myHR: October 2, 2013

Get Expert Help with Retirement Planning

In honor of National Save for Retirement Week, join us for a series of free retirement planning workshops on October 22-24.

Professionals from TIAA-CREF, Vanguard, and the Frank Financial Consulting Group will give you the knowledge you need to assess your retirement readiness and build a savings plan that’s right for you. For complete details and to register, click here.

Pillars of Excellence

If you look up “pillar” in the dictionary, you’ll find entries like these: A supporting, integral, or upstanding member or part. A person or thing regarded as reliably providing essential support for something.

These words describe many of the staff members at Penn who steadfastly provide the strong foundation and support the University needs to thrive and grow. Penn wants to find these often unsung heroes and give them the recognition they so richly deserve!

That’s why we’ve added a brand new category to the Models of Excellence program this year called Pillars of Excellence. The category is designed to celebrate our weekly-paid staff members who do their jobs so well you feel their impact all around you.

You see or interact with pillars of the institution every day: from administrative support to infrastructure services, these staff members keep the University clean, safe, and operational for Penn’s faculty, staff, and students. They provide superior sustained service, support special projects or situations in a notable way, deliver exemplary customer service, exhibit exceptional resourcefulness or creativity, improve processes, and contribute to a positive work environment.

If you know any weekly-paid staff members who match this description, show them how much their hard work means by nominating them for a Pillars of Excellence Award. Nominations are due by Monday, November 11. Find complete details about the nomination process, including a Pillars of Excellence Nomination Preparation Guide. Help is also available to complete your nomination; contact Human Resources online or at 215-898-1012.

An award ceremony and reception for all Models of Excellence program honorees will take place on April 3, 2014 in Irvine Auditorium. All members of the campus community are invited; if you’d like to attend, contact Human Resources online or at 215-898-1012.

October is Work and Family Month

It’s not always easy to keep your life in balance. It can be challenging to juggle family needs, personal goals, and work responsibilities. That’s why Penn offers a variety of work and life resources to help you manage the competing demands of your personal and professional lives.

During National Work and Family Month, learn how Penn can help you balance your priorities at home and in the workplace.

• Adoption Assistance—Eligible faculty and staff may be reimbursed for up to $5,000 in qualified expenses.
• Backup Care—Through a partnership with Parents in a Pinch, Inc., you have access to temporary in-home backup care services for children and adults—seven days a week, day or night—to help meet your family's needs while you work.
• Employee Assistance Program—Access free, confidential counseling and support for a variety of personal and professional life issues.
• Flexible Work Options—We offer guidance on how to set up flexible work arrangements that can help you balance your work and family priorities.
• New Child Benefits—Penn offers a full array of family-friendly benefits to help get your family off to the right start, including adoption assistance and a nursing mothers program.
• Nursing Mothers Program—If you’re nursing a child, Penn’s Nursing Mothers Program helps you manage your lactation needs at work.
• Paid Time Off—From sick and vacation leave to holidays and the special winter vacation, you have access to a wide array of time off benefits to help you manage all your responsibilities.
• Worklife Resources—Take advantage of free and confidential support for your everyday needs—from parenting help to financial assistance to legal support.

Find more information on worklife balance programs at Penn.

Federal Tax Ruling for Married Same-Sex Couples

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service recently announced that legally married same-sex couples would be treated as married for federal tax purposes, regardless of whether the couple lives in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage.

As an institution with a proud history of supporting our LGBT community, Penn applauds this ruling to advance recognition of same-sex domestic partnerships and sees this as a step toward greater equality.

Prior to the ruling, federal tax code did not acknowledge domestic partners as dependents for tax purposes, and the value of the employer-provided benefits for same-sex partners has been treated as taxable income to the individuals covering them. Since July of 2012, the University has been providing a tax offset to assist faculty and staff who cover domestic partners under Penn’s medical plans.

However, under this ruling, Penn faculty and staff legally married to same-sex spouses who are covered under one of Penn’s medical, dental or vision plans will no longer be required to pay Federal, Social Security, or Medicare taxes on the value of the benefit extended to the same-sex spouse and his/her children. Those individuals will no longer receive the tax offset provided by Penn.

This change only applies to legally married same-sex couples. Faculty and staff who are covering a domestic partner under Penn’s benefit plans and are not legally married will continue to pay Federal, Social Security, and Medicare taxes on the value of the benefit extended to the partner and his/her children. In this case, Penn will continue to provide up to $125 per month (minus applicable taxes) to help offset these taxes.

All faculty and staff currently covering a same-sex domestic partner on Penn’s health plans will receive a letter from Human Resources with more detail on what to do if they are (or plan to be) legally married. 

Faculty and staff who are legally married generally must file their 2013 Tax Returns as married filing jointly or married filing separately for the entire 2013 tax year. If you want to make a change to your marital status within the Payroll system, submit a completed Form W-4 to the Payroll Office.

This ruling, which is applicable only for federal tax purposes, went into effect on September 16, 2013. The federal government is expected to issue additional guidance around how retirement plans and other tax-favored arrangements should treat same-sex spouses. We will share more information as it becomes available. If you have questions about the ruling, please contact the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENNBEN (1-888-736-6236) or visit the IRS website.