Announcements from the Senior Vice President

Dear Rutgers Colleagues:

In our continued effort to support our employees, I want to highlight two valuable benefits Rutgers is offering—our free webinars on financial wellness and Social Security and our Caregiver Support Pilot Program. At the same time, I hope you will take a couple of minutes to give your feedback on our flexible work arrangements as we evaluate this one-year pilot.

3-Question Pulse Survey: How Can Rutgers Better Support You?

As we evaluate the current flexible work arrangement offerings available at Rutgers and determine how to improve the future of work, please add your voice to the conversation by filling out this short 3-question pulse survey.

Dear Rutgers Colleagues:

As we approach the end of the current fiscal year, I am writing to remind you that, pursuant to university policy and negotiated agreement, staff employees who are eligible to accrue paid time off may only carry forward into the next fiscal year the equivalent of one year of accrued vacation days. In order to avoid forfeiting credited vacation time in excess of the carryover cap, staff members are encouraged to work with their supervisors now to review workload and staffing requirements for their department, and to develop a plan to use excess vacation time prior to June 30, 2023.

Dear Colleagues,

Last year, Rutgers employees engaged in a series of discussions through meetings, focus groups, and surveys designed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace. The resulting Future of Work Task Force Report contained a range of short- and long-term recommendations, including those that led to the implementation of formal flexible work arrangements that require Rutgers employees to be on-campus at least 3 days per week.

The initial goal setting phase of the performance management process for non-aligned employees began on August 1. The online performance management tool is available to accept FY’23 goal submissions. Goal setting is a powerful process that enables employees to understand how their efforts impact the entire organization, align with the university’s strategic vision, and contribute to broader team goals. As a reminder, FY’23 Goal Plans should be approved by September 30, 2022.

Learning Sessions: Initial Goal Setting for Non-Aligned Employees

Organizational and Talent Development will be offering two learning sessions for all non-aligned employees and performance management system users. During these sessions we will cover:

Dear Rutgers Colleagues:

As part of our ongoing Planning for the Future education programming, we are pleased to announce the next series of webinars focused on Social Security and financial wellness. These webinars are intended to provide employees with the tools and education necessary to manage finances and help make the best financial decisions for themselves, their families, and their futures. Webinars are available to all Rutgers employees and are free of charge.

Below is a list of the Planning for the Future webinars and links to register:

Social Security – hosted by Social Security Administration

This session will provide an overview of Social Security and Medicare for retirement purposes.

Colleagues,

Below are several important time-sensitive benefits updates.

Open Enrollment

The 2023 Open Enrollment Period for the SHBP and NJ Tax$ave Program runs from October 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022. This is your annual opportunity to assess your benefits needs and revise your medical, prescription, dental, and pre-tax flexible spending account selections. The deadline for modifications is October 31, 2022, for an effective date of January 1, 2023. If you do not anticipate making any changes, no further action is required to maintain your coverage.

Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the second series of learning sessions designed to equip employees with the skills necessary to promote employee well-being and thrive in a flexible work environment. This learning series will begin on October 11, 2022. Topics and registration links are below:

Dear Colleagues,

In our continued effort to support the evolving needs of our employees, Rutgers is pleased to launch a Caregiver Support Pilot Program through Care.com from September 1, 2022, through August 31, 2023.  Such a program was one of the recommendations made this summer by the Future of Work Task Force.

All eligible employees may have a Care.com membership. Care.com offers employees access to the world’s largest network of caregivers to meet all of your unexpected care needs, connecting you with caregivers for children and adults, and giving you the option of using your own personal caregiver if no network caregiver is available. Through Care.com, you can find the right caregivers for children and adults including:

Dear Colleagues,  

As part of the University’s Chosen Name Initiative, effective September 1, 2022, employees will be able to designate a chosen name to be utilized in the course of university business in lieu of their legal name[1]. If you do not wish to designate a chosen name, you do not need to take any action. Employees may elect to set a chosen name by following the steps outlined below:

Dear Colleagues,

As the fall semester quickly approaches, I write to provide an update regarding the university’s implementation of flexible work arrangements.

Reminder: Flexible Work Arrangement Applications Due August 15

All current telecommuting plans expire on August 31, 2022. Employees are expected to return to campus unless they have an approved flexible work arrangement in the FlexWork@RU System. Applications are due by August 15 and approvals are due prior to September 1.

Dear Colleagues,

As part of the implementation of the Future of Work Task Force recommendation to expand the flexible work arrangement offerings available to staff employees, I am pleased to announce the FlexWork@RU Application System is now open. The system is designed to allow employees to submit their application for a flexible work arrangement and department heads to review and monitor applications. The system will track remote work locations to ensure appropriate taxation of wages and adherence to state and local wage laws.

Dear Colleagues,

Earlier today, President Holloway released the Future of Work Task Force Report and announced his endorsement of the recommendations with an immediate focus on implementing the six short-term recommendations. I am delighted to share key initiatives related to the rollout of these six recommendations, which were informed by the input of our university community. More information about these recommendations and the full report will also be discussed at a virtual town hall on July 7.

Dear Rutgers Colleagues,

As you are aware, since March 2020, Rutgers has provided faculty, staff, and students flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic through the relaxation of Policy 60.3.22 Alternative Work Arrangements and Telecommuting for Regularly Appointed Staff.

In accordance with applicable collective negotiations agreements, supervisors and managers are responsible for providing a formal performance evaluation to eligible employees on an annual basis. This process allows supervisors and managers to engage with their employees in a thoughtful dialogue about their performance and accomplishments in the previous year, professional development and career progression, and to define goals and objectives for the upcoming performance cycle.

The evaluation period for the following units runs from May 1, 2021 through April 30, 2022:

Dear Rutgers Shared Work Furlough Program Participants,

We are providing clarification regarding two communications you may have received directly from the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL).

BPC-189 Request for Refund of Unemployment Benefits (Overpayment Notice)

If you have received this notice in the mail AND the reason for the request for refund indicates “Your Claim for Benefits Was Cancelled,” you do not need to repay the unemployment benefits you received to the NJDOL.

Dear Rutgers Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that President Holloway has approved a salary improvement program for regularly appointed non-aligned employees. All eligible non-aligned employees will receive a 2.5% across-the-board salary increase effective March 1, 2022. The increase will be reflected in the paycheck dated March 4, 2022 for all eligible employees.

Eligibility Criteria

Regularly appointed non-aligned employees who are in an eligible non-aligned title as of February 28, 2022 and remain in an eligible title through the date of payment are eligible for an increase.

If you have any questions, please contact OneSource Rutgers Faculty and Staff Service Center at 732-745-SERV (7378) or OneSource@rutgers.edu.

Dear Rutgers Colleagues:

We are pleased to announce the implementation schedule for the salary increases for aligned employee as detailed below. All increases indicated below are effective March 1, 2022 and will be reflected in the March 4, 2022 paycheck.

Members of the Rutgers Community:

As the Future of Work Task Force works to develop its recommendations, we invite members of the university community to participate in a series of virtual listening tours. The purpose of these sessions is to listen to and learn from our faculty, staff, and students. Your diverse experiences, views, and recommendations regarding the future of work at Rutgers University will help us better understand the evolving needs of our employees and the communities we serve. We will use what we learn to make recommendations that support our goals of becoming a more resilient, competitive, and inclusive organization.

There will be three, 1½ hour online listening sessions:

Dear Colleagues,

Effective immediately, OptumRx members are eligible for coverage of over-the-counter (OTC) at-home COVID-19 diagnostic tests purchased on or after January 15, 2022. Coverage includes OTC at-home COVID-19 test kits authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The most common tests are BinaxNOW™, Flowflex™, InteliSwab™, On/Go™ and QuickVue®. Coverage is limited to 8 individual tests per covered member, every month (i.e., a family of 4 covered members would be eligible for 32 tests a month).

There are three options available to OptumRx members to take advantage of this new benefit:

We have extended the period to complete the Mid-Year Review process from January 31 to March 15. All Mid-Year Goal Plans and Reviews for non-aligned employees must be submitted and approved in the Performance Management tool on or before March 15.

The Mid-Year Review process is critical to our continued focus on employee development. It allows managers and employees to discuss and recalibrate existing performance and development goals.

While we have extended the deadline for Mid-Year Reviews, we still encourage you and your manager to formally discuss the progress you’ve made on your performance and development goals. Employees may add, remove, or edit goals currently listed on their Goal Plan through March 15.