier this month!

Employees must report 2007-08 compensatory leave use by May 25

Use your 2007-08 personal days by July 10!

Recently updated forms on the HRS web site

We encourage you to always check the HRS web site forms page for the most current forms rather than saving forms to your computer.

Updated forms:

New forms

Forms no longer in use

Recently updated myUFL Toolkit Instruction Guides

This new section will keep you updated on any instruction guides that have been updated for myUFL.

New Instruction Guides: