2015 Annual Staff Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure Period: February 1- March 1

The annual staff COI disclosure covering calendar year 2014 will open in the FASIS Portal on February 1.  A go-live email will be sent to all staff on February 1^st with specific access and disclosure instructions. 

As a reminder, the annual faculty and staff COI processes now occur at the same time each year, and the annual disclosure is a consolidation of the annual staff, faculty, and research COI requirements; individuals with multiple roles can now meet all annual COI obligations simultaneously! 

To facilitate a smooth staff COI disclosure process, managers and administrators are strongly encouraged to verify that the staff COI approvers named in FASIS for their employees are accurate; this will ensure that COI disclosures for employees are routed to the appropriate individuals for approval.  Click here to learn how managers and administrators can update COI approvers for their staff within FASIS.

Resources 

COI disclosure requirements and the procedures for handling potential conflicts of interest are outlined in the University's  Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment policy.  

Questions about what to disclose? Refer to the Guidance for Answering Staff COI Questionnaire, or contact NUCOI for questions regarding COI policies and procedures.

For technical issues, please contact the FASIS Help Desk at 847.467.4800 or fasishelp@northwestern.edu

Minimum Wage Legislative Update

President Obama's signing of Executive Order 13658, results in the minimum wage for employees working under federal contracts (including certain types of grants) increasing to $10.10 per hour on January 1, 2015. This minimum wage rate applies to new federal contracts and replacements for expiring contracts. The minimum wage rate will be increased annually based upon the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Northwestern's minimum hiring rate is $10.15 per hour so we are in full compliance with this Executive Order and there is no immediate impact to employees.

Chicago's New Minimum Wage Rate

The Chicago City Council voted to raise the minimum wage rate to $10.00 per hour effective July 1, 2015. Subsequent increases will bring the minimum wage to $13.00 per hour by 2019. The 2015 increase to the minimum wage rate will have no immediate impact to Northwestern employees since our minimum hiring rate is $10.15 per hour.  

Commuter Benefit Limits for 2015

The IRS has announced the 2015 limits for qualified transportation fringe benefits. The monthly pre-tax parking benefit is remaining the same as 2014 at $250. The monthly pre-tax transit benefit is also remaining the same at $130. Employees with transit benefits that exceed $130 per month will continue to see part of their transit deduction taken as an after tax deduction.

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 printed 2014 W-2 Forms.  If you manage temps or work-study students, ensure their addresses are reviewed as well - W-2s for regular active employees will be sent to the departmental location address; those for temps, work-study students, and separated employees will be sent to the most recent home address on file in FASIS.

Click this link to access the FASIS Self Service Portal 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.

Spending and Saving Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

A few reminders regarding 2014 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs):

• 2014 Health Care FSA claims must be filed by March 31, 2015 for expenses incurred by March 15, 2015. Remaining 2014 funds in your Health Care FSA after March 31, 2015 will be forfeited per IRS guidelines.
• 2014 Dependent Care FSA claims must be filed by March 31, 2015 for expenses incurred by December 31, 2014.  Remaining 2014 funds in your Dependent Care FSA after March 31, 2015 will be forfeited per IRS guidelines.

Please contact the Benefits Division at (847) 491-7513 with any questions. 

Educational Assistance

Employee Portable Tuition Benefit

Tuition Benefit Waiver of Service

This benefit is available for new hires as of 9/1/2014. If you worked at a FAFSA listed college or university in a full-time, continuous position immediately prior to joining Northwestern University as a full-time, benefits-eligible staff or faculty member, you may qualify to waive some or all of the required 5-year Northwestern service period for the dependent portable or dependent reduced tuition benefit. Please complete the top portion of the waiver form, and have your previous employer complete the bottom portion. Return the form to the Benefits Division for approval. Waiver of Service Period for Dependent Tuition Reimbursement 

All staff members who have been employed at least three years, are in good standing, and have not been previously named Employee of the Year are eligible. Finalists from past years are eligible.

Nominations are due Friday, February 20, 2015.

To learn more about how to write an effective nomination, the Office of Human Resources is offering a workshop on Writing Compelling Employee of the Year Nominations (course number HRD545), which will be offered on both campuses.

Chicago: Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 11:45 am-1:15 pm, Rubloff, 9th Floor Lakeshore Conference Room 

Additional information regarding the Employee of the Year awards, including nomination instructions, the nomination form, and workshop registration are available under Employee Recognition on the Office of Human Resources web site.

If you have questions, please contact Maudell Gaines at maudell-gaines@northwestern.edu or847-491-7509.

Required Labor Law Posters

As a reminder, federal and state laws require employers to post certain labor law notices advising employees, and in some cases job applicants, of their rights in the work place. These notices should be posted so they are accessible to all employees (and job applicants when applicable). Required notices include the following:

Federal Requirements

• E-Verify Participation Poster and Right to Work Poster
• Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law Poster 
• Employee Rights: Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster
• Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) Poster
• Job Safety and Health: It's the Law! Poster
• Your Rights Under USERRA Poster
• Employee Rights and Responsibilities Under the Family and Medical Leave Act

State Requirements

• Your Rights Under Illinois' Employment Laws
• Workers' Compensation Notice
• Notice to Workers About Unemployment Insurance Benefits
• No Smoking Posting 

Federal Contractor Requirements

• Worker Rights Under Executive Order 13658
• Employee Rights Under the NLRA (11x17 size)
• Employee Rights on Government Contracts
• Know Your Rights Under the Recovery Act!
• Department of Defense Hotline Posters
• Department of Homeland Security Hotline Poster
• Employee Rights for Workers With Disabilities Paid at Special Minimum Wages

Individual departments and units are responsible for ensuring these notices are posted and current. Notice requirements can change from time to time, and there are services available for a fee that will provide posters along with updates on any changing requirements. In many cases, the web pages for each required posting listed above also contain more detailed instructions for the notices' specific posting requirements. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact your HR Consultant for assistance.