Office of Human Resources                                                                                  January  2013

 HR REVIEW

Update Your Address for W-2 Mailing

Please take a moment to log into the FASIS Self Service Portal and ensure that your home and department mailing addresses are correct.  These addresses will be used for delivery of all 2013 W-2 Forms. For security reasons related to recent phishing attempts, all employees will receive a printed W-2 for 2013. If you manage temps or work-study students, please ensure that their addresses are reviewed as well. W-2s for regular active employees will be sent to the department location address; those for temps, work-study students, and separated employees will be sent to their last known home address on file in FASIS. Employees have until January 15, 2014 to update their address to ensure the change is reflected on their W-2.

Log in to the FASIS Self Service Portal at nupa.northwestern.edu and review your addresses in the bottom left corner of the main screen.  To update your address, click the "My Personal Information" accordion menu in the top left.  Choose "Update My Online Directory" (to change your Office Address), or "Update My Home Address" (to change your home address).  Separated employees with no access to Self Service must submit their address change to the Payroll Division on a Personal Data Form.

New Commuter Benefit Limits for 2014

The IRS has issued new limits for qualified transportation fringe benefits for 2014. The monthly pre-tax parking benefit increases to $250 (up from $245 in 2013). The monthly pre-tax transit benefit, however, has decreased to $130 (down from $245 in 2013). Employees with transit benefits that exceed $130 per month will see part of their transit deduction shift to being after tax. This change will be automatic and does not require any action by the employee.

2014 Social Security and Medicare Tax Rates

The 2014 FICA wage limits have been issued. The new Social Security wage base will be $117,000 (up from $113,700 in 2013). The Social Security rate will remain at 6.2 percent for 2014. The maximum Social Security tax increases to $7,254 (up from $7049.40 for 2013).

There continues to be no Medicare taxable wage limit with a base rate of 1.45 percent. All Medicare taxable wages that exceed $200,000 will continue be taxed at 2.35 percent (an increase of 0.9 percent over the base 1.45 percent rate).

Northwestern University Library Resources

The Northwestern University Library supports the educational and information needs of its community, and its resources are available to staff members in addition to faculty and students. In fact, did you know that NU staff members can check out up to 200 items at a time for up to 12 weeks, and most items can be renewed online through the library's catalog?

The Library facilitates the use and location of information - it's all about finding things and there is a lot to discover. The Library has over 5 million volumes in its collection, including items like the Foundation Directory and a great number of other directories. In addition, the Library has over 500 databases with access to countless articles. With such a wealth of information, the Library provides guides to help you siphon the information down to what you need. These guides include categories such as education, nonprofits, career resources, and more. In addition, if there are items that aren't in the NU Library's collection, you can still access them through services such as UBorrow and Interlibrary Loan.

Additionally, there are over 30,000 titles in the Mitchell Multimedia Center - everything from documentaries and performing arts to feature films and television shows, all of which are available for staff members to check out for up to 3 days with a 5 item maximum.

With so many resources to offer, the Library staff are available to guide you through the process to help you find what you are looking for.  Help is available via phone, text, chat, and, of course, in person.

Kronos Training Now Offered Online Monthly

FASIS is pleased to announce that regular Kronos trainings, usually conducted as in-person sessions, will now be held online.  New employees or supervisors, and current employees looking to brush up on Kronos, will have the option to attend a live demonstration online each month through Adobe Connect.  Like the past in-person trainings, the online format will provide an overview of time entry or supervisor functions, followed by an opportunity for questions and answers.  Instructions for connecting to the online session will be sent to all registrants the day before the training is scheduled:

HRS301: Kronos for Employees

Time Entry (for biweekly and temp employees), Leave Entry (for monthly employees), and Leave Accruals

For more information or to register for an online session, click here.

HRS302: Kronos for Supervisors

Time/Leave Approvals, Entering Historical Pay, Running Time or Accrual Reports, Changing/Delegating Approvers

For more information or to register for an online session, click here.

FASIS Open Lab Reminder

Have a question about FASIS, Kronos, Payroll, Position/Appointment Forms, or any other system process?  Don't forget that FASIS offers weekly open labs on both campuses, offering one-on-one assistance for all HR systems and forms.  Once a month, the FASIS open lab is combined with an Effort Reporting open lab to provide additional assistance with Effort.

Sessions are held in the afternoon, 2:30-4:30, Tuesdays (in Chicago) and Wednesdays (in Evanston).  For a complete schedule, including room locations and Effort dates, please click here.

New Query Mini-Trainings for Administrators

In the thick of our Chicagoland winter, it may be hard to believe that registration for summer camp and child care for fall 2014 is just around the corner! With all the choices available to parents wishing to provide structure and learning enrichment for their children for full time, after school, and school breaks, navigating the child care world may seem overwhelming. The Office of Work/Life has a number of resources available to parents looking to find the right child care match for their family. Contact us for more information.

Choosing Child Care   

More and more children are in preschool or other child care settings before they enter kindergarten. Choosing the right child care is important because it can affect how prepared your child is for school. Some tips to guide you:

Think About the Kind of Care You Want for Your Child. Possibilities include (a) a relative; (b) a family day care provider, usually a woman who takes care of a small group of children in her home; (c) a child care center, which generally offers a curriculum and staff with educational backgrounds in early childhood development; and (d) a caregiver who comes into your home.

Figure out What Suits Your Budget and What You can Expect to Spend in Your Community. For low-income parents, the federally funded Head Start program (and in some communities Chapter 1 programs) are available. State-subsidized child care programs also are available, although most often more people need the subsidized care than there are spaces available. Many families are entitled to the child care credit on their income tax forms.

Recognize That There are Many Ways to Find Good Care. Ask friends and neighbors how they found child care. See if they, or any day care providers you may know and trust, can recommend any good people or facilities. Look in the Yellow Pages of your telephone book under "Child Care Centers." Look in the classified ads of your local newspaper, or place an ad of your own. Put up notices on your church or synagogue bulletin board, in grocery stores, local community centers, or at the employment office of local colleges or universities. Look for notices that other people have put up.

If you are looking for a family day care provider, a local licensing agency can provide you with local listings. Many communities have resource and referral agencies that help parents identify the options that best meet their needs.

Start Looking Early, particularly if you have a special program for your child in mind. Some programs have long waiting lists. Some may even require you to get on a waiting list before your child is born.

Gather Information. If you are looking for a family day care provider or for a person to come into your home, interview the person at length and check references. Before you meet with them, develop a list of questions. If you are looking at day care centers, visit them-more than once, if possible. Just because a person or a program worked for someone else doesn't mean it's right for you. With any kind of child care, check references.

No matter what kind of child care you are considering, look for caregivers who:

• Are kind and responsive. Good caregivers are affectionate, enjoy children, are energetic enough to keep up with your preschooler, patient, and mature enough to handle crises and conflicts.
• Have experience with preschoolers and like them. Find out how long they have worked with preschoolers, why they are in the early child care field, and whether they provide activities that are appropriate for your child's age. Observe the caregivers with children. Do the children seem happy? How do the caregivers respond to them?
• Recognize the individual needs of your child. Look for caregivers who are considerate of different children's interests and needs and who can provide your child with enough attention.
• Share a child-rearing philosophy that is similar to yours. Find out what kind of discipline is used and how problems are handled.

Be Certain That the Child Care Facility is Clean and Safe and is filled with things to explore that are appropriate for your child's age.  Source: U.S. Department of Education   

See our Upcoming Workshops section below for more opportunities to learn about choosing child care, at our Child Care Fair & Summer Camp Expo.

Pediatricians Recommend Limiting Screen Time

Roni Sandler Cohen, PhD   

Employer Assisted Housing Program  

Financial Wellness    

• 24% of employees rated their financial status as "unhealthy"
• 38% found it challenging to pay their household bills on time every month
• Only 37% reported that they believe they will be financially prepared for a comfortable retirement1
• 16% of Baby Boomers, 32% of Gen Xers, and 19% of Gen Yers report that their financial situation distracts them at work
• 19% of these employees spend five hours or more each week at work thinking about or dealing with their finances
• 45% of Baby Boomers, 62% of Gen Xers, and 49% of Gen Yers report experiencing stress related to their financial situation
• Financial distress can lead to absenteeism, interpersonal conflict, ongoing stress, and health challenges
• More than 48% of people reporting financial distress said that they consoled themselves by eating unhealthy foods
• In many studies, people who reported more financial stress also reported poorer health

Upcoming Workshops   

 Money Matters

Child Care Fair & Summer Camp Expo

Join the Office of Work Life Resources and area child care experts and providers, for an informative program on choosing child care for full time, after school, and school breaks. We will explore the similarities and differences of the various options available, learn how to evaluate providers, and build skills for maintaining an effective working relationship with your chosen provider. You will also have time to meet-and-greet various child care providers from the community.

To Register

For more information

Weight Watchers @ Work

Let Weight Watchers help you achieve your New Year's health and wellness resolutions!  Join us at either (or both) of our upcoming OPEN HOUSES for a no obligation introduction to the NEW Simple Start Plan and Weight Watchers' NU At Work Meeting.  Open House dates are January 9^th and January 16^th.  Our meetings are every Thursday at 12:30 with the weigh-in beginning at noon, in room 3.226 Searle Hall (Health Services Building - 633 Emerson Street, Floor 3, room 226, Evanston Campus).  Come in and CHECK OUT a meeting for free.  What do you have to lose?  For more information, contact Tammy Rosner at t-rosner@northwestern.edu or 1-2210.

Starting the New Year with a Look Back

Our performance year is already into the second half, with the year-end review process approaching in April-May 2014.  Since human capital is Northwestern's most valuable resource, we should continually encourage and enable our staff colleagues to contribute to the education and research missions of the University AND advance their professional development. The Performance Excellence system helps managers and employees stay on track, strengthen their engagement, and increase effectiveness.

As we anticipate year-end performance review discussions, please keep in mind that Performance Excellence is an ongoing process and not a one-time event. This spring, managers should complete year-end reviews and then work with employees to set next year's objectives for performance and development. These objectives should be regularly reviewed and discussed throughout the year. This dialogue ensures that expectations are clear, lines of communication remain open, and adjustments can be made as needed.

The Performance Excellence tools (i.e., instructions, annual plan/form) and the workshop schedule are available here: http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/workplace-learning/performance-excellence/index.html. If you have any questions, please talk with your HR Consultant anytime.