myHR Archives
myHR: August 24, 2016
Pay Timing in November and December
Dear Penn Faculty and Staff Members:
Prior to the electronic payment of compensation, pay was predominantly made by check and the checks were then manually distributed across campus. To ensure timely check distributions before Thanksgiving and the Special Winter Vacation, a special process was developed to issue checks earlier than the normal schedule. A recent review of this special process indicated that it often required substantial subsequent adjustments because the pay was estimated. This often created confusion for employees.
In our current process, the use of direct deposit and pay cards in lieu of checks has eliminated the risk of untimely payment distribution.
Moving forward, the University will follow the normal payment schedule in the weeks before Thanksgiving and the Special Winter Vacation.
Timing and Awareness
While the actual dates are a minimal change, we understand that any adjustment to the timing of your pay may impact you and your household. Penn is communicating this change now so you can plan in advance. For weekly paid staff, the Thanksgiving week and the fourth pay in December both move from Wednesday to Friday. For monthly paid faculty and staff, the pay moves to December 30.
Additional Benefits of a Normal Compensation Payment Schedule
You will now receive regular, steady payments based on your actual work, week-to-week or month-to-month, regardless of the season. This payment schedule eliminates the two- or six-week gap in paycheck payments.
Late Fall and Winter Compensation Payment Schedule
| Weekly Paid Staff | Monthly Paid Faculty and Staff | |
| November | Thanksgiving week payment date: Friday, November 25, 2016, the day after Thanksgiving |
Payment date: November 30, 2016 The schedule change does not affect payments for this month |
| December | Weekly payments throughout the month on Fridays, beginning December 2 and ending December 30, 2016 | Payment date: December 30, 2016 |
| January | Weekly payments throughout the month, beginning January 6, 2017 |
Payment date: January 31, 2017 The schedule change does not affect pay for thismonth |
This change to the payment schedule is grounded in thorough research and attentive discussions with Business Administrators and others across the University schools and centers.
If you have any questions, please contact the Payroll help desk at 215-898-6301 or payroll@exchange.upenn.edu.
– Jack Heuer, Vice President Human Resources
– MaryFrances McCourt, Vice President Finance and Treasurer
– Anita Allen, Vice Provost for Faculty
A Proactive Approach to Caregiving
According to a recent report, 1 in 6 Americans care for a parent, spouse, or other adult family member or friend. If you’re not already caring for a loved one, chances are that you will sometime in the future. Taking steps now to plan for their care can help avoid stressful situations and give everyone involved peace of mind.
To help you navigate the road ahead, Human Resources is offering A Proactive Approach to Caregiving: Guidance on Planning Ahead on September 21, 12:30pm-1:30pm. During this workshop, you’ll learn strategies to proactively plan for your particular needs. You’ll also discuss options for care, the cost of long-term care, and, perhaps most importantly, how to start the conversation with your loved one about care needs and preferences. An illness or injury can often occur unexpectedly. Register to attend this workshop and you’ll be prepared if and when a loved one needs care.
Whether caring for a loved one now or looking ahead to the future, benefits-eligible faculty and staff can also find expert guidance and personalized assistance through Penn’s senior care planning benefit. Provided by Care.com, this service offers help with:
- Finding immediate care
- Developing long-term care plans
- Facilitating family meetings and discussions
In-depth phone consultations are provided by senior care planners who are social workers with expertise in gerontology. They help you research and locate providers for short-term or ongoing needs. Senior care planners can also work with you to develop an action plan with clear steps and follow-up support throughout the process.
Through Care.com’s national network of providers, you have access to home care agencies, geriatric care managers, adult day care programs, senior housing facilities, and transportation services. Providers are thoroughly vetted by Care.com, so you can find trusted support for loved ones no matter where they live.
The senior care planning benefit gives you the help you need so you can focus on what’s most important – spending time with your loved one and caring for yourself.
To learn more about the Senior Care Planning benefit, visit the website or email worklife@hr.upenn.edu.
Better Connect with Your Global Audiences
Thanks to technology, communication happens at lightning speed – which makes writing clearly and concisely more important than ever. This is especially true when writing for multicultural audiences. How do you zero in on the most essential information? How do you effectively convey your ideas to diverse groups of readers? Learn this and more by attending Business Writing for Success, Thursday, September 8, 1pm-4pm.
During this interactive workshop, you’ll focus on three key areas: organization, clarity, and conciseness. You’ll also consider the differences in writing for internal and external audiences, as well as how to communicate factual information objectively for the practical reader.
No matter what kind of business writing you do, this workshop will amp up your ability to convey information and ideas. If you write for multicultural audiences, or if English is second language for you, this course offers practical approaches that you can begin using immediately.
After you’ve honed your writing skills, check out the half-day Cross Cultural Communication workshop on September 28, 9am-12pm. At this session, you’ll delve into the importance of nonverbal communications when connecting across cultures. You’ll also explore how beliefs, values, and world views influence how people interpret what you say.
Register now for Business Writing Success or Cross-Cultural Communication – or both! Led by The Judge Group, a leader in global communications and learning, these workshops will give you insight and practical tools to better connect with your audiences from around the globe.
A nominal fee of $75 will be charged for each of these courses.
Healthy Meals: Tomato Cucumber Salad
Keep cool with this simple salad. A peach dressing adds a touch of summer’s sweetness.
Did You Know? FSA Submission Deadlines
September 30 is the deadline to submit claims for reimbursement from your 2015 Health Care or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Health care FSA claims may be submitted for expenses incurred through June 30, 2016. Dependent care FSA claims may be submitted for expenses incurred through September 15, 2016. For more information, visit the FSA webpage.