Human Resources Communication

April 28, 2006

PHONE: 818-677-2101

MAIL DROP: 8229

UNIVERSITY HALL 165

Absence for Political Action

HR QUICKLINKS:

HR Communication Archive

http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/newsletters/

Benefits Administration

http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/benefits/

Compensation & Employment

http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/comp/

Payroll Administration

http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/payroll/

Employee Relations

http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/relations/

Professional Development Programs

http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/training/

Published reports suggest that employees in the greater Los Angeles area may be invited to attend events dealing with the issue of immigration on May 1, 2006. Absences on this date should be handled consistent with current university practices and the appropriate collective bargaining agreement. If you have any questions about absences, please call Employee Relations at Ext. 6566.

PERS Care and PERS Choice Update

Effective July 1, 2006 CalPERS is making a change and will be changing from Caremark to Medco Health Solutions to administer PERS-Care and PERS Choice prescription drug plan programs. Affected employees will be contacted directly by CalPERS and/or Medco with pertinent information during the transition.

Staff Services and Excellence Awards Event

Every year the university recognizes and celebrates staff who have achieved a 5-year increment of service. This year's service ceremony will be held on July 20th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Invitations to eligible staff members will be sent out electronically at the end of April. This special event is hosted by Dr. Koester and the divisional Vice Presidents. Mark your calendar for July 20th if you are celebrating a 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 years of service.

Opportunity to Recognize Others
Don't miss out on an opportunity to recognize staff and administrators for their important contributions to the university community. Once a year the Recognition of Excellence Awards nomination are available to recognize the outstanding contributions of staff and administrators. Staff and administrators can participate by nominating an individual for one of the three award categories that include the Presidential, Merit, and Team Awards. All award winners will receive a monetary gift and will be invited to attend the annual Staff Services and Excellence Recognition event on July 20th. Refer to the link below to obtain criteria, eligibility, and nomination forms for all of the awards. Nominations are due to Professional Development Programs in the Office of Human Resources by June 7th. A committee of staff and administrators will evaluate the nominations and select the winners. Complete award information can be accessed at http://www-admn.csun.edu/hrs/comp/awards/index.htm
CalPERS News
On June 6th and 7th CalPERS is hosting a Retirement Planning and Resources Fair at the Glendale Regional Office located at 655 North Central Avenue, Suite 1400, Glendale. There are 11 event location in May and June throughout the state. CalPERS will exhibit a variety of benefits and programs: Service Credit Purchase; Health Benefits; Member Home Loan Program; and Long-Term Care Insurance. More information and schedules can be found at the CalPERS website at http://www.calpers.ca.gov/ or by calling CalPERS at 888-225-7377. No registration or reservation required.
Fiscal Year-End Countdown
Fiscal year end for 05-06 is right around the corner. Please be cognizant of outstanding Payroll items that need to be reconciled or may need to be accrued as we approach year end. Exceptions will not be granted after the posted deadlines. The schedule is very tight this year, please refer to the year-end spending calendar posted on the Web at the following link: http://www-admn.csun.edu/acctsvcs/year_end2006.htm The first Payroll related date on the calendar is May 15, 2006, which is the last work date allowed to be charged to work-study funds for student employees. Any work-study payroll corrections must be submitted to Josie Carbajal (Work-Study Office, Ext. 2373, Mail Code: 8307, josefina.carbajal@csun.edu) by May 26, 2006. Questions regarding the year-end calendar can be directed to the members of the contact list in the memo: FY 05/06 YEAR END CALENDAR MEMO.
Student Assistant Hours
As a result of the implementation of YRO (year round operations), Human Resources have received a number of inquiries regarding the number of hours a student may work during the summer sessions. The following are guidelines to assist you in the upcoming YRO summer sessions. Summer session appointments may be made if the student has been admitted for fall and spring semester, respectively, and is planning on attending. If a student is enrolled in at least 6 or more units during a session, the Student Assistant may work up to, but normally not in excess of, 20 hours per week total in all positions. The Internal Revenue Service guidelines for student assistants limits their normal working hours to 20 per week during academic semesters. However, if the student is not enrolled or is enrolled in less than 6 units for a summer session, they may work up to a maximum of 40 hours per week, but may not be scheduled to work overtime. Overtime is defined as more than 40 hours per week. A schedule may exceed 8 hours a day provided the total for the week does not exceed 40 hours. The Controller's Office will not issue payments to Student Assistants in excess of 168 hours for a 21-day period, nor in excess of 176 hours for a 22-day period. Students who have graduated and who are not admitted/enrolled for the following semester are NOT eligible for Student Assistant appointment.
NEW! TOOLS FOR SUPERVISORS
Need help with the more challenging side of leading and managing such as people skills? How about help in facilitating a performance review? The impact of good leadership and management skills affect all of us. A new link is being developed by the Office of Human Resources that will host a variety of topics for quick supervisory advice. Since performance reviews are a few months away, the site is launching with "Facilitating an Effective Performance Review" for May. Each month new topics will be added allowing supervisors to get help when they need it. The new site will be announced and become available in May. Future topics will focus on a variety leadership and management skills. Take advantage of this new tool and pass along the information to others who manage staff members. Make your job easier and the get information to help you management more effectively.