ENROLLMENT ENDS Tomorrow - Thursday, October 31

All eligible employees who want coverage need to make elections during Open Enrollment in the Membership Administration Portal (MAP). 

Information about the SEHP is available in the 2025 Enrollment Guide(pdf), and the 2025 Plan Rates and Health Plan Comparison Highlights Chart(pdf) that has consolidated information about premiums, coverage highlights, and HSA/HRA applicability. The SEHP Open Enrollment website provides additional information about the plans and options available.  

Optional Group Life Insurance

Benefits-eligible employees have basic life insurance coverage equal to 150% of annualized salary. During Open Enrollment, you can apply for additional optional group life insurance with guaranteed issue amounts for you, your spouse and/or child(ren) without answering health questions. Approved coverage starts January 1st.   

The 2025 Open Enrollment Handout has more information on Open Enrollment. To make changes to Optional Group life coverage complete the Application Form and return it to the KU Benefits Office no later than 5 p.m., October 31st by fax to 785-864-5790 or email benefits@ku.edu

This 4th Quarter Newsletter about the Kansas Board of Regents 403(b) Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement Plans contains information about increasing savings impact and cybersecurity interests.

The Mandatory Plan is available for eligible faculty and unclassified professional staff.

403(b) and 457 Voluntary Retirement Plans

The University of Kansas offers two voluntary retirement savings plans that provide opportunities to make contributions on a before or after-tax basis.  While the University does not make contributions to either plan, this helps employees supplement their retirement income.

KPERS 457 deferred compensation plan (all employees may elect to participate)

Kansas Board of Regents 403(b) voluntary retirement plan (for benefits-eligible employees only)

For more information, please see Voluntary Retirement Plans, or email benefits@ku.edu

Your new Wellness Ambassadors have been oriented and are working to develop new opportunities to foster wellbeing for you. The goal of this program is to positively influence all aspects of the culture at KU by increasing communication and engagement around health and wellbeing resources, activities, and events across the KU community. Please visit the Wellness Ambassadors page for a complete listing.

All KU employees of any shape, size, and ability are welcome at our yoga sessions!  There is currently a 25-person capacity for each session, so please see the schedule and register for whichever session(s) work best for you. 

HR is pleased to announce a new training to help staff navigate workplace change. We know that change often causes stress and, at times, leaves us feeling lost, sad, or overwhelmed. Fortunately, adjusting to change effectively is a skill we can grow and develop. Using the Wendling Liminal Pathways Change Framework as our guide, we share tools and techniques you can use to support yourself through the phases of separation, uncertainty, and integration.  The class is being offered on Zoom on Tuesday, November 19.

The  Employee Tuition Assistance Program provides eligible employees with assistance to cover tuition for up to 12 credit hours per calendar year.  Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring 2025 semester with a deadline to apply of Nov 1. Please visit our website for more information. 

Please contact hrdept@ku.edu with any questions about the program or to schedule a program presentation for your department.

If not already done, supervisors should meet one-on-one with the staff they supervise to identify their goals and expectations for the new evaluation period.  Annual goal setting ensures that staff know what is expected in their positions and clearly communicates priorities for work and the unit overall.

If goals and expectations have been established, this message can serve as a reminder for supervisors to check in with staff on progress and to provide feedback on their performance toward the responsibilities of their position and the expectations that have been identified. 

Human Resource Management has developed a video on Best Practices in Goal Setting and a presentation on Best Practices in Providing Feedback.  We encourage staff and supervisors of staff to view these resources and engage in discussions regarding goals and feedback.

Goals are to be documented in writing on the staff member’s goal plan in MyTalent.  It is also recommended that feedback be documented on the staff member’s goal plan as well. All available instructions and tutorial videos are on the Human Resource Management website.

The layout of the goal plan within the MyTalent system will be changing in early November. When the change has been made a communication will be sent to those who use the system for goal setting and updates will be made to the instructions and MyTalent resources.

Any group consisting of three or more members is eligible for consideration for the Exceptional Team award. The nomination should be based on a project or assignment that is above and beyond the team’s normal course of duties.  Project participants may also be drawn from a cross section of University departments.

This year’s nomination deadline is January 31, 2025, and the winning team will be recognized at the Employee Recognition Ceremony. To nominate a team for Team of the Year please complete the Team of the Year Nomination form.

Additional details are available on the Team of the Year webpage.

 

The US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule in April 2024 that increases the required salary for positions that are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime requirements.  The first increase to $43,888 went into effect on July 1, 2024.  The second increase to $58,656 takes effect on January 1, 2025.  Human Resources and the compensation team will be meeting with departmental leaders in the coming weeks to discuss impacts and required changes to ensure compliance by the January 1 effective date.  Any questions regarding these changes can be sent to compensation@ku.edu.    

November 4 | 10 to 11:30 a.m. | Teams

December 6 | 9 to 10:30 a.m. | Teams

Search training provides an overview of equal opportunity principles, university hiring guidelines and best interviewing practices. Attendance is encouraged for those who plan to chair a search committee and anyone else needing a refresher on conducting staff searches. Student hourly hiring practices and these changes will be touched upon at the session as well. For those interested in attending a faculty search training, contact employ@ku.edu.

KU’s voting policy encourages all faculty and staff to vote, allowing up to a maximum of two (2) hours of paid time in situations where travel time may affect a faculty or staff member’s ability to vote. Employees should work with their supervisor to request time off in advance.
Find what’s on your ballot via Voter Registration Search. State law requires in-person voters to show photo ID; acceptable forms of ID can be found here. For additional information and resources, visit the Kansas Secretary of State website.

KU will be open and classes in session on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2024. Check with your supervisor about your area’s status and potentially reduced staffing. Employees required to work will receive holiday compensation if they are eligible for holiday leave. Eligible non-exempt (hourly) employees will receive holiday compensatory time accrued at 1.5 hours for each hour worked. Supervisors who have exempt employees who work the holiday should send those individual’s names, along with the number of hours worked, to the HR Transaction team after the holiday has occurred so holiday credit can be applied. The HR Transaction team can be reached at hrtransactions@ku.edu

The University of Kansas is now an E-Verify Employer.

E-Verify has been integrated into our onboarding system as part of the I-9 employment eligibility activities. E-Verify streamlines the verification process and ensures compliance with federal employment regulations, while upholding the rights and responsibilities of both the university and our employees. With E-Verify, we no longer require a physical (in-person) inspection of identification and work authorization documents. This makes the onboarding process more convenient and accessible for most new employees. The Onboarding Center in 101 Carruth O’Leary is staffed M-F, 8:30-4:30 for those prefer to meet with us in person.

What Does This Mean for your Department?

Current Employees: The implementation of E-Verify will not impact current faculty, staff, or student employees.

New Hires: All new employees and rehires with >1 year separation (including faculty, staff, and student workers) will be required to complete the E-Verify process as part of their online onboarding tasks.

Onboarding:  Our Onboarding team is prepared to support new hires through this process and will provide detailed guidance.

Virtual Onboarding Overview

Here’s what your new employees can expect:

Welcome Email: Employees who need to complete onboarding tasks receive an email with links to our secure onboarding portal, where they access important information and all new hire paperwork.

Virtual Document Review & Submission: Onboarders are able to review, sign, and submit all necessary onboarding forms electronically. The new hire will be prompted to reach out to schedule a virtual meeting with a member of the Onboarding team who will provide a brief initial orientation and inspect identification documents. Note, KPERS Beneficiary forms still require a witnessed, wet signature.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the Onboarding Center at kuhronboarding@ku.edu

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or online and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or online.

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.