December 2007
Deductions from Your Paycheck –
Changes in Benefits Deductions
Did you make changes to your benefits during Annual
Enrollment this fall? Many insurance benefits offered
by the University are paid a month in advance.
If you made changes to your insurance during Annual
Enrollment, or if your existing insurance vendors made
rate changes that take effect in January (see list
below), you will see those changes this month, in your
12/7 and 12/21 paychecks.
Here are plans with rate changes you’ll see reflected in
December paychecks:
All dental plans
ALTA Hospital Supplemental – All plans
Group Life Insurance – should be slightly
lower
Optional Life Insurance – lower if covered
at same amount
Please
compare your deductions against your 11/21 paycheck.
Changes to Flexible Spending Accounts will be seen in
your January 4th paycheck.
If you have questions, please contact a Benefits
Representative in HR Services at (813) 974-2970, or you
may call People First, USF’s third-party administrator
at 1-866-663-4735.
2007 W-2’s
Wage and Tax Statements for 2007 will be distributed to
departments on or before Monday, January 28th.
Envelopes for Form W-2 will be provided. Employees
should verify their addresses through GEMS Self Service
by January 7, 2008 to ensure their current address is
printed on their W-2. Any employee needing special
handling of their 2007 Form W-2 should contact their
department.
Retirement Plan Switching: ORP to FRS
Active employees enrolled in the Optional Retirement
Plan (ORP) will have an opportunity to switch to the
Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan or the
FRS Investment Plan. The election can be made from
January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008.
The FRS mailed notices
to each ORP participant on November 26, 2007. If you are
an ORP participant and did not receive a notice, please
refer to the USF Retirement website at
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfpers/Benefits/Retirement.htm
for a copy of the notice and election form.
If
you are considering switching plans, it is highly
recommended that you request an estimate from the
Division of Retirement at 1-866-446-9377, option #3,
prior to making your decision.
Workshops will be held on campus throughout the year to
review the differences in the plans, the pros and cons
of changing plans, and what steps need to be taken to
request estimates and to make the change if it is the
right choice for you. To enroll in a workshop click
here:
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ODT/Career.htm
Appointment times will also be available starting in
January if you want to discuss your options on a
one-on-one basis with the University Retirement
Coordinator, Sonya Techton. For an appointment, contact
Sonya at (813) 974-5718 or
stechton@admin.usf.edu.
New Faces in HR
Roanna Valdellon has joined the Division of Human
Resources as a Benefits Representative, assisting in
delivering employee benefits services. Roanna holds a
bachelor’s degree and is experienced in both human
resources and the hospitality industry. Rosanna may be
reached at (813) 974-5715 or
rvaldell@admin.usf.edu.
New I-9 Form Required for New Employees
Are
you responsible for hiring new employees in your
department/area? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (“USCIS”) has issued a revised Employment
Eligibility Verification Form (I-9). Employers must
complete I-9s for each employee they hire in the United
States. The USCIS has posted a fact sheet with details
about the changes and compliance requirements on its Web
site.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
The
changes to the I-9 are the list of documents that
establish both identity and employment eligibility (List
A). Removed from List A are:
-
Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (N-560 or N-570)
-
Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570)
-
Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151)
Unexpired Reentry Permit (I-327)
Unexpired Refugee Travel Document (I-571)
Added
to List A is the most recent version of the Employment
Authorization Document (EAD) (I-766). The revised list
A now consists of the following documents:
-
U.S
Passport (unexpired or expired)
-
Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
-
Unexpired foreign passport with a temporary I-551
stamp
-
Unexpired Employment Authorization Document that
contains a photograph
-
Unexpired foreign passport with an unexpired
Arrival- Departure Record (I-94) for nonimmigrant
aliens authorized to work for a specific employer.
You’ll
find a link to the updated I-9 form and instructions on
the
HR Forms list. All I-9 forms must be completed
within 3 days from the date of hire. Normally, this is
done as part of the “RightStart” process conducted in HR
on day one. For questions, contact your
HR Representative.
2007 United Way Campaign
USF’s 2007 United Way Campaign (Tampa Campus) runs
through December 31st. The USF United Way Campaign
website is
available for online pledges via payroll deduction or
you can print a paper form to pledge by cash, check or
credit card. Remember, every dollar makes a
difference. For more information contact Judy Lowry, HR
Communications, (813) 974-5484 or
jlowry@admin.usf.edu.
Faculty Staff Appreciation Football
Event
The
2007 Faculty & Staff Appreciation Event Tailgate Party,
hosted by President Genshaft on Saturday, November 17,
was a huge success. It was held for the first time in
the “No Fly Zone” at Raymond James Stadium, with a
record breaking crowd of approximately 2,000 USF
employees and their families attending. There were
appearances by the USF Cheerleaders and the Sun Dolls,
games, face painting, music, prizes, delicious food and
fun for everyone. The weather was perfect and to top it
off, our USF Bulls beat the Louisville Cardinals! You
can check out photos from the event on the HR Event
Calendar & Photo Gallery
here (note
– the photo album takes several minutes to load).
2007 Outstanding Staff Nomination Time
The
nomination period for the 2007 Outstanding Staff Awards
is open now through February 8, 2008. The Outstanding
Staff Award is the highest award given to staff members
by the University and all USF employees are asked to
take the time to consider and nominate employees who
exemplify USF’s vision, values and standards of
service. All Staff and Administration employees who
have at least one year of continuous service qualify for
nomination.
The nomination process has been opened earlier this year
to encourage nominators to submit nominations when they
see outstanding contributions being made. The
nomination form and instructions are available on-line
here or contact Human Resources at (813)
974-5711 or
sboully@admin.usf.edu. All nominations must
be submitted to the nominee’s Dean/Director no later
than Friday February 8, 2008.
“Recognizing
people when they do great things is key. We invite everyone in the USF community to recognize and
nominate those individuals who demonstrate the
excellence, commitment and exceptional service that make
USF a great University,” said Sandy Lovins, Associate
Vice President, Division of Human Resources. “It is an
honor to be nominated and we hope every area will take
this opportunity to recognize their outstanding staff
members.”
All
nominees will receive a copy of their nomination form
and supporting letters, and a copy will be placed in
their official personnel file. The winners receive
$500, an engraved award and will be honored at the award
ceremony to be held on Tuesday May 13, 2008 at 2 PM in
Theatre 1. For additional information contact Judy Lowry
in Human Resources at 4-5484 or
JLowry@admin.usf.edu
Vision Insurance Mailings Cause
Confusion
Have
you received a mailing outlining vision insurance
coverage for 2008 from CompBenefits? If you are
currently enrolled through the University in the State
of Florida Vision Insurance Plan (which will terminate
December 31, 2007), you may have received a mailing sent
by CompBenefits regarding vision coverage for 2008.
This mailing has caused some confusion because the
insurance is titled “State of Florida Vision Plan
Benefits.”
The
plan outlined in the mailing is not a
State of Florida benefit. The State is not offering vision coverage for 2008. It is
not offered through USF. This is individually
contracted coverage that you must maintain for the year
– even if you leave the University or have a Qualifying
Status Change that would normally allow you to cancel
coverage. Individuals who enroll in the plan must
pay through bank card draft. Because this private
insurance is not a State or University-sponsored
benefit, if you had problems or issues with it at any
point you would have to deal directly with CompBenefits.
USF Human Resources will not be able to offer any
assistance should problems arise.
As you
consider the pros and cons of private vision insurance,
keep in mind that eye exams generally are covered
through your health insurance provider and many of the
State of Florida dental plans also offer discounts for
exams, lenses, frames and contacts. For more
information contact your insurance providers or an HR
Benefits Representative at (813) 974-2970.
Spring 2008 Appointments
Are there new employees in your department or employees
who need to be reappointed/ extended for Spring
Semester? The Guarantee Date for Semester II is Tuesday
December 4, 2007. Department Contacts must complete and
submit Appointment Status Forms to Human Resources no
later than December 4 to ensure timely processing. For
more information, contact your
HR Representative
Minimum Wage to Increase January 1st
Florida’s minimum wage will increase from $6.67 per hour
to $6.79 per hour on January 1, 2008, an increase of 12
cents.
Any USF employee making less than $6.79 per
hour on January 1st will receive an automatic
salary increase to the new minimum. Human Resources
will send a list of affected employees to each
department before January 1st. Departments will not
need to send paperwork to make payroll changes.
Appointments effective on or after January 1st
must reflect the new minimum wage. If you have
questions about the minimum wage increase, contact your
HR Representative or Brian Allman, HR Services at
ballman@admin.usf.edu or (813) 974-5384.
Time to Check Your Annual Leave Balance
The end
of the year is fast approaching. Now is the time to
check your annual leave balance. Your maximum yearly
accrual of annual leave cannot exceed:
The
University leave system (ALT) will
automatically convert excessive annual
leave hours to sick leave if the hours are not used by
December 31st. If you wish to take those
hours as annual leave, the leave must be requested,
approved and taken by December 31st.
If you
are requesting leave from December into January, you
should make two separate leave requests, one for your
December leave and one for January leave. This will
allow all leave taken in December to post in 2007.
For
more information contact your department’s Leave
Coordinator or call Beverly Jerry in Human Resources at
(813) 974-5717.
Saving for Your Retirement –
2008 IRS Contribution Limits for 403(b)
and 457 Plans
The
maximum contribution USF employees may make to their
403(b) and 457 Retirement Plans will remain the same for
2008.
USF
offers all employees (Administration, Faculty, Staff and
OPS) the opportunity to participate in Tax Sheltered
Annuities (403b) and the State Deferred Compensation
program (457). Employee contributions into one or both
of these programs are regulated by the IRS.
The
limits for 2008 are:
-
403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity and/or Optional
Retirement Plan: $15,500
-
457
State Deferred Compensation Plan: $15,500
If you
are age 50 or over, you may contribute an additional
$5,000 into each plan which would increase your total
limit for each plan to $20,500 for the year.
If you
qualify for catch-up, you may be able to contribute even
more. Contact your provider company to calculate if you
may contribute an additional amount.
Your
employee contributions will automatically stop once the
IRS limit has been reached for the year, and resume
automatically at the start of the next calendar year.
For
more information visit the
HR website or contact Sonya Techton, Retirement
Coordinator, HR Services, at (813) 974-5718.
