University Holiday - June 18

The university will be closed on Friday, June 18 (4 hours Holiday Leave will be granted) in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. Full-time employees are expected to work 36.0 hours during the Juneteenth holiday week. Any hours short of a 36.0-hour workweek should be charged to available leave.

University Holiday - July 5

The university will be closed on Monday, July 5 (8 hours Holiday Leave will be granted) in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Full-time employees are expected to work 32.0 hours during the Independence Day holiday week. Any hours short of a 32.0-hour workweek should be charged to available leave.

See the Modified Summer Work Schedule website for additional information.

A&P Faculty Leave Year End

The 2020-2021 A&P Faculty Leave Year will end on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. All outstanding A&P Faculty Leave requests for the period between July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021 must be entered into MyMadison and approved by a supervisor by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 6. Though the 2021-2022 A&P Faculty Leave balance is effective July 1, 2021 and is available for use on that date, A&P faculty will not be able to view the new leave balance or enter leave requests for the new year to MyMadison until Thursday, July 8 due to year-end processing. Please hold on entering leave requests for the new year until after Wednesday, July 7.

For additional information on A&P Faculty Leave, visit the A&P Faculty Leave Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

Mid-Year Leave Liability Reporting

In order for the university’s leave records to be as current as possible for the Commonwealth Leave Liability Report, it is important that all full-time employees enter all outstanding leave requests for the January 10 through June 30 time frame into MyMadison prior to Wednesday, June 30 for supervisor approval. Supervisors must act on their requests by Tuesday, July 6. This will provide a snapshot of all leave balances as of the end of the fiscal year.

Leave System Maintenance

MyMadison and Manager Self-Service for leave entry/approval will be unavailable to all employees on Wednesday, July 7 for A&P Leave Year End processing. Leave entry/approval will resume as usual on Thursday, July 8.

Contact Reagan Neese, Leave Specialist, neeserw@jmu.edu, for questions about leave.

Open Enrollment Changes

Health Insurance, Aflac, and flexible spending account changes that occurred during open enrollment will be reflected on your July 16 pay advice. Review your pay check in MyMadison for accuracy. See a discrepancy? Contact benefits@jmu.edu immediately.

Virginia Retirement System Member News

Be sure to read the latest issue of Member News from VRS. Included in this issue is information regarding ICMA-RC’s name change to MissionSquare Retirement, online retirements, tackling debt with the Credit Card Paydown Tool, and many other topics. Subscribe to Member News directly for the latest updates.

June' s Social Security Column Newsletter

Benefits Broadcast

Our goal with the Benefits Broadcast is to feature a specific benefit each month. This month’s featured benefit is…

Voluntary Benefits Special Open Enrollment

June 8 - 24

Human Resources is pleased to announce that we are partnering with Pierce Insurance for the following voluntary benefits:

Legal Plan Benefit with Legal Resources

With over 70% of Americans having a legal need each year, Legal Resources gives you and your family access to an attorney for everyday needs. Whether your legal matter is expected or unexpected, you’ll have immediate and ongoing access to our network of highly rated law firms. You pay no attorney fees for all Fully Covered Services, which include will preparation, traffic court, advice and consultation, real estate matters, divorce, billing disputes, and more! Pre-existing legal matters are even covered at a 25% discount. Live More, Worry Less. Now, you can Relax You’re Covered ®. Call 800-421-3142, ext. 177 to learn more or click here

Identity Theft Protection Plan with Legal Resources

The 2019 Identity Fraud Study, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, found that there were 14.4 million victims of fraud in the U.S. in 2018. Identity theft can impact anyone, anywhere, at any time - which is why it is important that you protect yourself. Now you can monitor and control your personal information and have peace of mind in knowing that you’re protected with 24/7 fully-managed restoration and up to $1 million of identity theft insurance in the event of an incident. Call 800-421-3142, ext. 177 to learn more or click here

Pet Insurance with Nationwide

My Pet Protection pet insurance from Nationwide is a reimbursement indemnity plan for dogs and cats. That means we reimburse members for a portion of eligible veterinary expenses related to accidents, injuries and illnesses. Wellness coverage is also available for routine preventive exams and services.

Premium is based on:

• Species of pet
• Employee ZIP code
• Reimbursement level selected: 50%, 70% or 90%
• Optional wellness coverage

We accept claims from any licensed veterinarian or veterinary hospital. You can choose plans with or without wellness benefits. All plans include a $250 annual deductible and a $7500 per year maximum benefit. You can elect whether the plan will reimburse you at 50%, 70% or 90%.

For more information, or to enroll via payroll deduction. Simply click on this URL, https://benefits.petinsurance.com/jmu, or call Nationwide at (877) 738-7874 and provide your employer name.

Home and Auto Insurance with Liberty Mutual

Employees potentially save $947 with customized auto and home insurance.* Take advantage of payroll deduction for additional savings. Call 800-699-4378 and reference Client #136852 or click here to get a free quote.

There will be a special Open Enrollment Period beginning June 8-24. Visit https://pierceins.com/jmu/ to schedule an onsite consultation for these voluntary benefits.

Also, coming in September, there will be an additional Open Enrollment Period to enroll in permanent life insurance with money for long-term care. More to come about this new benefit!

*Savings validated by new customers who switched to Liberty Mutual between 1/2020-10/2020 and participated in a countrywide survey. Savings may vary. Comparison does not apply in MA. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company or its affiliates or subsidiaries, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116.

Need to Talk with an Expert?

We are pleased to announce with the lifting of COVID restrictions, many of our company representative will be returning to Wine-Price Building for in-person consultations!

Here is a list of upcoming dates where you could talk with an expert:

• June 16 - Pierce Insurance (Open Enrollment for voluntary benefits)
• June 23 - Pierce Insurance (Open Enrollment for voluntary benefits)
• June 24 - Pierce Insurance (Open Enrollment for voluntary benefits)
• July 7 – Aflac, Michael Glover, michael_glover@us.aflac.com

Payroll Services Announcements

Payroll Services New Fiscal Technician

Olivia Fulk is our new Payroll Fiscal Technician. We welcome her back to JMU Finance, and are happy to have her on board.

Jill Eckard is Fully Retiring!

Jill Eckard has been with Payroll Services for over 24 years. She retired from her full time position several years ago but has continued working in a part time capacity. She has now decided to fully retire! June 30 will be her last day working. Please join us in congratulating her on a job well done as she moves into this new chapter of her life. We wish her the best!

Payroll Reminder: Due to the new fiscal accounting year, Payday will be Thursday, July 1st. Payday will NOT be June 30th.

Upcoming Changes to the Affiliate Services Request Process

Effective Wednesday, June 23, 2021, a new streamlined, electronic process will be used for granting services, renewing services, terminating services, and updating data for JMU Affiliates. Gone will be the days of printing Affiliate forms and manually obtaining approval signatures!

Process Details: Beginning Wednesday, June 23, Sponsoring Departments for Affiliates will select the appropriate form for the desired action via form links that will be located on the HR affiliate webpage, fill out the electronic form, enter the email addresses of up to four department approvers, and click Submit. The department approvers entered on the form will then sequentially receive a link via email to access the form and approve or deny the submitted form.

The sponsoring department approvers entered on the form must include: the department director or AUH (academic unit head), the department head’s supervisor or AUH’s dean, and additional approvers up to, and including, the appropriate assistant/associate vice president or vice provost.

After the final department approver approves the form, the form will route to Human Resources Consulting for review, Human Resources Recruiting for initiation of background check process (if applicable), and lastly Payroll Services for entry into the HR Management system.

Additional information can be found on the HR affiliate webpage on/after June 23. If you have questions, contact Human Resources (workforcemgmt@jmu.edu or 540-568-7247). We look forward to the efficiencies this new process will bring to our campus community!

A description of six dimensions of wellness, as defined by NWI, is listed here. Please reach out to Tara Roe with your Balanced Dukes program questions, roetb@jmu.edu, 540-568-5533.

Pre-registration is no Longer Required to Access UREC

Office of Risk Management's Monthly Safety Tip

Talent Development

Discover|Grow|Succeed

“There's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst.” ― Stephen King

The JMU Safety Champions series has a workshop each month for six months on a safety topic. This series begins in July and will be capped at 15 participants who are willing to volunteer and take an active role as a "Safety Champion" within your building. Each participant who attends all six 3-hour workshops, will receive a certificate of completion. Sessions are held on Wednesday mornings, 9:00 a.m. until noon in the Pathways Training Center in Wine-Price (G-006).

“Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and you will accomplish your object.” ― Harvey Mackay

If you sit for most of your workday (like most of us) you will want to hear from our CommonHealth representative of ways you can feel better through simple actions. Register in MyMadison for TD7013: Time to Feel Better, being held July 20th virtually from 1:30-2:30 p.m. For other workshops of interest, please use the TD workshop listing by date on the website.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,

Your thoughts become your words,

Your words become your actions,

Your actions become your habits,

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny.” – Gandhi

JMU Values and Me is available as a departmental session to JMU units with 8 or more participants. The 90-minute session starts with a values sentence exercise, followed by the group considering how values, behavior, and culture interact. Activities and discussion focus on JMU values, personal values, and the value of the unit(s) participating. If your work unit is small, consider inviting interdependent units to do this session with you. Email TD@jmu.edu to request scheduling.

NEWS from Virginia Department of Human Resources Management

"People of different religions and cultures live side by side in almost every part of the world, and most of us have overlapping identities which unite us with very different groups. We can love what we are, without hating what – and who – we are not. We can thrive in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings." -Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations

The Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) is launching a 45-minute, online module on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Cultural Competence. This introductory module, The Road to Cultural Competence, is available for registration. State employees may sign up for the session through the online course offerings on COVLC. If you have not already done so, create an account using your state (not JMU) employee number and a new password (not your JMU password). Additional training will be available and featured in the coming months. Watch the overview at COVLC or contact Talent Development with questions (TD@jmu.edu or 540-568-4104).

Human Resources is dedicated to customer service, a positive approach to change and the pursuit of excellence that promotes university and individual success.