UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Human Resources

Flexible Spending Changes Due To CARES Act

There are a number of changes to employees’ 2020 Medical Flexible Spending account due to passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, according to Laura Barnard, human resources.

The rules for reimbursement of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medicines have been changed. The CARES Act now allows employees to use their medical FSA funds for over the counter (OTC) medical products without a prescription from a physician.  Click here to see OTC list. Please note, Allegiance is working on modifying the debit card system to allow acceptance of these purchases but it is not currently available. At this time, reimbursement requests will need to be manually submitted with copy of receipts of OTC purchases. Notification will be sent by Allegiance once the debit card system has been updated to approve these over the counter purchases.

Please see the UP FSA Plan Document with Amendment Jan 2020(1) Plan Summary Document, final page.

Also, if you have enrolled in a 2020 Dependent Childcare Spending Account and your expenditures in childcare due to parental work status, such as working from home, or due to a dependent care facility initiated change has occurred, you can submit a change request form to modify the amount being withdrawn from paychecks. A form could be submitted again upon return to normalcy. Here is a link to the form: 2020 Flexible Spending Enrollment/Change Form. Please select Enrollment Type as Change of Status with the effective date the change was made. You will then select ‘Yes’ to making change to childcare account which will take you to a page in which you can elect a new election amount for 2020. This amount can not be less than the total amount of deductions taken from January through March payroll deductions. For changes that went into effect in March, the form would need to be submitted by April 24, 2020.  

You can find these forms and documents on our Pilots UP FSA Benefits page. Please email benefits@up.edu if you have any questions in regards to the above.

Human Resources Coronavirus Updates, Directives for March 13

The following information was shared with the campus community by Sandy Chung, Human Resources, on Friday morning, March 13:

Dear staff colleagues,

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, this is a time of uncertainty and stress for all of us. On behalf of UP’s leadership, I want you to know that we care about you, your families, and our communities. Our goal is to work together, support each other, and navigate this situation as a united campus. As a community of care and support, we can handle anything that comes our way.

An important goal is to prevent and slow the spread of the Coronavirus. In support of this, the University requests that departments and units work on the following:

  • The University encourages supervisors and employees to work together to determine those employees who can work from home, full-time or part-time, on a temporary basis while we respond to the Coronavirus situation. Please carefully review and follow the COVID Telework Policy and the COVID Telework Agreement Form, which are attached at this link (Human Resources Policy – COVID TeleWork Policy for Staff Employees – Final – 3.13.20). These documents will also be uploaded to www.up.edu/hr and the Human Resources section of PilotsUP. The COVID Telework policy does not cover employees who are requesting telework because: they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus, they have been diagnosed with the Coronavirus, they are quarantined due to the Coronavirus, they have childcare or family care difficulties related to the Coronavirus, or they or a family member is more vulnerable to the Coronavirus due to a health situation. Employees in these situations should work directly with Human Resources at hr@up.edu or (503) 943-8484. The COVID Telework policy does not apply to student employees. My goal is to get you guidance about student employees by Monday, March 16, 2020.
  • For employees who need to come to campus to do their job duties, we ask that supervisors and employees work together to create social distancing measures as possible and reasonable. This can include things like changing work spaces to create more distance and lessening in-person meetings.
  • Please remember that all University-sponsored and/or reimbursed travel must either be canceled or postponed until further notice, unless a written exception is granted by the Provost and/or a University Vice President.

To support UP and our communities, each of us needs to do our part, and how each of us contributes may be different. Please know that we cannot treat everyone the same; for example, some positions will require that work be done on campus and cannot be approved for telework. However, we can treat everyone in our community with care and support, with fairness and equity.

If you need help navigating personal or work situations – related to the Coronavirus, illness, childcare or family care, stress, and other situations – I encourage you to reach out to Human Resources (hr@up.edu, 503-943-8484) or to the confidential, free Employee Assistance Program (www.up.edu/hr/benefits/eap.html).

Also, please support the non-UP communities that you are engaged with. This includes acting responsibly with social distancing measures like not going to large gatherings of people. For some of us, this may also mean checking in with our K-12 schools, which will be closed the next two weeks; there will be families and children who will need food or other forms of support.

Please remember that the University is uploading Coronavirus resources and FAQs at www.up.edu/coronavirus and in the Human Resources section of PilotsUP.

Thank you everyone. Please take care of yourself, your families, and each other.

Sandy S. Chung

Vice President for Human Resources & Title IX Coordinator for Compliance

University of Portland | 504 Waldschmidt Hall

5000 N. Willamette Blvd. | Portland, OR 97203-5798

T 503.943.8987 | chung@up.edu

COVID-19 and Your Retirement Account: Webinar on March 19

All employees are welcome to to join a webinar on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Your Retirement Plan” on Thursday, March 19, at 9 a.m., according to Human Resources. Register using this link. Those who register can access a recorded version of the webinar within a few days of the presentation.

The spreading COVID-19 pandemic is materially impacting nearly every aspect of life. Some industries are facing immediate reductions in revenue, hours worked, and even headcount, while others are pressed with staff addressing the increased demand created by the pandemic. Additionally, markets are experiencing rarely seen levels of daily volatility. Participants are worried about this volatility and most providers have pulled back educators to reduce the likelihood of community spread. Last, many recordkeeper partners have moved to remote workers during this time. How can plan sponsors ensure critical deadlines are met in the current environment?

In this webinar, leaders from the firm’s Investment Committee, Technical Services Committee, and Vendor Services Committee will cover:

  • Current Market Conditions Brought About by COVID-19
  • Tips for Addressing Participant Concerns About Market Volatility
  • Impact of Reduced Hours / Headcount on Plan Operation
  • Plan Document Compliance
  • Viable Tools to Conserve Cash During the Outbreak
  • Importance of Fiduciary Continuity
  • Partnering with Your Service Provider and Upcoming Deadlines

Again, this webinar will be recorded and available to all registrants within a few days of the presentation.

For more information contact  lindsey.knopik@multnomahgroup.com or hr@up.edu.

Coronavirus Update for UP Employees from HR

All University employees are advised to please review the Coronavirus guidance document at this link. Some of the guidance in this document may be updated or revised at a later time, as appropriate.

As the Coronavirus spreads in the Portland/Oregon area, you may have the following question, which is addressed in the FAQ’s question no. 1:

FAQ 1: A supervisor or employee has concerns that the employee may have been exposed to the Coronavirus. What should be done?

A: Please contact human resources as soon as possible at hr@up.edu or (503) 943-8484. If the situation is particularly urgent, please call or text (310) 779-2406.

If there are any concerns about Coronavirus exposure, it is best if the employee stays at home or goes home until human resources can help UP leadership make a determination about appropriate next steps. An employee’s pay and sick/vacation time accruals will not be affected if an employee is asked to stay at home while a determination is being made about Coronavirus exposure or if the employee is asked to continue staying at home because of potential or actual Coronavirus exposure.

Kaiser Permanente posts regular Coronavirus updates and information on their website at this link. Information sheets are available to members in English here and Spanish here.

Additional information from HR is available on the HR PilotsUP page.

When employees have to navigate difficult situations related to illness, family care, or childcare that come up in these types of situations, they can contact EAP at this link for support and connection to resources.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact human resources at (503) 943-8484 or hr@up.edu.

TIAA Representative Visit, March 10-12

A representative from TIAA, which administers the University’s retirement accounts, will be on campus in Waldschmidt Hall March 10 through March 12, according to Laura Barnard, human resources. Financial counseling appointments with Rebecca Rohleder (pictured) are available during work hours on those days. Visit our Pilots UP Retirement Benefits page to find information on how to schedule your appointment.

The new IRS limit on elective deferrals for 2020 is $19,500 – with a catch up amount of $6,500 for employees over age 50 at the end of the calendar year. A new online form has been implemented in 2020 to request a change or to stop your individual retirement contribution. You can find the link to the form in the Pilots UP benefits page linked above.

Please email benefits@up.edu with questions.

2019 Staff Christmas Luncheon, Dec. 16

The 2019 Staff Christmas Luncheon will take place on Monday, December 16, starting at 11:30 a.m., in the Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center.

The social will begin at 11:30 a.m., lunch starts at 12:15 p.m., and the formal program begins at 12:45 p.m. This will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends and new, enjoy a delicious holiday buffet, enter to win prizes, and celebrate the achievements of your coworkers. University president Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., will offer his annual Christmas message and well wishes. 
In keeping with tradition, we will once again present a photo slideshow. Please send photos of your department and staff to santa@up.edu. Christmas-themed photos are especially welcome. RSVP with regrets only to santa@up.edu.

TIAA Representative Campus Visits, Dec. 17-18

A representative from TIAA, which administers the University’s retirement accounts, will be on campus the following dates and times:

  • Tuesday, December 17, 2019 – Waldschmidt 3rd floor Conference Room #300
  • Wednesday, December 18, 2019 – Waldschmidt 3rd floor Conference Room #300

Financial counseling appointments with Rebecca Rohleder are available between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on those days. Schedule your appointment today at www.tiaa-cref.org/schedulenow or by calling call TIAA at 877.842.2028 (press 5 to schedule an appointment).

Please email benefits@up.edu with questions.

2019 Flex Spending Account Information

Human resources would like to remind employees who elected a 2019 medical or childcare Flexible Spending Account offered by UP that services must be incurred in 2019 to be eligible for reimbursement. You will have until March 30, 2020 to submit reimbursement requests for elgible expenses incurred in 2019 to Allegiance. In April 2020, any unused Medical FSA balances between $20 and $500 will rollover into a 2020 flexible spending account. Dependent care balances are not eligible for rollover.

For more information, such as a listing of eligible expenses or plan forms, please visit the plan’s page at the UP website: Flexible Spending Accounts. If you have any questions about your benefits, please contact human resources at benefits@up.edu or call x8484.