myHR: April 8, 2026

Get Ready for Penn’s Benefits Open Enrollment

Penn’s Benefits Open Enrollment is fast approaching. This year’s Open Enrollment will be Monday, April 20 through Friday, May 8.

Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to make changes to your health plans, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts. While Open Enrollment is still a few weeks away, we want to give faculty, staff, and postdocs plenty of time to learn about the upcoming 2026-2027 plan changes, on-campus Open Enrollment Benefits Fair, virtual and on-campus benefits presentations, and other available resources. For more information about your benefits, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment.

Plan Year Changes for 2026-2027

• Effective July 1, 2026, a working spouse contribution of $100 per month ($23.08 weekly for 52 paychecks) may apply if your spouse has access to group medical coverage through an outside employer but enrolls in one of Penn’s medical plans. The working spouse contribution will be deducted on a pre-tax basis (post-tax for NRSA postdocs). 

The working spouse contribution applies to:

• A spouse/domestic partner eligible for medical coverage through their employer but is covered on one of Penn’s medical plans.
• A spouse/domestic partner eligible and enrolled in medical coverage through their employer and covered on one of Penn’s medical plans.
• A spouse/domestic partner eligible for Pre-65 retiree medical coverage through their former employer but is covered on one of Penn’s medical plans.

The working spouse contribution DOES NOT apply to:

• Medicare, Tricare, Medicaid.
• Married couples who are both employed at Penn.
• A spouse/domestic partner who is only eligible for Penn’s retiree medical benefits.
• A spouse/domestic partner who is not employed.
• A spouse/domestic partner who is self-employed.
• A spouse/domestic partner who is employed but not eligible for medical coverage through their employer.
• A spouse/domestic partner who works for an employer that does not offer medical coverage.
  

During Open Enrollment, faculty, staff, postdocs, and NRSA Fellows who have a spouse enrolled in one of Penn’s medical plans or who add a spouse to one of Penn’s medical plans will be required to log into Workday and select or waive the working spouse contribution. By waiving the contribution, you are attesting that your spouse/domestic partner does not have access to other coverage through their employer. Even if you do not make changes to your benefits coverage, you must complete the process in Workday if you are covering your spouse/domestic partner on one of Penn’s medical plans. If you do not take any action, you will be defaulted to the $100 monthly contribution.

For more information, please review the Working Spouse Contribution FAQ on the Working Spouse Contribution webpage. 

• Re-elect to Continue Participating in Flexible Spending Accounts – You will need to re-elect your Health Care and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts to continue coverage in the new plan year.
  • Unlike your medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, which roll over to the next plan year if you don’t make changes, you must re-elect your Flexible Spending Account this year if you wish to continue participation in the plan.
  • If you do not re-elect the coverage for the upcoming plan year, you will be defaulted with a $0 annual goal amount, and you will not be able to enroll in the plan until the next Open Enrollment period unless you have a qualifying life event.
  • Please log in to Workday to review and re-elect your FSA. If you need assistance, please contact Health Advocate at 1-866-799-2329. 
• Higher Contribution Amount Allowed for Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account – The maximum contribution you can make to your Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) is increasing from $5,000 to $7,500. Highly compensated employees’ maximum remains at $2,500. You cannot roll over any unused DCFSA funds to the following plan year. Due to an IRS regulation known as “use it or lose it,” if you don’t use the full balance in your DCFSA each plan year, you forfeit the unused money.
• Higher Health Care Flexible Spending Account Rollover Increase –The Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) helps you pay for eligible healthcare expenses with pre-tax dollars. The maximum annual contribution remains $3,400. In the new plan year, the amount you can roll over to the next plan year will increase from $660 to $680. You will forfeit any remaining balance over $680.  
• Health Savings Account Contribution Increase – The High-Deductible Health Plan and the Health Savings Account work together to help manage healthcare costs. In the new plan year, you can contribute more: up to $3,400 for individual coverage and up to $6,750 for family coverage. 
• Additional Voluntary Benefits Options – Penn is enhancing its Penn Benefits Extras program, administered by Corestream, with new voluntary benefits such as legal services, purchase financing, and pet wellness. Learn more on the Penn Benefit Extras webpage.
• PennCare/Personal Choice PPO Transitions to New Behavioral Health Provider –Independence Behavioral Health Network (IBX) will replace Quest Behavioral Health as the behavioral health provider for the PennCare/Personal Choice health plan. Independence has made significant investments to expand and strengthen its behavioral health network, which now includes Penn Medicine providers. IBX is working with Quest to ensure a smooth transition, continuity of care, and expanded provider participation, including to bring some Quest providers onboard as an in-network provider. For information about your providers' participation, contact the Benefit Solution Center at 866-799-2329. Behavioral health providers for all other medical plans will remain the same.
• Health Plan Deductible Increase – Effective July 1, 2026, health plan deductibles will increase by $125. This adjustment helps manage rising healthcare costs while continuing to offer comprehensive coverage for our faculty, staff, and postdocs.
• Curalinc is Penn’s Employee Assistance Program Provider – Curalinc, a recognized leader in providing comprehensive EAP solutions, is Penn’s Employee Assistance Program provider. Penn offers both preventative and treatment services to Penn employees and their families through the EAP. All Penn benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs have 24/7 access to masters-level intake counselors via the EAP, which offers free confidential counseling services to help you manage challenges. You can reach out in any of the following ways:
  • Call 1-888-503-2380
  • Email support@curalinc.com
  • Visit https://www.hr.upenn.edu/eap

• Medical, Dental and Vision Rates – For the 2026-2027 plan year, medical plan rates and Penn Dental Plan rates will increase, while MetLife Dental Plan and vision plan rates will remain the same. Visit the Open Enrollment webpage or the Benefits Enrollment Guide for complete rate information.
• New Identification Cards for Penn Care/Personal Choice Plan Holders – All PennCare/Personal Choice Plan holders will receive new identification cards mailed to their homes at the end of June.  

All changes are effective July 1, 2026.

Open Enrollment Benefits Fairs and Presentations

The Open Enrollment Benefits Fair will be held on Tuesday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall. Penn HR staff as well as representatives from Penn’s healthcare providers and wellness partners will be there to answer your questions. A benefits fair will also be held at New Bolton Center on April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Alumni Hall.

Virtual and on-campus Open Enrollment presentations will be held on the following dates.

Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment for log in links for the virtual sessions and other information session details.

Workday@Penn Features

During Open Enrollment, you can make changes to your benefits coverage anytime - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – by visiting Workday@Penn. Login at http://www.myworkday.com/upenn/login.html.

How to Enroll or Make Changes

• From the left-hand navigation on the Workday homepage, select Personal then select Benefits, Comp and Pay Hub.
• Review and update your benefit elections.
• Print a confirmation statement for your records.
• Refer to the Self-Service: Manage, View and Change Your Benefits Workday tip sheet

Model My Pay Tool Feature

• to estimate how changes to your pre-tax and post-tax deductions and federal and state tax elections may impact your net, or take home, pay. 
• Read the Self-Service: Model My Pay tip sheet.
  Note: Model My Pay is for informational purposes only.

Update Your Beneficiary

Please review and update your life insurance beneficiary information in the Benefits, Comp and Pay Hub in Workday. To update your retirement plan beneficiaries, log in to your retirement planning account through Penn’s TIAA.org SSO link.

Additional Resources

To learn more about Benefits Open Enrollment:

Watch for the 2026-2027 Benefits Enrollment Guide, which will be mailed to your home address.

Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment for details and useful tools.

Contact Health Advocate at answers@HealthAdvocate.com or call 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Grow and Guard Your Money during Financial Literacy Month

If you have trouble telling the difference between saving and investing or between traditional and Roth IRAs, don’t worry: April is National Financial Literacy Month, a chance to enhance your knowledge of smart money management.

Penn’s long-standing partners, TIAA, MetLife, and PNC Bank continue to provide employees with insight to achieve their financial goals. The University’s partnership with PeopleJoy adds an extra element of financial help with student loans.

Click the event titles below to register for these money-smart spring virtual programs.

What You Need to Know About Social Security (TIAA)
Recording Available On Demand

MetLife Workshop: Understanding Life and Disability Income Insurance
April 14
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Navigating the Sandwich Generation: Financial Strategies for the Caregiving Squeeze (TIAA)
April 22
11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

PNC Bank: Preparing for a Financial Emergency
April 30
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Money Psychology: Beyond the Numbers (TIAA)
May 7
11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

MetLife Workshop: Tax Strategies
May 12
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Penn HR Presents: Pathways to PSLF Success (PeopleJoy)
May 13
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

PNC Bank: Credit Scores and Reports - Understanding and Improving Your Score
May 28
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

MetLife Workshop: Planning for College
June 4
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Set Your Retirement Date: Understand Your Factors to Get You to Your Goal (TIAA)
June 10
12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

PNC Bank: Repaying Student Loan Debt
June 25
12 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

A recording of each TIAA webinar is available for 90 days after the live webinar. To access the recordings, visit TIAA.org/webinars. PNC Bank and MetLife also invite faculty and staff to set up no-cost appointments for consultations with their specially trained financial professionals to help you achieve your monetary goals.

For more resources to enhance your financial wellness, visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Social Security, and FDIC’s Money Smart program.

For information about Penn’s retirement savings plan, as well as other financial wellness tips, please visit Penn’s Retirement Savings Plan Education webpage. 

Performance Reviews Open with New Rating Option

The staff self-evaluation step of Penn’s year-end performance review process in Workday is now underway. This is your chance to:

• Reflect on what you did this year.
• Share your strengths and opportunities for professional development.
• Get ready to talk with your manager.

During your self-evaluation, you will choose a rating for your overall performance during the review period of May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. Your manager will also select your overall performance rating. A new rating, called “Meets and occasionally exceeds expectations,” is now available alongside the four existing options. This is a response to feedback calling for more nuance in the rating scale.

This year’s overall performance ratings and their definitions include the following:

Timeline and Support

To learn more about performance ratings and other aspects of the performance review, register for one of these upcoming virtual brown bag sessions:

Participating in Performance Appraisals for Staff

• April 9, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• May 7, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Conducting Performance Appraisals for Supervisors

• April 8, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• May 6, 12:30 p.m.  1:30 p.m.

For Workday process support, use these tip sheets for step-by-step guidance:

• Performance: Performance Management for Managers and Employees
• Performance: Goals and Check Ins

For guidance on your timeline or specific communications, contact your local school or center HR representative. For Workday process support, contact the Penn Employee Solution Center.

Remember, the complete performance review process is due Sunday, May 31.

Tuition Benefits for Your Educational Journey

The University is committed to supporting lifelong learning for employees and their families through its popular tuition benefit program. To help you make the most of this benefit, Penn will offer two informative virtual training sessions this April.

Using the Tuition Benefit for Yourself
April 21
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

If you have ever thought about enrolling in a degree program, this session is designed for you. Learn how the tuition benefit can support your undergraduate or graduate studies. The session will cover eligibility, step-by-step instructions for requesting the benefit through Penn’s online tuition management system, and important tax considerations. This is an excellent opportunity to explore how continuing your education can enhance your professional growth while reducing financial barriers.

Using the Tuition Benefit for Dependents
April 28
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

For employees supporting a dependent’s education, this session focuses on how the tuition benefit can be applied to dependents attending Penn or another institution. You will gain a clear understanding of coverage options, how to submit and manage benefit requests through the online system, and the associated tax implications. Whether your dependent is already enrolled or planning for future enrollment, this session will provide practical guidance to help you plan effectively.

Both sessions are designed to be informative, approachable, and interactive, with time set aside for questions. Attendees will walk away with a stronger understanding of the tuition benefit program and the confidence to take the next steps.

For more information, visit the Tuition Benefits webpages.

Building a Mindset for Constant Change

In a world where change is constant, our ability to adapt our thinking has never been more important. Build the mental agility to adapt, reframe, and respond to change with intention by attending the Cognitive Flexibility on May 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

In this interactive workshop, facilitator Sam Lunney will explore what it means to develop “cognitive flexibility” – our ability to shift perspectives, switch tasks, and adjust behavior in the face of new demands – with a focus on gaining tools to thrive in a shifting world.

“Cognitive flexibility is how we stay responsive instead of reactive,” Lunney says. “It is the skill of adapting your mindset to meet what is actually happening in the moment.”

You will learn to recognize and respond to change on both micro and macro levels. Whether it’s an unexpected email that reshuffles your priorities or a major organizational shift, cognitive flexibility allows us to respond thoughtfully instead of reactively.

“When we step back and reframe a situation, we create space for better decisions and more creative solutions,” Lunney says.

In the session, you will explore techniques to build mental agility through cognitive flexibility, such as:

• Bookmarking Tasks: Reduce disruption by jotting down where you left off before switching tasks.
• Task Chunking: Group similar tasks together to reduce mental strain and improve focus.
• Scheduled Interruptions: Plan communication windows to minimize unexpected distractions.
  

ACT-ing with Flexibility

The workshop also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach that supports cognitive flexibility by helping individuals respond more effectively to their thoughts and emotions. Instead of getting stuck in unhelpful patterns, participants learn to step back, stay present, and choose actions that align with what matters most. For example, rather than reacting to the thought “I’m falling behind,” ACT encourages noticing it and refocusing on the next meaningful step.

Get Creative with Framestorming

Additionally, participants will practice “framestorming,” a problem-solving strategy that challenges assumptions and opens new paths to innovation, rather than rushing to solutions. For instance, if internal emails are going unanswered, rather than insisting on quicker replies, ask: “What if we communicated in ways that don’t require email at all?”

This simple shift in perspective can unlock smarter, more connected solutions.

Register today for Cognitive Flexibility and be empowered to move forward.

For more professional development programs, visit the Learn & Grow section of the Human Resources website.  

Healthy Meals: Baked Sweet Potato with Beans and Salsa

This recipe for Baked Sweet Potato with Beans and Salsa from Ramp Health makes a quick, nutritious, plant-based dish that’s high in fiber and protein and filled to the brim with Southwestern-style flavor. The combination of ingredients makes for a hearty, wholesome, and satisfying meal.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup salsa
• ¼ cup shredded cheese (optional)
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (optional)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• Pinch of cumin and chili powder 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce each one a few times with a fork.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until very tender.
3. In a small saucepan, warm the black beans with cumin and chili powder over low heat.
4. Carefully split each sweet potato lengthwise and gently mash the inside with a fork.
5. Top with black beans, salsa, cheese, yogurt or sour cream, and green onion.
6. Serve as a simple, hearty main dish.

Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!

• One-on-one, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you
• 100% covered under many insurance plans
• Available to spouses and dependents
• Fill out the Ramp Health Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720.

Did You Know: Penn’s April 30x30 Challenge Registration Closes Today

Penn’s April 30x30 Challenge is underway. The last day to sign up is April 8. Benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs are encouraged to spend 30 minutes outdoors each day this month. Register on the WebMD platform and record “Yes” for at least 21 out of 30 days to earn 500 points for the 2025-2026 Be in the Know annual wellness campaign. The deadline to track your progress is May 8 at 6 p.m. ET. For challenge details, read the March 25 myHR newsletter.