myHR: April 8, 2020

Resources for Benefits Open Enrollment 

Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to make changes to your healthcare benefits. Open Enrollment runs Monday, April 20 through Friday, May 1, 2020. Penn provides a variety of resources for faculty and staff to learn about the available benefits programs, compare plans, and choose options that are right for you and your family. 

Visit the Open Enrollment webpage for more details, including how to enroll in Workday once the Open Enrollment period begins. Before you enroll, review these materials to help with your coverage decisions. 

Benefits Videos and Documents

Do you want information on how to choose a medical plan? Would you like more details about your dental and vision coverage? What are the rules for making changes mid-year? You can get answers to these and many of your other benefits questions by accessing the Benefits Media Library. 

The library consists of short videos and helpful documents that cover a variety of benefits-related topics. You can access the library during Open Enrollment and throughout the plan year. 

Watch the What’s Changing video for a glance at upcoming changes for the 2020-2021 plan year. Here is a sampling of resources you will find. The text codes provide easier access using your smartphone. Please note that only those resources listed below have a text code. 

• Benefits Overview (Text PENN147 to 61759) 
• What’s Changing (Text PENN864 to 61759)
• Account Contributions and Limits (Text PENN128 to 61759)
• Tax Advantaged Accounts (Text PENN343 to 61759)
• Enrollment Checklist (Text PENN054 to 61759)

To access the entire Benefits Media Library, visit https://gspk.co/s/xofvl9k or the Benefits and Pay webpage. 

Benefits Overview Presentation 

The on-campus Open Enrollment presentations and wellness fairs will not be held due to the COVID-19 situation, but faculty and staff can view the presentation online for important benefits information.  

The presentation includes details about plan changes, health plan options, medical rates, how to enroll using Workday, and links to resources found in the Benefits Media Library. 

Benefits Enrollment Guide

The Benefits Enrollment Guide provides a summary of the benefits programs available to all benefits-eligible employees−full-time faculty and staff, as well as part-time and ACA benefits-eligible staff. The guide will be mailed to your homes soon, and you can also view it online. 

Please refer to the guide for details about Penn’s benefits for the upcoming plan year, July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. 

For more information about Open Enrollment, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment. 

Pillars of Excellence Honoree Jamie Apgar Redefines the Role of Training Coordinator

Talent Development Coordinator Jamie Apgar remembers very well how she felt on her first day at Penn. 

“I was so excited because Penn is a world-renowned institution, an Ivy League school, and I was going to be a part of that,” Apgar recalls fondly. 

“But I was also very nervous because I knew about the great work of Penn staff and I was hoping that I could live up to the work that they were already doing,” she says. 

Just two and a half years after arriving on campus, not only has Apgar met the expectations of staff and colleagues, she has surpassed them. 

In her role as Talent Development Coordinator, she deftly navigates a list of responsibilities that include program administration, financial management, event coordination, class scheduling, customer service, career coaching, and course facilitation. Always with a smile and grace, she delivers assignments on time and with the professionalism for which Penn is known. But Jamie’s performance went far beyond the fundamentals. That is why she has been named a 2020 Pillars of Excellence Honoree. 

“Jamie has redefined the role of a training coordinator by shaping it beyond its parameters,” says Elena McClelland, Director of HR Programs, Quality of Work-life and Tuition Benefits. McClelland, Apgar’s supervisor, nominated her for the award.  

“She has taken on the role of training consultant and is on the trainer schedule for facilitating Talent Development’s brown bags, New Staff Orientation, and core programs such as Penn Career Navigator,” McClelland says. 

Apgar is not new to the world of training. Prior to coming to Penn, she worked for a year as a Lead Training Program Coordinator at AstraZeneca in Wilmington, Delaware. The Penn State graduate also held internships at MTV Media Networks, QVC, The Walt Disney Company, and with the U.S. Olympic Committee. Apgar says she wanted to work at Penn because of its reputation and the opportunity to provide training coordination to professional development related coursework. 

“Penn is such a great institution and I was looking to move into a role that primarily worked on professional development related programs for employees. I was drawn to this type of training because I’ve always wanted to help people better themselves and accomplish their professional goals, so when I saw the job posting I had to go for it,” Apgar says.  

Apgar says that an added bonus was that the job also brought her close to home. 

“When I was doing my internships, I was working in Southern California and Orlando, Florida. Then, at AstraZeneca I was in Delaware working on clinical and compliance-based training, so I was really looking to pivot into more professional development training programs and get back to the Philadelphia area,” says Apgar, who grew up in Allentown. 

Apgar is a critical part of the Talent Development team led by Tom Sontag, Executive Director, Talent Management. McClelland says in addition to her regular duties, she is also quick to lend a hand where needed. 

“During a time when we needed coverage for a benefit program, she filled in, learned new systems, the process, and created a procedures manual to document the process,” McClelland says. 

“Jamie makes everything better in our department - from creating a detailed chart to show our monthly budget and expenses to coordinating the entire nomination process for two senior leader programs to being one step ahead of what is expected from her,” she says. 

Apgar says what she likes most about her job is the diversity it offers.  

“One day I could be doing office administration; opening purchase orders for our vendors, identifying classes that we could schedule, putting together catering orders, and reserving space on campus for a program graduation. The next day I could be facilitating New Staff Orientation, a lunchtime brown bag class, or doing career coaching with a staff member across campus,” she says. 

One of Apgar’s proudest moments occurred last July when she created and facilitated her own professional development class called Challenging Negative Attitudes. Though her colleagues on the Talent Development team had held the class in the past, this was Apgar’s chance to put her own spin on it, while achieving her own professional goal to do more course facilitation. 

“I utilized some of the content that we already had, but I restructured the class, came up with some new activities, a brand new PowerPoint presentation, added new content, and then facilitated it to a maxed-out class of about 24 participants,” Apgar says. 

“It was such a rewarding experience and is something that I definitely cherish and hold onto as a great accomplishment I’ve had so far at Penn,” she says. 

Then, there’s her Models of Excellence honor. Apgar is one of 110 exceptional staff members recognized this year through Penn’s Models of Excellence Program, and one of five to receive the Pillars of Excellence Award. 

“I already felt really lucky to be working with such a great team in such a great organization and receiving this award has made me appreciate this opportunity even more,” Apgar says. 

“It says that my work and the service that I’m providing to the University is valued.”

Note: The 21st Models of Excellence Ceremony and Reception, scheduled for April 28, will not be held. In lieu of the ceremony and reception, Penn will mark the occasion by producing and distributing a commemorative video and keepsake publication to honor and recognize 2020 honorees. 

For more information about the Models of Excellence Program, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/models.

Advice for Protecting Your Retirement Savings Plans

The COVID-19 virus has created enormous economic uncertainty about retirement, but Penn’s retirement savings plan partners are here to help faculty and staff address concerns about their plans and offer advice on what you can do to preserve your nest egg.  

TIAA and Vanguard address participant’s concerns on their home pages, so please take a few minutes to visit www.tiaa.org and www.vanguard.com for this information.   

TIAA and Vanguard are also holding virtual one-on-one counseling sessions where you can ask questions.  You can schedule an appointment online at:

TIAA 
www.TIAA.org/schedulenow-upenn
800-732-8353

Vanguard 
www.meetvanguard.com
800-662-0106 ext. 14500

Congress recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which offers the following relief measures for retirement plans:

• Loans up to $100,000 for “affected individuals"
• Coronavirus-related withdrawals up to $100,000 with special tax treatment
• Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are waived for 2020

For more information about these measures, visit Penn’s Retirement Plans and COVID-19 webpage.

For general personal finance information not directly related to retirement plans, please visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website.                

Resources for Investing and Saving  

We all want to keep our financial house in order, so knowing how and when to invest is important. Whether you are early in your career and want to get a jump on making the most of your retirement savings plan or have been working for a while and need tips for surviving in any economy, Penn has got your covered. 

Here are a few virtual workshops in April and May that can help keep you on track. All workshops will be facilitated by Albert M. Corrato, Jr., from Creative Financial Group, who will also address current market conditions in each session. Click on the virtual workshop title to register. 

Investing 101−With a Focus on Market Volatility 
April 22
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. 
This session will give you a basic overview of investing and explain the difference between saving and investing, asset classes and investment styles, stocks and bonds, and types of mutual funds. 

Smart Money Moves Early in Your Career−Tips for Surviving in any Economy
April 29
12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
This session is created for staff who are just out of school to those who are 10 or more years into their career. The workshop offers 10 relevant tips from creating a budget to establishing an emergency fund to making the most of your retirement savings. 

Smart Money Moves Late in Your Career−Tips for Surviving in any Economy
May 6
12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
If you are in your 40s, 50s, 60s, or beyond, there are 10 key practical financial and retirement planning tips you need to consider. This workshop will explore topics ranging from managing taxes and having the right asset allocation to setting realistic goals.  

These MetLife events are just a few of the personal finance programs available this spring. More listings are available online. Visit the Retirement Savings Plan webpage for information about Penn’s retirement savings plans. 

Healthy Meals: Make Ahead Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

This easy-to prepare dish is great for any meal. Evaporated milk is the secret to its creamy texture. Plus, it's packed full of broccoli to give you a healthy serving of vegetables. You can use pre-cut broccoli florets or a fresh broccoli crown. Prepare ahead of time and reheat before serving.  

Find the recipe here. 

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Did You Know? Share Messages of Hope With Penn Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers have been regarded as heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Penn Medicine’s Spread the Love Campaign provides a way for you to thank our frontline staff by sharing messages of support, encouragement, and gratitude. Visit Spread the Love Campaign and leave your message of hope today.