myHR Archives
myHR: February 29, 2012
Benefits Open Enrollment: A Glance at What’s Changing
Benefits Open Enrollment—your annual opportunity to make changes to your healthcare elections—is right around the corner. The 2012–2013 Open Enrollment period will run from Monday, April 9–Friday, April 20. While it’s still over a month away, we want to give you a brief preview of what’s changing as of July 1, 2012. We think you’ll like what you hear!
Medical—We’re enhancing our medical coverage to include sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) for transgender participants under the Aetna POS II plan. In addition, women will have 100% in-network coverage under all medical plans for contraceptives (such as birth control pills or IUDs), sterilization procedures and related patient education and counseling.
Prescription—You’ll have a new prescription drug carrier as of July 1: we’re changing carriers from CVS/Caremark to Medco. Medco has a wide network of pharmacies, including CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. This is a change to the carrier only—your benefit coverage will stay exactly the same.
Dental—The Penn Faculty Practice dental plan (PFP) will offer enhanced coverage (for adult orthodontia, cosmetic dentistry and dental implants) at no increase in premium cost.
Vision—We’re adding a new vision plan, so you’ll have a choice between the existing Davis Vision plan and the new VSP plan. The VSP plan offers a slightly higher level of benefit and more in-network providers, but will have a slightly higher payroll deduction.
Life Insurance—Evidence of insurability (proof of good health) will be required only for supplemental life insurance coverage greater than $500,000 (no longer combined with basic life insurance). You’ll also be able to elect a higher amount of dependent life insurance coverage for both spouse/same-sex domestic partners and children.
Health Care Flexible Spending Account—It’ll be easier than ever to use this account, since you’ll be able to pay for eligible expenses such as copayments, prescriptions, and out-of-pocket medical, dental or vision care expenses with an FSA debit card. But it’s important to note that there no longer will be a grace period for incurring expenses for the Health Care FSA; claims will have to be incurred by June 30 of each plan year. Also, to comply with health care reform, the annual maximum contribution for this account will decrease from $4,000 to $2,500.
Learn more about these changes at one of our Open Enrollment presentations or visit the Human Resources website.
Congratulations to This Year's Models of Excellence Winners
Creativity, innovation and service are no stranger to Penn. On a campus of more than 20,000 staff members, great things happen at our University every day—and we want you to know about them!
That's why we're casting our spotlight on the best of the best in announcing this year's Models of Excellence winners.
Introduced in 1999, the Models of Excellence Program honors staff member accomplishments that reflect initiative, leadership, collaboration and a deep commitment to service. This year's five honorees—chosen by a rotating selection committee of campus leaders—embody the standards of excellence for this program, including creativity, leadership, extraordinary service and cost-effectiveness.
Read on for more details about this year's award winners and honorable mentions. And be sure to join us in April as we celebrate these individuals and their accomplishments. The Models of Excellence Awards Ceremony and Reception will take place on April 24 from 4pm–6pm in Irvine Auditorium. If you have questions or would like to attend, click here or contact Human Resources at QOWL@hr.upenn.edu or 215-898-1012.
Models of Excellence Award Winners
The Global Activities Registry Team—This team helped further the University's mission to engage globally. They created the Global Activities Registry which includes comprehensive information about our global community, from how to maintain personal safety overseas and what vaccinations are required to how to connect with Penn alumni in different parts of the world. Team members include:
- Information Systems & Computing: Charles Harvey, Edda Katz, Jamie Keane
- Office of International Programs: Cara Bonnington, Barbara Gorka
- Jim Cunningham, Perelman School of Medicine
- Ben Evans, Division of Finance
- Erika Gross, University Life
- Jen Miller, Business Services
Deborah Marshall, School of Arts and Sciences (SAS)—As the new Executive Director of Research Administration, Deborah created a unified grant management team in SAS and helped foster career growth for grant administrators by developing a unique training program for certification in research administration.
Lucy Wolf Tuton, Perelman School of Medicine—Lucy developed Bridging the Gaps—an innovative multi-disciplinary training and service program that provides vital health-related services to economically disadvantaged communities.
Models of Excellence Honorable Mentions
Jeff Ballentine, Information Systems & Computing—Jeff independently resolved a significant technology challenge on campus. His work drastically reduced the Penn community's time and effort when connecting to Penn's wireless network.
Load Serving Entity Campus Energy Management Program Team—This team helped the University save about 9 million dollars a year by establishing a Load Serving Entity on campus to better manage Penn's electricity needs. Team members include:
- Facilities & Real Estate Services: Marilyn Jost, Jonathan Klein, Gerald McGillian, William McKeaney, Kenneth Ogawa, Michael Stack, Eric Swanson
- Division of Finance: Jee He Kim, Helen Kreider
- President's Center: Roman Petyk
Model Supervisor Finalists
See who stood out as top supervisors on a campus of over 20,000 employees.
Commitment to Excellence Award
Congratulations to the Penn Museum for coordinating a sellout museum exhibit in just a matter of weeks!
Reaping the Rewards of 25 Years at Penn
Working at Penn for more than two decades has its advantages. Just ask Helene Weinberg, registrar in the Perelman School of Medicine. She recently hit the 25-year mark in her career at the University, and Helene thinks the benefits of working here are truly a gift.
"There are so many opportunities to thrive at Penn. None of us should take a career here for granted," she said.
In fact, Helene's long tenure on campus allowed her take advantage of a number of benefits that often make the University stand out as a top employer. She put two daughters through college with the help of Penn's tuition benefit, which meant her children were able to attend schools they really wanted to go to.
"Tuition assistance is such an amazing benefit; it's almost too good to be true. It would have been really challenging to pay for eight years of undergraduate education without Penn's help," Helene said.
She's also a champion of many other University benefits, like comprehensive healthcare coverage and retirement savings. Helene's entire family receives health care through one of Penn's medical plans. And she's been a long-time participant in the University's Tax-Deferred Retirement (TDR) and Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) plans.
"I've been able to boost my savings significantly by participating in the TDR plan for so many years—especially since Penn matches my contributions for up to 5% of my salary," Helene said.
While she may consider her job on campus a gift, Penn also values Helene's dedication to the University. As a token of appreciation, Helene recently received a length of service award for her 25-year commitment to Penn.
"I've had a stable and rewarding job for over 20 years. When it comes to choosing a career at Penn, I wouldn't have done anything differently," she said.
Sharpen Your Professional Edge with Performance Appraisals
Performance appraisals are a powerful tool when it comes to your career. Not only do they open the lines of communication between you and your supervisor, they also help you set goals for the future and reflect on your past accomplishments. That's why you should make the process as useful as it can be—and we can help you on the way!
If you're a supervisor, learn the ABCs of conducting effective appraisals with your staff. Join us on March 14 for Care and Candor—Making Performance Appraisals Work. We'll teach you how to use performance appraisals to help your staff grow and be more productive. Click here to register.
Whether you supervise others or not, we can help you get the most out of your own appraisal with Preparing for Your Performance Appraisal. This April 26 workshop will give you tips for evaluating your work performance, talking with your supervisor and mapping out your future career goals. Click here for complete details and to register.
Keep in mind that performance appraisals for all regular staff members are due by June 1. Click here for complete details.
Embrace Change—and Avoid Burnout
If you’re like most people, you may have noticed a shift in your workplace lately. Maybe you have more work to do and less time to do it. Or you’re struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technology. When it comes to road bumps on the job, it’s easy to get off track and lose sight of your goals. But we can show you how to rise to the top when change tries to get the best of you.
Join us on March 28 for a workshop on Building Resilience and Avoiding Burnout. You’ll learn simple strategies for staying healthy and happy in times of disruptive change. Learn about the many factors that can lead to burnout, how to recognize the warning signs, and how to avoid them. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a better understanding of resilience and how you can achieve optimal performance in your life.
Ready to roll with the punches when change comes your way? Click here for complete details and to register.