Office of Human Resources                                                                                         September 2014

 HR REVIEW

New Self-Identification Survey Forms Coming Soon

The Office of Equal Opportunity & Access will roll out protected veterans and individuals with disabilities self-identification surveys on September 23, 2014. All faculty and staff are offered the opportunity to self-identify their veteran and/or disability status within our FASIS Self-Service System.  These surveys are among a series of requirements that Northwestern, as a federal contractor, must adhere to in order to comply with newly revised federal statutes, i.e.,  the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

All employees will receive an email notification on September 23 with more information, including guidance on how to access these new self-identification survey forms.  All faculty and staff are encouraged to self-identify, even if they are not members of one or both of these protected classes.  Further, there is an option of "I do not wish to answer."  Disclosure of an employee's disability or veteran status is entirely voluntary and there will be no adverse consequence for disclosure or for refusing to disclose this information. Moreover, the information gathered will be kept confidential (to the extent legally permitted).

If you have questions or concerns regarding these surveys or the new federal regulations requiring federal contractors to offer them, please reach out to us at (847) 491-7458 or by email at eeo@northwestern.edu.

National Hispanic Heritage Month / Mes de la Herencia Hispana

September 15 marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage month.  It is the start of celebrations in recognition of Hispanic history, heritage and culture, as well as the great contributions of Latino Americans to our community and country.  This month long celebration begins on September 15 to acknowledge the declaration of independence for El Salvador, Guatemala; Honduras, Nicaragua; and Costa Rica. The celebration concludes on October 15 in acknowledgement of Columbus Day or Día de la Raza.

The Office of Equal Opportunity & Access would like to thank all of our Hispanic and Latino employees for their hard work, dedication, and contributions to Northwestern University. One way members of the Northwestern community can celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month is by attending the Mexican Independence Day Parade on Sunday, September 14, 2014.  This is the biggest Mexican celebration and parade in the City of Chicago.  For more information on the parade and parade day festivities, please visit http://www.myhabanero.com/.

To contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access, please email eeo@northwestern.edu.

Changes to the "Reports To" Field in FASIS

The use and entry of the "Reports To" field in FASIS will be changing later this month; the main impact for Phase 1 will affect the entry of Kronos Timecard Approvers.  Some highlights of this change include:

• Kronos Timecard Approvers for all regular employees, exempt and non-exempt, will be entered directly in FASIS.  The Reports To page will be used for Timecard/Leave Accrual Approvers for regular staff; Timecard and Training Approvers for temporary employees will be entered on the Temp Panel.
• A position/appointment form will no longer be needed to change the primary Kronos approver for biweekly employees.
• At the time of go-live, the Timecard Approver field for all non-exempt staff and temporary employees will be set to the employee's Reports To on the Job Data page.  There should be no noticeable change in the Kronos approver for these employees.
• The NW_EMPLOYEES query table will contain new fields that display the Position Number and Name for all approvers (Timecard, Staff COI, Training, and Performance Evaluation).

Further details will be sent in the coming weeks to all FASIS Administration users detailing the minor changes to affected FASIS fields, the Reports To page, the Temp Panel, the Position/Appointment Form, and Query tables.  The FASIS Training department will offer brief online demonstrations to review the changes.

Java Update Notice

Please be advised that beginning Tuesday, September 9, Microsoft will block old versions of Java; this could impact your computer's compatibility with various systems, including the regular Java-based login for Kronos.  To prevent any problems, users should ensure they have updated to the most recent version of Java; see your department's IT person for more information.

Parent's Backpack 

As parents, many of you are busy filling your children's backpacks with new school supplies to help them get ready for the start of a new school year. What about you? What is in your backpack? For a list of resources to help you feel prepared for the new school year and a new set of routines, consider the Office of Work/Life Resources as a resource for help with childcare concerns:

• Finding Childcare
• Back-up Care
• Before and After School Care
• Access to Sitters through Sittercity/Care Advantage 
• On-line Parenting Resources through NU Life Matters
  • Cool Minds interactive website for Kids.
  • Articles such as, "Is my child ready to stay at home alone?" or "Helping your child with homework."
  • Back to School Guide.
  • Please note: to log onto the NU Life Matters website, use username: northwestern and password: eap.

Visit the work/life website, call a work/life coordinator at 847-467-1460 or arrange for an appointment.

National Work/Family Month

Did you know?

Join the Office of Work/Life Resources and university partners for special programming for National Work/Family Month. During the month of October, we will be bringing special workshops and speakers to both the Chicago and Evanston campuses to engage our community around issues of parenting, elder care, financial well-being, and balancing the competing demands of our professional and personal lives.

Week 2

Evanston- October 7^th, Noon-1:30 pm

Week 3

Chicago - October 14^th, Noon-1:30 pm

Join the Center for Talent Development (CTD) on Saturdays throughout the fall for free seminars designed to guide parents of gifted children, PreK-Grade 12.  During these hour-long seminars, Northwestern University faculty and specialists in the field of gifted education will share research and insights into the social-emotional and intellectual development of gifted students. All are welcome to attend; no registration or RSVP is required!  Visit the CTD parent seminar page for more details.

Twitter  

Follow the Office of Work/Life Resources on Twitter @NUWorkLife for the latest in work/life news, workshops and more!

Open Enrollment is Coming!

The annual Open Enrollment (OE) period for January 1, 2015 benefit plan changes will take place from Monday, October 20th at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. Information on plan changes and enrollment procedures will be sent via email and U.S. mail. Open Enrollment Guides will be mailed to home addresses on October 1. Please make certain that your home address is accurate and current in the FASIS Self Service Portal and allow 7-10 business days to receive your OE Guide.

Mark your calendar for the 2014 Health and Benefits Fairs:

The following benefit enhancements will become effective January 1, 2015:

• Incidental Sick Time will remain at 15 days for the 2015 fiscal year (9/1/2014-8/31/2015).
• During open enrollment, Dearborn National will allow a 1 level increase of supplemental life insurance coverage without Evidence of Insurability (EOI). This is available to anyone who has not been previously denied this increase by Dearborn National.
• The Employee Portable Tuition benefit will increase from $3,000 to $5,250 per calendar year. 

Metra Commuter Pass Refunds

Occasionally your commuting plans may change and this may impact your Metra transit needs. To obtain a refund for a METRA commuter pass you received for an upcoming month, please return the pass to the address below.  You will receive a refund in your shopping cart, which can be used towards a future pass.  These refunds are time sensitive and must be requested no later than the third day in the month, for which you are requesting a refund.

Please return the pass to:

Customer Service - Returns

PO Box 70

New Town, MA 02456

Please note that the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will not issue refunds for Ventra passes.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions. You can reach us at (847) 491-7513 or benefits@northwestern.edu.  

Federal Copyright Law Compliance

As the new school year begins, it is a good time for a reminder about the importance of complying with federal copyright law.  The use of Northwestern network or equipment to download or share copyright protected material in violation of federal copyright law is prohibited.  Employees who engage in these practices are in violation of University policy and this type of activity is subject to disciplinary action, as well as civil and criminal penalties.

Media owners are continuing their efforts to curtail unlawful file sharing; including movies, music, television shows, and software.  The media owners have begun demanding payment to prevent them from filing a lawsuit, and these fines are the responsibility of the individual who illegally downloaded or shared the copyrighted material. Several high profile cases have been resolved over the past few years, with substantial awards being given to the industry.
 
If you have engaged in file-sharing activity (such as the downloading of movies, music, TV shows or software) in violation of federal copyright law, you should immediately cease any such illegal file-sharing activity and the use or distribution of any illegally obtained material.  Peer-to-peer software should be deleted from University-owned machines unless there is a business, educational, or research need for the software.  Also, when working remotely on the traditional VPN, keep in mind that all your traffic goes through the Northwestern network and is subject to these same penalties.  Northwestern requires members of its community to respect the intellectual property of others and to abide by all applicable laws.

If you have questions or would like additional information, you may contact Roger Safian, Senior Data Security Analyst, at r-safian@northwestern.edu or 847-467-6437.

Exempt Staff Kronos Deadlines: Employee Entry by the 5th; Manager Approval by the 12th

As the fiscal year end approaches, exempt staff and librarians are reminded to enter their time off in Kronos for August 2014. This includes sick, vacation, personal floating holiday, and bereavement time.  Managers also must ensure that time off is approved on time, particularly so employees' carry-over vacation balances are calculated correctly.

• Employees - August time off must be entered by Friday, September 5.
• Managers - Employee's August timecards must be approved by Friday, September 12. Any retroactive entry for the past fiscal year must be entered into Kronos by the 12th to ensure correct accrual balance for FY15. 

As in prior years, any exempt staff member who fails to report time off, or who does not have the time off approved by a manager in Kronos, will have their vacation balances zeroed out at the end of the fiscal year, August 31st.  Instructions for entering and approving time in Kronos can be found here: http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/current-employees/using-kronos-time-entry/index.html  For further assistance, contact the Kronos Help Desk at extension 7-7606 or mytime@northwestern.edu.

Are You New to Northwestern this September?

Don't forget to finish a few important tasks as you begin your employment at Northwestern

• Complete your Direct Deposit Form and mail to the payroll office as soon as possible, to ensure your first paycheck is deposited on time.
• If you are eligible for benefits, don't forget to sign up in the FASIS Self Service Portal within 30 days of hire.
• All employees must attest to their status as a DCFS Mandated Reporter in the FASIS Portal.
• Each staff member (including Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Associates, and Faculty Librarians) is required to attest within the FASIS Self Service Portal that he or she has received the Staff Handbook. 

Hiring New Employees this Fall?

Hiring paperwork for temporary employees must be submitted within 5 business days of hire to comply with Illinois labor laws.  Please send, fax, or email temp hiring paperwork as soon as possible to the payroll office.  Please refer to the biweekly cut-off schedule for submission deadlines:  http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/managers-administrators/payroll-administration/BiweeklyCutoffs_2014.pdf.

To comply with I-9 and E-Verify laws, Section 1 of the I-9 must be completed no later than the first day of employment for all employees and may be completed by the employee from any computer.  Section 2 of the I-9 must be finished no later than the third day of employment, including the employee showing appropriate documents in person to an NU representative.  If an employee cannot complete the I-9 Section 1 or Section 2 by these deadlines, the employee cannot begin working.  NOTE: Holding hiring paperwork until the I-9 is completed is still a violation of the law and can result in non-compliance penalties.

For other detailed information regarding fall hires and paperwork deadlines, please see the Position/Appointment Form Tips sheet that was sent last month.

Networking for Success: Joining a Northwestern University Organization

When individuals think about networking, often it's in the context of conducting a job search.  While it's true that networking is an important part of a job search, it is also something that should be focused on throughout your career, not only when you are looking to change positions.  Ongoing networking provides the opportunity to create long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships that can help you throughout the many stages of your career, and is a great way to have fun and meet new people.

As you develop your network, it's important to think broadly about your contacts.  While many individuals in your network may come from outside the University, such as your alma mater, previous places you have worked, and external organizations, there are also a number of professional and social organizations within Northwestern that provide excellent networking opportunities, including the following: 

• AHEAD@NU -Association for Higher Education Administrators' Development helps higher education administrators (from program assistants to vice-presidents) establish and fulfill their academic, career, personal and social objectives and help them meet the challenges they may encounter as they pursue those goals.

• ANUW-The Association of Northwestern University Women is committed to encouraging and supporting all women in administration at Northwestern University interested in professional development. Its goals are to support women's careers in administration, to build networks for the exchange of information, to foster a sense of community among women and staff, and to serve as role models and mentors for other women.

• CompassionKnit - Northwestern University staff meet every second and fourth Tuesday at the Women's Center to knit for charity.

• GLUU - The Gay and Lesbian University Union is an organization for LGBT graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni at Northwestern University.

• NURAP - Northwestern University Research Administration Professionals brings together NU staff from across the university with the aim of improving institutional cohesiveness in research administration and fostering professional excellence among its members.

• NUSAC - The Northwestern University Staff Advisory Coucil serves as an advisory voice and change-agent for Northwestern staff in matters relating to community development, professional opportunities, and workplace concerns. This is accomplished through active engagement with staff, the University President, the Office of Human Resources and/or various senior administrators.

• NUVA - Northwestern University Veterans Association provides Veterans access to the resources, support and advocacy they have earned, deserve and require to succeed in higher education, to achieve their academic goals, and to gain meaningful employment following graduation.

• University Circle - University Circle provides opportunities for Northwestern University women to participate in service, scholarship and social activities that enhance the University community.

• The Women's Center - The Women's Center's mission is to enhance the academic achievement, career aspiration and personal development of women at NU and to help build an environment wherein women and men can work productively together.

If you haven't yet joined a Northwestern organization, now is the perfect time to do so.  More information on each of the organizations listed above can be found by visiting their respective web pages.

Rewarding Those Who Go Above and Beyond to Sustain NU

As Northwestern pursues its commitment to leadership in sustainability, the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Human Resources - Employee Recognition have partnered to offer two new opportunities to recognize staff, faculty, and students who go above and beyond in greening our campuses and curriculum.

The Faculty and Staff Excellence in Sustainability Award is given to those who have displayed outstanding leadership and dedication through their involvement in NU's sustainability movement. In their teaching, research, daily activities, or an innovative and empowering initiative, this member of the NU community has enhanced sustainability at Northwestern as well as our local and global community.

The Green Office Excellence Award is for staff and faculty members who are part of an office or department participating in NU's Green Office Certification. We want to recognize those NU community members who have identified innovative initiatives to reduce energy, water, or waste or engaged their fellow employees in greening their physical environment.

Any member of the University community may nominate an employee for the Faculty and Staff Excellence in Sustainability Award or the Green Office Excellence Award at any time. The Office of Sustainability will facilitate a small group consisting of faculty and staff to review the nominations and make a final selection.

Awards will be given quarterly beginning in November, and these sustainability champions will be acknowledged at the quarterly Service Excellence luncheons.

There is also an opportunity to nominate students for the Student Excellence in Sustainability Award. This award is given quarterly to a student who has displayed outstanding leadership and dedication through their work to green NU. In their research, contribution in a student organization, coursework, or an innovative and empowering initiative, this student has demonstrated a tremendous contribution to the success and vitality of creating a culture of sustainability at NU.

Visit the Office of Sustainability website to learn more about the awards and nomination process.

 Visit the Employee Recognition website  http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/hr-services/employee-recognition/index.html for more information about Service Excellence awards and other awards for staff members.

Service Excellence Recognition Program

The following members of the Northwestern University community have received commendations for providing exceptional service from April 1, 2014 through June 30, 2014. 

 The next Service Excellence Luncheon is November 6, 2014.