HR Review

Effective January 1, 2010, members enrolled in the Premier PPO, Select PPO and HMO Illinois medical plans have a new alternative for purchasing their prescriptions. Walgreens Health Initiatives launched a program combining the flexibility and convenience of Walgreens retail locations with the cost savings of mail order. Members have the option to purchase a 90-day supply of maintenance medications at community retail locations. Many Walgreens pharmacies offer 24-hour availability, drive-thru access and on-site pharmacists.

Traditional Retail (30-day supply): Generic - $10; Preferred Brand - $30; Nonpreferred Brand - $60
Walgreens90 (90-day supply): Generic - $20; Preferred Brand - $60; Nonpreferred Brand - $120

Members will need authorization for a 90-day prescription from their physician. Prescriptions can be filled at any retail Walgreens pharmacy to receive this benefit. To ensure that benefits are paid correctly, provide the pharmacist with your Walgreens Health Initiatives insurance card, which is separate from your health insurance card from BlueCross BlueShield.

Temporary Insurance Card

If your insurance cards have not yet arrived, you can print a temporary ID card by going online. Temporary cards contain all of the necessary information and should be accepted in place of a permanent insurance card.

The following are instrutions for printing a temporary insurance card for BC/BS Premier PPO, Select PPO, Value PPO, HMO Illinois and BC/BS PPO Dental:

Blue Cross Blue Shield

1. Go to www.bcbsil.com

2. Select "Already a Member?" and log in. If you do not have a username and password, register first

3. Click "Get a Temporary ID Card" from the right side menu

4. Verify that the ID card reflects your 2010 benefit elections

5. Select "Print Temporary ID Card"

Aetna HMO

1. Navigate to www.aetna.com

2. Select "Individuals and Families" from the top menu and log in

3. Select "ID Card" on the left side of the menu

4. Click "Medical Temporary ID Card"

5. Choose the family members in need of a card

6. Print the ID card that is displayed

First Commonwealth

1. Temporary cards are not available. If you have not received your insurance card, you may call customer service at 800-627-4200 to request another be mailed to you

Walgreens Health Initiatives

1. Navigate to www.mywhi.com

2. Log in. If you do not have a username and password, register first

3. Select "Print a Temporary ID Card" from the left side menu

4. Click "Continue"

5. Print the ID card that is displayed

Staffing - New Year/New Career

Tips for Managing Your NU Job Search

With the holiday season winding down and the return of the normal day-to-day routine, January can be a great time to re-assess your career path and explore options for growth at the University. Northwestern offers many opportunities for professional development, including courses offered by Learning and Organizational Development and the School of Continuing Studies. In addition to training, Northwestern can also be a great place to look if you're ready to move beyond your current role. Here are some tips for searching for your next position at NU:

Before You Apply

Get ready

� Assess your career progress and goals, and create a plan for where you want to

� Explore your options for professional development at Northwestern and through

professional groups or organizations outside the University

� Leverage your strengths in your current position and employ your talents through

projects or additional work

� Review transfer policies to make sure that you are eligible to apply for new positions

� Look through the University's open positions at NU Jobs

Market yourself

� Create a strong resume and cover letter

� Your resume should reflect your experience and qualifications for the job

� Proofread both carefully. Have people you trust proofread them as well

� Network, Network, Network

� Attend Northwestern events or join a Northwestern group like ANUW,

NUSAC, or NURAP. PlanIt Purple, the events calendar on NU's main

website, is a great resource for what's going on at the University

� Join professional groups in your field of interest

� Sign up for a social networking website like LinkedIn

� Bring business cards with you to events

� Get ready for the interview

� Learn more about the school or department to which you've applied. Get to

know what research they're working on, what initiatives or projects they're

involved in, or any other current news that may help you understand their

business better

� Be aware of general University news and read a local daily newspaper

� Practice interviewing with someone you trust or in front of a mirror.

Anticipate possible questions and think about how you will answer

them. This may ease any anxious feelings

� Keep a list of the jobs you've applied for

� After an interview, keep a record of the contact information for the individual

you met. Send a thank you note

� Project a positive image

� Dress for the role that you want

� Make sure your voicemail message and email address reflect the image

you want to project

� Carry your business cards at all times

Applying for the Job

� Apply through Self-Service under the Recruiting/Job Openings tab

� Make sure your contact information is current

� Update education, certifications and/or work experience acquired since your

previous application

� Information on the application should match the information on your resume

� Update reference contact information

� Your references should include at least two current or former supervisors

� Contact your references. While it is our practice to notify you if we will be

contacting your references, it is a good idea to let your references know

that they may be contacted, so they're not surprised if they receive a phone

call. If you're selected as a final candidate, your supervisor will also be

notified and contacted for a performance review. You will be notified before

your supervisor is contacted

� Make sure your application has been submitted. You will normally receive an

email once your application has been submitted, but you can always check with the

Staffing Department to make sure. You can reach us at staffing@northwestern.edu, or

by phone at 312-503-0611 in Chicago or 847-467-0324 in Evanston

Once you've submitted your application, keep track of the positions you've applied for, and check the NU website frequently for new jobs that may open. Searching for a new job is time consuming, so stay committed. If you are interested in more information about managing your career, please visit Managing Your Career offered by Learning and Organization Development. Good luck in your job search!

Kronos

The Kronos Time System was successfully implemented in 2009. All biweekly employees are now using Kronos to record their time and track accruals. Kronos was rolled out in four phases:

A small pilot group began using Kronos in September
Temporary employees, including student workers, began November 1^st
A third group consisting mainly of timeclock users began November 29^th
Biweekly staff started using Kronos on December 13^th

As part of this project, the pay period for temporary employees, which previously overlapped with that of the biweekly staff by one week, was merged to match that of the biweekly staff, so we now have a single pay period.

The Kronos Time System provides:

� Up-to-date accrual balances. Earnings and usage for vacation, sick and personal days are tracked on a daily basis, so balances are accurate and up-to-date every day of the pay period

� A calendar view of all worked and non-worked time for at-a-glance tracking

� Separate timesheets for multi-job employees

� Access from home using VPN

� Consistent and expeditious system response time

Just like ETES, the Kronos system interfaces with HRIS. New and updated employee information is sent to Kronos on a nightly basis. Timesheet data is sent to HRIS at the end of each pay period for paycheck generation. ETES will remain available to view history information.

The Kronos project has two more phases. The implementation of Exempt Staff Accruals and a Leave of Absence Module in the Spring 2010.

E-Verify

Implementation Timeline and Preparation

We will be implementing an electronic Form I-9 employment eligibility system with an interface to E-Verify to be used for all new hires and to verify the active employee population. The electronic I-9 will look very similar to the paper version, but the system will have controls in place to reduce the likelihood of errors during the E-Verify submission process.

By January 26, 2010, we must start using E-Verify for all new hires, verifying their work eligibility within three business days of the date of hire. As of that date, paper I-9s will no longer be accepted for any employees that will be paid by Northwestern University. All new employees will complete an electronic Form I-9 starting on that date. All existing employees will begin to complete an electronic Form I-9 according to a forthcoming rollout schedule, even if they have recently filled out a paper version of the form.

Refer to the Office of Human Resources Payroll Division website for upcoming implementation details, including a roll out schedule and FAQs: http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/payroll/E-Verify.html

Next Steps for Form I-9 Approvers

If you are currently a Form I-9 Approver (a.k.a. Section 2 processor) and wish to gain access to the new electronic I-9 system, you must complete the I-9 security request form (only 1 form required for each department or center) and attend training. The security request form is located at http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/payroll/E-VerifyTraining.html.

Some schools have elected to have private training sessions. The individuals belonging to those schools should attend their trainings as communicated by their school.

Form I-9 Approvers will be required to attend training yearly in order to maintain their access to the I-9 Service Center. After the initial rollout, training will be offered on a monthly basis.

Next Steps for Existing Employees
Existing employees will be required to complete a new Form I-9. Be on the lookout for targeted communications alerting you of the timeframe to complete your electronic Form I-9 and to provide Form I-9 Approvers with original documentation (no copies) from the list of acceptable documents. To review this list, see: http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/payroll/i-9.pdf. Payroll will offer weekly open lab sessions on each campus and support sessions for individual schools to aid in this process.

To prepare for completing a new Form I-9, ensure your employment authorization and documentation verifying your identity is current. Notify the Social Security Administration of name changes (i.e. using a married name vs. maiden name) or changes in citizenship status in advance of Form I-9 completion. When completing the Form 1-9, pay careful attention for typographical errors and providing the correct immigration status.

Employees hired before November 7, 1986 and continuing in employment will be notified that they are exempt from this process.

For questions, contact:
Kristin McLean
Sr. Business Analyst, HRIS
kristin-mclean@northwestern.edu
(847) 467-0416

HR Services - Managing Overtime

Fair Labor Standards Act and Overtime

Q. How do I determine if an employee is entitled to overtime?

A. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, all non-exempt (hourly) employees are eligible for overtime. If you are not sure if your direct report is exempt or non-exempt, you should contact your HR Consultant.

Q. I have two non-exempt employees reporting to me. They are often required to work in the evenings and on weekends for various events. Can I give them "comp" time in another week to make-up for the hours they worked overtime when they attend these special events?

A. No. If an employee is entitled to overtime, they must be paid one and a half times his or her "regular rate of pay" for all hours worked over 40 in the same work week. Vacation, Personal Days, Sick time and Holidays do not count toward the 40 hours.

Q. If my budget does not allow for overtime, what do I do?

A. Since all non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime for work over 40 hours, you must adjust his or her schedule during the same week that the events occurred, in order for their working hours to remain under or at 40 hours per week.

Learning & Organization Development

The Northwestern University Learning & Organization Development (L&OD) team collaborates with faculty and staff who want to develop their talent and advance their workplace outcomes, processes and engagement. L&OD provides consulting, coaching, workshops, retreats and tools for individuals, groups and organizations.

Look for our Spring Catalogue in your mailboxes the first week of February!

Meanwhile, check out current listings: L&OD

January and February offer development in:

Leadership & Management
Organization Development
Managing Your Career
Computer Applications
NU Business Processes

New Employee Onboarding
Workplace Skills

NU Performance Excellence

Specialized Learning

Questions? Comments? Contact us at training@northwestern.edu or 847-467-5081.

Work/Life Resources

Striving for a Healthy Balance:

The Northwestern University Office of Work/Life Resources provides programs, services and consultation to enable staff and faculty to effectively balance the competing demands of work and home.

Caregiving Resources

Many of us have recently spent time with our families and may have become aware of emerging needs of an older relative. Whether you are concerned about an older relative's health, social or emotional needs or his/her inability to live independently, there are many sources of information and assistance to help address your concerns. A good place to start is the National Alliance for Caregiving. Established in 1996, The National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of family caregiving. To help caregivers find the information they need to take care of themselves and their loved ones, the Alliance has partnered with the National Family Caregivers Association to create Family Caregiving 101, an online resource loaded with quality information on how to deal with the challenges of caregiving. You can visit this resource at www.familycaregiving101.org. On this site, you will find information to help you assess your needs, as well as community resources to address those needs.

Childcare Fee Assistance

Staff, students and faculty can apply for childcare subsidies if they are receiving childcare at the University Children's Center or the McGaw YMCA. Applications are available on-line at: http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/childcare/solutions/solutions.html. Applications can be made beginning in January for the following school year. For instance, in Januay 2010 applications for fee assistance for the school year 2010-2011 can be submitted. The applications are processed on a first come, first served basis, so it is important to submit an application as early as possible. If you are interested in additional information, contact Lori Anne Henderson at 847-491-3612 or la-henderson@northwestern.edu.

To learn more about NEW and existing childcare options in Evanston and Chicago, you won't want to miss the upcoming Childcare Fair. Please note that the Evanston date has been changed.

Tuesday, January 26th - Chicago Campus

Lurie Research Center

Gray Seminar Room - Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 27th - Evanston Campus

Parkes Hall, 1870 Sheridan Road,

Room 122 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Call the Office of Work/Life Resources at 847-467-1460 for additional information.

Tuition Benefits Information Sessions

Northwestern University Employee Tuition Benefits Information Session

Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies (SCS) and the Northwestern Human Resources Benefits Division will host Information Sessions for benefits eligible NU employees on Wednesday, January 20th, Tuesday, January 26th and Wednesday, February 3rd.

These sessions will explain how to take advantage of your employee tuition benefits through the part-time, evening and weekend undergraduate, graduate, and professional development programs available through SCS. For a detailed description of SCS programs, visit www.scs.northwestern.edu.

Academic, admissions and student services representatives from SCS and the Human Resources Benefits Division will be at the sessions. Seats fill up quickly, so register today.

Wednesday, January 20th - Evanston Campus - Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Programs

Donald P. Jacobs Center

2001 Sheridan Road

Room 2245 - 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 26th - Chicago Campus - All SCS Programs (Graduate, Undergraduate, Post-Baccalaureate Programs)

Wieboldt Hall

339 East Chicago Avenue

Room 408 - Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 3rd - Evanston Campus - Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Programs

Donald P. Jacobs Center

2001 Sheridan Road

Room 2245 - 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Reservations are required. Lunch will be provided. Click here to register.