November 2024 HR/Business Office Blog Update

 

HR/Business Office November Blog Update 2024

Considering Retirement?  If you are thinking about retiring and would like to meet with us so that you can plan accordingly, please call the Human Resources Office to schedule a time that will work for you.

Buying Back Time:  We received feedback from ERS and TRS about the timeframe for buying back prior service. Currently, it is taking between 1 to 3 years for New York State to complete the buyback process. To buyback time, you must complete a buyback form and send it to the NYS Retirement System. According to NYS, you should expect to hear back within 10 weeks to confirm they received the form. The research, calculations, and buyback process will then take between 1 to 3 years to complete. If you have questions about buying back time or completing the appropriate form, please contact Sherri DaMore in Payroll at extension 7032.

Open Enrollment for Medical Insurances: 

What you need to know- All employees that qualify for medical benefits must establish an account with Benefitsolver.

        1. Establish your account with Benefits Solver with the link that was sent to you at the             end of October.  Don't worry, it is not too late.  Benefits Solver Link- Click Register 

        2. Complete 1 of 3 options.  Click here for  Step by Step Directions for all three options

        

 

Please contact Wendy Radford with any questions at 7094.

 

 The strict deadline for open enrollment is November 30, 2024.

Board Policies: The Policy Committee continues to review many policies this year.  Please feel free to review any of the changes that are updated on BoardDocs.  Please click Hilton BOE Policies to keep up to date.

Fitness and Wellness Committee: Anyone looking to join a great committee about Fitness and Wellness for  HCSD?  We are seeking additional members who are passionate about the opportunities that are offered to students and employees.

•  Community Education Offerings-Health and Wellness Activities Included
• Fitness challenges are happening all over the district.  Congratulations to the Transportation Department for their collective 2 million steps.  

 Frontline Absence Management

 OR?

Closing on a house? Taking your child to college? Have a scheduled doctor's appointment? Upcoming surgery or medical procedure? Too sick to come to work? Be sure to request time off as soon as you know you need it! Remember that accrual usage is dictated by your contract. If you have any questions as to which accrual type to use (ex. Personal day versus Sick day), feel free to reach out to your supervisor or Human Resources with questions.

Global Compliance Network Courses:  Just a reminder that your GCN Courses must be completed by November 22, 2024.  Use the self-pace mode to finish them up!

Mandated Reporter Requirement for all Certificated Staff:

Online Workshop:  This Updated Mandated Reporter Training Required by New York State: NYS has mandated reporter training for the individuals on this link that is now up-to-date. Teachers and certified staff must complete this training for certification purposes by 4/1/2025, as well as some other titles listed in the aforenoted link.  Here is the link to the online mandated reporter training course from the Office of Children and Family Services.   

In-Person Workshop:  In addition to this online training, Hilton will be offering an in-person opportunity for individuals that have asked for this type of learning.  On January 15, 2025, Bivona will provide a presentation starting at 4:00-6:30 p.m. in the Quest Auditorium.  This training is required for all certificated school personnel.  Certificates of completion will be sent to NYSED by Bivona.  There is no compensation for this certification mandate.  A registration link will be shared to all HCSTA, Teaching Assistants, Nurses and Administrators. 

Some individuals may have completed this mandate already and should see it in their TEACH account.  See below.

We also wanted to provide you the NYS Mandated Reporter Summary Guide again for your reference. 

COVID Update:  On March 1, 2024, the CDC adopted new guidelines for COVID-19, which can be found here: CDC Respiratory Viruses. You can also find additional information on the CDC's FAQ website regarding respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: CDC What to do when you have a respiratory illness. This new guidance compares precautions and procedures for COVID-19 to those for other respiratory illnesses, and removes the requirement of mandatory isolation. The CDC reiterated that when individuals become sick with a respiratory virus, it is recommended that they stay home and away from others. For individuals who test positive specifically for COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available and can lessen symptoms and lower the risk of severe illness. The new CDC recommendations suggest that an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 can return to normal activities when overall symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours and, if a fever was present, the fever has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication. You can find more information on the CDC's website: CDC: What to do when you are sick.

What this means for employees who test positive for COVID:

• Mandatory Isolation is no longer required.
• Similar to being diagnosed with other respiratory illnesses, it is recommended to stay home and away from others until your symptoms are improving and you are fever-free. 
• You can return to work and normal activities when your symptoms are improving overall and you are fever-free without using fever-reducing medications.

Since the new CDC Guidelines remove the requirement for mandatory isolation, the NYS COVID days no longer apply. Employees who test positive for COVID-19 will need to use their own sick days and follow the guidance above for returning to work.

W-2's 

As a reminder, your W-2 will be available on Munis Self-serve site by January 31, 2025.  You will be able to download and/or print your W-2 directly from this site after receiving the email informing you it is ready.  The website is Munis Self Service Link for you to login.  Please check your access to your account now so if you have password issues you can try to reset your password.  If you continue to have issues, please enter a ticket in Incident IQ to get the quickest response.  If you cannot access Incident IQ you can send an email to sdamore@hilton.k12.ny.us and Sherri can assist with resetting your password.

The end of the calendar year is quickly approaching.  Please take some time to review your latest paystub information to confirm that your tax withholdings and contributions to other investment accounts are as you expected.  It is easier for the business office to adjust and correct issues before the year has ended.  A reminder that you should check your paystub every pay period to correct potential problems as soon as possible.

       📢 Important Payroll Announcement! 

We hope you're having a fantastic week! As we approach every payday, we want to share some important information regarding payroll processing. 

Payroll Processing Schedule: 

• Tuesday (End of Day), week of payday: The cutoff for any changes or adjustments to payroll. 

• Wednesday, week of payday: Payroll data is processed and sent to the bank. 

🚫 No Changes After Tuesday: Please note that after Tuesday, no additional changes can be made to your payroll. So, if you have any updates or corrections, make sure to submit them before the deadline.  Please understand this is a typical schedule and subject to change due to holidays and other events that can change the timeline. 

🌟 Best Practice: Provide information early to ensure accurate and timely payments, we recommend that all necessary information be provided the week prior (non-pay week). This proactive approach helps streamline the process and ensures that everyone receives their biweekly pay on time. 

🚨Emergencies: If you have an account emergency, such as closing of an account due to fraud, please pick up the phone and call our payroll department!  Sherri can be reached at extension 7032 or Jim can be reached at extension 7097. 

Your cooperation helps keep the payroll process running smooth.  Thank you! 💸 

Technology Department Response Time Statistics

2023-24

• 2,495 tickets closed from August Staff Work Day 2023 to third Tuesday of October 2023
• 8 Hour (1 Business Day) First Response Time (time from ticket opening to first message/update from technician)
• 24 Hour (3 Business Days) open-to-close time (time from ticket opening to final resolution/fix)
• Fully staffed

2024-25

·     2,515 tickets closed from August Staff Work Day to Today

·       4 hour (1/2 Business Day) First Response Time (time from ticket opening to first message/update from technician)

·        20 hour (2.5 business days) open-to-close time (time from ticket opening to final resolution/fix)

·          Staffing minus 1 (one MMT opening)